In the nearly 36 years since Israel seized the West Bank, a basic question has never seemed to be posed, much less answered: Why can't the Palestinians live under Israeli rule?
Sure, an independent Palestinian state may one day become a reality, and for practical purposes such a state might serve Israel's needs as much as that of the Palestinians.
This is more than a rhetorical question. If the Arabs scoff at living among Israelis, will they be content to live next door to them?
Many supporters of Israel believe that the Arabs are seeking the destruction of Israel and want a Palestinian state as a staging area for the next step toward that end. It is evident that many Arabs are motivated by this goal.
So, it is important to understand why the Palestinians need their own state. It doesn't make sense. After all, Jews comprise 2.4 percent of America's population against a Christian spread of at least 80 percent. However, we in America are satisfied living here. Jews like myself vote and participate in the political process. Many Jews succeed beyond their wildest dreams; there are poor Jews; and probably most of us are part of the struggling middle class. We face prejudice, but there are also legal avenues to combat discrimination. The majority religion - Christianity - does possess a heavy influence here, but most Christians and Americans of other religions or no religion are fair, treat us with respect and make us feel welcome.
In fact, our Christian neighbors often come to our aid in times of need. On one occasion when a synagogue was vandalized in a Philadelphia suburb, many non-Jews were out in force to clean up the mess. When a Jewish family was terrorized during Hanukkah in another Philadelphia suburb, their neighbors bought menorahs and placed them by their windows in a show of solidarity.
Arabs and Muslims who live in America likewise participate in the system and many thrive. Unlike their brethren 7,000 miles away, they haven?t asked for an Arab state here.
Surely, Israel must govern all its citizens equitably and with justice - whether they are Jews, Muslims, Christians or part of any other group. And clearly, the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should not be living under such deplorable conditions. However, the Palestinians as a group created many of the circumstances that led to such a tragic situation, and their leaders in the territories and other Arab nations have done little to help.
Do other groups living in Israel and its territories seek their own state? I haven't heard of that from the Druse or Greek Orthodox.
Israel was not founded for the sake of hosting any particular religion. Jews as a people needed a homeland as a refuge from 2000 years of all forms of abuse, which culminated in the murder of six million of our brethren. Yes, it is a Jewish state, but wholly in an ethnic sense - not a religious one.
There are already 22 Arab states which occupy a large chunk of the modern world, while Israel and its territories comprise a tiny piece of real estate. Jews who lived in Arab states were exiled after 1948 and many were absorbed by Israel, yet the Palestinians have been treated as pawns by the rest of the Arab world.
If Palestinians are any different from the rest of the Arabs, why did Yasser Arafat say during the 2000 negotiations that he represented one billion Muslims? What distinguishes the Palestinians from the rest of the Arabs?
For demographic reasons alone, Israel may eventually need to enter into a two-state arrangement. Yet, on the basis of pure merit, I honestly don't get it. The question must still be answered: Why do the Palestinians need an independent state?
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Bruce S. Ticker is a freelance writer and former journalist living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at Brucetic@aol.com.
Sure, an independent Palestinian state may one day become a reality, and for practical purposes such a state might serve Israel's needs as much as that of the Palestinians.
This is more than a rhetorical question. If the Arabs scoff at living among Israelis, will they be content to live next door to them?
Many supporters of Israel believe that the Arabs are seeking the destruction of Israel and want a Palestinian state as a staging area for the next step toward that end. It is evident that many Arabs are motivated by this goal.
So, it is important to understand why the Palestinians need their own state. It doesn't make sense. After all, Jews comprise 2.4 percent of America's population against a Christian spread of at least 80 percent. However, we in America are satisfied living here. Jews like myself vote and participate in the political process. Many Jews succeed beyond their wildest dreams; there are poor Jews; and probably most of us are part of the struggling middle class. We face prejudice, but there are also legal avenues to combat discrimination. The majority religion - Christianity - does possess a heavy influence here, but most Christians and Americans of other religions or no religion are fair, treat us with respect and make us feel welcome.
In fact, our Christian neighbors often come to our aid in times of need. On one occasion when a synagogue was vandalized in a Philadelphia suburb, many non-Jews were out in force to clean up the mess. When a Jewish family was terrorized during Hanukkah in another Philadelphia suburb, their neighbors bought menorahs and placed them by their windows in a show of solidarity.
Arabs and Muslims who live in America likewise participate in the system and many thrive. Unlike their brethren 7,000 miles away, they haven?t asked for an Arab state here.
Surely, Israel must govern all its citizens equitably and with justice - whether they are Jews, Muslims, Christians or part of any other group. And clearly, the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should not be living under such deplorable conditions. However, the Palestinians as a group created many of the circumstances that led to such a tragic situation, and their leaders in the territories and other Arab nations have done little to help.
Do other groups living in Israel and its territories seek their own state? I haven't heard of that from the Druse or Greek Orthodox.
Israel was not founded for the sake of hosting any particular religion. Jews as a people needed a homeland as a refuge from 2000 years of all forms of abuse, which culminated in the murder of six million of our brethren. Yes, it is a Jewish state, but wholly in an ethnic sense - not a religious one.
There are already 22 Arab states which occupy a large chunk of the modern world, while Israel and its territories comprise a tiny piece of real estate. Jews who lived in Arab states were exiled after 1948 and many were absorbed by Israel, yet the Palestinians have been treated as pawns by the rest of the Arab world.
If Palestinians are any different from the rest of the Arabs, why did Yasser Arafat say during the 2000 negotiations that he represented one billion Muslims? What distinguishes the Palestinians from the rest of the Arabs?
For demographic reasons alone, Israel may eventually need to enter into a two-state arrangement. Yet, on the basis of pure merit, I honestly don't get it. The question must still be answered: Why do the Palestinians need an independent state?
--------------------------------------------------------
Bruce S. Ticker is a freelance writer and former journalist living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at Brucetic@aol.com.