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Hammer:

It isn't about 'a patch of sand or a set of buildings', it's about the Arab world wishing to destroy the state of Israel and drive the Jews out of the mid-east, killing as many as possible along the way.

Who do you think funds Arafat and his terrorist Fatah organization? Saudi Arabia and the other Arab nations. Why? (rhetorical question): To act as their agent in the destruction of Israel.

But, but, Jim, isn't it all about the 'occupied' Palestinian land?

No., it isn't. Never was.

The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was formed in 1964, with Yasser Arafat, an Egyptian engineer-turned-terrorist as it's head. That was three years before the 1967 war that saw Israel take control of the West Bank and the Gaza strip, Israeli land that had been annexed by Jordan in the late forties and was used by Egypt and Syria to launch attacks on Israel in '67. Israel took control of the land when the Arabs were defeated. It's in dispute as to 'ownership' but the term occupation is a misnomer, although it's been used so much that everyone assumes it's factual. It isn't.

At the 2000 Camp David peace conference, Israeli P.M. Barak offered to return 99% of the West Bank and Gaza to Palestinian control, as a homeland. Arafat refused the offer and stormed out of the conference to begin a new war of terrorism against Israeli citizens.

How can the Palestinian's be 'fighting for a homeland' and fighting 'against Israeli occupation' when Israel already offered to give the disputed land to them in exchange for an end to the terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens that kill innocent civilians eating a pizza or dancing in a nightclub and blow them into smithereens?

The Palestinians are fighting to end an Israeli 'occupation' but they refused to accept an end to the occupation that would have given them control of the disputed land. The logical person might ask the obvious question: How can that be?

The answer is equally obvious. Arafat doesn't want peace any more than you or I want cancer. If he wanted 'peace' he could have had it two years ago, but he chose terrorism, death and destruction for his people.

The 'Palestinians' (Jordanians, actually) are and have been used and abused horribly by their 'leadership'. They are pawns in a tribal race war that they will never win.

The Israelis are hungry for peace which is why they elected the dovish Barak and why he made his astounding offer to Arafat. 'Land for Peace'. It didn't work and both sides are the poorer for that. Now, the Israelis are determined to fight back against what they realize is a plan of genocide being implemented by the Arab world. Europe and most of the liberal U.S. media are against them and the numbers are, too; 350 million Arabs against less than 6 million Jews - but the Israelis will not 'Go gentle into that good night'. (apologies to Dylan Thomas).

The Israeli national motto is 'Never Again'. They mean it. Watch them, now.

As for religion, that has little to do with it. Israel may be Jewish but it's a very secular government. The Palestinians may be Muslims and Arafat uses the Koran to justify his terrorism but it isn't a religious war by any means, it's tribal.

The recent Israeli incursion into the Palestinian areas was done carefully, with precision and little loss of Palestinian 'civilian' life, despite the frantic attempt to call it a 'massacre' by Arafat and the liberal media here and in Europe. A real exercise in restraint on the part of the IDF considering that the Palestinian terrorists operate out of civilian homes, surrounded by the women and children they use as cover. So brave, these 'freedom fighters'.

There will never be a negotiated end to this conflict as no war is ever settled at a negotiating table until both sides have decided that they cannot withstand any more losses. Then they negotiate.

So I agree with your basic premise, Hammer. We should let them 'go at it' but I'm afraid that will trigger a much wider war, as the Israelis - with 27 divisions - could attack the Palestinians at dawn and wonder what to do with the rest of the morning. Most of the Arab world would then be compelled to attack Israel and with nukes available to both sides, well, you can see why the U.S. is always trying to keep a lid on this conflict.

Unfortunately, things can't go on as they are and I predict a wider mid-east war, soon. Not going to be pretty but sometimes it takes some pain to get some healing. This is probably one of those times.