israel was established in the usual way of new nations: the previous owners were killed or driven out by terrorist acts. the british mandate government got tired of being a target as well: 90+ dead in one bomb attack at the king david hotel. eventually,the zionists were in possession of israel, and the murder squads were subsumed in haganah, their leaders later to prime ministers of israel.

unfortunately, like poor dubya on the aircraft carrier, mission was not accomplished. there were a lot of angry moslems in the middle east, many of whom had lost all reason to live, save revenge.

there will be no peace in the middle east until sanity prevails in israel, or those disposessed arabs convert to buddhism. neither seems likely.

Is anyone else noticing a pattern from Mr Waks?

Modus operandi: Step 1) find a report that damns Israel as being among the worst.

Step 2) Point out that yes, there are worse regimes.

Step 3) Therefore, we should ease up on Israel.

B'nai Bith is a PR machine - it is quite literally, an apologist for Israeli actions.

The problem I have with Waks, is this kind of approach. I've never believed the 'but they're worse' argument, it's simply an excuse to keep misbehaving.

Perhaps if Waks focused more on positive Israeli moves toward reconciliation and gestures of peace then I might have more time for him. But of course, that's more challenging and requires a concerted effort on behalf of Israel. When the finger is pointed at you, it's much easier to point back.

Get a new approach Mr Waks. This one's getting tired, old and transparent.

Why is any commentary critical of the policies of the government of Israel so often smeared as being 'anti-Semitic'? I have a negative opinion of many of the policies of the government of Israel but I do not consider my views to be anti-Semitic and would be upset that anyone should believe them to be.
I am highly critical of many of the policies of the various Arab governments as well but apparently stand in no danger of being labelled anti-Semitic, even though the Arabs themselves are a Semitic people as well.

A taste of what Resist has to offer regarding Israel:

What If Israel Had Never Been Created?
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5132

Israeli Lobby - The Report
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2275

Israel set war plan more than a year ago
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3459

Behind the Israeli Propaganda
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3614

Why Do Israelis Keep Posing as Arab Terrorists?
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3615

Israeli Spying: The Mother of all Scandals
http://www.resist.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3469

Reynard,

You need to read some history - including a study of the Balfour Declaration, the White Paper, the Report of the Palestinian Royal Commission regarding the Maritime plain in 1913, The Weizmann- Emir Faisal (leader of the Arab nationalist movement) Agreement at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, despatches between Lawrence and Whitehall about the Hashomite family and war with Turkey.

Unlike "artificial" Arab states (conceived as puppet states) drawn up with a ruler and pencil by colonial (imperial) interests in offices far away; states which have not only multiplied from the original 7 in 1948 to a bloc of 18 by 1972, but have also witnessed more bloodbaths between and within them, than attacks on Israel, Israel was created legitimately by negotiation and UN Mandate. As for wars with neighbouring regions, Israel has never initiated these.

In 1948, Arab states, along with Britain, attacked the fledgling Jewish state of Israel, and lost "magnificently" (albeit the British sniffing the wind pulled out earlier, but gave their weaponary to the Arabs). In an attempt to find someone to blame for this disaster, the resulting Iraq Government Commission found that only 4% of Palestinian Arabs of military age took up arms. Israel lost 10% of its entire Jewish population.

Israel is the only democracy in the region. Of Israel’s population of 7 million, 76.1% are Jewish, 16.2% Islamic Arabs, 2.1% Christian, and 1.6% Druze, the remaining 3.9% others. Arab Israelis enjoy equal rights with Jews, as do all Israelis, including the right to vote for both sexes, and representation in the Knesset. If the Arab countries had accepted the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, it would be commemorating its 60th anniversary.

Also, Reynard, if you bothered to do your homework, you would know that the Arab League has called for the recognition of Israel and its right to exist. Unlike you, the Arab League recognise that 1.2 billion Muslims have nothing to fear from 7 million Israelis.

Oh please why do we have to suffer over and over this type of biased, opinionated, under-researded, factless, base Israeli propaganda.