A US Citizen's Perspective on Israel-Palestinian Issue

Imagine over the course of the last year several rockets have been fired from Mexico into the United States. While most have landed in vacant desert, some have landed near homes resulting in American casualites. America, not wanting to fight an all out war with Mexico, has responded in kind with Artillery and precision air strikes into Mexico.

Now imagine members from the Mexican Army crossing into California and abducting a Soldier from the California National Guard patrolling the border and killing a few others.

Further imagine a group from Mexican Army demanding the release of 1000 Mexican prisoners from California Correctional Facilities for the release of the one Soldier from the California National Guard. What do you think the United States government's reaction and Americans' reactions would be to this act?

Undoubtedly, the American government, with full support of it people, would send in planes and tanks to respond to such an act of war and flatten the Mexican government and quite possibly create either the 51st State to the Union or another territory.

How would this change if the Mexican government stated that it does not have control over this wing of its Army? I believe the American government and people would say either get control or we will get control and continue to bomb key and strategic targets in Mexico until either the Mexican government relented or was overthrown by our forces.

In examining this scenario, I see a lot of correlations with the current Hamas incursion into Israel to kill and capture Israeli Soldiers.

Some may say it is different since there are disputed borders in Israel. I am not sure this premise holds water as Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza over a year ago or the fact that Israel became an established nation by UN authority in 1948, yes almost 60 years ago.

Yes, but Israel expanded those UN borders and are occupying Palestinian land. Israel has not returned to its pre-1967 boundaries and that is why Hamas invaded Israel and killed two Soldiers and captured another Soldier and is now demanding the release of 1000 Palestinians.

I'm sorry, who started the 1967 Arab-Israeli war? The Arabs started the war. Israel won the war and gained territory as a result of the war. Now almost 40 year ago, Palestinians are still disputing the border, which oh-by-the-way, Israel has over the last 40 years given up much of their 1967 gains, just to keep the peace.

In the last 60 years and three major wars seeking to destroy the state of Israel, Israelis have shown remarkable restraint and patience. It has shown much more restraint than the USA would have shown or any other government would have shown for that matter.

Now a democratically elected Palestinian government's security forces have invaded Israel and captured one of its Soldiers. It is not up to Israel to show restraint-even though it is practicing great restraint. It is up to the democratically elected Palestinian government to gain control of its forces and people to live in peace and harmony with its neighbor.