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I can't figure out why the heck bigotry against Jews is referred to as "anti-Semitism" in our culture. It makes no logical sense. One time someone asked Palestinian sympathizer Helen Thomas if she was "anti-Semite", and she pointed out of the obvious: she IS a "Semite" because of her Lebanese heritage. Most of the Muslims in the Middle East that want to wipe Israel off the map are from Semitic cultures as well (including all native Arab speakers, since Arabic is a Semitic language). Seriously, it's about as logical as accusing an Italian-American who chants "Deport all Mexicans" of being "anti-Latin" or "anti-Catholic"

Anyway, back on topic... Israel's actions lately have made me distance myself from being huge fans of their government and giving them lots of American tax dollars. I can't believe a bunch of freepers were gushing about how wonderful Ariel Sharon was, and ignoring his treasonous record as PM because he had been a great general years earlier (so was Benedict Arnold, but nobody gets all misty eyed about him) I never bought all this stuff that evangelicals blather about how we must "Stand with Israel" on everything they ever say or do and how they're "God's chosen people" and all Jews are outstanding examples of freedom and democracy, blah blah blah (really don't understand the mentality, especially since these same groups argue elsewhere that anyone who doesn't accept Jesus as their savior is going to hell...)

Now, that being said -- Stephen Harper is absolutely right that most the world spends their time beating up on Israel and being biased in favor of the Muslims, which makes no logical sense given that the Muslims have about 98% of the land in the Middle East and want to cry about how unfair it is and how oppressed they are because they don't have 100%. I've even argued this point with a Catholic palestinaian sympather, asking her why the Jews should have to give back the land they "stole" from the Muslims, but the Muslims NEVER are expected to give back the land THEY stole from the Christians, even though it's 20X as much land area. She had no answer for that but changed the subject continued to rag on Israel.

Even Israel's "allies" who CLAIM to be staunch defenders of the Isreali state (George W. Bush administration, I'm looking at you), constantly take the Palestinian's position that Israel needs to stop building "settlements" in the West Bank because it "offends" the Muslims, blah blah blah. I'm honestly sick of that. We have no right to dictate to another country about where it puts its people, and no matter how the Muslims don't like, the fact is that West Bank and the Gaza strip are still part of Israeli territory and not part of an imaginary "Palestinian state". Israel is a tiny sliver of a country and the idea they should have to give up half their land to have "peace", but the Muslims NEVER have to give up ANY of the huge tracks of land they have control over, is the biggest load of BS I ever heard.

In summery: all this crap about "anti-semetism" and how Israel is a shining role model for the world and can do wrong is BS (as Harper pointed out, you certainly CAN criticize Israel and NOT be an "anti-semite"). But at the same time, the idea that the rest of the world can bully Israel around and dictate how they should run their affairs is also total BS. Israel is a sovereign state that has a right to control its own borders, and will remain so no matter how much Palestinian sympathizers cry about it.