(Vanity) What is the definition of "Occupation" when used regarding the Middle East conflict?

6/27/02 | zarfman

[zarf]

Can somebody educate me here?

[MoscowMike]

Howdy

Calling the West Bank "occupied territory" is the same as calling Texas "occupied territory".

Goebbels-esque propaganda would be the meaning of this usage.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

oc·cu·pa·tion   Pronunciation Key  (ky-pshn)  n.

1.  
   1. An activity that serves as one's regular source of livelihood; a vocation like radical Islamic homicide-suicide bomber.
   2. An activity engaged in especially as a means of passing time; an avocation.
2.  
   1. The act or process of holding or possessing a place.
   2. The state of being held or possessed.
3.  
   1. Invasion, conquest, and control of a nation or territory by foreign armed forces as happened to areas of Syria and Lebanon in 1967.
   2. The military government exercising control over an occupied nation or territory.

[AZLiberty]

Use of the term "occupied territory" tilts conversation toward the Palestinian side, making it sound like the Palestinians are the "real" owners.

A more neutral term is "disputed territory".

[Illbay]

Well, first you had the orcs moving into Isengard, occupying that place right in the eaves of Fangorn forest. At about the same time they drove the small garrison from Gondor out of Minas Ithil, reoccupied it and renamed it Minas Morgul. They soon had overrun most of Ithilien.

Thereafter, they pushed forward, right to the eastern banks of the Anduin and took the eastern portion of Osgiliath.

By the time of the opening salvos in the War of the Ring, the forces of Sauron occupied all of the land east of Gondor, and well up into the northeast borders of Rohan.

Oh, wait, you said Middle EAST, not Middle EARTH.

Nevermind.

[MoscowMike]

Howdy

It's not just a more neutral term, it is the only correct term imho.

Militarily significant territory captured in war is the property of the victor, when the winner is defending against aggressive warfare.

A state of war still existing owing to arab intransigence, disputed territory is the only apt term under international law as I, however dimly, understand it.

It just shows where compassion and restraint will get you in the brutish neolithic world of the arab, the Israelis should have taken Damascus, Cairo, every capital of the arab world.

Hindsight 20/20

[Political Junkie Too]

...making it sound like the Palestinians are the "real" owners...

You mean "real" victims.

-PJ

[sheik yerbouty]

Technically, Judea and Samaria were cut loose from Jordan by King Hussein and have no final disposition, They are disputed territories. as for Gaza, Anwar Sadat refused Begin's offer to return it to Egypt.