I must respond to some of the awful inaccuracies that some, particularly Swords, have posted during this debate. There are many people who clearly do not have a grasp of the historical facts, and who have swallowed propaganda hook line and sinker. Please check everything that follows on Google or elsewhere.
1. Jews have lived in Palestine continuously since the time of Jesus and before.
2.Most of the Palestinian Arabs emigrated to Israel from surrounding Arab countries in the last 100 years because the Jews were providing employment and "making the desert bloom" For Swords to refer to "...foreigners ....from all four corners of the World (to) forcibly evict the people who have lived there for the intervening 2 or 3 millennia" is just plain nonsense. .
3. There has never been an independent Palestinian State on any part of the land. The area was controlled by Turkey until 1917 and by the British until 1948
4. In November 1947 the UN decided by a substantial majority to solve the problem by creating 2 states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Jews accepted this, the Arabs didn't and attacked the new Jewish State of Israel with the announced intention of "throwing the Jews into the sea". They did not succeed, but,as a result of the war that the Arabs started, there were areas that were previously Jewish(such as the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem) that were occupied by Arabs(in this case Jordan) and there were areas that were previously occupied by Arabs that became part of the State of Israel.
5. There are 1.5 million Palestinian Arabs now living in Israel with full rights, including voting rights, just like any other Israeli. There are Arab parties in the Israeli Parliament, and there are many Arabs who hold high positions, including High Court Judges. Swords reference to "apartheid" is totally abhorrent and inaccurate. Just ask any of my Arab neighbours who live close to me and are much happier living in the democratic State of Israel than any of the surrounding dictatorships!
6. Between 1948 and 1967, due to the war that they started, the Arabs(Jordan) occupied the West Bank(including East Jerusalem and the Old City) and the Gaza Strip(Egypt). At no time during that 19 year period was there any move by the Arab World to create a Palestinian State on any part of the land of the West Bank or Gaza. Why? Because their sated aim was to destroy the State of Israel.
7. After the 6 Day War of June 1967, Israel offered to return every part of the territory captured in that war, in exchange for peace.
8. At the Khartoum Conference of September 1967, the Arab world turned down that offer with the famous "3 no's" "NO peace with Israel, NO recognition of Israel, NO negotiations with Israel"
9. In subsequent years, Israel has offered to withdraw from disputed territories in exchange for peace and has been rebuffed every time.
The vast majority of Israelis(according to opinion polls) want a two state solution, but, unfortunately, the Arab World only wants one state, and that would be a state without Jews!
I leave you all to come to your own conclusions.