I have to say, up until today I was firmly on the side of the palestinians: they had been evicted from their land and treated like crap since the Israelis "Returned" to Israel, but having talked the whole thing through with a friend from Israel today, and having heard his side of things, I feel quite stupid for having thought that for so long.
To be honest, it now seems to me that both sides are reacting to the other: it's impossible to tell who "started" it, seeing as the whole thing didn't erupt at once: Yes, israel seized some land from the palestinians, but in many other cases Israelis legally bought the land fairly, and they were still attacked and harassed by the "poor defenceless" Palestinians. the whole place is a mess, and both sides are reacting to violence with more violence. What would you do if you felt that your land was being taken from you?
On the other hand, what would you do if raving madmen were threatening to fire rockets and blow up your families? it's not an easy thing to sit down and talk calmly about.
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- Arthur Dent
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