This "sorry" story began when Israel came into existence, as result of a long line of prior "sorry" stories.

That so many Palestinians were "persuaded" to depart created a newer "sorry" story.

The day to day living conditions for many Palestinians, after decades as "refugees", since "persuaded" to flee, each year creates newer "sorry" stories.

To "persuade" each victim from this historic line of "sorry" stories of believed wrongs, whether claims against Israeli, Arab, and others only maintains the suffering.

To resolve such long history of wrongs almost impossible.

Possible is to resolve where most prepared to accept as a settlement which sets aside further claims.

Challenge remains to isolate those determined for revenge so maintain suffering, rather than accept compensation.

To resolve depends on reasonable compensation of believed wrongs.

Unreasonable compensation claims by "authorities" a serious barrier to reasonable satisfaction.

Compensation retained by "authorities" unlikely to help.

Only ESSENTIAL is ongoing discussion towards agreement to settle claims.

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Yuyutsu,
"Nor should they be told to vacate their homes: they should be asked politely and offered financial compensation if they are willing to leave peacefully, but otherwise they should be allowed to stay where they are as Israel withdraws and leaves them to their own devices."

Do you know the reasons Israel was allowed to join the UN?
They are supposed to give Palestinians free right of return as well as compensate any other Palestinian who loses their home.

What they deserve, is to reap what they sow.
They deserve remote controlled bulldozers bulldozing their homes without notice, and their crops and wells poisoned, and their children deliberately murdered without cause, just as Israel does to them.

Fairs fair.

Dear Critic,

<<Do you know the reasons Israel was allowed to join the UN?>>

You call this a privilege? it's only a liability!

<<They are supposed to give Palestinians free right of return as well as compensate any other Palestinian who loses their home.>>

Those out of the so-called "Palestinians" who are truly refugees should indeed be compensated and those who do not wish ill for Israel should indeed be allowed to return. This though has nothing to do with the stupid UN.

This whole issue of refugees is a mixed bag. You should understand that 1948 was chaotic and Israel had no central policy regarding the Arab population, thus it was left to the army and each captain in the Israeli army made their own policy regarding the Arabs in his area: some allowed them to stay, some even encouraged and pleaded with them to stay while others expelled them. Many of the so-called "refugees" left because Arab militias told them: "leave your home with us for a couple of weeks so you won't get hurt while we clear out the Jews, then you will return and have their homes too". Many indeed fled, never to return, because they knew that those militias would rape their women, not because of Israel.

<<They deserve remote controlled bulldozers bulldozing their homes without notice>>

Assuming you refer to the settlers, I think they do, but Israel should act wisely as it does not deserve a civil war with their supporters. You are welcome to send those bulldozers yourself, yet as far as Israel is concerned, this would be an internal Palestinian affair between radical Jews and radical Muslims and Israel should not intervene in it outside its own borders.

Hey Yuyutsu,
What I was saying is that the Palestinians should be the ones to have remote controlled bulldozers.
And since Israels response would be a bombing campaign against women and children I guess we should politely ask Putin if he will send them the S-400's... a purely defensive weapon of course.
http://youtu.be/qMO0F19Gmpk

Here's what I really think.
My honest opinion is that Israel went about it the wrong way FROM DAY 1.
BY DAY 2, they had effectively pissed the Palestinians off by their underhanded actions and rightly gave them a legitimate reason to fight back.

We're still going around in circles nearly 70yrs later.
I could say more, but I really don't think I have to.

Dear Critic,

<<My honest opinion is that Israel went about it the wrong way FROM DAY 1.>>

What is wrong is the concept of "nation". Israel is guilty of that, but so is Australia and many others and so are those among the Palestinians who want to make that same error themselves. Only s/he who is unaffected by this vice may throw stones from their armchair at those that are.

Within that framework, there were all manner and all shades of rights and wrongs committed by both sides in 1948. Same in Australia, it's human nature.

<<BY DAY 2, they had effectively pissed the Palestinians off>>

Actually, within that framework of nationalism, Israel had no other choice in 1967 but to fight back and actually, those who now call themselves "Palestinians" were happy at the time with Israel's occupation: during the first few years they had more safety and prosperity than ever before. They were all free to enter and work in Israel and Israelis provided them with great tourism. I am not saying it was perfect then - not at all, but overall better for them than ever. I was there, saw them with mine own eyes and at the time "pissed" was the last trait one could ever describe them with.

Things did change around 1975-1976 when Jewish settlements began.

Israel's mistake was not in fighting and conquering those territories, but in keeping them and settling there long after the military necessity subsided.

Well I read that back in 1948 they were poisoning the Palestinian wells in order to drive them off the land and stop them returning to their villages.
This morning I read that Israel are continuing to poison Palestinian crops in order to drive them off the land.
http://www.imemc.org/article/74453

So what exactly has changed in nearly 70 years?