marina lee: israel/palestine, the true story and solutions

Through my developing relations with a group of conservative bloggers, I have been introduced to Marina Lee. It's at the friend-of-a-friend stage - haven't actually shared the same cyberspace. So I spent some time on her blog this morning, and found this wonderfully written piece on Israel and Palestine.

As is said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts. Marina does a great job of bringing together the facts in this piece. Her opinion and mine diverge a bit, but that's the beauty of having opposable thumbs.

Her argument that Israel has a better claim to the physical lands it occupies is a modern claim. Completely accurate. She describes the recent historical use and the method by which the Israelis came to own the land. Her description should satisfy any legalistic challenge.

I look at the claim to the land more in Biblical terms. It is historical Israel (and only a fraction thereof), dammit - back off. But I can be simple that way.

Her discussion of the Palestinian situation is a very good read. Frankly, I am a bit more harsh. The Palestinians are the problem of their Arab brothers, who have no interest in solving the situation because it puts a problem at Israel's front door. Their "plight" could have been solved decades ago, and not just with the hundreds of millions of US dollars that Arafat stole.

I'll say what I have written before - the Palestinian situation not be resolved. The Russians will send in "peacekeeping" troops. The tensions lead to an ugly standoff and even more ugly resolution.

Will the bombing of Iranian nuke facilities be the spark? If so, it will be interesting to see what happens in the immediate aftermath. I suggest that the Iranians, Saudis, Syrians, etc., will rattle their sabers and do absolutely nothing. It is the Arabian way - has been for centuries upon centuries. They can only fight when they start it - and then usually get their ass kicked.

So the response will be unrelenting agitation from the Palestinians. Mortars, blow-up dolls, bottles. Won't look much different than the Occupied Territories of Ireland in the 1970s. Israel will have to show restraint. The Arab world will still be screaming about the wildly successful and humbling Iranian raid. Wearing a large red "P" on his chest, Vlad the Horrible will send in his peacekeeping troops.

Read all of Marina's piece - it's well done.