In Way Over My Head

Here's a subject that I know little about.  I mean, I know about it but am no expert by any stretch.  Israel and Palestine.  Big topic, many-layered, and not a simple answer.  What I do remember for almost my whole life is that Israel makes a deal to release 10,000 captured soldiers and the PLO returns 10.  Always staggeringly uneven.  Seemingly never a fair trade, but non more uncertain than the trade happening today.  The deal to get back Gilad Shalit. He has been held in captivity for five years. For Shalit Israel will return 1000 Palestinian prisoners.  Really?  Four hundred of the 1000 are convicted terrorists against Israel.  What's to stop them from going back to the Gaza Strip and starting all over again? 

We went to Israel this year and for the first time I have a deep understanding of the lay of the land.  It is a beautiful country surrounded by countries that want the decimation of Israel just spitting distance. So what does Israel do?  I really don't know.  Within it's borders the people have very different opinions.  The far right, like here, don't want to give an inch.  They seem to be in control currently;  it's been that way for at least a decade.  Like the U.S.,  the Israelis  are much more reasonable and in the center. 

Maybe showing the world that Israel is returning over 1000 prisoners for 1 Israeli soldier will serve to create more empathy towards Israel.  There is so little support for Israel around the world that if one of these returned terrorists  starts bombing Israelis, there will be an outcry for the trials and tribulations for Israel to survive. It is a beautiful, beautiful country and everyone should go at least once in their lives.  

Sidebars:  Occupy Wall Street is spreading.  I find it very fascinating.  I don't really understand how it actually got started. How many people started the protest/sit in at Zuccotti Park?  One?  Two?  Was it all anger through the internet and someone said, let's go down to Wall Street and start telling them how we feel?  It has been growing nationwide.  I hope that it can sustain itself, find a clear message, and not cause vandalism or violence.  There were mobs of people burning cars over the weekend in Rome.  That doesn't work.  That's not how the message will be heard.  Peaceful protests, that is the American way.  

If you want to get the money out of politics, go to getmoneyout.com and sign the petition.  Who knows...maybe it will have an impact?