40 YEARS OF WAR

Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has been under pressure ever since it’s birth in 1948 which was celebrated with the surrounding countries attacking with the intent to kill. Being one of the youngest of nations in the world family, it certainly feels the most unloved and unwanted. Yet this child of the world has been waiting to be reborn for over two thousand years.

The Arabs were offered land in a plan that took most of what was promised to become Israel. This would be Palestine, Israel’s neighbor. Never before had there been a Palestine with its own government. It was a new idea to the Arabs, but seeing that Israel was about to be born made the Arab people want their own state of Palestine. Yet they refused this opportunity, though the Jewish leaders went along with it. They missed their original chance.

A miracle happened in 1967 when in six days, Israel accidentally won back land that used to be theirs when Israel was led by King David. It’s many siblings of the surrounding countries were fuming with indignation when this happened, for it was to be the exact opposite. You would think that one tiny country attacked by about eight huge countries would have been consumed and eaten, but the opposite happened.

Israel only wants peace with its neighbors so eventually have given back 94% of the territories they won in the 67 attack in the name and goodwill of peace. The Arab countries are still at war with them to gain only 6% of that territory and Israel has already said it is ready to give up most of that.

The Gaza strip which lies between Israel and Egypt has been completely given up by Israel, and it has been taken over by the two factions of Palestinians who are supposedly making up the waiting to be born new Palestinian State, yet those two factions are fighting each other while shelling Israel with Kassam rockets.

Lebanon, to the north of Israel, also has fighting going on. Factions of Palestinians are fighting the Lebanese soldiers and holding out in Palestinian camps. The fear is that this will spill into Israel again.

These are our "peaceful neighbors that Israel is expected to welcome with open arms. They can’t get along with each other, so how are they ever going to get along with their hated enemy, Israel.

The Palestinian’s life would have been much richer had they hadn’t been so interested in destroying the new state of Israel instead of starting their own state. Forty years of war and hatred are only leading to continued bloodshed.