The West Bank and The Gaza Strip…Rise….Part III- No historical or Religious Claims- Ongoing by Jamil Shawwa

The news reported yesterday that a person went and committed a crime, killed a family in a settlement in the West Bank. The State of Israel has the right to defend its citizens everywhere as many countries believe and might take action against individuals or against groups either in Gaza or in the West Bank. The cycle continues, once Israel takes action, some Palestinians might feel that they need to retaliate and take action against those that took the previous action. The cycle continues, killing and retaliating and organizations and individuals claiming historical or religious rights to this piece of land or that piece of land or over the whole land. Some might say that the settlements in The West Bank are illegal as they are built on a disputed land or lands that are still waiting for the final solution, others would reply and say no, these settlements will stay regardless and the people there will be citizens of the state of Palestine in the West bank and Gaza and some will say, wait a minute, these people have the right to settle anywhere in the land of Israel. The end game, not sure, it seems that everybody or the policy makers and certain groups behind them in both entities in Palestine and in Israel are content somehow with the status quo. Satisfied with the regular interactions that take place there and has been taking place since even before 1948. The problem is not outside the control-maybe- of both Israel and Palestine. The problem is not in the international community, or the great powers, the problem is there in the West Bank and Gaza and in the State of Israel and the solution is also there in Palestine and Israel. The first step is stop the talk from some Arabs and Israelis or some religious Muslim Arabs and some religious Jewish people about historical claims to the land, it will not work, both sides not only will bring so called facts or religious verses that support each side but will also bring the continuous cycle of hatred and the continuous cycle of wars and violence and will continue to feed those monsters on all sides of the isle that do not want to see a flourishing State of Israel and a flourishing State of Palestine. Leave history behind and look at now. Now we have the State of Israel and we have the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, period, nothing else, no other countries. We also have Jerusalem as an open city and a capital for both. We also have religious places that a skilled manager can manage for both people, if things get complicated and both continue to fight about "management". History right now is irrelevant in the land of peace and history is irrelevant in the land of the three divine religions, what is relevant is now, and the people that live there and the facts on the ground. The facts reflect the ultimate and the undisputed right of the Jewish people to enjoy their country, the State of Israel, as it is now. The facts also reflect the ultimate and the undisputed right of the Palestinian people to have their state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. History can be rewritten now, and history can be remade now. History starts now and not prior to 1948.