"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes is a great book - which is why it won a Pulitzer. One of the things it pointed out was that the UK was running extremely low on gunpowder for the shells for its navy's guns. A Jewish chemist named Chaim Weizmann came up with a synthetic replacement and essentially saved the Royal Navy. Imagine the Battle of Jutland if the Royal Navy's naval guns couldn't fire.

So the crown apparently granted Mr. Weizmann a boon, and the result was the eventual creation of the modern state of Israel...and Weizmann was its first prime minister.

Problem was, the Brits had already promised the Palestinians living there that they would have their own independent country.

This is why Israel is sometimes called the "twice-promised land".

I have no sympathy for Hamas, and I acknowledge the Israelis have just cause for their paranoia, but after learning what the Israelis prevented being shipped into Gaza during the blockade - including toys, medicine, concrete, and even candy - I began to realize just how cruel Israel had become. And by evicting Palestinians from their homes to make room for Jewish "settlers", Israel is only perpetuating the conflict.

If they do not radically change course, this will not end well for Israel.