Have you ever thought that our country supporting Israel to do as they please, is violating the human rights of Palestinians? It's really sad, but I think we are the bad guys..not what America is about IMO.

This has nothing to do with the war in Iraq.

Sorry about that, I think it does though, ...no matter where it is.

the US support of israel sickens me... to know that my tax dollars are going to destoring houses of the innocent on a near daily basis... ill be happy when we return to isolationism

I don't feel sorry for the Palestinians, nor do I support the Israelis. BOTH are at fault and BOTH have to make an unified effort to stop what's going on

has "palestine" ever been on any map that wasn't drawn by the palestinians? my understanding is that the "state of palestine" has never even existed, and that palestinians spent hundreds of years roaming that area and being repeatedly kicked out of almost every country they settled in.

i don't want to get into this debate because it's completely pointless, but i'm just curious about the "state of palestine". can you show me where it ever actually existed?

andy

<devil's advocate mode on>
was there ever a state of Israel until the US and Britain carved it out of the area (in the mid 20th century) that has been known as Palestine for centuries?
</devil's adv off>

like I said..both sides are wrong, both have as much right to the land....neither side will ever be happy unless they learn to live together...or die

Centuries?...damn

and I thought it was the Jewish people who have been roaming, ...it's there punishment for killing Christ...No, Im just kidding

They seriously need to work out the differences...it's like South Park where the Crips and Bloods become firends...like... COME ON!

I'm with Jim. Both have fucked up, Israel keeps pushing settlements westwad, this keeps pissing Palestinians off, the Ps don't like being kept in poverty as second-class citizens, they fight back the only way they can, which "justifies" Sharon and Co. murdering more... blah-biddy blah-biddy blah...

We need to just get our ass out of there and be like "You all deal with it." Israel can't continue to oppress Palestine without our support. The world community shouldn't allow it. And the Palestinians need to adopt a policy of nonviolent resistance. Let them stand there like the American student did as bulldozers run them over. Surely the world can't keep silent in the face of that.

And if Israel starts a war against Palestine, well, the rest of the Arab world isn't going to take too kindly to that, esp. without the US arming Israel anymore.

But what do I know about foreign policy?

Israel existed as a nation 2000 years ago.

So did the Roman Empire.

I don't see us carving that back out for some Romans.

I think that is precisely the tactics of the Jewish leaders...and the blah-biddy blah-biddy blah...nice touche.

recognized by who?


and as Lane pointed out, there have been many nations since the dawn of time that have come and gone, died out and been conquered....once a nation gets conquered and absorbed (in this case by the Roman Empire and later the Muslims/Ottoman Empire) by another, it it no longer a nation

There really weren't what we think of as formal states there until the US, britain and france carved up the middle east and told them, "Okay, now go be states."

That is a huge part of the problem why there is so much conflict there... they have all these different races with artificial lines drawn up. Think of the Kurds, they are a separate ethnic group but they are for some retarded reason spread out between Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.

So I guess what I am saying is that the "state of Palestine" is just as valid as the "state of lebanon"... if not more so because the palestinians are more ethnically homogeneous than the people of lebanon. Only difference is that one of them got Western sanction and one of them didn't.

I wasn't pointing out the right or wrongness of the reestablishment of Israli borders, only that to say that Israel has only been a nation for fifty years is wrong.

no it's not. The Israel we know has only been a nation for 50 years....saying the version of Israel that was ruled by David, Solomon, etc is the same as the current Israel is like saying that Viking kingdoms are the same as the current Scandinavian Nations...THEY AREN'T THE SAME!

It strikes me that the whole situation is a continuation of the past...in that religion does play a heavy role in the conflict. I don't know the details of world history when it comes to religion, could somebody explain how this conflict could be a continuation of wars that happened thousands of years ago and are still going on? Does the resolution of this conflict/war determine the perceived destiny of the people, or reinforce what is prophosized in scripture? Is this a true holy war of good and evil, or is it narrowness of mind, ideas, and views?

I would automatically assume that it is the later, but what if the destiny of a people or the fulfillment of prophecy is at hand?...Is it worth killing for? Is taking another life worth saving your own? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!*explodes*

it's not about religion, it's about ethnicity and land

religion is just being used by some as a reason to fight

how about, how most people practice religion = narrowness of mind, ideas, and views

andy

...If you'll excuse I'm going to meditate on power and wealth now.$$$

There is no long history of animosity between Islam and Judaism.

Christianity and Judaism (hundreds of years of persecution of Jews by Christians)... yes.

Christianity and Islam (due to the Crusades).... yes.

Islam and Judaism.... no. Historically, Islam has been way more lenient on other monothesitic religions than Christianity has. They lived as largely autonomous communities within decentralized Islamic empires.

The idea that the current problems between Israel and the Palestinians goes back to some sort of age old feud is a historical inaccuracy. Kind of like the idea that the violence in the middle east is due to some sort of bloodlust inherent in Islam.

hmmmmmm...*rubs chin*, thanks I will definately consider that.

...was thinking their for a moment...aren't he Palestinians and the israelites from the same bloodline, and when he tower of babble fell the people divided into tribes?

No, the Tower of Babel gave birth to all nations everywhere.

The relations between Judaism and Islam are...

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael became the father to the descendents that would become the nation of Islam. Isaac became father to the descendents that would form the nation of Israel. Both Islam and Judaism claim Abraham as their father and share similar history and development.

But that story lends more to ethnicity rather than religion. It's when you automaitcally make every Arab person a Muslim and very Jewish person a Jew that you start to oversimplify the problems.

as I've said a million bagillion times...the conflict isn't over religion....it's over ethnicity

the only Muslims that seem to have problems with Jews are Middle Eastern...in the city my father is from in Croatia/Slovenija Jews and Muslims have very good relations....Islam teaches that Jews and Christians are people of the same faith as us (but some incorrect beliefs, not gonna go into that now) and should be loved as brothers