$234,000,000,000

Jews were persecuted, needed a homeland and protection. As a result the US taxpayers have given approximately $234,000,000,000 to Israel since 1954. The current US Deficit is $18,000,000,000,000, aid to Israel over the years would be 1% of that number.

Look at it another way. According to the 2012 US Census there were 44,456,009 African American in the US, some of whom are descendants of slaves. Jim Crow laws were in effect in the US well into the 1960's, perhaps reparations could be paid to African Americans for the ills they have endured. Based on the current population and the amount of money we gave to Israel, a similar gesture would result in $5263.64 for each African American counted in the census.

One population was persecuted by Europeans and others, the other enslaved by Americans for a few centuries. Just food for thought...

As Promised (A Brief Perspective of the Middle Eastern Conflict)

*** These are just my views based on my own reading and research and may not be complete***

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I think that the first point is to recognize that the word I used was perspective of the conflict not the history of it. I did this on purpose because a term like "history" implies some sort of factual accuracy and I think with a situation as complicated as the one in the Middle East it is more accurate to call it what it is, my perspective.

So, a long long time ago the area that is Israel/Palestine was a Jewish Kingdom. Then over the course of a thousand years the land changed hands, belonging to different kingdoms and empires. Skip forward a few hundred years and you arrive in the 20th century. The area now recognized as Israel was under a British Mandate. Some of you have heard the argument that Israel has always been Jewish land, well here is where it gets interesting. By most accounts the population in the Israel/Palestine region at beginning of the 20th century was overwhelmingly non Jewish. Jews made up less than 5% of the population at that time, the total population of Jews in the region at the time was south of a 100,000 people. By comparison there were over 6 million Jews in Europe. Many of these Jews because of the situation in Europe (Nazi Germany, etc...) migrated to the region. What was once a majority Non-Jewish population started to change with the influx of Jewish migrants who largely migrated illegally. Take a second and let that sink in.

By most accounts the region was mostly non-Jewish as late as 1945. In 1948 upon the departure of the British, the Israeli Declaration of Independence was read, declaring the formation of a Jewish State. The US and Soviet Republic immediately recognized Israel as a state. Many Arab states did not. War ensued with certain surrounding Arab nations and Israel ultimately came out the victor. Boundary disputes continued over the next few years and are still continuing today. Gaza and the West Bank were territories that remained under Israeli control, but treated as Palestinian territories. In the coming decades Jewish settlers began to settle into these territories as well and under the protection of Israeli military expanded their control over certain areas.

I could continue elaborating, but even though it is a very truncated, abridged perspective. I think it gives a slightly more complete picture than things I have read. Now for the true "perspective" part.

Think of it from the Arab and Palestinian perspective for a second. Jews were driven out of Europe in droves, those Jews settled in a land that had a large Palestinian population, and upon the Jewish declaration of independence European counties and the US recognized Israel as a country. Over the next few decades the United States provided the state of Israel over a $100 Billion in aid, Israel expanded its claims by setting up settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel was allowed to get nuclear weapons (they have over 80 warheads by most estimates... oh and Iraq has none), etc... Meanwhile the Palestinians weren't compensated for their loss, or at a minimum given their own right of self-determination. Instead they live in largely occupied territories with no control over their naval access, or their airspace. They can't freely move in out of Gaza or the West Bank. What do you expect them to do? 

Now to Hamas, I have heard a lot about on television from Israeli commentators that if Hamas had the ability to, they would wipe out Israel. First, I am not sure if that is actually the case, but think about it for a second. Hamas is a military/political organization that has never recognized Israel as a sovereign nation. What should their message to their people be? Sorry your land was taken but it is now owned by someone else. Hamas is a terrorist organization and the way they conduct themselves is atrocious. But if you come into someone’s home, take it by force, move them to the outhouse, and then lay claims to parts of the outhouse as well, the people you forced out might react a little angrily.

The Jews deserve a homeland, they deserve to feel safe, to not feel persecuted and attacked. Having said that Jews were not persecuted by Palestinians, they were persecuted by Nazi Germany, and other fascist nations, including some Arab ones (Iraq), so why do the Palestinians have to pay the price for the sins of others. What was their crime? The argument today is that Hamas (which by the way is not synonymous with Palestinian) does not want Israel to exist and that is the crime for which Palestinian's are being attacked. Jews kicked Palestinians out of their homes and land and their crime is that a terrorist organization is fighting to get their homes and land back?

I understand that the viewpoints above are my own perspective of what has happened and many people may disagree with my observations. I also am aware that some of the views may seem offensive to some people. It is not my intent to offend anyone, just simply to provide my own view. I invite anyone whether you agree or disagree to post comments of your views below. Only thing I ask is that you attempt to keep the comments constructive. I understand that some of my view may themselves not pass muster as constructive, but I tried...