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I would answer the question about why Jews are divided about Israel with two responses. The first is that Jews are not monolithic as a people in the same way and "the Japanese" or "The French" because they are spread throughout the entire world (a.k.a. Diaspora ), or have emigrated to centers of Jewish culture from a large variety of places. In Israel there are people on both the right and left (as is appropriate for a Democracy) and they are Jews. Why shoudn't there be differences of opinion by Jews observing the situation from outside?

Second, I think you would be hard pressed to find too many Jews who outright support the Palestinians. Generally, the differences are in how one views how to deal with them. Hardliners say they need to be removed or brutally opressed. Doves want to give them everything they want. Those are the extemes, but not the majority. Most people, at least in my experience, find themselves in the middle. They think the 200,000 settlers living in the midst of 2 million Palestinians is untenable, but so are the 1967 borders for Israel's security. A compromise needs to be found. Thus you have disagreement on how to stop the killing.

But, just like you can't describe to me what a Jew looks like, you also shoudn't assume you know what they should think. There is one stereotype however, which I have found to be true - Jews like to discuss and argue and consider.

Does this situation make them their own worst enemy? No, I think it makes them a people who are well suited for Democracy (which has been described by men wiser than I as the least worse form of government).