Historically, the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflicts regarding disputed territories stem from the Israeli claims to specific lands that are Israel's birthright as documented in the Hebrew Tanak an acronym for Torah, Neviim, Kesuvim or Jewish Bible expressly from Yahweh to the Patriarch Abraham. Among the sects of Judaism, the fervency to hold onto disputed territories varies from sect to sect. A rule of thumb to use when understanding the varying views among sects as it pertains to disputed territories, religion, politics and social aspects is on the conservative side strict non negotiables as opposed to the liberal leaning side lenient and negotiable, leaning to accomodate the non Jewish society. This polarization is very important to understand!

For the most part the Orthodox sect including Haredi a stream within Orthodox Judaism that is most rigid by total separation from all that is secular and Hasidim a branch within Orthodox Judaism that promotes piety and the mysterious aspects of Yahweh as it pertains to creation are strict across the board and will not compromise because all laws were given directly from Yahweh and no man has the authority to change God's laws. The Messianic sect is a hybrid sect and are conservative when dealing with Israel as a nation. The Conservative sect of Judaism referred to as Masorti in Israel is still somewhat strict but makes a small space in their ideology for small changes to Halakkah or Jewish law. The Conservative sect broke away from Orthodoxy because they felt there were too many rules, too strict but did not want to stray too far from Jewish law. On the other hand Reform, Reconstructionist and Humanistic sects are lenient, willing to accomodate non Jews because they feel they were not there at Mount Sinai when the laws were given, feeling how can we be certain what really happened so far back in history and willing to reform even reconstruct Jewish laws extant to accommodate society in general. These sects are liberal in their dealings. By the way the most recent of sects, the Humanistic sect founded in 1963 by Rabbi Sherwin Wine who broke away from the Reformed sect is a non theistic sect excluding all references to Yahweh and liturgical prayers strongly focusing on ethics, Jewish culture and Jewish history. Also Reconstructionist Judaism which broke away from Conservative Judaism founded by Mordecai Kaplan in 1920 sees Judaism as ever evolving in total contrast to Orthodox Judaism that is rigid in their views. The above sects mentioned should not be conflated with geographical designations such Sepahardim who are Jews whose ancestry began in Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle east or Ashkenazim, Jews of central or eastern european ancestry.

With this brief understanding of the varying perceptions among Jewish sects we can objectively discuss the issue of Israel's adversaries building a legal case against Israel for some time. According to a 2012 State Department report the Islamic Republic of Iran a theocratic society since 1979 as a strategy sponsors 'shia' groups such as Hamas, Hezbolah, Al Quaeda and the Taliban as puppets which test, irritate deplete resources, trouble Israel supplying them with rockets, training, logistics and funding. Also private sources in Qatar and Saudi Arabia supply Hamas with funding. Most recently ISIL and it's affiliates have added themselves as an additional front to the set of threats Israel already faces.

The new era of world displacement with approximately 60 million refugees on the move has great risks associated with it. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency and UNHCR report there are 43-60 million refugees on the move world-wide. Whenever people are moving and scattered around the world away from their homelands taking with them their beliefs and cultures this is by definition a 'diaspora.' Given the scale of forced displacement from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa, the primary regions of displacement and the belief systems of those being displaced, we can easily include by probability there will be among the 43-60 million refugees on the move world-wide, terror minded refugees classified as 'terror in diaspora.' As refugees fan out around the world inevitably there will be terror minded refugees among them especially given the large estimated numbers of refugees on the move. There is a strong correlation between immigration and national security.

HAMAS is an acronym which reads Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah translated Islamic resistance movement reading from right to left. Hamas is the population and within the population with no military targets. Hamas means zeal, enthusiasm. The population is the target. Hamas is one and the same as the population. Hospital, apartment, hotel, beach, mosque this is the nature of Hamas' strategy and configuration. There are sites within the population no military locations. To find Hamas Israel has to go building to building and comb through the population.

Hezbollah is translated Hizbu - llah or party of Allah. Al-Qaeda is translated 'the base, the foundation.' Taliban is translated 'students.'

