Chris Hedges: Why Israel Lies

[JDPriestly]

86. Please tell me what you believe to be the immoral occupation of

Palestinian territory.

As I have watched over the years, Palestine has attacked Israel and then lost territory to Israel.

Here is an example of Israel destroying illegal settlements.

Israeli security forces have demolished 10 illegal houses in the West Bank outpost of Ma'ale Rehavam, after Israel's high court court rejected settlers' claims to have purchased the land legally from Palestinians.

The demolitions followed a an order for the destruction of 28 illegal buildings in three different settlements, in what Israeli media described as one of the biggest "evacuations" in recent years.

In Ramat Gilad, six buildings and a synagogue, built on private land, are earmarked for destruction while seven buildings are expected to be destroyed in Givat Yosef, before Thursday evening. Meanwhile in Mitzpe Yitzhar – where agreement was reached last week - one building was voluntarily demolished.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/14/israeli-forces-illegal-west-bank-settlement-destroy-houses

Palestine needs to negotiate peace for land. That's what needs to happen. But Israel makes a good argument that it needs the land as a buffer to its larger cities as long as the Palestinians are intent on getting the land back by violent means.

There is blame on both sides. But further violence is not the answer.

The danger is that now with all the deaths in Gaza, the Gazans will try to avenge those deaths and end up with more and more dead.

I am just praying for peace, but goading one or the other side on to fight is wrong. Both sides have to be willing to give up things they would like in order to have peace.

If they don't negotiate for peace, I hate to think what might happen in the Gaza Strip because Israel's technology so outdoes the Palestinian's.

Peace, a negotiated peace is the only answer.