HF
Answer this one. What would the Middle East be like if Israel did not exist or if the Jews moved out of the Middle East? From what I see, everything over there is aimed at the Jews. The Middle East is against us because we support Israel. I heard this question asked and it really made people think. I don’t know what the answer is but it’s interesting.
Abbas is following Arafat’s line. It doesn’t sound as if there is anything further to negotiate about, except the date of the next outbreak of violence. Is it possible that even Condi and George might understand that?
Surely Israel isn’t stupid enough to trust a Muslim.
The Pali’s:
“You know that wasteland that you were banished to and worked tirelessly to rehabilitate?”
“We want it now.”
“Remember in 1967 when 5 Arab countries were preparing to attack you, but you surprised them and kicked their butts?”
“It’s only fair that you give that land back, so we can use it again for a better planned attack on you.”
F-ing Olmert giving the Palis the keys to Israel.
Well if the Israelis refuse to fight for their own country to hell with them.
Who does Israel think they are anyway?
Just because they are a recognized sovereign nation doesn't give them the right to make demands to those who thrive upon making demands themselves. /s
The underlying issue here is that intrinsically this is not an issue that can be settled peacefully, at least from this point onward.
2 culturally, ethnically (to some degree) and politically divergent groups contesting the same territory, including specific named sites of (even worse) religious importance.
It is clear to me that this is the kind of problem that WAR is meant for, and I mean don’t mean CNN kindler-gentler war which the West now fights, but war until one group is convincingly defeated and expelled. I don’t think the current situation can be solved by simply conquering and controlling a hostile populace. This (conquest of a hostile populace) in fact has been done through much of recorded human history, but the level of brutality required to assert control and the access to modern weaponry which make any peasant a viable asset for an attrition war, along with the mass indoctrination of the last generation of muslims in the conquered areas of Israel, would seem to preclude any sort of benign conquest. Maybe I am wrong and overwhelming military defeat of the adjacent parties would do it, but I am pretty sure Israel would have ongoing insurgency problems beyond what is reasonable from a conquered population.
Mass expulsion of a given ethnic group (now given the euphemism ‘ethnic cleansing’) is horrible at the human level, with large-scale atrocities and suffering which any balanced person would find disturbing at some level, BUT once done, it would prevent further conflict in a given area because the weaker party is no longer around to fight.
Unfortunately in this case, Israel’s external enemies at this point are either nuclear or nearly-so, with access to who knows what chemical weapons.
I just lost respect for Condi Rice. I’m opposed to posing for pictures with terrorists with a picture of the king of double-talking terrorists as a backdrop.
Didn't they sing "Fernando"?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus