[Courage the Cowardly Dog]

Who was there first is a long and very religous debate. Although as I understand it in modern times in the 19th century Jews began to return and purchased some of the then useless land and began to settle it again, they created jobs and hence got many arabs who began to move in. This is also why Israel HAS to have checkpoints and not a zero tolerence fence because TO THIS DAY most of their workforce is Palestinian.

Palestine has shot itself in the foot many a time in the road to statehood. It was at one point said if they would abstain from homocide bombings for 2 weeks the process would begin. After many years there wa FINALLY a 2 week slow down and it began. Now we expect to have a legitamate state (as if anything the UN does is really legit, i mean they sent "UN" troops into Vietnam and then sat back and watch America, canada and a scant few others fight it alone without bothering for requesting more troops.) Anyway my UN bitching is another thread altogether. My point is Palestine is it's own big blockade towards statehood, never renouncing or even trying to stop terrorism. Then they are shocked SHOCKED when Israel sends in troops to attack the terror cells.

Religion is of course a huge part of it. They agree up to a part. Origanelly the land was empty and it was first settled by squatter descendent of Canaan who had no inheritance (modern day Jordanians, palestinians, etc.) According to both Islaam, Judaism, and Christianity God was displeased with their idolatry and sent in the Jews who had been wandering the desert for 40 years to start a good kingdom there....whcih they never really did. Under the riegn of on particular king befor the First Babylonian captivity a particular Prophet said the land would ALWAYS be shared with Canaanites and would never really be exclusive to either. This continued back and forth as Jews went into captivity of everyone from Persia to Rome over the years and eventually BOTH were driven out in A.D. 70 by the Romans. At that point almost no one lived in the area outside of bi cities and even Jerusalem had few people. At the advent of Mohammed his teachings were that God angry with the Jews for perverting his word wanted the land to be returned to the Canaanites under a muslim rule. Which never really got rid of the jews and fought of Christians during the crusades. Eventually the land became uninhabitable and was bandoned practicly up until about 200 years ago. Each one believes they have a divine right to it.

(as is my understanding, correct me where I'm wrong cause this is only as much as I know of it)