aris2chat
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- Feb 17, 2012
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When the western states were divided, borders had to be drawn. It is the same with the remains of the Ottoman empire, it had to be divided by the mandates, and prepare them for statehood.
The lines for Israel/palestine region has been divided many way over the centuries. From tribal state, nation, divided nation, provinces, sanjuks, etc., but never a nation of palestine. Britain and France held the mandates and divided the land along lines that made sense to them, but not necessarily to the tribes, farmers and towns that existed.
People have to assess what land is controlled by whom and work forward from that point. You can't pull up old maps and demand everyone move to those lines.
The controlling state will draw, or negotiate and compromise where the lines should be and who should live or move where.
Pakistan and India had a mass exchange of population. Exodus, diaspora, prisoners, even armies create population shifts and taking of land, for both private and public use. Wars have always had population and map changes. Even nature has changed geographic lines and forces the population shifts. Temperant areas change and so does the population. Sahara was once lush and had several large lakes.
Now we have the technology to both destroy coastline and create new ones. The building of canals and dams means taking land and making people move.