Gosh!!! I have just had an 'in-depth' skype conversation with my son(Political scientist/Middle eastern studies)who is teaching in a university in America. I have put so many questions to him and got lots of answers but as he says....'There is no quick easy straightforward way to explain all the politics and processes that have led us to where we are' The situation as is certainly goes a long way back but our British government of the time is not blameless for the muddle as we apparently'left them to it' after the second world war even though it was plain that the Palestinians were not accepting the Jewish settlement on what they considered (and had been)their land.
As to any reasoned settlement now? Apparently what happens is that the 'reasonable' elements from both sides will sit down and talk but when, any settlement seems near, the extremeist factions on either side will commit an atrocity to stir things up again and prevent a peace settlement. So basically it is down to the extremists on both sides keeping the warring going.
It is so complex though as to be beyond explanation here. So many 'outside interests' have been involved too...I wouldn't know where to start. It needs study to degree standard to understand it all.
Certainly It leaves me sitting firmly on the fence as to the rights and wrongs. Both sides have legitimate rights and share equal wrongs. They are not even 'monocultures'. There are factions within each 'state'. On a humanitarian scale though one has to feel that the Israelis are being very heavy handed....with the benefit of weaponry supplied mainly by America.
Well....I don't know that this has added anything to 'our' discussion but it has helped me to realise why we are a very long way from any setttlement yet.....if ever.
Oil and Trade routes came into it somewhere too....surprise surprise!!
Off to bed now. Head reeling. Tomorrow's another day!!
Night Night all!