There was damn little of a body politic. The area was a sparsely inhabited backwater, long ruled badly by absentee rulers far away. Mark Twain visited Jerusalem, that great city, in 1867. He reported that it was the size of an American village of 4000 and he could have walked around its walls in an hour.
According to Harrel, the population of Jerusalem was about 20,000 at the time of Twain's visit.
In the time of Jesus it was 70,000.
In 1947 the population of Jerusalem and environs was 205,000. The Jewish population was about half of that number. There was a balance between Jews and non-Jews. You call that damn little body politic?
Since the creation of Israel the population of Jerusalem has exploded, with the vast majority being Jews. By 1967 Jews out numbered non Jews by more than 2 to 1.
By then wars had erupted and many Arabs left Jerusalem. Many more Jews immigrated to Israel.
It's over whelmingly Jewish today. But that momemtum towards Jewish control of Jerusalem, and of Israel, was set in motion by the creation of Israel. That was an almost overnight change in the body politic, historically speaking.
I don't see where either Jews or Arabs can claim sole ancestoral rights to Palestine. Prior to the creation of Israel there was a balance in the body politic. After the creation there was an imposed imbalance.
Who knows what would have become of the middle east if the UN had not imposed it's will, against the will of the Arab people?
Perhaps we would have had a natural melting pot of Arab and Jew living in peace?
I hold that the artificial creation of a nation by outsiders is at the root of the trouble in Palestine. This creation was done to solve the "Jewish problem". But it created many problems instead.
Nadine, you seem well versed in the politics of the middle east, but your view is always slanted towards the Jews and support of Israel. Are you Jewish by any chance?
The situation in Palestine/Israel can best be solved by peaceful means. It would seem that a single state solution with Arab and Jew living as one would be best. This is the way that it was prior to the creation of Israel. Since the creation of Israel, the population dynamics, and the political dynamics have shifted in favor of the Jews. This probably drives the Arabs to want their own state, rather than be controlled by the Jews.
The two state solution with each hating each other seems doomed to failure. Missiles being fired back and forth will not be a solution.
Whether a one state or a two state solution is tried, neither will succeed without compromise and forgiveness. So long as the radicals take up arms, the entire population will have to live in danger. |
