360 degree thinking: The Palestinian Conflict

When asked to discuss an issue, my mind immediately went back to world issue discussed yesterday through Hands of Peace, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But first, to start out with some history of the conflict. This conflict has been raging ever since Israel's desire to form there own country. In their perspective, they believe that that land was promised to the people Joshua by God. For centuries, Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike lived harmoniously in the Middle East. However, things changed in 1947, when the British, with the support of the United Nations, allocated land, including the city of Jerusalem, to Israel, because of the suffering they endured during the Holocaust. The Arabs did not agree. After their declared independence in 1948, Israel, supported by the United States, has fought its way to maintain a country with Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, and especially, the Palestinians. Israel, because they are a democracy and are fighting terrorism, are supported by the U.S. and other democratic states. The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians continues even to this day as Palestinians and Israelis alike continue to die everyday. The Israeli army continues to bomb innocent civilians, invade Palestine, and force Palestinians to live in small squalid spaces. The Palestinians are pushed too far and begin to resort to terrorism and killing innocent Israelis. This cycle of hate will continue to turn until a ceasefire is met.
I wonder why, if both sides continue to suffer greatly, the war continues. The answer is a multiple of things. The obivious answer is the land. Both the Israelites and the Palestinians desire their own land for their own people. The land also allows each side to establish their own country, and for the Israelis, their own identity. Religion also has its role in the matter. For both sides, the land is signifcant and carries a vast ammount of religious importance. For Israel, it is the "Promised Land", the land that is the center of their faith and it also is the place where their people have lived for generations. For Palestine, the land was the birthplace and deathplace for Jesus, and is also home to alot of Muslim religious structures including the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Another reason for the conflict is the animosity that exists between both populations. Today, most Israelis and Palestinians assume that all Palestinians are different from them. All they know the "other side" for is for killing their neighbors and family. Thus, stereotyping and racism is another thing contributing to this conflict's existence. If each side continues to fight and not colloborate, then the hate and conflict will continue, until one side is completely the eliminated, most likely the Palestinians.
Another question I have is which side is right? Is there a possibillity for both sides to live in harmony? Is peace possible? I personally believe that peace is possible but it is not easy to attain. Both sides have to work to agree on a solution. Even after peace is declared, it will take decades for the hate to dissapate. Perhaps in a century, after decades of peace, will both sides be able to see the others as equals and live together. Until then, the massacre of Palestinians citizens and the terrorizing of the Israeli popluation will continue. As for which side is right, I believe that neither side has a superior claim. Both have ancestors that have lived in that land for centuries. Both have legitimite claims to the land. But who's land is it? Personally, I believe that it is both their land and that it either needs to be shared via one united country or the more plausible two country solution. If peace is not met soon, the world might loose one of the most historic populations in the Palestinians.