This was a classic,

'When I raised the issue of diaspora rights in context of multiculturalism'

This coming from a country that just passed a law stating that Israel is a Jewish state.

From Netanyahu,

"It cannot be that Arabs can live in all communities and Jews can not live in Arab communities. What is evolving here is a state within a state."

The bill states:
“The right to realization of national self determination in Israel is exclusive to the Jewish people.”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/187778#.VH8BGYfj6Go

You are happy for Israel to be racially pure but foist multiculturalism on the rest of us. Thanks to people like you our society has now been swamped with Muslims. Don't expect any sympathy from me. You reap what you sow.

"If Israel was to make even the slightest attempt to make peace with its neighbours and end its occupation, I would be its strongest supporter" How about 1967, 1973, 2000, 2001, 2008 - all rejected by the Palestinian leadership. Perhaps you might ask what peace overtures the Palestinian leadership has ever made. The answer: none.

You might also ask what is the Palestinian leadership doing to promote amongst Palestinians the concept of peace with Israel. The answer: nothing. On the contrary killing Jews and becoming a martyr in the struggle against Israel are encouraged, children are taught that all of Israel is "occupied" and Jewish connection with the area is discounted as a post WWII sop to European conscience.

Before you criticize Israel, have a look at what the Palestinians are doing.

I am so sick of hearing the 'Palestinians are Terrorists' line.
Do you know its really quite pathetic?
Its like saying I've moved the family over onto a neighbours property.
I'm growing food and also have been taking the owners livestock as well, but the owner of the property is angry at me.
How dare he be angry at me?
I'll turn his power off and cut his water off and murder his children until he gives in and accepts the reality that we're not leaving.

Look even a couple of kids under 10 that share a bedroom occasionally fight and the kids work it out themselves.
"This is my half!" they say.
They don't create a huge mess saying "I own this tile here, that one over there, those 2 by the door and those 3 over there.
...And don't step on any of my tiles!"

It's ludicrous that you would have us believe that Israel wants peace.

And so one child throws a rock..
And Israel then bombs an entire school...

They just ensured the hate goes on for more generations.
They work to make peace impossible.

I'm not being anti-Semitic... just realistic.

Armchair Critic,

Indeed. One child throws a rock ...... and Hamas fires a couple of thousand rockets into Israel, it doesn't matter where, as long as, hopefully, they will hit somewhere and somebody. Anybody, as long as they are Jewish.

And Israel retaliates. What's the mystery ?

Joe

I never said there was any mystery.

Please don't attempt to make the discussion about racism.
Even if the Israelis were Chinese, Mexican or any other race I'm sure the Palestinians would be equally displeased being treated that way. - And even if it was from their own people.
So take race out of it.
It about human rights and self-determination.
Everybody wants and deserves freedom.
Why is it ok for Israel to have self determination if the Palestinians cannot?

What do you expect building/creating your nation in the centre of the moslem world?
What do you expect placing spies among the Palestinians and routinely kicking in their doors at 2 and 3 am?
What do you expect deliberately targeting women and children?

Any idea that Israel wants for peace is a complete joke to me.

It seems a whole lot more realistic that the policies of Israel are DESIGNED TO PURPOSELY ENRAGE THE PEOPLE AND PROMOTE MORE TERRORISM.

You're welcome to try to convince me otherwise, but without any other information to counter the facts, I can't see it any other way.

You only want peace so long as the Palestinians live under your rule and you have everything your way. That's not equality, and trying to convince myself and others of it just makes you look foolish and sheds light that your argument is untenable and irrational.

AC,

As you say, race has nothing to do with it. I never said it did.

Like Palestine or Arab Egypt, or Arab north African countries, or Arab Iraq (it used to be mostly Kurdish) - Arab by the sword - Israel has a right to exist.

As soon as Moslem countries get over this notion of 'once a Moslem land, always a Muslim land' - a 'principle' of invasion that they don't recognise anybody else being entitled to (but ironically, a 'principle' that Israeli reactionaries adhere to as well) - then the Palestinians can start taking the steps towards being a separate nation from Israel.

In a sense, of course, Jordan is already the Palestinian nation, but if the Palestinians want to be split into two nations on either side of the Jordan River, that's for them to work out, once they've come to terms with the existence of Israel.

I'm all for an independent Palestine and an independent Israel. Side by side, forever. Better still, joined into one secular, democratic state. But that's not going to happen soon.

Joe