Instead, I want to talk about why it is important and morally right to support Israel.
First of all, Israel has a right to the land for two reasons. The first is that Israel has been internationally recognized as a sovereign nation. That alone means that the land is rightfully theirs, no matter who says what. In addition to that, historically, the land of Israel was the Jewish homeland for centuries. The only thing they have done in establishing themselves in Israel is return to that homeland by the millions since 1948.
The land of Israel, on the other hand, is the homeland of no other group that continues to exist to this day. Prior to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the area known as Palestine was a blighted, barren wasteland. Its population was sparse and it produced nothing of value. Consequently, with no native population, there is no such thing as a Palestinian people.
Palestine, in fact, got its modern name from the Roman Empire. The land of Judea (the name of modern day Israel under Roman rule) was renamed "Syria Palestina" in an attempt to erase the Jewish history of the land after Jewish rebellions were crushed in 70 and 135 AD. As such, the land is not actually named after an ethnic group. Today's "Palestinians" are merely of Arabian, Egyptian and other descent, many of whom have been displaced by the repeated wars waged against Israel in the past sixty years.
Of course, history is not the only reason to support Israel. After all, this is the only free, stable, democratic nation in the Middle East. In a region where military dictatorships and violent, Islamist theocracies are the norm, the fact that any nation that reflects western values exists there is positively miraculous. In a region where women are stoned for being the victims of rape and gays are executed for existing, Israel should have the world's full support.
Then there is the fact that Israel is routinely demonized by the international community for defending itself. Granted, the appeal of this point is purely emotional, but is one worth considering regardless. After spending years having lukewarm feelings on Israel, I eventually learned the truth about Israel's situation. I learned it was the victim, not the perpetrator, of terror. I learned it was, time and again, invaded by its neighbors and won each time, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Yet, it is still treated as evil by nations and organizations that should be supporting it.
Indeed, Israel has made it clear, time and again, that it is the party that seeks peace. In demonstrating its willingness to trade land for peace, Israel has been shown to be the only side seeking peace in this conflict. In withdrawing from the Gaza strip, the nation was rewarded with thousands of rockets wantonly fired into its territory. Yet somehow, it is the great villain of the world, demonized and censured more than any other nation on the planet, save for a select few.
The final reason, and the biggest for me, is that the Jews are God's chosen people and Israel is the apple of His eye. The Jews are proof, above all else, of God's existence. Despite being dispersed as a people and scattered around the world for nearly 2000 years, they were still able to come back together in 1948 and form a nation of their own. His promise to them still stands, no matter how much other people may hate it. Thus, anyone who stands against Israel stands in direct opposition to the will of God almighty.
In the end, there is little excuse not to support Israel. Now, one can most certainly disagree with the tactics the Israeli people use or the course they take. However, there is no equivalence between them and their brutal, murderous enemies. To even attempt to draw a comparison is evidence of either astonishing ignorance or moral bankruptcy.
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