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The Forum > Article Comments > After Lebanon: a personal reflection on Israel and Palestine > Comments

After Lebanon: a personal reflection on Israel and Palestine : Comments

By Philip Mendes, published 13/11/2006

There is a huge cultural gulf between Israeli and Palestinian concepts of peace.

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I submit that the major shortcoming in all Israeli proposals is the lack of any recompense for those Palestinians whose land was appropriated by jewish settlers. Talking only at the state level does absolutely nothing for the millions of individuals currently living in refugee camps as dispossessed and stateless persons. What does Israel think should happen with these people - that those currently living on the fragmented and beseiged West Bank and Gaza strip should share their bit of land with these millions?

After WW2, the dispossessed jews of Europe made a home in Palestine and on the lands owned by Palestinians (only about 7% of the land made Israel by UN mandate was owned by Jews). The dispossessed Palestinians have had nowhere to go and remain in refugee camps.

If Israel really wants peace, the obvious first step has to be to find a just solution for these refugees. Is this impossible? I wouldn't think so considering that Israel continues to take in new settlers and has been doing so for very many years now.

However, I also think that the problem is not just one for Israel to solve. The world community also must bear some responsibility.
Posted by Jan_Sydney, Monday, 13 November 2006 6:01:48 PM
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Jan_Sydney

You and many other correspondents seem to be totally unaware of one thing.

The dispossesed Jews of Egypt, Iraq, Yemen and other Arab lands. Their descendents make up roughly half of Israel's present day Jewish population. Their numbers at the time of their movement into Israel roughly equalled the number of displaced Palestinians.

The author is right to insist that a solution requires the Muslim Arabs to accept Israel. When Israel left the Gaza strip, removed their settlers what was the reaction from the Palestinians? Missiles and suicide bombings. This attitude has to change for peace to occur.
Posted by logic, Monday, 13 November 2006 7:03:27 PM
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Dear BOAZ_David
I am by no means a devoted muslim; however I will not allow you to disgrace Islam.

1) Ibn Ishaq statements are in direct contradiction to the Quran.
2) Ibn Ishaq was born 72 years after Mohammed’s death.
3) According to Gregor Schoeler a non-Muslim Islamic scholar, the Jewish schools of the Talmudic period (200CE-500CE) had their method of authentication by isnād introduced to Islam by Jewish converts.

Regardless, even if it is true you’re referring to something which happened 1000’s of years ago. Palestinians are dying everyday because of the Israeli occupation and it’s not a question of religion but one of humanity.

logic - Between 1919 and 1923, 40,000 Jews, mainly from Eastern Europe arrived in the wake of: The First World War; the British conquest of Palestine.
Posted by Chad, Monday, 13 November 2006 7:43:11 PM
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Bazz
You are right when you say this problem between the Jews and Arabs has no solution.
As their two populations grow larger there can only be an esculation of their fight over more land. Where I live up here in North Queensland new suburbs seem to go up over night and we are only having 1.8children apparently. What must the expanding demand for land to live on be like when you are having 10children per woman.

When we didnt have Television in this country,pictures of the lastest conflict somewhere on the other side of the world werent beamed into our lounge rooms and so we didnt feel the need to race around the world and try to fix all these conflicts. What would have happened if we had watched the Romans conquering countries on our Telvisions would we have raced over there to stop them.
You know what would have happened dont you? The Ceasers would have despatched their armies to attack us.
We always run that risk when we get involved in these peacekeeping missions.
I believe Bali was one example of this. And Americas percieved backing of the Israelies in the Middle East conflict has resulted in them being targeted by the other side in the conflict. The Arabs.

Peackeeping missions might make us feel better because we have stopped the killing that is disturbing us on our T.V. screens and we can feel more comfortable while watching. But it is only a bandaid solution and when the peacekeeping forces pull out whether it be in 6months or 10years the fighting and killing will start all over again.
Posted by sharkfin, Monday, 13 November 2006 8:12:02 PM
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KeesB
"We must never lose sight of the fact that this [militant Islam] is like other movements that we're familiar with, Nazism and Bolshevism...."

Zionism has more to do with Nazism than radical Islam. Both are nineteenth century nationalist ideologies. Like Nazism, Zionism is based on an elect few "chosen people", only this time they don't have blonde hair and blue eyes. Like Nazism, Zionism is inherently expansionist. Hitler wanted to stop around the Volga, while Zionists believe in an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. The Nazis implemented the Nüremburg Laws to discriminate against non-Aryians; Israel has implemented laws openly discriminating against Arab Israelis based on race and religion. Hitler wanted Berlin to be the capital of the German Reich for a thousand years; I once heard Benjamin Netanyahu claim Jerusalem to be the "the undivided and eternal [1000 years?] capital of Israel".

All in the name of keeping Israel 'Jewish'. At least Israel will be racially pure. Wait... where have I heard that before?

Some people will undoubtedly get themselves in a tizz about any comparison between Israel and Nazi Germany. I'm not saying Israel is as bad as Nazi Germany, after all they've killed thousands of innocent civilians not millions, so they're not in the same league yet. But their thinking is remarkably similar; as I said they are both product of nineteen century nationalist ideologies. Only one was comprehensively discredited 60 years ago and one is still alive and well today.

Arab nationalism and militant Islam are in large part a response to Zionism. I'm not excusing them but at least we know where we stand. When they blow up a bus full of innocent civilians they say they did to avenge their own dead. We know its evil. When the Israelis kill 18 innocent civilians we get the same thing again and again - technical problems... enquiry underway.... or in other instances the classic - 'militants killed' means 10 y/o boys were throwing rocks.

Israelis are dangerous because they like to portray themselves as just like us. They're not.
Posted by eet, Monday, 13 November 2006 8:18:02 PM
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Phillip,
You are right in saying that the fear and hatred of Jews is symbolic rather than based on the actual life experiences of those who hate. This is true both here and in the middle east. If Jews are uncomfortable in the Diaspora they will seek a home where they are comfortable. This is unavoidable.
Posted by vivy, Tuesday, 14 November 2006 7:02:35 AM
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