It's not about God, it's about land. Since 1945, the Palestinians have lost 90% of theirs, which means that most of their access to water and their ability to cultivate their own crops, feed themselves, and generate their own financial dependency has been taken away from them. They're now left with nothing more than a few scattered settlements and the Gaza Strip. Like the Native Americans or the Australian Aborigines they've been marginalised into reservations, with virtually no means of support or freedom of movement.
They've been the victims of ethnic cleansing.
If America, and to a lesser extent other western governments, are prepared to support Israel, why shouldn't Arab states like Iran and Egypt support the Palestinians? If the West can help the fight for freedom in former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, then why shouldn't we acknowledge that other countries may feel just as potent a moral determination in helping a beleaguered people?
Unfortunately, me sitting here writing this isn't going to change anything, and neither are any amount of inter-faith prayer groups. It's not about God, it's about land, and until the Palestinians have some of their old territory returned to them, this mess will only get worse.
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