Marilyn,
By the Chinese, do you refer to Pig Iron Bob's "yellow peril?" Yes it's a little bit funny isn't it. Lunatic Right Johnny "Bondai" wanting to trade with the yellow peril. Was it Lennon who said, "we will sell the west the rope, with which they will hang themselves?"

Marilyn & Irfan,

Please take the time to have a close look at this site:

http://10452lccc.com/

These people are Lebanese who have been exiled because of their views. They do not blame Israel for the current situation, instead they blame Hizbollah.

It is very difficult to post the links to the articles on this site, so I will simply provide the home page address. Will you at least demonstrate the courtesy necessary to simply read their articles, with regard to the current situation where the Lebanese people having finally gotten rid of Syria and the Syrian Army have had foisted upon them a pro-Syrian President, whose actions in supporting Hizbollah have left Israel with no choice whatever.

Quite frankly, the current position for the majority of Lebanese (at least in Canada, but also from my own enquiries, in Australia as well) is that a Syrian backed organization has essentially co-opted the political process with the aid of the President, in order to prolong Lebanon’s pain. Some 1,000’s of people have therefore hijacked the political process and have, contrary to the express wishes of the majority of the 6 million Lebanese, sought to start an unwinnable war with Israel. This is why they, along with Syria and Iran are wholly blamed for the current situation.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008681

Unfortunately, the use of media manipulation by the terrorists and their supporter’s has clouded this issue, with the result that many well meaning, but intentionally ill informed, people are caused to support these organizations against the legitimate aims of the Lebanese people.

http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/060720lebanon

Please examine your own sources, do they mention this massive disinformation campaign, do they actually repeat it uncritically, and do they simply seek to prolong the status quo, without offering any way forward?

However, please understand me, I do not seek to stifle your comments. I simply seek to allow you to get the information you need in order to determine where the truth lies, but always remember this is the levant, and little if anything is easily understood.

Inshallah

2bob

Big Ted: You've got a fertile imagination - which is as it should be for a propagandist.

1) If Rabin "never made the comment" as you allege, your problem is with Le Monde & Baruch Kimmerling, not me.

2) I assume you find the other two quotes kosher then? In which case YOUR credibility (!) is eviscerated by Eshkol & Begin (guys with more "expertise in the field" than you), and I rest MY case.

3) Re the Egyptian troop deployment in the Sinai, typically you've left out the context - Nasser's need to show solidarity with the Syrians following Israel's shooting down of a Syrian plane and an earlier attack on Jordan. And if Nasser's move was really a threat to Israel, why did Israel reject the stationing of the same UNEF forces ("expelled" by Egypt)on its side of the border or take up U Thant's proposal to reactivate the Egypt-Israeli Mixed Armistace Commission (accepted by Nasser)? Why, if Nasser was bent on war, did he agree to negotiate a solution with the Americans, Israel attacking Egypt 2 days BEFORE the Egyptian vice-prez was due to arrive in Washington?

Like its current Lebanon rampage, Israel in 67 was spoiling for a blue.

I'll tell you what, Irfan.

I'll use whatever influence I might have to advocate for an Israeli cease fire when the Lebanese Muslim Association agrees to lobby Hizbollah to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for it to disarm. Perhaps you can convince Kaysar Trad, et al, to stop denouncing Israel and start working the phones to Beirut.

Deal?

Ted Lapkin,

I have been to Israel once, and saw the Mars-like landscape around Masada, the Dead Sea, etc.. I saw Jericho and it's bullet-ridden walls, and to the west on the border with Jordan I remember seeing 3 rows of electrified razor-wire with minefields in between them. On the other side of the road there were numerous artillery batteries, etc. facing Jordan.

Ted I was raised in the Protestant tradition, where the Old testament holds a lots of significance. I have read much of the Old Testament, as I'm sure you had to when you were a kid.

Ted do you believe that the Hebrews are God's chosen people? Do you think many people in Israel hold that belief? I remember many passages in the Old Testament where it describes how God supposedly destroyed the Israelites' enemies and gave them their enemies' land.

Do you feel that the battles taking place thousands of years ago over the same pieces of turf are still in a way being re-enacted today?

Ted,

1. I'm not an LMA member. I'm not of Lebanese background, so am ineligible for membership and voting rights. The LMA practises the same apartheid with membership as Israel does with citizenship.

2. Hezbollah are a Shia Muslim organisation. As far as I'm aware, the LMA is a Sunni organisation.

3. You should be directing your inquiries to the Shia Muslim al-Zahra Muslim Association in Sydney. Woops, just remembered. al-Zahra are closer to Amal, not Hezbollah. And Amal would have had some influence had Israel not joined Colonel Gaddafi in assassinating its leadership.

4. KT and thousands of other Lebanese have family members in Lebanon trying to flee the Israeli bombardment killing civilians you support.

5. What moral authority do you have to demand Hezbollah to abide by UN Resolutions? When was the last time you called upon Israel to abide by a UN Resolution, or you publicly criticised Israel for its incessant flouting of scores of UN Resolutions?

6. Your attitude of "I'll do this if you get the LMA to do that" shows utter contempt for innocent Australians endangered in Lebanon and for their families in Australia. Perhaps you subscribe to the view of the Israeli's former Chief Rabbbi who once said "The blood of a thousand Arabs is not worth a single Jewish fingernail."

7. I'm not aware of a single Lebanese or Muslim organisation in Australia which supports Hezbollah, has any influence over Hezbollah or has links with the armed wing of Hezbollah. I'm also unaware of any Australian organisation which has defended Hezbollah's disregard for civilian lives in the way or to the extent you have justified Israel's disregard for civilian lives.

8. I tell you what. I'll convey your offer to the LMA. I'll refer the LMA Prez to your comments here. I'll also write to the Muslim Community Reference Group to apply pressure on Hezbollah after getting the all-clear from the Attorney General that contacting Hezbollah's armed wing won't land them into trouble under anti-terror laws.