| The last Muslim Empire came to an end with the | | | | they can create their own state? It would be just a |
| conclusion of the First World War as the Ottoman | | | | tiny fraction of their total land mass and they would |
| Empire was dismembered by the Allied victors. | | | | hardly miss it because it is largely unpopulated. |
| Since then, no Muslim nation has been strong enough | | | | In almost six decades of fighting, none of the Muslim |
| to go again on the path of conquest. However, | | | | countries from the Middle East or from elsewhere |
| nations practicing that religion have constantly caused | | | | has ever made such a proposal to the Palestinians. |
| an inordinate amount of bloodshed. | | | | Quite on the contrary, many have brutally repressed |
| In 1948 the state of Israel was founded and since | | | | them when the Palestinians tried to carve a power |
| then, there have been six wars between this country | | | | structure within those countries. |
| and its Arab neighbors. | | | | When one considers the small geographic size of |
| These wars have been very revealing of not just | | | | Israel, it is evident that even if all of that land would |
| the relationship between Jews and Arabs, but also of | | | | be given to the Palestinians, the Palestinians would still |
| what lies at the core of Islam. | | | | be in possession of just a small country. Israel is |
| The crux of the conflict between the Jewish state | | | | made of just a very small strip of territory and most |
| and the Muslims resides in the demands for land of | | | | of it is desert. |
| the Palestinians. These are quite understandable, but | | | | Once all the above gets taken in consideration, it |
| one cannot avoid wondering why have the Muslim | | | | becomes extremely hard to understand why the only |
| countries not directly addressed those demands? | | | | approach that Muslims have taken towards Israel is |
| The neighboring countries claim that the reason why | | | | violence. |
| they have waged war against Israel is because of | | | | Such a mystery becomes rapidly clarified when it is |
| Arab and Muslim solidarity. If that is so, they should | | | | remembered that Islam is at its very core a violent |
| have long ago granted a piece of territory to the | | | | creed. It is a religion that was born out of an act of |
| Palestinians. | | | | violence and which preaches violence through the |
| In several of those nations, large Palestinian | | | | Koran. |
| populations have lived there for centuries. Such a | | | | No other religion has a founder who waged war to |
| situation increases further the need to inquire why no | | | | impose his will. No other religion has a holy book that |
| land has been allocated to them. | | | | systemically advocates the use of force. Jesus Christ |
| Despite the progressive physical expansion of Israel | | | | for example, was a wimp who believed in putting the |
| over the years, that country remains a small | | | | other cheek whenever he got punched. The |
| geographic entity with just 20,000 square kilometers. | | | | teachings of Buddha are somewhat similar. He was |
| However, some of the Muslim countries in the vicinity | | | | originally a prince and a warrior, but once he invented |
| have as much as 2,400,000 square kilometers. That is | | | | Buddhism, he gave up his riches and his warring |
| a territory 120 times larger than Israel. Israel also has | | | | habits, and became interested only in meditating. |
| a high population density, while some Arab countries | | | | The Israeli-Palestinian conflict reiterates what history |
| have among the lowest in the world. | | | | had already witnessed. It shows that Islam is an |
| Why would it be so hard for those nations to grant a | | | | intrinsically violent creed. |
| piece of their territory to the Palestinians so that | | | | |