Surprise Attacks, Security and Prosperity

    October 7, 2023 was a terrible day. Two thousand Palestinian and Hamas militants infiltrated Israel proper and meted out barbarity and wicked acts. There is no justifying such cruel and inhumane behavior and violent attacks on anyone. I do not care how much we hate our enemies; it was so wrong.

    That said, Israel has been giving the Palestinian masses reasons since its inception in 1948 to hate the Israeli movement and its ever growing presence in Arab-Palestinian lands. Again, the retaliation is not warranted by terrible violence and death, but Israel should shoulder responsibility for creating a society of Arab hatred and belligerence.

    One case in point are the 750,000 or so Israeli "settlers" in the West Bank, the land designated to Palestinian and Arabs that increasingly is taking in more and more non-Arab and Jewish citizens, which is a constant violation of original agreements and an affront to millions of Palestinians (particularly poor Gazans), that have little room or methods for land in order to grow or live.

    Land, land, land. Palestinians have to have land in order to have a chance at peace. They were promised this since 1948, but it is decreasing year after year. 

    The wall surrounding the West Bank to ensure better security for the Israelis, preventing would-be violent attacks in the form of suicide bombers and other incursions into Israel proper, also encroaches on Arab lands. The Palestinians continually see their piece of the pie spliced off and taken. I am not sure how else to interpret what the government of Israel and its citizens are doing.

    Does Israel think that this will lead to ultimate security and peace? Ridiculous.

    Taking land. (Again, LAND, LAND, LAND) from Palestine is a losing proposition.

    It does not justify awful acts of violence or death, but it most people's opinion it does require action.

    Negotiations, settlements in the vain of diplomacy and statecraft that is not physical settlement and occupation. 

    How else should Arabs view the annexation of their land?

    In the late 1990s Gaza had an airport destroyed and their boat and fishing rights/privileges hampered, hindered, and/or taken.

    How do over two million people in a cramped 141 square mile "strip" propose to have enough production and prosperity without air or sea access, two things that are naturally a part of their geography?

    Israel can set up checkpoints and customs ports as they do everywhere else, but Israel took the more draconian step of denying all of it, unilaterally.

    Not good, Israel.

    Not good Arabs and Hamas, for attacking, torturing, (raping, burning), and killing Israelis who are innocent, but I hope we all see some of the reasons for anger in this region.

    Disparity of water rights, working, land, air, sea. Money and production have to be there for any peace to occur. 

    Until then, we should continue to expect the worst. Not another October 7th, we should pray and hope, but millions of Arabs who will not abide by Israeli forced living rights and what amounts to me as robbery of land and money.

    Land, land, land. Or territory, if you will. 

    I have harped on this before, but the U.S. can and should intervene. And we are too stupid, beholden to special interests, and cowardly to do more. 

    Shame on the Americans. Shame on us. This is not rocket science. But until we figure out how to help both sides, we will continue to see the nasty rockets across the Holy Land.