Could someone clear this up for me in a nutshell, because I have no idea what's going on? Also, what's the controversy with America supporting Israel that I hear so much about?
Well, the Israelis are fighting the Palestinians, who are fighting the Israelis. Americans support Israel cause they let em keep bases in their country and to provide an "outpost" in the middle east. It's over religion, the silliest reason to fight EVER.
The conflict isn't primarily over religion, the conflict is over land. When the State of Israel was created as a homeland for the Jewish people, emerging from the British Mandate of Palestine, it was intended by the zionists to be an ethnically and religiously Jewish state. Thus Jews from anywhere in the world are permitted to emigrate to Israel whilst Palestinians who were forced from their land and ethnically cleansed when Israel was founded are denied the right of return. This is one of the central causes of the conflict, far more so than which end people should crack their eggs or any other obscure ritualistic disagreement. The problem has been exacerbated over the last half a century as Israel has come into conflict with it's neighbours - who are themselves far from blameless - and has annexed land which was not initially granted to them, has built illegal settlements in Palestinian territories and has built a security fence essentially carving up the most fertile land for Israel. Whilst Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation is often expressed in religious fervour, it is primarily a nationalist movement, or rather several distinct nationalist movements, some groups denying Israel's right to exist entirely, others seeking less extreme goals, such as the right of Palestinian exiles and refugees to return to their land or the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as was the original intention. As for my own view, I don't believe either a Palestinian or an Israeli state should exist because states should not be organised along the basis of a single race or religion at the exclusion of all others. The idea of any ethnically pure state is a dangerous one and the history of Zionism in power has demonstrated a racist, apartheid philosophy. Whilst perhaps not a viable solution in the current climate, I would see the ideal solution being a single secular state of Israel, recognising the right of Palestinian return, as well as the right of Jewish immigration. America's support for Israel, which amounts to billions in aid, is partly tactical, but also stems from a more insidious philosophy. The neo-conservative Christian right, Bush's tradition, emerging from evangelical Christianity, sees the return of the Jewish people to the Holy Land as a necessary pre-condition of the return of Christ. No doubt they felt arming them with nuclear weapons would also be a quick way to the apocalypse....
while that's true of some american, PP, primarily it is, for current generations a matter of "what are we going to do with them now. they're there to stay whether you like it or not." most people will see it as tactical, there's also a lingering guilt complex over the holocaust, a MASSIVE and powerful jewish population within the usa, and a need for bases.
Not only that but in the US there exists a very powerful Israel lobby who are successfully able to influence foreign policy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_lobby_in_the_United_States for more info
Palestine are the enemies. Israel are simply defending themselves. Anyone who attacks Israel is an enemy of The Father.
You sound like a crazy cultist JOhn. You're also wrong, but then I've come to expect your political opinions to be an amalgamation of bollocks and insanity....
Do you read anything that anyone else on here says Janet ? PP tells a reasonable rendition of the reality and you come along afterwards with biggest load of old bollocks once again, one of the most insiduous of trolls....
The trouble is, despite Sal's best efforts this it not a topic that's easily summed up in a nutshell. If it was, it might have been sorted years ago. Also, it's very hard to find anyone with a non-partisan opinion. One of the better books I've come across on the subject is David Hirst's The Gun and the Olive Branch, which is now in its 3rd edition (2003): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gun-Olive-Branch-David-Hirst/dp/0571219454
There is nothing Cult about Christianity. I think you may have watched Da Vinci code a bit too much, then read the book:lol: I do feel that Israel is being victimized. Any retaliation should be expected. I mean Palestine. I don't know what can be done about the two Countries. It is bad enough with the Iraq war looming over our heads like a dead goose. Without more wars breaking out over some strip of land that supposedly belongs to Palestine. I am with Israel on this one.
Don't you consider it the right of oppressed people to resist their oppressors? Or should the Palestinian people lie down, accept the occupation of their land and their status as second class citizens and renounce their right of return? In Apartheid South Africa, should the black population have accepted the status quo, or were they right to resist? There are parallels to be drawn between the two cases, the segregation of communities and the racist determining factor of genetics on the claim to land. Incidentally, I found the Da Vinci Code film boring and haven't read the book, I don't particularly rate Dan Brown as a writer....
Last night I consulted Hosea (Bible). It seems as though Palestine are right and that Israel are somewhat the enemy. But I could be wrong. Infact one must look at both sides arguements and then see where things could go from there Dialogue and then peace. Additional: Thanks for telling me about Da Vinci Code being boring. I won't be renting it on DVD
