This is the reason the Palestian-Israeli Conflict exists...

I don't think its the REASON. The settlements were originally conceived as a way for Israel to "secure" the area and get religious wackos out of mainstream society, IMHO. Failed at both...

But I think it's a really, really dumb thing to do just to placate 30 families from Gush Katif. "Let's piss off the world so 30 families who got to live tax-free in free big houses can continue to do so."

This sucks for me as well, because I live right off Dizengoff, which is where the protests (and counter-protests) from irritated Israelis will inevitably be conducted.

 

The Palestinians and Israelites have been fighting for 5000 years... and yes, its over religious reasons.

 

it is?

 

If only the mean, evil Israelis would leave the perfect, innocent Palestinians alone, none of this would happen. Ariel Sharon and the rest of the Jew pig-dogs need to stop drinking the blood of Palestinian children, passing out candy that is infected with AIDS, and all of their other dastardly deeds and let the glorious and oh so holy men of Hamas lead their people into a new era of peace and prosperity.

 

I say blame the UN. The UN took Arab land and gave it to the Jews as a homeland supposedly to help the Jewish people after the Holocaust. Ever since then Arabs in the region have hated the Jews (and the Western world in general) for taking "their" land and both sides have, in general, acted like a-holes to each other.

Of course, never mind that, at some point in the past, it was Jewish land (kind of like Istanbul was Christian way back when).

 

And at some point it was the past it was Muslim land too. Maybe we should just blame the Romans for destroying the temple and dispersing the Jews.

 

Agree.

 

Whoever is to blame, the historical context is important. Why...because, there has often been a third party in the area that has had little to no real reason to be there, and has done so, generally, without enormous success. The Romans, all the occupiers of the Crusades.

America, for some reason, has voluntarily stepped into that role. I in no way agree with the tone and sentiment (and belief for that matter...again, I don't know who is to "blame" - though I'd have to say I am generally more pro-Israel than anti-Isreal) of the original poster...

...however, at some point, I think, Isreali funding will need to be looked at a lot more seriously.

 

neither religion has been around for 5 thousand years so how on earth could it be about religion?

 

Actually the Ottoman Empire took Arab land in 15xx. As the final act of a slow disintegration the British defeated the Ottomans in WWII and so the land went into their posession. The Balfour Declaration essentially gave the land to the Jews before the UN even existed.

Blame the Turks.

 

alot of those israeli settlers are religious wackos. i watched this pbs documentary awhile ago about the settlements. some of the hardline israeli settlers sound like nazis - "this land is for jews only. we will not live among muslims".

 

theres a false dichotomy there. most of the land that was taken by muslim armies did not force conversion. the people converted themselves. onces the people converted how can you use the 'it was jewish/christian' land? that card doesn't fly when the descendents convert.

plus right now its not about the land being muslim or jewish. its about me knowing people who were kicked out from their homes. it has nothing to do with religion. do you people really live under rocks and not meet christian palestinians?

 

Was Constantinople Muslim before Constantine made it the Eastern headquarters of the Roman Empire? From what I understand Islam started as a religion sometime after Christianity so, at some point, it was pagan land.

 

and settlements

 

that was my point...the problem is I still see them. They come to Tel Aviv occasionally and shoot Prime Ministers who advocate peace.

 

I think its the job of the moderates to reign in the religious whackos on
both sides.

These religious extremists want their own totalitarian regimes in which
they dictate the word of god in their own puritannical way whether in the
ultra-orthodox israeli settlements or in the taliban. The irony of the mindset
that i've seen is that religion is supposed to bring humility, yet I see so much
pride and ego in the way these people decide how others should live and judge others' actions.

I say we make Antarctica holy war land. No weapons, just hand to hand combat in which anyone can go and fight! The ultra orthodox rabbis versus al-queda versus the 700 Club!! We could do it pay per view and use the profits to pay for the weekly ships sent with more wackjobs!

 

That is an excellent post.

DD

 

I have told many people around me of the similar idea before, if only those wachos would agree to fight it out. It would solve many problems in this world.