To: TimF who wrote (451497 ) 1/27/2009 4:43:49 PM From: tejek Read Replies (2) | Respond to In 1900, the Palestinians were farming and ranching the land that had been theirs for thousands of years. Suddenly, all these Zionist Jews start popping up, buying land from the Brits and the Turks. And others that came really did buy land, sometimes twice, paying the Palestinians for land as well. It was immigration not conquest. The Palestinians didn't, and pretty much have never had a country, and where not at the time thought of as a distinct nationality, they where just Arabs who happened to live in the area, which was controlled by the Ottomans then the British. When Arabs had ruled the land, it was ruled by other Arab leaders from outside of Palestine, and of course they had conquered it from those who had it before them. Its similar with most nations. The US, used to be controlled by Indian tribes, European countries invaded and conquered each other, as did countries and tribes across the world. We have to deal with the fact now, not try to undo mass immigrations or conquests and political changes back through history. Those past changes don't justify what Hamas does, and any organization controlling a territory who acts like Hamas, isn't going to be given peace and full sovereignty. Most nations would be far less restrained in responding than Israel has been. Many governments that criticize Israel for its response would probably have tried to wipe out the Palestinians had they been in the same situation.
