"Nations never concede, they fight!"

In order to understand the Israeli-Palestinian, i.e. Israeli-Arab, i.e. Jewish-Arab conflict we need to look back on the beginnings of the conflict. The period before Israel proclaimed its independence on May 14, 1948 are therefore of significance since they heralded the apparent perpetual conflict between the two people/two nations/two religions...


out of Dan Kurzman: Genesis 1948 - The First Arab-Israeli War, pp. 26-27.
...
The Jews now sought to win over the Arabs to partition. But all efforts to meet with the Arabs failed. Then one morning in London Jon Kimche, a pro-Zionist British journalist, telephoned David Horowitz of the Jewish Agency and asked if he would like to talk with Abdul Rehman Azzam Pasha.
Horowitz was incredulous. As secretary-general of the Arab League Azzam Pasha, an Egyptian, was one of the most influential Arab leaders.
He had seen Azzam, Kimche explained, and Azzam had agreed to an interview.
The next day, Horowitz, Kimche, and Aubrey (Abba) Eban, another Jewish Agency official, drove to the Savoy Hotel and were courteously received by the tall, lean-faced Arab diplomat in his suite. The visitors realized that Azzam, reputedly a moderate Arab nationalist who clung to his position bt taking an extremist stand publicly, had consented to this extraordinary secret interview at no small political risk, considering the explosive Middle Eastern atmosphere. Horowitz opened the conversation by stating his view of the UNSCOP (United Nations special Committee on Palestine) report. Then he went on: "The Jews are a fait accompli in the Middle East. Sooner or later the Arabs will have to reconcile themselves to the fact and accept it. You Arabs cannot wipe out over half a million people. We, for our part, are genuinely desirous of an agreement with the Arabs and are prepared to make sacrifices for one..."
Horowitz then proposed a plan embracing a political arrangement, security guarantess, and an economic program for joint development of the Middle East.
Azzam Pasha responded dryly: "The Arab world is not in a compromising mood. It's likely, Mr. Horowitz, that your plan is rational and logical, but the fate of nations is not decided by rational logic. Nations never concede, they fight. You won't get anything by peaceful means or compromise. You can perhaps get something, but only by force of arms. We shall try to defeat you. I'm not sure we'll succeed, but we'll try.
...
Astonished Horowitz interrupted, "Then you believe in force of arms alone...?"
"It's in the nature of peoples," replied Azzam...