Dear Alan B.,

I encourage you to continue expressing your views and ideas about Israel in here instead of in the series of automated weekly articles by the "David Singer" AI robot.

Now let's look at what you said:

«Jewish values and the occupation are incompatible. And should terminate ASAP.«

What should terminate in your view - Jewish values or the occupation?

«and then a negotiated two state solution should be completed.»

Embarking on negotiations toward a two-state solution was a mistake to begin with.
Neither Jews of certain Biblical values, nor Arabs of certain Quranic values could ever agree!

Nevertheless, a two-state solution could previously still be forced, with no negotiations, by having the UN security-council simply order Israel, backed by the military might of all superpowers combined, to stay on the western side of its border and the Arabs to stay on its eastern side. Period.

This will not happen now because:
1) America, Russia and China can no longer unite over anything.
2) Israel itself cannot remain a single state. The values of different Israelis/Jews within Israel itself are so incompatible that Israel is on a trajectory to be split. Sadly more blood is going to be spilled in this approaching civil war than was spilled in all of Israel's external wars combined.

A 3,4 or 5-state solution may ensue... or a radioactive desolation.

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Dear David F.,

«I look forward to the day when we can treat them all as we do the myths of the past about Zeus et al. Entertaining stories.»

And I look forward to the day when the secrets of the various scriptures are revealed, so they are read for their esoteric value and not as silly primitive attempts to describe the physical universe and its history.

Dear Yuyutsu,

The fact is that much of scriptures are silly primitive attempts to describe the physical universe and its history. I live in an old people's home, and some of my companions accept that part of scripture in preference to the scientific view of biology and astronomy. I can disagree with you, but I remain silent in their presence so I can have my meal in peace. Darwin and Copernicus are anathema to them.

Dear David F.,

Inasmuch as a book attempts to describe the physical universe and its history, whether correctly or incorrectly, I wouldn't refer to it as a religious scripture.

I doubt that people in ancient times had an interest in the physical universe and its history, like is fashionable in our modern times.
Unlike your misguided companions, they could have held the keys, now lost, to understand their scripture in its true context.

Dear Yuyutsu,

You wrote, "Unlike your misguided companions, they could have held the keys, now lost, to understand their scripture in its true context."

There is no true context of scripture. There is only the context that people, including you, put on scripture.

Dear David F.,

«There is no true context of scripture. There is only the context that people, including you, put on scripture.»

This is an interesting new thesis that I've never heard of before, according to which, the original intent of the author(s) is irrelevant.

So suppose someone was reading the Greek story of Oedipus and honestly believed that it is a religious scripture which calls on men to kill their fathers and marry their mothers, and so he follows through ("I only followed our great ancient spiritual heritage, your honour") - I suppose that makes the story of Oedipus what it is - a nasty piece of religious scripture...

The first duty of any culture/religion is to protect its people.

No one can pretend that the Palestinians are trying to kill Jews every day. Cause and effect.