Note: Before someone accuses me of "nutshelling" this issue, I recognize it is deeper and more complicated than virtually any political issue on the planet. There are intricasies which would take, have taken, volumes to even touch on. This is a short opinion piece, which hits highlights, and I in no way consider it a complete and thorough assessment of the situation. But I do welcome your comments, as always...:)

I am an avid supporter of Israel. I have empathy for displaced Palestinians. But the fact is, they would not be displaced if they would settle the homeland issue (as has been offered several times) to put the matter to rest.

I recognize that there are many who think Israel illegally "usurped" land that did not rightfully belong to them. Whether or not it belonged to them morally (which it did), they are in possession of it legally with the blessing of the United Nations, which every member (at that time) had a voice in. And parts of the territories which they have accessed since, have been spoils of war.

Now, regardless of which side of this chasm you are on, there are some things to consider, which I will elaborate hereafter, but first..

Israel is hated more than even we are by the Arab world. A good part of the reason the Arab world (and others) hate the US is our continuing and vocal
support of Israel.

Israel is our most staunch ally IN the world, it is certainly is the ONLY ally we have in a part of world which is completely hostile to us and everything we stand for. Ties with other countries (Arab) are diplomatic and tenuous at best, but cannot be trusted. Israel believes in the same basic principles that our own country was founded on.

I recognize that there are orthodox Jews who think that a "Jewish State" is an affront to God. The Jews have endured unthinkable and repeated attempts to annihilate them for centuries. It was time they had a homeland, and now they do.

That is not to say the Palestinians are not also entitled to a homeland. However...

1) They have consistently refused offers of a peaceful solution to create a Palestinian homeland because the "terms" were unacceptable.

2) They have consistently shown their disregard for human life by extremism which has cost lives not just of Israelis, but of Americans, Europeans, Asians, and others in their repeated low-tech but very effective terroristacts. Not ALL Palestinians, but a faction of them, fueled by extremists;