Dear Ira,

There are many Israeli Jews and Palestinians who believe in a peaceful solution. But both sides also harbour extremist elements. History aside, Netanyahu and the Likud party have long pushed for Israeli (Jewish) autonomy at the expense of the Palestinians (and Arabs). They thumb their noses at any perceived western interference in their policies and continue to push settlements into the West Bank. This is not acceptable.

Netanyahu’s views of Arabs and Palestinians:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-israel-s-arabs-are-the-real-demographic-threat-1.109045

and

Quote: “The term "demographic bomb" was famously used by Benjamin Netanyahu in 2003[88] when he noted that if the percentage of Arab citizens rises above its current level of about 20 percent, Israel will not be able to maintain a Jewish demographic majority. Netanyahu's comments were criticized as racist by Arab Knesset members and a range of civil rights and human rights organizations, such as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.[89] Even earlier allusions to the "demographic threat" can be found in an internal Israeli government document drafted in 1976 known as the Koenig Memorandum, which laid out a plan for reducing the number and influence of Arab citizens of Israel in the Galilee region.”

http://www.juancole.com/2011/11/anti-liberal-netanyahu-slams-arab-spring-as-anti-liberal.html

http://goallegacy.forumotion.com/t17192-benjamin-netanyahu-comments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_Israel

Netanyahu on international interference in Israeli goals:

“In a video from 2001, Netanyahu, reportedly unaware he was being recorded, said: "I know what America is. America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction. They won't get in our way." Netanyahu also bragged how he undercut the peace process when he was prime minister during the Clinton administration. "They asked me before the election if I'd honor [the Oslo accords]," he said. "I said I would, but ... I'm going to interpret the accords in such a way that would allow me to put an end to this galloping forward to the '67 borders. How did we do it? Nobody said what defined military zones were. Defined military zones are security zones; as far as I'm concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone. Go argue."

His father’s influence:
http://972mag.com/the-late-benzion-netanyahus-appalling-views-on-arabs/44215/

Additionally,

For easy to understand maps of the land grab, see:

http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/maps-of-israel-palestine/

Israel bleats that the Palestinians lost their rights to the West Bank after the 6-day war and the pulling out by Jordan, and cites indefensible border lines as the reason for increased occupation of Palestinian territory, including military rule, erection of walls, fences, road blocks, dismantling of Palestinian settlements, refusal of Palestine agriculture in Area C, increased military presence along the Jordan River, and different policies for Palestinians and Jews regarding allowable well depths. But this is only part of the picture. What Israel wants is more land – the West Bank contains some of the most arable land in the region – and, more importantly, water. It is that simple. When South Africa recently sold goods advertised as "Made in Palestine", it incensed Israel, because it reasoned that any goods coming from the area were Israeli, as the Palestinians had no claim to the land and, indeed, no state.

That Israel is obtaining land and water rights through stealth and a refusal to bow to UN pressure on settlement policy is indicative that Pappé is correct and that “Zionism is more dangerous than Islamic militancy” (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilan_Pappé ) The young man's comments at the end of Q&A this week about 90,000 proposed new Jewish homes in the West Bank is proof that Israel has no intentions for real peace.

Pappé is not calling for the dismantling of Israel, as Kessler would have us believe, but rather the integration of Israel and Palestine as a single state. Considering the ongoing conflict since 1947, it is clear that a two-state solution will never work. But Pappé’s continuing work for binationality is a thorn in Israel’s side and Kessler’s ‘article’ is proof that any kind of solution is a far-distant thing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/20/one-state-solution-palestinians-israel

What fascinates me is that the anti Israel brigade always pontificate about the requirement to return to the "legitimate" 1947 boundaries. The question they always avoid is why is this boundary any more legitimate than the 1967 one?

The 1947 boundary was forged after all the Arab nations attacked the fledging Israel and found to their dismay that the expected easy victory slipped from their grasp and their armies were beaten to a standstill. This formed the 1947 boundary. The 1967 boundary was formed when once again the Arab nations launched an unprovoked attack on Israel and lost all the territory that had been gained of the former Palestinian protectorate in 1947.

To all that espouse Israel and the Jewish people have the right to claim their country as legitimate, can you please explain your belief when it is legally clear that the UN had and continues to have no authority or right to partition foreign lands. If I read history correctly Palestine was a Mandate A territory held ‘in trust’ until its independence as stipulated in Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations which remains binding to this day.

If this is the fact, any argument in support of a Jewish nation and its continued legitimacy is based on a complete falsehood and does not stand the test of any legitimate argument to state otherwise.

It is amazing that if a single Israeli leader says that he does not like Palestinians then it is attributed to all of the Israelis and Jews.

When some idiot in the USA makes a movie about Islam that is put up on YouTube riots take place and people are killed.

Mean time on Iranian TV there is a movie denigrating Jews.

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/3560.htm

The offensive nature of the TV show on Channel 1 in Iran was lie after lie about the Jewish religion and practices. Jews ignored it as it was just so much typical propaganda by the Arabs.

Now I do not see that anyone on this forum that has attacked Israel have acknowledged that the Palestinian Governments have encouraged the killing of Israelis.

That while condemning the Israelis they have not condemned the use of terror by the Palestinian governments. I guess they think it is ok to fire rockets indiscriminately into civilian populations. It is a good thing to strap bombs on children and send them out to kill. It is a good deed to invade child care centres and machine gun babies. They can build statues honoring women that carry bombs on buses.

No I stand by what I said earlier. They are not anti-Jewish because of Israel they are anti-Israel because they are Jews. The racism is obvious and blatant.

Ira, and the rest of you apologists,

I have no problem with the general current Israeli population, those that espouse moderation, tolerance, a fair-go-for-all, whether they be Jew, Arab or other.

What I cannot tolerate is the utter disregard for the average Palestinian who just wants justice and an opportunity to live a life that we, here in the 'so-called modern world' would expect.

Unfortunately those in power in Israel are hell bent on destroying any semblance of peace with the current and future situation by marginalising and ensuring that Arabs and Palestinians in particular cannot get a fair go.

You can come back with all the suicide terrorist models you like, putting people in a yolk normally results in a push-back of some sort. Genocide and a disregard for human dignity is normally met with terrorist like responses, you will have to do much better to assuage my sense of fair play on this point.

Israel is a global pariah state politically and Israel would not exist without the financial, political and false media and perpetual lies and support from countries like the US and Australia, although it is finally pleasing to see a US President not automatically providing carte blanche support to the current sociopathic Israeli leader at the present time.

Let’s face it, next skittle on the global roll toward a controlled and manipulated Middle-East is the removal of Iran as a threat, despite every indication they pose no and I repeat no threat to anyone despite the insane rhetoric of their so-called leader.

Israel, the US and the corporate military industrial complex are all comfortable in their beds at night, a pity about the rest of us.

Using fanatical religion, mixed within geo-politics is a recipe for disaster.

I have no problem with a two state solution, but when one player is clearly not playing by the rules (Vis Israel) then I guess it’s fair game on this forum.