DISCUSSIONS

Hi, I wanted to start this Forum to discuss the debate between Israel and Palestine, which is legitimate and which is an Illegal state or if there is a possibility both could exist. I know that this debate can get very heated so I'd like to ask everyone to please stick to the facts, don't reduce yourself to Racist or Anti-Semitic comments and be respectful of other people who post here don't call people stupid or ignorant because of there opinions, and do not falsely accuse people of Racism just because they support a different side of the argument than you.

Lets start with the Basic Facts,

1. The State of Israel Exists because of a United Nation's Mandate, under the United Nation's Partition Plan for the Former British Mandate of Palestine (United Nation's General Assembly Resolution 181). The United Nation's Divided the nation into Jewish and Arab areas with the City of Jerusalem proclaimed an international and open City. The Jews accepted this plan but the Arab League rejected it and in December of 1947 the Palestinian Civil War with Jews initially on the defensive but moving to the offensive. The regional economy collapsed and 250,000 Palestinian Arabs were expelled or fled.

2. On 14 May, 1948 the day before the British Mandate was due to expire the Jewish Agency proclaimed the independent and sovereign State of Israel. On 15 May, 1948, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq declared war on the State of Israel, with Moroccan, Sudanese, Saudi and Yemeni troops arriving to help the invasion later. In 1949 a ceasefire was declared, with Jordan Occupying the Territories known to Day as East Jerusalem and the West Bank and Egypt holding what is known as the Gaza Strip.

3. In 1967 Egypt, Syria and Jordan massed troops near the Israeli Border, expelling UN Peacekeepers from the border region and Blocking Israel's access to the Red Sea. Israel took these actions as casus belli and launched the Six Day War beginning with Air Strikes destroying 70% of the Egyptian Air Force on the Ground and 64% of the Jordanian Air Force on the ground with another 15% from each side in the air. After six days, Israel had Occupied the Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

4. On October 6th, 1973, Yom Kipper, the Holiest Day on the Jewish Calendar, and when tides were right in the Suez Canal, Egypt launched a daring operation to cross the Suez and attack Jewish Positions on the East Bank of the Canal while Syrian forces invaded the Golan Heights.

5. On June 7th, 1981 Israel fearing the Iraqi Development of a Nuclear Weapon bombed the Iraq's Osirak Nuclear Reactor

6. In 1982 Israel intervened in the Lebanese Civil War

7. In July 2006 Israel Fought a second war in Lebanon

8. The Last major war fought by Israel was the Yom Kipper War or October War but throughout the 1980's 90's and 2000's has intervened in a number of conflicts in both Lebanon and the area's known as the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Those are the basics of the conflict as it stands, feel free to throw in opinions on this issue but please as I said keep it polite, respectful and intelligent arguments.