An Israeli soldier aims his gun at a Palestinian vehicle during an Israeli incursion in the West Bank city of Qalqilia. (Maan Images)

Regardless of which side one supports in the Arab-Israel conflict, the 41 years since the Six Day War have been a disastrous period of time that has gone well beyond a chalk mark in the win/loss column.

Of course, there's still a propaganda war over it, although there is no reason for disagreement. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Dayan told Israel's Yediot Ahronot in a 1976 interview that the idea that Syria was a threat to Israel was ridiculous.

"I know how at least 80 per cent of all the incidents with Syria started," Dayan said.

"We were sending a tractor to the demilitarised zone and we knew that the Syrians will shoot. If they did not shoot, we would instruct the tractor to go deeper, till the Syrians finally got upset and start shooting. Then we employed artillery, and later also the air force. ... I did that... and Yitzhak Rabin did that, when he was there [as commander of the Northern front, in the early 1960s]."

Narrative aside, Israel’s "victory" was wasted. The peace has been elusive, and the landgrabs have brought no security.

For those who claim that if the Palestinians and other Arab brethren would only stop the violence, there'd be peace, for 27 of the past 41 years, there were no violent uprisings, so why didn't the Israelis leave?

Related stories Peace through recognizing injustice A one-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis Thoughts are free, entry is not

Israel reminds me of the abusive husband who knows that hitting his wife is wrong but blames the wife for making him do it.

"If only she would do what she's told," the abusive husband says.

Indeed, if only Palestinians did what they were told, Israel wouldn't deprive them of their basic liberties.

We are told by many of our politicians that Israel shares our American values, but would we ever put up with the deprivation of liberties that millions of Palestinians have had to?

Reading just a few headline in the past week, one could get a taste of what the occupied Palestinians are dealing with: Israeli settlers and army started to expand illegal settlement on Bil'in land (IMEMC); ICRC urges Israel to allow jail visits by Gaza families (AFP); Israel arrested more than 2,700 Palestinians in 2008, report says (Maan); MK Eldad: Anyone ceding Israeli territory should be sentenced to death (Haaretz).

To read the full article please visit The Jordan Times.