Re: Balls
One of the only political rallies I've ever attended was a pro-Palestine demonstration. Some of the most impressive people there were Jews insisting on a two state solution. Really uplifting, and restores Jewish honor, compared to the lot running the show in Israel at the moment. One would think that Israelis know exactly what it means to be deprived of one's country.
Antisemitic, me? I will personally admit to feeling much more kinship with Jews and their culture than Arabs. But that doesn't make Israel's position right. And Arabs did not cause the Holocaust. Westerners, not Arabs, did it or let it happen so playing that card ad infinitum to justify any and all abuses is dishonest.
I'll also be the first to admit that Hamas and Hizbollah will shed blood at the first sign of meaningful Israeli negotiations (you do remember Rabin, though?) And that Palestinians are far from perfect.
None of that makes your post less distasteful, Balls. If nothing else, not empathy for an entire people's suffering, not ethics, not international law, not a sense of justice, then realpolitik savvy alone would suggest negotiating from Israel's current position of military and internal demographic strength, while the USA is not yet too preoccupied with China's ascension to limit it's veto's usefulness. Who's to say what things will look like in 50, 100 years?
To conclude: best wishes to Israel's position wrt to MS. All my sympathy, nitwits like Balls, and Bob, in full form, aside.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
