As I said in my posting above, the issue isn't who has a better, more legitimate claim, the issue is that there are too many claimants. Frankly, it appears to be a fairly marginal and inhospitable place, but if too many want the same thing, someone loses. And what they all want, no, must have as humans, is water.Matnum PI wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 4:03 pmJews, Palestinians, Arabs, Christians, etc. all lived in Israel under the British mandate with relative peace for many years. No 2 state solution was necessary. Issues arose when Jews started coming to Israel in larger numbers. For the Palestinians and seemingly more for the neighboring Arab countries. Post WWII, the numbers jumped and there was a direct correlation between the number of Jews coming to Israel and the surliness of the arabs. And the Jews weren't just going to Jerusalem. Heck, the majority of the Jews weren't religious. It's not that the arabs don't want the Jews in Jerusalem. They don't want the Jews in Israel. Little different than the Germans and others didn't want the Jews in Europe. Not a simple answer for the Jews then nor now.cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:36 pm The intent and purpose of the British was for the creation of 2 states living together in the same land. I don't ever see that happening. That has been the case since the war of Israeli independence way back in 1947. Juruesalem will always be the issue. The city is sacred to Jews and Muslims both. There is normally one truth in all wars... one side wins and one side loses. To the victor goes the spoils.
To you point about the nature of what Gaza is, it can be summed up in the restriction of life's single most component: water. The residents of Gaza have been on a restricted "diet" for some time.
"Some two million Gazans suffer from a constant shortage of water, which gets worse in summer. The tap water is salty and polluted and is not fit for drinking. In the absence of other alternatives, residents are forced to use this water for bathing and washing, yet the supply is irregular and unpredictable. For drinking and cooking, they no choice to buy water privately – despite severe financial hardship – and even then it is usually substandard.
The shortage of water in the Gaza Strip and the substandard quality of tap water have been known for years. The coastal aquifer, which Gaza relies on as its only water source, has been polluted by over-pumping and wastewater contamination. As a result, 96.2% of household water from the aquifer is non-potable. Moreover, about 40% of the domestic water supply is lost on the way to consumers because of Gaza’s outdated infrastructure. Due to irregularities in supply, residents have to stock water in containers in their rooftops to use on days when the supply is cut off. The power supply in Gaza is also intermittent, and often does not come on at the same time as the water supply. This limits residents’ ability to operate pumps to fill up the containers. Families that do not get a chance to pump water to the roof before the power supply runs out find themselves with no running water.
The World Health Organization has set the minimum requirement for daily per capita water consumption at 100 liters. This amount should cover basic domestic needs such as drinking, bathing, cooking, and washing. In Gaza, average daily per capita consumption is only 88 liters; in Israel, by comparison, it is more than 200.
https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/2020 ... it_for_use
"Energy Minister Israel Katz announces that he has instructed authorities to cut off water to the Gaza Strip.
“I instructed that the water supply from Israel to Gaza be cut off immediately,” Katz says in a statement, adding that the flow of power and fuel was ceased two days ago."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... r-to-gaza/
Such limitations and restrictions are inhumane. Full stop. So, let's talk basic human rights, shall we? Is adequate hydration such a right?
So, 0 liters of water per day, per person, or consume polluted, salt water? Without power for the pumps, is that even available. I understand death by dehydration to be very painful. Having observed my father dying from it as a result of his second wife denying him hydration, sustenance and palliative drugs as she held his medical power of attorney, I can assure you it is torture. Period. Not debatable.
So, free from responsibility and opprobrium for their actions, are the Israelis? You tell me. What behaviors can you countenance? Or, as you say, "you do you."
Most parties here have "dirty hands." However, given the demographics of the Palestinian population, majority under the age of 18, Israel has a hard choice to make. Having grown up under the respression of the past 16 years, that young majority people are most probably, and understandably, going to view Israel as a monstrous, oppressive state.
So, what is Israel going to do? Kill them all? Would that be okay with you? Justifiable?
