Who will blink on Israeli settlements? »
Posted By tehranchik 6 months, 3 weeks ago in Political NewsA classic diplomatic standoff in the Middle East is emerging. U.S. President Barack Obama and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu are eyeball to eyeball over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and the world waits to see who will blink first.
The settlements, from a distance, look almost like Crusader castles on rocky, West Bank hill tops. Come closer and they resemble fortified hill towns, which is precisely what they are — armed homes to 300,000 Israelis living among two and half million Palestinians. Even the nomenclature is freighted with political meaning: West Bank for those who would see a Palestinian state, Judea and Samaria if you believe the territory should remain occupied by Israel.
Most of the world considers the settlements illegal. Under international law occupiers are not supposed to change or settle the lands they occupy. For some Israelis, often on the left, settlements are obstacles to peace. For others they are excused as necessary for security. For the politically powerful settler movement on the right, settlements are on land that God promised the Jews. And when religion mixes with extreme nationalism, fanaticism is never far behind.
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tehranchik
Well, I'm from and live in the Pacific Northwest. I did live in the middle east during the late 70's and early 80 ...
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Thinker226 months, 3 weeks ago
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> Let's admit that these settlements are an obstruction, and an intentional one.
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They, probably, ARE an obstruction. The question is WHAT the settlements are an obstruction to. As few people believe that removal of settlements will result in a peace deal it means that the settlements ARE NOT an obstruction to peace but to something else.
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RobertLCrocker6 months, 3 weeks ago
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They are definitely an obstruction to the Jihadist view of the world. The choice here is between Jihadists and their C4 and the Israelis and their focus on production and commerce. Sounds like you have chosen the C4. Happy 75 virgins in heaven brother.
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superbabyComment removed: Hard Banned
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jordan116 months, 3 weeks ago
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If you put your cursor over the pictures, an explanation of the films will pop up. Of course, further investigation of these revalations are required, & easily achieved through research.
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There are elements in Israel that aren't acting in the best interest of peace. Until this is brought into the light of day, there will be no chance for peace. It serves no useful purpose to make excuses for Israel when evidence pops up that they aren't perfect. No country is perfect. The mistake is in covering that up.-
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jordan116 months, 3 weeks ago
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Oops, sorry.
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/isra...
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dissent6 months, 3 weeks ago
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we can always find someone else we can offer our veto to on every un resolution against them. we can find someone else to give $3 billion in aid every year. we can find someone else to send $30 billion of free military hardware to.
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but it's not likely to come to that. obama and hilary will huff and puff, netanyahu will make some conciliatory comments, they'll all kiss and make up, get a little teary and crap on about "friendship" while israel's illegal settlements will continue as per usual.
all that will have been achieved is the illusion that something has been done so that the critics among us who have become increasingly more vocal and bitter will move their attentions elsewhere and forget about it. then it's business as usual.... until the next time. this is the way it's always done
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