I think your proposition that this was the Palestinians ancient homeland is misrepresenting history.
This ancient land was never just occupied by Palestinians or Arabs. Its history is far more complex
In early times, the territory currently seen as Palestine was actually Canaan and was inhabited by Semitic peoples, the earliest being the Canaanites. According to tradition, Abraham, the common ancestor of the Jews and the Arabs, came from Ur to Canaan.
reference to israel appears before any reference to pakestine though may well have been Israelites - a group of people and then a single kingdom comprising Israel and Judah. That kingdom ceased existence after being conquered by assyrians
At various times the whole territory has had different names. Kingdoms and rulers. Judah was destroyed then rebuilt. The Romans took over and when what were by then known as Jews - from Judah - revolted they were squashed and expelled
from Jerusalem and Hadrian decreed that the city and surrounding territory be part of a larger entity called “Syria-Palestina.” “Palestina” took its name from the coastal territory of the ancient Philistines, enemies of the Israelites (ancestors of the Jews
Then Muslim’s took over as the gathered themselves and swept much of the Middle East and the Iberian peninsula
So Palestine, Israel whatever has been controlled by many kingdoms and powers, including Ancient Egypt, Ancient Israel and Judah, the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great and his successors, the Hasmoneans, the Roman Empire, several Muslim caliphates, and the crusaders
To suggest that somehow Palestinians have a greater claim than the Israelites or Jews is not supported by historical fact if you want to to go back to ancient times. It’s not even really supported by more recent history. If you want to do that let’s reinstate the Ottoman Empire or the British colonial mandate
Following WW1 in keeping with normal practice at the time loss of the war meant the territory known as the Ottoman Empire was divided up and the League of Nations - the UN precursor - passed it to Britain to govern
Before 1948, Palestine was home to a diverse population of Arabs, Jews, and Christians, as all groups had religious ties to the area, especially the city of Jerusalem. However during the British Mandate, from 1922 to 1947, large-scale Jewish immigration, mainly from Eastern Europe took place, the numbers swelling in the 1930s with the Nazi persecution.
Arab demands for independence and resistance to immigration led to a rebellion in 1937, followed by continuing terrorism and violence from both sides. UK considered various formulas to bring independence to a land ravaged by violence. In 1947, the UK turned the Palestine problem over to the UN
the State of Israel was established on 15 May 1948 and admitted to the United nations. While a Palestinian state was not declared and not had Israel indicated a belief that Palestinians needed to be contained on the day of Israel being declared a state 5 Arab nations invaded the new states. That invasion dramatically altered the dynamic and the level of antipathy. Firstly - again in keeping with practices at the time - Israel took over much of the land that had previously not been allocated and Palestinians either decided to leave or were expelled
The remaining territories of pre-1948 Palestine, the West Bank - including East Jerusalem- and Gaza Strip, were administered from 1948 till 1967 by Jordan and Egypt, respectively.
The 1967 war which came about as a result of actions by Egypt resulted in yet another shift in land “ownership”.
In 1988, King Hussein dissolved the Jordanian parliament and renounced Jordanian claims to the West Bank. The PLO assumed responsibility as the Provisional Government of Palestine and an independent state was declared
Then the terrorism started. Maybe you need to go back to that. Maybe you need to look at the two violent Palestinian led intifadas
Despite the Gaza Strip having the most potential economically the Palestinians have failed to make anything of it. I wonder why - instead of focusing on building up the land they gave slandered energy and money on continuing to poke at Israel.
You may believe the current version of history and ownership and Israeli behaviour but it is a tainted and twisted version. The Arab states and the PLO might have done better to observe the UN decision and get on with things.
As to funding of Hamas. Your understanding of that too is flawed. It might help to understand what has been happening and the history of Hamas better. It is not as simple as Netanyahu funding it (as if he did that on his own). It was a flawed tactic to try and address t another terrorist group
the problem I see currently is that Israeli behaviour and reaction to terrorism has finally taken a hit. A well funded terrorist organisation backed by multiple Islamic states and donors has finally turned the tide of opinion - away from condemnation of terrorist acts and towards support for their cause.
Multiple factors are at play but a shift in social and political sentiment has had an impact, savvy media and PR helps, (from Hamas ) and polarisation of Christianity vs Islam and the “immigrant” populations.
If you want to excuse (or explain) the Hamas attack as a reaction to being locked in a more balanced perspective would then understand that the reaction from Israel is also a reaction to over 70 years of ongoing harassment from Arab states and terrorists.
there are no winners here. And if you understand Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood and any other terrorist or Muslim organisations committed to installing Islam across the world you will know that it will not end there
and let me add to clear up confusion that might ensue - I have no problem at all with anyone practicing any religion. I really don’t care where people come from apart from curiosity about their experience of life. But I do care about violent acts from anyone, or about those who choose to misrepresent facts on the interests of pursing power, control of personal gain. I do care about whether people are given an opportunity to life in peace and to pursue productive lives rather than be torn apart by greed, power, anger and revenge simply a sense of entitlement.
