I honestly didn't know much about this all conflict before, but having my dad working in Jerusalem, i do have some decent information nowadays.
First, to clarify, my dad works in Jerusalem for a french private agency who helps palestinians finance some of their projects : new waterdraining station, new agricultural field, renovating the bridge, etc... But all thoses contracts have to be validated by Israel. In most cases, they agree. But sometimes, they can be picky because one little thing wasn't done very well in the contract, and they'll refuse : rip new school.
For history, Israel has been attacked first, each and every time. And each and every time, they won. So yes, they are the real leaders of that piece of land. I honestly would also being biaised if i was on their shoes : X attacks you. You defeat them, but let them go, since ONU and shit. X + Y attacks you. You defeat them, but learned your lesson, so take some of their lands as payback. If X attacks you again, how would you react ?
I certainly admit that Israel is forcing things, by purposefully building colonies, and annexing territory that way. But that's nearly the only thing i can reproach them.
All this recent peace of news also came from one incident mainly : 3 young israelian, kidnapped and killed, found, strangely in Gaza. How were they found, by israelian militaries themselves. Why, cause Palestinian didn't bother, nor did they condemn this all thing.
In all countries, you have extremist. In israel, some of them grouped and killed one palestinian. What did Israel do, condemn all this action, and is pursuing 3 of thoses who admitted. How does Gaza responds : launches rockets. Manifestations, etc... So litterally no manifestation in Jerusalem when the 3 young lads were kidnapped then killed, but as soon as 1 palestinian dies in Israel, then Israel is obviously the culprit, the bad guy.
How does Israel responds to the rocket launches ? As they always do, with full force.
With how this situation has escalated, i can only say i'm sorry for the "government" of Palestine, who decided to host the Hamas group in Gaza. They could themselves have labeled them as extremists, or terrorists. But no. They're definitely in this together. And then they plead innocent when Israel responds to the threat.
So, i'm definitely supporting Israel for this specific case. They did their best, finding the killing of the young palestinian horrible, and pursuing the culprits, and yet because of riots and counter-attacks, the whole world suddenly sees them as the bad guy. As usual. They can't even be bothered to differentiate photos of Irak's bombing from the real first ones of Gaza. Because fuck information, let's all speculate and turn Israel into the bad guy.
And yes i'm mad. Because of all that, my dad has to stay in there and postponed his holidays for at least a week, since the situation is too dangerous to leave the agency without him, and not enough dangerous (yeah right) to force him to come back in France.
When you play Civilizations, you usually let your ennemy one more chance (if you don't annihilate him right away), but never two. Why is that so hard to accept in the real world ? All this ONU is peace and love, stop attacking the innocent citizens, etc... We're not in a world where soldiers of both side are righteous, fight in the open. But where they'll actually purposefully hiding within citizens, to force their attackers to be shuned by the world, because of collateral damage. And Israel doesn't care about collateral damages, it's all about dissuasive counter-attacks. Which honestly doesn't seem to work on their attackers...
So last question for the readers : You're in front of a building. The front door is open. The backdoor, visible from where you are, is closed. Inside, there's a dozens of innocent civilians, and the widely-researched murderer, responsible of killing no less than 30 people the last month, armed. All you have with you is a grenade. Will you take it upon yourself to be shuned by the all society, throwing your grenade, killing all innocents and the murderer ? Will you walk by, as if it doesn't concern you ? Will you try to negociate with him, giving him 1 000 000$ cash and an helicopter if he releases the civilians ? Will you force the police to surround the building, and try to attack, not caring about the police losses, since civilians are more important, and they signed for that dangerous job anyway ? Will you do something else ?
I'll maybe have an all different opinion on all this tomorrow, sober and all. But i'm really ashamed of how the culprits are still protected by law, human rights, etc... By the astronomical costs of prisons (speaking about the 20+years guilty, not the small crimes folks), by how no one cares when a prisoner kills his therapist when outside, after raping her, and goes free but when a young armed stealer gets shot in the back by the store owner, after robbing him and threatening him, everyone is mad (and justice accuses the store owner of murder with premeditation). It's just so easy to be bad.
