Interesting indeed. But.... accurate? I think its fair to say, deep down in everyones soul, the longing to live in peace is an idea that most consider a top desire. Obviously, there will always be a few who dont share this same desire. This could be based on any number of reasons....ie: General Hatred, Religion, Politics...etc.. etc... and the list goes on and on. Religion, in particular, being the root for most in the Middle East. But, I found no relevant reference to Religion in this video...... Personally, I dont really care which / what Religion anyone associates...... and I feel its a shame that many dont share the same view....... many conflicts could be avoided if there were more like minded people. Im not into debating Religion, but I do find it rather un-nerving that throughout history; many wars, battles, and hatred has been born due to ones Religious Beliefs. Setting the Religious aspect aside..... lets dig into this a little. The video is fair in its representation on the 1949 UN Decision to create the State Of Israel, and also fair in the interpretation that NO other Middle East State / Country acknowledged the UN Decision. So, in essence, this was doomed from day one. The Jewish / Israel Community has always held true they were entitled to this land......... lets not even get started on entitlements, we can save that for next months adventure. This being said...... the Balance of the Middle Eastern Countries have never accepted the UN Decision and declared indefinite issues to date. This did in fact lead to the Arab Countries banding together and waging an unsuccessful war with Israel....... (one must remember, at the time of the UN Decision, these lands were Arab territory). So, with a multitude of American and British capital, arms, and big brother backing, Israel defeated the Arabs and claimed additional territory. In taking these territories, many Arabs were killed, homes taken, riches stolen, etc...etc...ect... the same shit that goes on in most all conflicts. Bottom line........ the taking of Arab land (again) really fueled the fire..... Jumping forward to 1967.... Israel decides to give back occupied territory as a peace offering. Now.... lets review the peace offering. As of TODAY, Israel continues to build on these same lands (the ones given back)..... Not only do they continue to occupy and build... heres a few facts to demonstrate how this offering is working out: Understanding Israel’s settlement policy and its impacts is important to understanding what continues to drive the conflict. Settlements are illegal Jewish-only communities built by Israel for its citizens on territories it occupied in 1967. There are 124 official settlements in the West Bank with approximately 350,000 residents in 2013. Official settlements are all authorized by the Israeli government, have approved planning schemes, and receive the same benefits and services as towns within Israel’s pre-1967 borders. In addition to official settlements there are approximately 100 “outpost” settlements located throughout the West Bank. These communities are built without official approval from the Israeli government, but with financial support from Israeli government ministries and agencies. Although even the Israeli government recognizes these communities as illegal, it provides most outposts” with state funded protection and access to water, electricity, and other basic services. Together, settlements and outposts control approximately 42% of the total land area of the West Bank. There are an additional 14 official settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Conservative estimates place the settler population in east Jerusalem at just over 200,000 people, although recent estimates indicate that as many as 300,000 settlers may live in East Jerusalem. Post 1967 Israel also established 17 settlements in Gaza, but these settlements were dismantled in 2005. Israeli communities established in the Syrian occupied Golan after 1967 are also considered illegal settlements under international law. What is the legal status of Israeli settlements? The establishment of settlements by an occupying power in occupied territory violates international humanitarian law which is the body of law governing situations of armed conflict and military occupation. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits an “Occupying Power” (Israel) from transferring any part of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. The Hague Convention of 1907 also prohibits occupying powers from making any permanent changes in the territories they occupy that are not undertaken in accordance with a narrow definition of military necessity or for the purpose of benefiting the local population. Israeli settlements established in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are a clear violation of both sets of law and agreement on settlements illegality is the consensus position of the international community including the European Union, the United Nations, and the United States government. Whats really amazing is....... Here in the States, we are raising total hell about the illegal immigration problem (which we should)......... but we certainly dont seen any of the immigrants building high rise buildings just north of the Rio Grande.........yet. But we turn a bling eye to the shithole mess these Jewish and Arabs are forced to deal with while just trying to live in these badlands together. Hell..... Im on a roll now.... lets get deeper. It has often been stated that the premise of the Oslo “Peace Process” was an exchange of “Land for Peace.“ In 1993 when the Oslo accords were signed there were approximately 110,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and 146,000 living in East Jerusalem. In 2013 there were approximately 350,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and as many as 300,000 living in East Jerusalem. Building the facilities needed to accommodate this increased population has led to massive settlement construction in both areas. In its 2010 report “By Hook and By Crook: Israeli Settlement Policy in the West Bank”, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem provides information on three Israeli settlements. The built up areas of all three settlements expanded significantly from 2001 to 2009, and their populations rose substantially..... 55% is the likely number. The land area controlled by these settlements but not built up also expanded greatly during this same period. Some of the land confiscated for these and other settlements does come from areas that are unpopulated, but much of the land taken for settlements is stolen from Palestinian owners who are never compensated. While Palestinian communities and settlements are physically located side by side, they exist in what Human Rights Watch has called a “two tier system of laws, rules, and services... which provide preferential services, development, and benefits for Jewish settlers while imposing harsh conditions on Palestinians. Although Palestinians and settlers in the West Bank live in the same geographic area, they live under separate and unequal legal systems. As Israeli citizens, settlers are provided with all of the rights afforded by Israeli civil and criminal laws. However, their Palestinian neighbors are subject to Israeli military law. Some of the differences between the two systems include the following. A settler arrested in the West Bank and accused of a crime must be brought before a judge within 24 hours. A Palestinian arrested in the West Bank can be held for up to 8 days without being brought before a judge. A settlers’ period of detention can be extended for periods of up to 15 days up to a total of 30 days. A Palestinians’ periods of detention can be extended for 30 days and up to 90 days total. The settler must be provided with immediate access to legal counsel. Palestinians can be denied access to legal counsel for up to 90 days. Acts that are illegal for Palestinians as a result of military orders, i.e. driving a tractor without a special permit or picking wild thyme, are not illegal for settlers. These are just a handful of items that could be considered fuel for the fire and until many of these issues are addressed, there will NEVER EVER be peace in this area. Bottom line is....... there is always two sides to a story. I applaud the author for the Simplification Aspect of the video. His un-biased depiction is just another way of throwing some sweet on the shit pile; but we must always remember........ its still a sugar coated turd......
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 17:26:22 +0000
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