You said you had studied this topic for a long time. Did you study the history of this conflict as well?
A nation, its culture, and its people
Palestine was never a state. Palestine was a geographical term. If anything, the word Palestinian was used to describe Jews before the state of Israel was born. The Jerusalem Post was first called the "Palestine Post" [
1]. This was the first Jewish newspaper and the company was made by a Jew before Israel was even a thing.
The modern usage of the word "Palestine" as referring to the Arab population was a conscious Arab strategy with the specific intention to fuel propaganda and sway public opinion in favour of the Arabs. If you have read about the six-day war then you know that the "Palestinian flag" didn't exist before Israel conquered the west bank after being attacked by Transjordanian, and neither did Palestinian resistance to the illegal occupation (Arabs in the west-bank didn't crave freedom from illegal Jordanian occupation). The flag of Palestine is literally the flag of Jordania except for the number of stars, which is different.
The claim that there was a culture and nation called Palestine is not true.
- In 1914, there were 689.000 total inhabitants in Palestine, 13.6% of them Jewish.
- In 1947 there were 2 million people, 32% of them Jewish.
In just 3 decades the non-Jewish population of Palestine doubled. Arab immigration was also substantial, meaning the population was not stable. There was never a "Palestinian nation", there was just an Arab nation. The earliest conflict between Jews and Arabs was not due to Palestinian nationalism, it was due to Arab nationalism. They expected of the allies that after the Ottomans were defeated the entire Middle East would be sovereign Arab land. Once again, there was neither a Palestinian nation nor Palestinian people before the war of 1967.
do not waive the right to self-determination because dead people started a war in '67
Israel got their nation the same way every other Arab got it: through the division of territory, fair or unfair, by the Allied powers. The Arabs can't deny the legitimacy of Israel without also undermining their own legitimacy. The UN made a plan wherein the remaining parts of Palestine were to be divided into a Jewish and Arab state (TransJordania already was given to the Arabs, even though it was a part of Palestine). But the Arabs in Palestine intentionally refused to create their state in 1948. Instead, the Arab nations attacked Israel and started a war. Thus started the Jordanian occupation of the west bank and the endless conflict. The Arabs in 1967 forced Israel into a war, and Jordania attacked Israel -- thus the west bank fell into Israeli hands.
The problem of today that is the Israelian-Palestinian conflict, ultimately, is the fault of Arab mistakes throughout history. They simply did not accept the authority of the UN, nor did they respect the Jewish right to live in peace and prosperity. All they cared about was attacking Israel because of grand nationalistic dreams. Today, Arabs in the west bank and Gaza strip are being occupied by a foreign power and also being led by terrorists posing as freedom fighters. Blame that on Israel all you want, but Arabs have had THE major role in creating this problem. Even the actions of Israel, like the occupation itself, can be traced back to unfair and provocative military actions by Arab states.
Representatives of Palestine do not and never did consent to that
Who do you consider representative of Palestine? PLO, Hamas, Fatah? These are terrorist organizations, and the very "Palestinian Authorities" organization were created by multiple of these. Yassir Arafat, the very person who created and led PNA, was also the leader of the terrorist organization Fatah. These people and organizations have selfish, political and/or religious reasons for existing, and I would bet all my money any day that they aren't any better than Israel with regards to helping Palestinians.
Do you know the son of Hamas? This person was the son of one of Hamas's leaders, but his life led to him working for Israel security and later move to the west.
I highlight the quote: "You are the greatest enemy of the Palestinian people!". Now that puts things into perspective, doesn't it.
I am not denying the problems the occupation caused. But do not tell me that these representatives have any legitimacy other than the power they have accumulated specifically because they use terrorism and other means of prolonging and worsening conflict.
please substantiate your national security concerns
- The constant threat of war with Arabs is a major concern for Israel
- The west bank is the perfect springboard for invasions, missile attacks, pre-emptive airstrikes and terrorist attacks
- With control of the west bank, Arab armies can easily reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, effectively cutting the country of Israel in half
- The hills provide excellent protection for military installations. It's either an Arab advantage to attack Israel or Israelian advantage to protect itself.
- After the war in 1967, Jordan has never attacked Israel. The hills prevent any attack from the East.
Much more importantly though, with being safe from invaders Israel doesn't need to strike first to have a chance in war -- helping ensure peace and prevent another six-day war.
Human rights issues are always important
The major takeaway point is that Arabs living inside Israel live better, freer lives with more democracy and human rights than Arabs in any Arabian nation.
Why would you rather have yet another failed democracy in the west bank, when most "Palestinians" immigrated into Palestine the same ways Jews did.
Unless one agrees with those Arabs who are motivated by irrational religious or nationalistic extremism, then one should agree that Israel annexation is a valid possibility.
Personally, I think that the impossibility of ensuring that former terrorist organizations treat people fairly (look at Gaza), coupled with the security needs of Israel as well as its superior democracy, economy and human rights; I think all of these points together show that the best solution, while maybe the most controversial, would be that the west bank gets annexed by Israel. It will be more beneficial for the Arabs, it will remove the power of terrorist organizations and the state of Israel can be much safer. Israel already has a large Arab population, with Arab parties and Arab members of the government. Arabs in Israel are better off in almost every way.
