Dear David Singer,

Since it is so important to you I will make you a deal. Even though I view your insistence on using the word 'Palestinian Arabs' a completely disingenuous attempt to change the language around the issue to suit a totally discredited agenda, I will do the homework but only if you withdraw unreservedly the assertion that the term Palestinains is "vicious and hate filled propaganda" since it is patently ridiculous.

Your call.

#Csteele

You have an unfortunate habit of twisting words.

Firstly this is what I actually wrote:

"The term "Palestinians" appears to have surfaced with the drafting of the PLO Charter in 1964. This document denies the validity of the Mandate and everything that flowed from it and calls for the eradication of the Jewish state. You apparently support that view when you adopt the language of the Charter. That is your entitlement. It is my entitlement to not become a parrot of such vicious and hate filled propaganda,"

I certainly do not withdraw these remarks. Indeed I affirm them loudly and clearly.

The term "Palestinians" is defined in Article 5 of the PLO Charter to mean:

"The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or have stayed there. Anyone born, after that date, of a Palestinian father - whether inside Palestine or outside it - is also a Palestinian. "

Yes - Jews are deliberately excluded when the term "Palestinians" is used. Jews have no place in Palestine according to the PLO Charter. I find this racist and offensive. Don't you?

Does this means you won't now do your homework and let OLO readers know how many times I have used the term "Palestinian Arabs" in the last twelve months?

Whilst I have your attention - do you believe that the Jews have any entitlement to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in former Palestine pursuant to the Treaty of Sevres, the Treaty of Lausannne and the Mandate for Palestine?

Just a "Yes" or "No" will do.

Csteele, I haven't compared the relative numbers of Jews killed by Christian regimes against those killed by Muslim regimes, although I do remember seeing analysis which probably did attempt that comparison. And I dare say most Westerners know much more of Christian history than Islamic - that's cetainly my experience. Yet to deny that Jews and Christians were second class citizens in Islamic-ruled empires is to deny well-known history. Google "dhimmi", it being the word Muslims used for Jews and Christians who came under their control. And just in case it isn't clear in the material you find, the contract - dhimmi - between Muslim rulers and their Jewish and Christian subjects was revocable at the whim of the Muslim ruler, and the murdering of (especially) Jews in Muslim-ruled lands could resume.

Dear camo,

To even have the slightest doubt about the history of the persecution of the Jewish people has been many times more devastating under Christian regimes compared to Islamic ones smacks of a type of denialism that is disturbing.

I mean even today Jewish representation in the Iranian parliament is mandated by law.

There is no comparison even before the Holocaust.

Dear David Singer,

It is not my homework rather it is yours and my offer to do it for you was conditional on your withdrawal of you inane comment. As this was not forthcoming my offer has expired.

Now I have asked you before to cut out that ‘lawyer’ crap of demanding yes or no answers. This isn’t a court so you need to pull your head in.

My position reflects that of the Mandate you flagged. I am “in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”.

Do you believe the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities have been prejudiced by the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people? You may answer with more than a yes or no if you wish.

I believe the legitimacy of the Jewish homeland should be measured in direct proportion to the degree in which those civil and religious rights have been honoured.

To csteele

No

Dear David Singer,

Now this is where your ‘yes – no’ idiocy falls down. Are you saying ‘No’ to my request that you pull your head in or are you saying ‘No’ to my question, “Do you believe the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities have been prejudiced by the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people?”

I’m going to assume that it is the latter and if so it is evident that you live in a quite different reality to the rest of us and as such any arguments we put forward are going to appear totally, well, unreal. Perhaps the best thing is for us to accept your right to your reality and move on.

However would it be too much of an impost to ask you to refrain from trying to impose your reality on the rest of us? It has become a little wearing