Everyone occupying thinks they're special, because reasons, so it's okay. Otherwise, they wouldn't do it, as aggression is something humans feel a need to justify _to themselves_. And each side will claim that it's actually the other side being the aggressor. Because that's genuinely how they see it. All wars are territorial wars. There are always two groups of people, who arrived sooner or later, who would like to claim ownership of some particular piece of Magic Dirt. You're just showing surprise that such an advanced civilization _also_ displays this behavior, but it is universal human behavior. Only a people in decline lose this love of place, such as the despondent Europeans. They're entire peoples who hate themselves and therefore the place they are in. This place must be a crappy place, they say, because we are in it, and we are crappy. It's why wolves patrol around the perimeter. If you do not have a territory, you go get one. You control your territory or you lie down and die, whether as individual or a group. Israelis just showed the world that they are not willing to lie down and die. So did the Palestianians. They both understand: land is the apex property, not Bitcoin. As bad off as they both are, they at least don't hate themselves and haven't given up on reproduction. They could always be worse off. They could be us. Going the way of the dodo bird... homeland overrun... lying down to die.