Rather than argue that religion is responsible for wars, it should be considered that wars happen IN SPITE OF religion and than no wars were ever STOPPED because of religion.

Gym Fish

Not all the suicide bombers inside Israel were Islamic fundamentalists and at least one was a woman.

Answer to keith
Perhaps they were genuine, albeit hopelessly misguided, idealists. I don't doubt that such people exist - I only doubt their sanity. In any case religious crap is still religious crap regardless of fundamental doctrinal differences and the suicide bombers you describe were, I suggest, religious fanatics akin to the more 'conventional' muslim jihadists. Also, the term 'suicide bomber' is asexual. I have little doubt that young women are just as easily swayed by religious rhetoric as are young men, and just as easily seduced by the many fatuous promises offered by self styled religious spokespeoples who claim a direct telephone connection to god.

No...Gym Fish

There was only one woman bomber and her motivation was clear cut. She was an Ambulance Worker in the West Bank who simply was motivated by the experiences she'd had at the hands of the Israel occupation forces. I doubt she was lesbian.

I do agree with many of your views on religious fanaticism

So many errors in one peace. Did Babu do any research before writing this?

For starters the claim "Zionism (the belief that Jews have a biblical right to all of Palestine)" is totally untrue. Jews have been returning to Israel for many centuries most from within the Caliphate, some never left. The European Zionist idea was to provide a place for Jews to go to, no mention of God (Herzl was not even a believer) and certainly no belief in a God given right.

And then it gets worse - "Most of the Jews in Israel today are descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages (known as Khazar or Ashkenazi Jews)." Three errors in one breath taking sentemce.

DNA evidence shows a commonality amongst the majority of Jews in Y chromosomes which means a common heritage on the male side.

The Khazars were a people (perhaps Turkish) who adopted Judaism. They then appeared to have switched to Islam. DNA does not support the speculation that the European Jews were at all descended from the Khazars.

The third correction, half of the Jews in Israel today are not from Europe at all, they are refugees from other Arab countries. One can and should be sorry for the Palestinians, but equally so for the Jews from Morocco, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt Yemen etc etc etc. They also lost their houses, many lost their lives, and they were at least as numerous as the Palestinians. Compensation, compassion and consideration has to go both ways.

The serious problem in Palestine is compounded by the failure of Jordan and Egypt to accept back people who left for the employment gained in the Jewish settlements, and the efforts of Islamists to penetrate the group with their miserable philosophies. They closed the cinemas and cafes in Gaza, that was not the doing of Israsel.

This ridiculous article is based on this false premise,which either indicates that Babu is a brainwashed fool,or that he has done no research(I am inclined to believe both)
"The fact is that almost none of the Jews in modern Israel are descendants of the original Jews of Palestine thousands of years ago. Most of the Jews in Israel today are descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages (known as Khazar or Ashkenazi Jews)."(Babu)
Now the truth.
Ashkenazi Jews are described as those who fled the Middle East a long time ago and originally settled in the Rhineland but during the Middle Ages,moved to other parts of Europe
The Jews,who settled in Spain are called Sephardic.Both have geographical connotations.
There is absolutely no historical basis to the claim that non Jews converted.
For a start who would want to,given that most countries were in fact demanding Jews convert to Christianity on pain of death or expulsion.
Also Judaism doesn't seek converts and the process is extremely difficult.
The Khazars were a Turcic race living in the Caucassian region,whose ruler decided in the 8th century ,he wanted to become Jewish for political reasons and dragged some of his followers with him.
Since then a whole ridiculous myth has developed about these lost tribes etcetc.
There is absolutely no link whatsoever,between the Ashkenazis and the Khazars and it is doubtful whether there any Khazar descendents living in Israel.
They probably wouldnt be accepted as bona fide Jews in any case.
The theory that Ashkenazi Jews might be descended from Khazars was adopted by anti Zionists who saw it as a means of invalidating the claims of Jews,but has absolutely no historical basis(Bernard Lewis).
Its the sort of rubbish that only crackpots like David Irvine and our friend Babu would dare propound.
No more articles please,Babu,this one is just stupid!