We as Americans can't possibly expect to understand this conflict, nor should we take sides.
I would like to see American money WITHDRAWN from Israel and to see the weapons exchange STOP. This is not our conflict and we should not be throwing fuel onto this decades-old fire.
Israel must stop their foray into Gaza. They must stop using Hamas as an excuse to conduct ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Israel and Palestine must agree to a cease fire and must work together to resolve this conflict. The entire Western and Arab worlds cannot do it for them.
This link:
Debate: Continue U.S. Aid to Israel? - Middle East Quarterly explains more about American financial aid to Israel and the reason is...
"Kurz: Some have argued that it should. We should remember, however, that the money we give to Israel is both
to help Israel defend herself and to defend American interests in the region. The money we give to NATO is for the support of American troops to defend Europe and American interests in Europe. As an American, I would much rather give money to another country to help defend our needs in the region than to have American troops in the region. That makes a lot more sense and is a lot cheaper."
Did you know that
American financial aid was also given to Palestinians until Hamas took over? Link:
POLITICS-US: Congress Debates Strings on Palestinian Aid
"The United States cut off all aid to Palestine in March 2006, following Hamas' victory in parliamentary elections in January. Aid has since resumed to the Abbas-led government in the West Bank, but only a limited amount of humanitarian assistance goes to Gaza, which has suffered from shortages of fuel and clean drinking water due to an Israeli blockade.
The blockade, launched in response to rockets fired at Israeli cities from militants operating in Gaza, has come under increasing fire from human rights groups."
"U.S. officials said aid to Palestine would be carefully audited by U.S. Foreign Service employees to make sure it did not end up in the hands of terrorists. The aid would primarily go toward job creation, public infrastructure projects, and improving government services."
This link:
Hamas rocket attack 'act of war' is from July 2006 and it talked about Hamas fired a rocket at the town of Ashkelon. Hamas clearly is trying to kill Israeli civilians. BradB08, why do you think it is okay and that Israel should put up with it?? If a rocket landed near your town and more rockets might come, you won't sit still. You would fight back. You would do anything to stay alive. The Israelis are doing exactly the same.
Israel is very strong military-wise and could have wipe out Gaza long time ago but they didn't. I checked out the CIA's The World Factbook and compared Israel to Gaza Strip. The population in Gaza Strip is growing much faster than the population in Israel. Your argument that Israel is trying to do the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is moot! The death rate in Israel is much higher than the death rate in Gaza Strip. How much of those Israeli deaths are due to Hamas rockets, sucide bombings, snipers, roadside bombings, etc?? Did you know that the Israeli school buses are armor-plated because the terrorists would target the school buses? (
BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Two die in Israeli school bus bombing)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html
Israel - Pop.: 7,112,359 Pop. Rate: 1.713% (2008 est.) Birth rate: 20.02 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death rate: 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gz.html
Gaza - Pop.: 1,500,202 (July 2008 est.) Pop. Rate: 3.422% (2008 est.) Birth rate: 37.75 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death rate: 3.53 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
The death rate in Israel is much higher than the death rate in Gaza Strip. How much of those Israeli deaths are due to Hamas rockets, sucide bombings, snipers, roadside bombings, etc?? Did you know that the Israeli school buses are armor-plated because the terrorists would target the school buses? (
BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Two die in Israeli school bus bombing)
How can Israelis work with Palestinians if the Palestinians urge their children to hate Israel??
The Israeli Government's Official Website, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Gaza kids 'training to kill Jews' - Israel News, Ynetnews
BradB08, before you say anything in this thread, do what I do, read on this subject from both side of sources. I read it from Jewish point of view and also from Arab point of view.
If you list the conflicts between two groups around the world like Irish Catholics versus British Protestants or North Vietnam versus South Vietnam, you will find that muslims are involved in many of the conflicts even against other muslims like Sunnis versus Shi'tes. Samuel P. Huntington wrote about Islam and Militarism:
eRiposte War and Peace - Other: Propensity for Violence in Muslims.
I saw tv news! 
