What I do and do not understand about the Israel Palestinian Problem.

There are many things I do and do not understand about the Israel Palestinian Problem.

THINGS I DO UNDERSTAND

1) Why HAMAS must be fought tooth and nail. These are bad guys, committed to destroying the state of Israel and killing every Jewish Israeli. Anyone who thinks they are freedom fighters who just want fairness and equality for all is at best misled.

2) Why Palestinians are upset. Their parents and grandparents were tossed out of their homes, and got nothing in return. Israel owes them in the same way the US owes the native Americans. 

3) The Central Palestinian Complaint. I understand that perfectly. Imagine a hundred thousand Martians, escaping prosecution on Mars, descended on your city and claimed it as their own on the basis of (a) a book you don't accept (b) stories you don't believe are true and (c) the consistent presence of a handful of other Martians who had been living in your city for thousands of years - that you had never really noticed. I think you'd be upset. I know I would.  You certainly would not like to lose your home because of a few verses written in the Book of Mormon.

4) Israeli Security Concerns. 

THINGS I DO NOT UNDERSTAND

1) Why Israel is called an apartheid state. I agree that there are apartheid-like conditions in parts of the West Bank, and I agree that should end. Its terrible, and I mean that.  But I am also aware that 20 percent of the citizens of Israel are Arabs, and that while they do suffer some of the discrimination endured by minorities everywhere, they also enjoy full voting rights, access to higher education and are employed in plenty of excellent fields - and not as "tokens" either. So anyone who thinks that is "apartheid" can kindly shut up

2) Why Israel's war with Gaza and various displays of very bad behavior are called "genocide" Even the worst police brutality, indifference and corruption isn't "genocide" and no-one fair, honest or  informed can say a war that kills a few hundred people on the weaker side is "genocidal."

3) Why this conflict keeps dragging on. Look, I can agree with anyone who says that the Israeli West Bank cities shouldn't have been built. You are right. That never should have happened. Only it did happen. By the same token, a hundred American cities built on stolen land should never have been built. But they were built.  We aren't going to deconstruct San Antonio or Sioux City and we aren't deconstructing Beitar and Ariel either. The bell has rung. Instead of demanding the impossible, the Palestinians should follow the sage advice Carmine Lupertazzi gave Johnny Sack about the Ginny joke grievance: "Either name a price or get the [bad word] over it!" I know this sounds unfair. I agree it IS unfair. But tossing the 75,000 plus men, women and children of Beitar out of their homes would also be unfair. So that's where we are.