Is the context important?

 With the terrible attack by Hamas on Israel, I felt it necessary to think about what this war is all about and how it started. While I know that there is a biblical context to this whole story as it relates to Christianity, Judaism, and the Muslem religions. Many of the spiritual locations should as Jerusalem are key parts of these religions. Wars and have occurred for centuries in this part of the world between ethnic groups. As a baby boomer the back story to this current war occurred as I was just a child and as I grew up I only heard about the conflicts themselves.

Before World War I this area of the world was part of the Ottoman Empire and was called Palestine. It was populated primarily by Arab Muslims, some Arab Christians and Jews. Most Jewish people lived in Europe or outside of Palestine in the Middle East and the Americas. Over time populist movements developed where Jews wanted to return to Zion, hence the term Zionism, and the Arab Nationalism. In the late 1800's there was a movement in Europe by Jews to return to motherland and an antisemitism movement began in Russia and Europe. In 1917 after defeating the Turks, this area was under British military rule. After WWI an agreement was struck that established this area as a Palestinian state and established it as a national homeland for Jewish people. 

After this there were many conflicts between Jews, Palestinians, and the British occupation forces leading up to WWII. Hitler gained support for the Middle East by committing to eliminate this homeland for Jews in Palestine and the British control in the region. He went further with the Holocaust. After WWII Palestine was divided up by the United Nations and ongoing accords. An independent Israeli state was created in Palestine with various portions isolated for the Palestinians within it. A war ensued between Israel and surrounding Arab states in 1948. This resulted in a victory for Israel and they annexed more territory. 700-750 thousand Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled and became refugees and were not allowed to travel into what was now considered Israel while 850,00 Jews fled or were expelled for Arab countries. Violence was ongoing during this period with several short wars thorough the late sixties.

After the defeat of Arab countries during the Six Day War with Israel political and military factions of the Palestinians began to surface. Extreme military groups began establishing strongholds with Hamas become the most established. It mantra is the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people for the pain and suffering which they have subjected the Palestinians too. There is no more room for discussions on a split of the into two states. One for Palestine and one for Israel. Because of ideology it is not possible for these two sets of people to share the land when both claim it for themselves. Context is an important part of understanding both sides of an argument, and history has brought us to the point where we are now. The Palestinians want a free land of their own, just as the Jews have wanted for centuries and now have. 

I don't have any idea about what the outcome of this latest war will be, but I am sure that it will not be a positive result for our world and its future. Hamas does not represent "all Palestinian people. It is an extremist group that has a stated mission of the annihilation of Israel. Talks of peace or even a two state compromise in the area is a threat to them. In my opinion this is why they attacked and not due to anything that Israel had recently done.  Win, lose, or draw thousands of lives will be lost and this area of the world will be devasted. As both sides should say, "God help us".