Philo,
If you wanted to trawl the fundamentalist Jewish and Christian sites, which you probably don't, you would find the same sort of thing. The fanatical Christians believe all of Palestine has to be rid of Arabs and be Jewish for the second coming ... at which point the Jews who don't convert get obliterated; and fanatical Jews believe that all of Palestine should be ethnically (genocidally if need be) cleansed of Arabs because it belongs to them. Nutters of course.

The difference is that the Muslims have a reason for their rage and ranting and the Jews and Christians do not. That's because for half a century Israel has occupied and colonised Palestine, threatened its neighbours, bombed its neighbours, invaded its neighbours and the United States has interfered, backed tyrants, propped up dictators, bombed and invaded Muslim nations.

Now, if there is any threat out there guess who has the 'street cred' for attacking and invading. Spot on. Israel and the US. And, next guess: Who has the nuclear weaponry. Right again. Israel and the US.

Just using a bit of rational thought for a minute and not the paranoid propaganda prating which comes from Israel and its supporters, as in they hate us(and for good reason), they will destroy us (we know they won't because they can't but its a good cover for colonising) who is more of a danger: those who have a record of aggression and are nuclear armed (Israel and the US) or those who don't (Muslim nations)? It's radical I know but a bit of rational thought can be useful at times. This is one of them.

GrahamY,

If u are around whats the process for bans on here, does someone complain and the staff check the one post complained about or are all posts constantly watched.

Dear Rhross

A great deal of time for God...but none for 'religion' ? well said in a way.

But the 'religion' you speak of, which repulses you so much, is probably the same 'religion' which repulses God, as expressed in the prophets of the Old Testament, and Jesus rebuke to the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and lawyers of His day.

"True religion cares for the fatherless and the widow" is found in James I think.

I feel you are apportioning far to much guilt to Israel and too little to PLO terrorists. Much of what you describe as 'Israeli brutality' is in response to specific terror attacks. The PLO always claim that their attacks are 'in response to' some Israeli attack which turns out to be a response to the previous PLO attack, and so it goes on. I've watched very carefully the cycle of violence over there, and can identify specific times when the PLO have broken cease fires etc, saying "But the occupation".. but the.. but the.. etc...

You would have noticed that when the Israelis pulled out of Gaza, the response was not less but MORE violent attacks.. rockets etc....

You have an unfairly negative spin on the unfolding of last days issues. Jews.."Those who don't convert will be annihalated"
You use this in a sense of suggesting the Christians will 'rejoice' over such a tragedy ? No.. if you read Revelation, you will see clearly that it was only those incredibly stubborn unrepentant people who, in the face of the unmistakable reality of the Judgement of God STILL chose to live a debaucherous ungodly life.

[6Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. (Rev16)

Human response ?

[and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.]

Will you curse or bless ?

What's the matter, meredith? Want to shoot the messenger? Mearsheimer and Walt have something relevant to say here: "[T]he Lobby's campaign to quash debate about Israel is unhealthy for democracy. Silencing sceptics by organising blacklists and boycotts -or by suggesting that critics are anti-Semites - violates the principle of open debate on which democracy depends. The inability of Congress to conduct a genuine debate on these important issues paralyses the entire process of democratic deliberation. Israel's backers should be free to make their case* and to challenge those who disagree with them, but efforts to stifle debate by intimidation must be roundly condemned." [*Such as it is.]

Strewth,

Shoot the messenger? No not at all... I was just wondering who/what shot Mr. P Pig he's been banned from the forum for a previous comment all of a sudden and I quiet liked his imput.

As for Chomsky, rather let him do it to himself as he usually does.

Sorry I wish the Isrealies well in their fight for a voice, will you be okay? Shame freedom choice isn't more illegal hey, but as you say "efforts to stifle debate by intimidation must be roundly condemned."

Sorry as well for any spelling mistakes to incase that was going to be your next reply to me.

Boaz-David
Religion does not repulse me. I merely find it to be more about man (in the masculine) than about any God. Wicca aside, virtually all religious expression is patriarchal, misogynistic and lacking, in general practice, in deep spiritual expression.
Your quotes come from writings which have been propagandized throughout the ages, burying still deeper, the core of spirituality which exists in all religions. The fact is, the ‘best’ of religion has nothing to do with religion but can be found in all human beings.
If I apportion more ‘guilt’ to Israel as you put it, that is because this situation would not exist if Palestine had not been partitioned in the first place; if the Zionists had not used terrorism to establish the State; if Israel had not sought to take yet more of Palestine; if Israel had not become a brutal occupier; if Israel had not continued a policy of dispossession and colonization; if Israel had not refused to treat those it dispossessed fairly; if Israel offered full rights to it’s non-Jewish citizens; if Israel had not carried out a policy of theft, aggression, imprisonment, torture, collective punishment, assassination, willful murder, willful destruction of homes, agriculture and infrastructure; if Israel had not committed human rights abuses and war crimes …. You get the picture.

The PLO, and remember, they are under occupation not the occupiers and they are fighting for their freedom while Israel is fighting to prevent them having freedom….a technicality perhaps but why is it that the French partisans fighting against German occupation were freedom fighters and the Palestinians fighting against Israeli occupation are terrorists? Why is it terrorism for people to fight against occupation and not terrorism for a State to use bombs and bullets to maintain occupation?

The ‘cycle of violence’ you watch so carefully began with the injustice of Palestinian dispossession when the Jews used terrorist tactics to take someone else’s land to establish their State. Absolutely everything else has followed on from that wrong.