To: TimF who wrote (451481 ) 1/27/2009 4:26:24 PM From: tejek 1 Recommendation Read Replies (4) | Respond to What would you do if you were imprisoned in an 'apartheid' arrangement with another people and were not allowed to progress? Arabs in general (Palestinians where less of a distinct group back then) rejected the initial plan for a Palestinian and Israeli state and attacked Israel. Then they lost. Since then, the Palestinians rejected proposals for an independent state, responding with attacks instead of counteroffers. Then Israel unilaterally pulled out, and gave the Palestinians the territory, if not full sovereignty over it and control over its borders. They could have acted peacefully, built trust, built there new land up, and eventually have gotten a full state, but instead Hamas attacks Israel, and officially calls for the total destruction of Israel. Yes Palestinians have had a real hard time of it for a long time, but that's largely due to Arab governments (who started the series of wars with Israel, who never gave the Palestinians sovereignty or autonomy when they controlled the West Bank and Gaza, and who don't let the refugees integrate instead keeping them in impoverished refugee camps), and Fatah, other PLO factions, and Hamas (who attack Israel from schools and hospitals, and do little or nothing to develop the territory when they do control it, putting all their efforts and energy against Israel rather than for the Palestinians)
