Some joyous tidings from Israel

[Hooahguy]

You make the mistake of tarring all Israelis with the same brush. There are many who deplore the treatment of Palestinians and work very hard to better the situation. There are those who go so far as to refuse military service to make their point. The challenge for Israel is that like may democracies, conservatives and liberals are pretty much present in equivalent numbers. That means that the Knesset is often divided - and thus the influential hard-line religious parties (influence derived from very few seats, but the difference between winning and losing a vote of confidence) hold inordinate power.

agreed. remember when israel pulled all the settlers out of gaza? there were entire army units that refused to take part in forcing the settlers out.

[Banquo's Ghost]

agreed. remember when israel pulled all the settlers out of gaza? there were entire army units that refused to take part in forcing the settlers out.

That's not quite my point.

Forcing the settlers to comply with the terms of the withdrawal was seen as a betrayal by the hard right. I was referring to the many soldiers of the IDF who have refused to serve in operations to oppress the Palestinians, not illegal Israeli settlers.

Anyway, here's another excellent and thoughtful commentator to help us reflect.

Who, in the end, truly speaks for the Gazans?

Those who are willing, just once, to lay down the axes they are accustomed to grinding, and who accurately and with both passion and objectivity describe the suffering and the violence on both sides of the border.

Those who truly speak for the Gazans are those who are willing to grant the humanity of Israeli Jews as well, and who are seeking, in a sincere effort to move past revenge and blind tribalism, a common future for peoples whom fate has somehow decreed, will continue to be neighbors.

[Tribesman]

have you seen pics of what is now Tel-Aviv back in the 1880s? its pretty astonishing how much its grown.

Have you seen pics of what is now Milton Keynes back in the 1880s ?

Tribesman is quite right to argue that a change of strategy is in the best interests of Israel.

Or to paraphrase a quote from the media .
"If you are unable to kill the wolf don't be a prick and pull its tail"

The size of the 'original' Israel is founded on fairly limited and unreliable religious literary references.

Why bother Idaho , even ignoring that he got both the biblical and current borders wrong surely the approach should be that if god gave the land to the tribes and 10 of them don't exist then the only land they can claim from god is that of the two tribes that got given land