Reply #12: Oh, please!

[Matilda]

Palestine has been predominantly Arab-Islamic since the seventh
century. The Turks over-ran it in the 1500s, but the Arab Muslims
remained, and also a small number of Christians and Jews, living
peacefully, albeit under Ottoman rule.

The Jews have not lived in Palestine since about 200 AD, while the
Arabs have lived there continuously since the 600s. The land didn't
belong to the British, they simply drove the Turks out and took it
over as a British protectorate, but that didn't make it theirs. It
was never held for a Jewish state - Lord Balfour made certain
promises to the Jewish people, but he also made promises to the
Arabs as well, and his promises were mutually exclusive.

The land was divided by U.N. resolution to create the state of
Israel, granting the Arab population less than 50% of the territory
in which they had lived for 1300 years - small wonder they declined
to just roll over and accept the situation.

It's one thing to believe that the Jewish people needed a homeland
after the Nazi holocaust - it's quite another to rewrite history to
suit your belief.

If you're going to mount an argument for Israeli occupation, do it
honestly, please.