Watch Carter stick give it to Matthews.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21…..8#24374838

‘On the other hand, Palestinian Arabs cannot be blamed for fighting for their land, which the WW2 victors awarded to the surviving Jews as compensation for the Nazi crimes’

That’s the problem right there in a nutshell isn’t it? White, christian Europeans committed a group of crimes and non-christian, non-Europeans paid the price for those crimes. What did the Palestinians do to deserve that treatment?

Then, to make matters worse from the Arab/Muslim perspective, an asymmetry of power was created by the same group of people who originally committed the crimes.

The Israelis, at this point, deserve no sympathy. They need to make the deal along the lines of the 67 border or they need to be cut loose by the West.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…..ia.nuclear

However, Isis said it was unclear where Syria would have acquired the uranium fuel necessary to power the reactor.

“The lack of any identified source of this fuel raises questions about when the reactor could have operated, despite evidence that it was nearing completion at the time of the attack,” an Isis report said.

It also argued the evidence should not be used as a justification for military action against Syria or to derail “six-party talks” over North Korea’s nuclear programme.

(BTW #71 should read, this editorial at the Guardian…I’m too sleepy!) Have a great trip Mr. and Mrs. EW

If Israel’s motives were clear, the reasons of those in Washington who pushed for the release of the video evidence yesterday were less straightforward. They have nothing to do with the Middle East and a lot to do with North Korea, which appears to be on the verge of a deal to disclose its nuclear assets.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comm…..orea.syria

I think anyone will understand though the reaction of many people who are sympathetic to Israel, because they do have a democracy and I could go on and on and so could people who disagree with me but it sure seems they have taken an awful lot of hits. I know this sounds simplistic and banal, but I’m not the Lone Ranger here.

I have lots of respect for Hugh, but despite the fact that Richard North Patterson has made lots of money writing books that are legal thrillers, he is an attorney who was the #2 AG in a state and also SEC Liason with major federal investigations.

I’m a student here trying to sort out the ME, but I think he painted a balanced picture of a difficult subject with no axes to grind besides selling his legal thriller and I recommend that everyone takes a look at his “historical” legal thriller.

In the 1930s and 40s, Jews were in extremis. They cannot be blamed for commandeering a lifeboat in that storm.

On the other hand, Palestinian Arabs cannot be blamed for fighting for their land, which the WW2 victors awarded to the surviving Jews as compensation for the Nazi crimes.

One can reasonably say that for the first four decades of the Israel-Palestine conflict, both sides were right. For the last twenty years, however, there has been a solution possible, pursuant to UN Res. 242. The Israeli governments have rejected it.

So it is fair to say that Israel is now on the wrong side of a war of choice.

imo, the interesting thing is that the peace activists (both palestinian and israeli) who are committed to the universality of human rights are not especially contradictory. so, i’d start with them and then move out from there. have lots more sources if you want. but, like i said, i think halper is a very good place to start.

i commend your willingness to reconsider the evidence – just a warning though, you may need to see for yourself. nothing i’d read really prepared me for what i saw (fall of 2002).

best starting place i know of is jeff halper. highly recommended.

Thanks much Selise.

I’m reading all links. I also haven’t dug into current articles and books analyzing the ME, particularly Israel/Palestine impass, and I will try. Then I’ll catchup with High and a couple others, and do my best.