Strewth,

OK, I'll answer your question.

If I and my family are turfed out on the street by anyone, sure, I'm going to try damned hard to get my home back. However, after 60 or so years of trying, I'm going to look at my grown children, and their grown children and their grand children and see they are still homeless waiting for a justice that isn't coming. Sure I'm still going to hate those that threw me out, but I'm also going to be ashamed that I spent so much time and energy stubbornly pursuing an unachievable goal.

If I'm then offered a chance to take my family to a new place where I have a prospect of building them a new home, then I would do it in a heartbeat.

No, I'm not going to suddenly forgive those who drove me out, but my family's future is worth far more than my pride, justice or land. This is the unhappy choice all displaced people have to make.

Now Strewth, please answer my question (see above)?

Kalin, you were trapped: you gave a good answer to Strewth's bad question!

Unless you both just wanted to wonder off-topic discussing abstract moral questions, the case of a family just being kicked out of their home on a bright spring day has no resemblance to what happened in Israel.

What happened in 1948 is that Arab militants told the local villagers that they must leave home for about 2 weeks while they use their village to launch attacks and finish-off the Jews, then, so the villagers were told, they could return and earn the homes of the Jews as well. Some obeyed happily, others in fear (because those militants were not-so-nice to their women and girls). Unfortunately for them, those militants lost. Those Arabs who did not lend their homes to the militants (with a very few regrettable exceptions), still live there as Israeli citizens.

But why should I bother you again with facts?
as honest Spider implied, when it comes to killing Jews, no excuses are needed.

Spider,

Your views are simply disgusting.

Yoyo,

Your creative writing skills never cease to amaze, but trying to pass them off as fact is blatant dishonesty. As a tunnel-visioned Zionist zealot, however, you're obviously unaware of this. Until you're capable of transcending your tribal consciousness and racism, you will remain an emotionally stunted human being.

Kalin,

What an inspiration you are! It's better to live on your knees than die on your feet. Your children must be so proud.

Strewth,

I would choose a better life for my children over being an ‘inspiration.’ I assume you have no children to love.

Yuyutsu,

Your comments are noted but the reasons for the Palestinians' predicament are not relevant to discussing a practical way out for them. Strewth’s analogy between the Palestinians and an evicted family, whether based in fact or fiction, is a fair reflection of how many see the situation which is why I thought it worthwhile answering his question.

In raising the idea of relocating the Palestinians I was merely putting forward an idea for discussion. Strewth assumes I am Zionist for looking outside the present ‘two state’ box, but he’s wrong. I would be just as happy to consider other viable options, but I haven’t heard any. The present approach has not worked in 60 years so Strewth is a bit short sighted in refusing to discuss alternatives. Perhaps the cons do outweigh the pros, but until the matter is debated by intelligent people with a diversity of perspectives it shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand.

Relocating the Palestinians requires resolution of the following issues:

1) How do you compensate the Palestinians sufficiently to make them go voluntarily?
2) Who bears the cost of this compensation?
3) Where would they go?

These are not easy questions but I think they could be answered if the powers that be were to try. The answer to 1) and 2) perhaps lies in the money and effort spent over the last 60 years by all parties. The same parties making a similar effort expended in this different way, might well be sufficient to provide attractive options for the Palestinians. The answer to 3) might be that cashed up refugees are a lot more attractive than impoverished refugees.

It’s just an idea.

Also, I am interested in your assertion “Arabs will never surrender their Palestinian weapon. Without it, they will find it hard to explain to the rest of the world why they want Israel destroyed.” If not the plight of the Palestinians, why do you believe the Arabs want Israel destroyed?

Kalin,

You've exposed yourself as a fraud. Nowhere do you consider Israeli culpability for the near 60 year plight of the Palestinian refugees. Nowhere do you assign responsibility for a just resolution of this never-ending obscenity to those responsible - the Israelis and their American backers. Nowhere do you expect the offenders to give on this. Nowhere do you display the slightest concern for the violated rights of the Palestinian people, whether refugees or under occupation. You are fooling no one with your pretense at disinterested discussion. Your agenda is simply to get the Israelis off the hook. At best you are a blow-in apologist for Israel, at worst one of their dedicated band of Zionist spindoctors. Either way, you're operating in a moral vacuum. Like every group of refugees on this planet, the Palestinian refugees have an absolute right as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and every standard of international law to return to their homes and lands. That right has no use-by date.

Kalin,

Not all Arabs want Israel destroyed: most do not.
But given that a significant percentage does, that in most Arab countries, killing Jews is still taught in every school-book (even as examples in arithmetic) and that due to the violent and undemocratic nature of Islamic society, the extremists rise to power while the moderates keep silent in order to keep their heads attached to their necks, the sane majority view matters not.

Extremist Islam cannot accept the presence of independent infidels in any land ever previously conquered by Moslems (it can still accept infidels under the Dhimmi, subordinate and humiliated, state): how more so in the holy-land and after the crusader-trauma. It is presumably a religious tenet, but in fact, behind the religious excuse is a plain macho "honour/shame" issue.

Obviously the "Palestinians" are just an excuse, because Arabs used to massacre Jews long before the creation of Israel and the Palestinian problem. Had they been the real problem, Israel would have happily given them whatever they want and solved the issue long ago.

Have you noticed that Hamas and Islamic-Jihad concentrate their utmost terrorism efforts just before Israel is about to make concessions to Palestinians? While claiming the opposite, they will do everything in their power to prevent the welfare of ordinary Palestinians. Their worst two nightmares are that the Palestinians become happy and prosperous, and that Israel would no longer be considered a villain. If that happens, they will no longer be needed and will have to go and lose their power.

Where there will be will, a solution shall be found!