Israel vs. Palestine

Israel and Palestine are making the news again. I thought I’d jot down a few annotations about it.
What’s the Kerfuffle About Now?
Various groups in Palestinian-controlled areas have been firing rockets at Israeli-controlled areas. Most are caught by the Israeli anti-rocket defense system Iron Dome, but are still causing concern. After Palestinians groups fired an egregious amount of rockets totaling over 100, Israel decided to launch Operation Pillar of Cloud (to people unfamiliar with the Tenach, that’s a reference to Exodus).
The rockets in question are generically referred to as Qassams. They weigh 35 kg-50 kg, are 180 cm-244 cm long, are propelled by a sugar and potassium nitrate (fertilizer) mix, and can fly 5 km-20 km. They are filled with explosive material with metal bearings, TNT, or urea nitrate. More sophisticated rockets are starting to be used, with bigger ranges and bigger explosions.
Operation Pillar of Cloud started out with the assassination of Ahmed Jabari, chief of the Gaza military wing of Hamas, on November 14. It has progressed with more than 1,350 air, tank, and warship strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip in the subsequent five days.
The Israeli government is moving tanks and soldiers in preparation for what could be a ground invasion of Gaza. Nations of the world are strongly urging Israel not to start a ground invasion.
Why Rockets?
Why are Palestinians firing rockets at Israel?
I can’t find a simple answer to this question. I suspect that it’s for the same reason Palestinians have been blowing up buses with suicide bombers for decades. They’re acts of violence to further the Palestinian cause.

I’m not exactly sure what the Palestinian cause exactly is. Here are some guesses:
·         To cause the Israeli government to disband and relinquish control of all lands back to its prior inhabitants (Drive Israel into the sea, etc.)
·         To cause Israel to respect the Palestinians and relinquish control of some lands (Gaza? The West Bank? The Golan Heights? All of Jerusalem?) to the Palestinians. Create permanent land divisions as separate nations.
·         To cause Israel to treat the Palestinians as full citizens with full travel rights.
·         Die Jews, die. It’s an anti-religion thing. Or racism. Or both.
·         Well, we had all this fertilizer lying around…

So, to promote their cause, Palestinians are resorting to terrorism, such as suicide bombing buses, bus stations, trains, launching rockets, murdering Israel Olympic athletes, etc. When they’re feeling magnanimous, they simply riot and throw stones.
Israeli Response
Israel is determined to stay in the region, despite the Palestinian hopes and efforts. The region in question isn’t very big. Israel is about 7,992 square miles; the state of Arizona is 113,998 square miles, over 14 times bigger, to put things in perspective. When Israeli jets need to turn around quickly, they have to be careful not to enter other countries’ airspace.
So instead of giving up and moving out of the area, Israelis have been hunkering down since 1948 and trying to hold onto what land they have. In recent years, they’ve been walling off the Palestinians, limiting travel, enforcing a hard trade embargo, and generally being touchy when provoked. And by touchy, I mean launching massive military operations and assassinating Palestinian leaders suspected of promoting terrorism.
Also, just to piss off the Palestinians, Israel likes to build “settlements” right near the Gaza Strip. Nothing like rolling up with armored bulldozers and M16s to make a new gated community.
Divine Rights
To some extent, both sides think they have divine rights to the so-called “Holy Land.” Maybe it would be easier if someone explained to both sides that we’re not five years old anymore, and God doesn’t exist. Land is land, and the land in Israel/Palestine is pretty shitty. Well, there are a few nice parts, but most of it’s not worth the effort.
Peace
I think if there is going to be lasting peace, four things have to happen:
1.       Israel has to provide Palestinians some land to have for their own use, and recognize Palestine as a sovereign country.
2.       Both sides have to agree to a permanent ceasefire.
3.       Palestine has to be content with the land that they have and not desire to control Israeli land.
4.       Mutually beneficial trade is established between Israel and Palestine.
Alternatively, a unified country (let’s call it Palesrael or maybe Israelistine) is formed and collectively treats all citizens in the land as equal in a secular democracy. Both the former Palestine and Israel governments are disbanded.
Alternatively, the Palestinians can abandon their political ambitions and terrorism, and try to integrate into Israeli citizenry in much the same way that Native American tribes integrated into the United States.
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt”>Alternatively, Israel can leave the region after its long, but ultimately failed, experiment of being a country, and turn over the land back to the previous inhabitants to do with as they please.
American Aid
An interesting factor into the whole business is the aid that the U.S. provides to Israel, nearly $3 billion every year. One wonders how long Israel would last without it. I’m not entirely convinced that the U.S. should support Israel as financially and politically as we do. I guess the idea is that it makes the Middle East more stable, and thus makes the U.S. safer.
Egypt
For the last thirty years, Egypt has remained at peace with Israel and the U.S. Now that Egypt isn’t under the rule of Hosni Mubarak, the role of Egypt with the Israel-Palestine conflict isn’t as certain.
Until Then…
Until both the Israelis and Palestinians start using diplomacy instead of violence, they will continue in the lex talionis, eye for an eye, reciprocal justice that Judaism tradition is steeped in. It comes in cycles, but generally the Palestinians have more casualties and keep losing ground. While it’s possible to continue on indefinitely under miserable living conditions, why should it have to?
As for me, I don’t plan on returning to the region unless peace is finally achieved. I’m sure parts of Israel are still as peaceful as when I lived there, but frankly, it’s not worth the risk. The land isn’t very beautiful, I’ve seen all the major sites already, and I’m not terribly fond of the heavily religious culture. I’d rather travel back to Europe or the Caribbean any day.
What concerns me more, of course, is that the violence in the Middle East escalates into World War III and the U.S. gets involved. Then it’s everyone’s best guess as to how this would turn out.