Israel already faces Hezbolah to the north, Hamas to the south, Al Qaeda to the east and now ISIL threatening to remove Hamas from the Gaza strip for two main reasons.

The first reason is ISIL Islamists are upset there is no sharia law established in Gaza and the second reason is ISIL wants to be in striking distance to Israel attacking from Gaza, also from the Syrian border and the Golan Heights if they can obtain a foothold. Israel has no choice but to be diligent and to respond with decisive strength, one mistake could prove fatal. Travel and work restrictions are not optional if Israel is to survive. Panels Research polls show 51% of Israelis favor responding to recent intifada by further restricting Palestinian free movement.

Note if the majority of the Israeli or PA constituency become war weary and the Israeli or PA economy begins to suffer loss a temporary peace treaty with compromise will happen but will eventually be broken because Palestinians in general will only be satisfied if Israel is completely annihilated. A treaty based on deep compromise will never hold. Palestinians fervently desire the extermination of 6.3 million Jews from the State of Israel. But that's not all, Islamist will then target the 10 million Jews in diaspora worldwide country by country, town by town. Logically and clearly there will never be a permanent peace treaty even based on past track records of violations of agreements. At best Israel and the international community can only hope for a temporary treaty, mitigating violence, adjusting for and managing the stages of conflicts.

The Intifada Strategy - In 1987 Israel experienced the 1st intifada literally means to shake off, shaking, breaking free from shackles in the form of a Palestinian uprising, 2nd intifada 2000 - 2005, a 3rd intifada dated October 4, 2015 the 7th day of Sukkot called Hoshana Rabbah and most recently the 2016 Eshtifada - Esh intifada or fire intifada whereby buildings on a national scale are set on fire by arsonists using burning tires, molatov cocktails to strategically destroy that which Israel has built.

Palestinian perspectives that cause an intifada - Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and disputed territories see Israel as an occupying country who oppress Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank by severe restrictions such as travel restrictions etc. Rocket fire, bombings, stabbings, throwing stones, shootings and violence are reactions intended to resist occupation and restrictions. A coordinated escalation and high frequency of varied forms of violence for a sustained period of time is an intifada as opposed to periodic random violence and clashes in locations such as Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israel is in a tough spot because they are surrounded by enemies, Hezbolah to the north in Lebanon, Hamas to the south in Gaza, Al Qaeda, ISIL and others to the east in Syria and now lone wolf terrorists demographics 15-25 median age 19 attacking from within. An intifada is one additional front Israel has to defend.

Current trending over the last several decades shows Israel's popularity has declined internationally to include the International Court of Justice, the UN General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court-ICC who regard Israel as the "Occupying Power." UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk called Israel’s occupation "an affront to international law." Even Israel's own High Court of Justice has ruled that Israel holds the West Bank under "belligerent occupation". According to Talia Sasson, the High Court of Justice in Israel, with a variety of different justices sitting, repeatedly stated for more than 4 decades that Israel’s presence in the West Bank is in violation of international law. 136 countries of the United Nations highlighted in green that comprise a population of 5.5 billion 80% of the world's population now recognizes a State of Palestine.

In 2014 after Operation Protective Edge it was 'game on' or the time had come to 'go for broke-pulling out all the stops.' Palestinians saw the only out was to go unilaterally for statehood to include the international criminal court ICC of Rome. The USA and Israel have opposed those paths but the US has recently reserved its right to change its decision. The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334 by a 14-0 vote in an unprecedented move since the 1980's UN Security Council Resolution 465 to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank 7:00 PM - GMT December 23, 2016 just before Chanukkah and Christmas which unusually occurred together. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by reminding the U.S.A that both countries have been friends historically due to shared values by stating "friends do not take friends to the Security Council." U.S. Secretary John Kerry rebutted this statement by saying " Good friends tell each other the truth!" Mr. Kerry may have added the phrase " in private" to protect a beloved friend while providing strong council in private. The resolution was an extremely public display of feelings towards a friend. This move by the UN Security Council may be counter productive to future negotiations by hardening the positions of both sides and by moving both sides further apart.

