How did the occupied territories become the occupied territories?

Because 3 or 4 of the Arab states including Egypt if memory serves me right
raced over and attacked Israel in a war they thought they could win, to annihilate
the Jews.

The Jews who have compulsory military training for all their citizens including
the women, beat them easily and occupied the now so called occupied territories.
Probably in the beginning, more as a military buffer zone to keep the Arabs away
from Israel. Because the Arabs have never stopped lobbing rockets at Israel
and trying to dig tunnels under Gaza and the West Bank to sneak into Israel
and blow up school buses and other suicide bomber attacks.

I suspect also that when the Arabs say occupied territories, they are referring
to the whole territory of Israel as being occupied on a subconscious level but
being politically aware of what they can acceptably say, let the world believe they are referring only to the area occupied in the 6day war.
Getting that back is only the beginning of what they would do if they had the power to do so.

#Cherful

You ask:

"How did the occupied territories become the occupied territories?"

Actually that happened in 1948 when six Arab armies invaded Palestine to wipe out the fledgling State of Israel declared just one day before.

There was no compulsory military training then - a large number of the Jewish residents only recently having having been released from the Nazi concentration camps.

Jordan ended up occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem - driving out all the Jews living there in what was their ancient and biblical and historical homeland and part of the land in which the Jewish National Home was to be legally reconstituted under the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine and the United Nations Charter,

That Jordanian 19 years long occupation was never recognised as being legal except by Great Britain and Pakistan.

Jews only returned there after the defeat of Jordan by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War,

The West Bank is one of the few areas in the World where sovereignty remains unresolved.

Attempts to do so with the PLO over the last 20 years have proved a waste of time.

Jordan needs to come back to the negotiating table with Israel to see if they can do better than the PLO.

Given Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 which has withstood the test of time - the prospects are considerably brighter.

Surely drawing a new border between Israel and Jordan to divide up this relatively small piece of land - that would fit into Tasmania twelve times - is not beyond the ability of both countries.

Two countries at peace with each other makes a huge difference to the negotiating dynamics as compared to one country - Israel - dealing with a non-country - the PLO - that wants to wipe the other off the map.

Going back to the 1967 status quo as far as is now possible has always been the only solution capable of possibly ending the Jewish-Arab conflict.

The only two state solution that can possibly work is that between Israel and Jordan.

David Singer

Thank you for your information regarding Jordan and Israel
I went and read some of the history of the two.

I don't think the media does it's homework and presents enough
background insights into some of these world conflicts.

However, regardless of history, when you say it is a small area fitting only 12times into Tasmania, that probably sums up the reason for the hostility over the land.
That being, the lack of enough land or resources for the evergrowing populations in both camp
which can only get worse as time goes by.

It seems unlikely that the two sides could every unite by
assimilating the two ethnic bloodlines given the divisions between
them, so they are destined to remain two tribes in an ever more deadly conflict over survival space.

Can't see an answer to it. Unless they build evermore highrises and
make sure there are enough survival resources for all of the people on
both sides. Treaties don't count for diddly-squat when people get hungry and desperate.

both camps (typo, sorry)

Syria and the Middle East seem mysterious because mainstream press and publishing mislead us. For anyone who really wants to understand where the Syrians are at, watch this video taken by the UN, but also buried by their UN newscast manager. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZnFQd4wBXnk

I'm referring to the video above. Incredible report! Starts out a little slow, with a Syrian diplomat introducing English speakers from the US who went to observe the Syrian elections. When these observers start talking it is most interesting, most edifying. They are from peace groups and Syrian-US NGOs. Their observations are absolutely fascinating and confirm how utterly dishonest and dangerous the NATO reporting and actions on Syria are. Apparently this film, which was more important than any news I have seen on mainstream press, was broadcast for only 5 minutes by the UN Newscast. It goes on for nearly an hour - all of it rivetting for anyone interested in seeing democracy in action and real reporting. The Syrian diplomat also makes a contribution which, at around the 27 minute mark, talks about Aid from Australia and Luxembourg. Apparently he asked for wheelchairs and some ambulances for people injured in the war in Syria. He waited a year, listening to Australian foreign aid people and others from other nations make tear-jerking speeches about the tragedy in Syria, but he never got ANY wheelchairs, let alone ambulances from pathetic, hypocritical official Australia.

Consider also looking at Australians for Reconciliation in Syria and candobetter.net's pages on Syria. http://candobetter.net/?q=syria which include an analysis of Hilary Clinton's chapter on Syria.

There is also an enlightening article on the geopolitics of interference in the countries near the Caspian sea, which include Syria, Iran,Ukraine: Why are we warmongering in the Ukraine and nearby? at http://candobetter.net/?q=node/3792

Over 160,000 Syrians have died since March 2011 as a direct consequence of the decision by the rulers of the Western 'democracies' and Israel together with the dictatorial rulers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to launch a war against the people of Syria and its government. Australian governments, including the previous 'Labor' government, and particularly former Foreign Minister Bob Carr, have been shamefully complicit in this grotesque crime against humanity. The Australian 'news' media has also misled the Australian public about Syria since March 2011.

Conclusive proof can be found in the video the Press Conference of 3 Jun 2014 held by the United Nations Syrian ambassador, Bashar Al-Jaafri, following the Syrian elections on 20 June 2014. See http://candobetter.net/?q=node/3888
http://candobetter.net/?q=syria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnFQd4wBXnk http://www.globalresearch.ca/syrias-press-conference-the-united-nations-doesnt-want-you-to-see/5387795

At this press conference sat five United States citizens who observed the elections. They all confirmed what had already been known to people who were informed about Syria - that the Syrian people overwhelmingly support President Bashar al-Assad and had shown this in the elections of 3 June 2013 which were fair and transparent:

10,319,723 or 88.7% of the 11,634,412 who voted or 73.4% of all 15,845,575 Syrians eligible to vote, voted for Bashar al-Assad.

What other political leader, can claim to enjoy anywhere near as much support? Compare this support for President al-Assad with that achieved by President Obama in 2012. compared to 73.4% of all Syrians, both at home and abroad, with the enormous difficulties they faced, a mere 29.7% of eligible voters voted for Barack Obama in December 2012 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012 http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2012G.html).

The fact that the Syrian Arab Army still controls nearly all of Syria after 3 years of conflict is further confirmation that claims that Bashar al-Assad has overwhelming support. What dictator, so hated and corrupt as has claimed by the media has been able to cling to power, without any help from a foreign army of occupation for so long?