Yes, to be sure little Israel with its inborn mental aptitude and science has helped greatly with the greening of Arabian deserts. But much has been spoilt by us illegally letting her go militarily atomic, her wonderful aptitudes not now contributing, but ready to backfire, as surely they will if she tries to increase the unspeakable terrors that atomic warfare can give.

Because Iran might already have atomic warheads secretly purchased from certain other nations, as well as possessing the rockets to deliver them, maybe such knowledge might naturally create the balance of atomic power that certain political scientists are recommending to ward off a Middle East conflagration begun by whom could be termed an over-cocky little Israel.

John

You write beautifully of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. Sadly your contribution will bring only condemnation and hate from the religious zealots among us in this forum.

I hope you can stand the landslide of abuse you and your ideas are about to receive. I hope you are able to more manfully handle this deluge than I. I descended into a verbal abuse match with these people. It wasn't worth it...for sadly I became as angry as they.

I can tolerate disagreement on the issue. What I don't get is this obnoxious notion that Israel has it within its power to unilaterally make peace with the Palestineans if only it chooses to. It flies in the face of reality, and mischeviously so, in my opinion.

Israel has offered them at one time or another virtually everything they asked for and the Palestineans rejected it. At Camp David in July 2000 Arafat was offered 97 per cent of the occupied territories captured in the 1967 war and he gave peace the finger.

There is a battle going on in Palestine between those who want perpetual war with Israel (and their backers in the Arab world) and those genuinely interested in peace. Until that is resolved, there can never be a Palestinean state.

It won't happen in my lifetime.

Isaiah has this to say : Is 55:1-3

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.

Revelation says:

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
.... He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

COMMENT:
How nice it would be, if such 'peace' could be accomplished by natural, unregenerate humans.
Sadly, history shows this is unlikely.

The peace shown above, depends on one factor. The Messiah and his return. Jesus said "Without me, you can do nothing"...
How many tries and re-tries have sought 'peace' but unfortunately, one persons peace is another's oppression.

There are 2 walls in Israel/Palestine.

WALL 1 is the physical wall being constructed around Israel.
WALL 2 is the one between all the people there (on both sides), and Christ.

Paul says.(Ephesians2)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins...

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,....

Please note those words HE HIMSELF is our peace. I point to Christ, as the only realistic solution to the problem raised in the article.

Here is a map of the West Bank. If you are serious in you 97% claim you should be able to detail exactly where that 3% was to be carved off from Palestine.

I for the life of me cannot find any map anywhere showing what Israel proposed in 2000. Please help me out.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/images/maps/settle2002.jpg
(The map can be enlarged by clicking on it and then hitting the appropriate button.)

Both parties and many independant observers hold conflicting opinions about what offers were made and rejected at Camp David in 2000. I have no doubt the propaganda merchants from both sides would tend to manipulate whatever happened to suit their own purposes. However one fact remains, it is apparent no final offer was made by Barak to Arafat. There is no evidence of a final offer and no map nor written evidence appears to be in existance detailling such an offer. And surely it would be reasonable not to accept such a general proposal without seeing the detail of any proposed annexations.

A lovely attitude. But you have not mentioned a few things. Israel is not only about Arabs and European Jews. It is also about Middle Eastern Jews, who moved into the area under the Caliphate. Their movement accelerated with increasing Islamicization of their ancestral homes. It is also home to many other religious minorities from Islamic lands - Christians, Druze, Samaritans, Baha'i who found a place in a democracy which gave them freedom and allowed them a vote and a place in Parliament.

This is all ignored in the popular press although the total numbers are large. Also ignored is treatment of Infidels in the Arab theocracies.

For peace to occur this needs extensive discussion.