2009-01-12

This article belongs to Terrorism theme.


I think most clear-thinking people would by now have just about had enough of Israel and its grubby tactics, tactics that have cost the world billions and more billions in order to allow the Jewish people a country of their own. Western support of Israel has also cost many innocent lives around the world of people who have had nothing to do with Israel and its grubby adventures.

I would be one of the first people to recognise that Jewish people needed a country of their own if they so wish and from the founding of Israel until 1967 things appeared to make some progress in terms of establishing a viable, prosperous and peaceful Jewish state, able to be fully independent and in tune with its neighbours. Sadly, things did not turn out that way.

Israel decided that it would occupy large slices of territory including Gaza, the West Bank, the Golan Heights as well as other territory and it has occupied those occupied territories ever since. In more blunt terms, I would have only one term of phrase that I could use for Israel's 1967 actions. It is called theft. Ever since that time, Israel seems to have been surprised that the legal owners of occupied territory have, often violently, objected to Israel's actions. When there have been prospects for regional peace, Israel has always found ways to wriggle out of its commitments for often spurious and far-fetched reasons and Israel has always responded with heavy doses of military action, with more than a little support from the USA.

On the other side of the coin, despite the fact that objections to Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands are more than justified, organisations such as Hamas have made prospects for a negotiated peace with Israel almost impossible.

Hamas, when it was elected to Government, had the perfect opportunity to establish a viable and prosperous Palestinian state, an opportunity that it failed to grasp.

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Israel has once again resorted to military action, paid for by the American taxpayers, and once again, many people have died.
The end result is that thousands or people have died, Israel can now only be described as a rogue state and Hamas can now be described as no longer being representative of the Palestinian people.

So where to from here.

Israel has once again resorted to military action, paid for by the American taxpayers, and once again, many people have died.
Clearly time has now come for both Israel and Hamas to be reigned in.

Firstly, there must be a total cease-fire by both sides.
Then the border between Gaza and Egypt must be re-opened as to allow an unlimited flow of humanitarian supplies in Gaza.
The supply of humanitarian aid must be monitored by independent observers.

Once a cease-fire has taken hold, we can then look at what both sides need to do. Israel must withdraw behind its pre-1967 borders and return all lands and property stolen from the Syrians, Lebanese and the Palestinians.

A free passageway must be established as to allow Israelis to travel freely to and from Jerusalem for their religious activities and Jerusalem would initially be an international city.

Israel must demolish or handover all Jewish settlements located on occupied and stolen lands.

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There should be free, fair and monitored elections in all Palestinian territory.
Israel must account for its nuclear arsenal. All 228 nuclear warheads must be accounted for and all nuclear activities within Israel must be monitored by the IAEA. All future foreign aid to Israel must come in shape of tied grants.

Israel must drop its objections to Palestinian refugees returning to their own lands.

Lastly Israel should guarantee a free flow of traffic between the West Bank and Gaza.

On the other side Hamas, Fatah and others should recognise the State of Israel upon Israel giving a commitment of returning to her pre-1967 borders. There should be free, fair and monitored elections in all Palestinian territory.

All aid to the Palestinians shall be humanitarian, economic and non-lethal.

Failing to make progress on either side, those responsible for breaches of International Laws and Conventions should stand trial accordingly regardless of which faction, party or country they may belong to.

One might think that my suggestions are a bit or a lot one-sided. My answer would simply be this:

It was Israel that invaded, stole and occupied Palestinian land and it was Israel that has ventured into all sorts of places murdering civilians randomly and in large numbers as is happening once again in Gaza.

To me the whole Gaza episode is a disgrace and the standard-issue disproportioned military action by Israel has been disgusting.

There it is. Take it or leave it.