There are potentially lasting consequences to the UN resolution to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank that includes the Kotel or Western Wall located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City Jerusalem, Judaism's holiest site now officially determined to be occupied Palestinian territory. For Judaism which is central to Israel as a nation and it's theocracy, this resolution is a major blow that Israel seeks to mitigate at a rapid pace. This resolution is a 'dagger to the heart' for all observing Jews especially Orthodox Jews and a dagger that pierces the soul of Israel as a nation. On the other hand many non - observing secular Jews are for a two-state solution and do not find U.N. resolution 2334 personally impacting.

Judaism's holiest sites are the Temple Mount that includes Ha Kotel or the Wailing Wall, an archaeological retaining wall segment from the second Jewish temple considered by Judaism to be God's foot-stool on earth, Hebron's Cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham for 400 shekels recorded in Genesis 23:16, 50:13 where the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of Judaism, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, are buried and the adjacent Kiryat Arba, Rachel buried in Bethlehem, the City of Tiberias where the Mishna and Talmud were redacted 188 C.E. and the City of Safed, the city awaiting the Jewish Meshiach. All Abrahamic religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity consider the Jewish holy sites of the Temple Mount and Hebron, holy, and very significant because these sites are fundamental to the Jewish Torah and Tanak, the Islamic Quran and the Christian Bible.

The Jewish holy site of Hebron for example is also reverenced by Islam as the sanctuary resting place for their patriarch Abraham. Judaism, Islam and Christianity share the same Patriarch Abraham. The three main Abrahamic religions share the same DNA and whose foundations are cemented together making separation extremely intricate. If separation occurs, both separated parties will experience dysfunction and handicaps to live with. None of the parties can be whole. These gnawing impediments will breach any agreement reached because of the dissatisfaction and inner conflicts. The alternative is to accept the common DNA and to learn to live side by side honoring their common patriarch Abraham. Historically this has been the challenge especially putting aside more recent egregious offences that severely cloud the one thing Jews and Muslims have in common which is the fundamental respect and honor for the patriarch Abraham. Any foreign policy associated with any of these historical locations require forethought before implementation. There is also a potential financial impact to Israel whereby industries are discouraged to do business with Israelis who occupy the West Bank settlements.

Israel has shown courage going to war with Hamas in light of this dark cloud hanging over its head. Public relations and constant communications, measured surgical strikes being ultra careful as they executed this war was a result of and preventive with regards to defending themselves to the ICC its members and to the UN. Israel could be wrongly charged with war crimes.

As you see the predominant threat to Israel now prevailing even more than devastating rocket fire is not Hamas, Hezbolah, ISIL, Al Qaeda or 15-25 year old lone wolves but the indictment by the International Criminal Court(ICC). Israel has been extremely meticulous to litigate their military responses as they engage the enemy just as they would in a court of law. Notice the detail media debriefings, timely detailed videos of engagements and detailed legal explanations that explain their operation within international law. This requires a special skill set which has become perfected with practice as Israel is forced to protect itself frequently.

According to Israel's adversaries the number of Jews in the territory Israel controls is 5.2 million and the number of Arabs in the territory Israel controls is 5.4 million. Minority political order to Arabs is the charge made to move a case forward to the international criminal court. This situation is an existential threat to the state of Israel and looms over Israel now as a dark cloud. Indictment of war crimes and a case to indict is on-going. The political plausibility of invoking the International Criminal Court to investigate allegations of criminality directed at Israel increases with each passing day.

My final comments - I desire to see peace between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac. I believe if Abraham the Patriarch were alive today Abraham would desire peace among his grandchildren, the descendants of both Ishmael and Isaac.

If Abraham were alive today he would sorrow as he saw the animus. Many times the religious community unintentionally conveys to muslims they are not loved as much because they are the children of Ishmael. I let muslims understand God loves the children of Ishmael too. Judaism, Islam and Christianity are classified as Abrahamic religions. More recently the B'Ha'i religion also makes that claim due to the inception of the B'Ha'i belief system originating in the country of Iran by a son of Keturah, a wife of Abraham. Peace has become extremely complicated due to geo-political complexities but honoring Abraham should help us temper our attitudes towards each other despite our differences. I believe we can be good to each other for Abraham's sake honoring the Patriarch Abraham.

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