Hi ttbn,
"There is only one solution: the total destruction of Hamas, all other Islamic terrorists, and Islam itself."
- At least you have the kahunas to say what you mean, which is somewhat difficult in today's society.

In the Palestinians case, I think they have a legitimate case to resist occupation and oppression, regardless of religion - I think of it more of a human rights, ethnic cleansing and land theft issue, essentially a humanitarian issue over and above Islam.

But I'm not going to argue that the growth of Islam in western countries doesn't represent a risk to western citizens, because I think it does.
- But that's 'jihad' holy war you're selling, and we can expect crazy Islamists running around our streets attacking the non-Muslims.
- And on the other side, our woke leaders will continue to promote multiculturalism and diversity and allow their numbers to increase, even assisting it.
That said, Muslims are now Australians too, and we have 'freedom of religion' despite all religions having some faults and drawbacks, so what do we do?

March off the cliff?
- I don't know.

Hi Yuyutsu,
Thanks for the info, I'm no historian, just a hack that watches a lot of youtube videos, but a lot of those youtube videos provide valuable insight that we aren't getting elsewhere, and we should be better informed as a country and society.
Democracy doesn't mean anything if a country is satisfied keeping it's citizens in the dark.

Do we need a 'Ministry of Truth'?
- probably not, we all know how that would go.
'Compromised for the interests of others, for anyone EXCEPT the citizens'

"The Arab world gave it their best shot to obliterate Israel in 1967, and they failed badly, and they've had no stomach for a repeat ever since".

Well there was a little thing called the Yom Kippur War in 1973!! Paul's historic knowledge, or lack thereof, is astounding.

The two state solution is effectively dead in the water. Over the decades the Israelis supported and worked toward creating a liveable Levant region where Jew and Arabs (who call themselves Palestinians) could live in relative harmony between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

But that all unravelled following the disaster that was/is Gaza. Israel took the unilateral decision to pull out of Gaza, even to the point of physically dragging its people out of their Gazan homes. The region was turned over to the so-called Palestinians with the promise of massive international and Israeli financial assistance to make Gaza a type of Singapore on the West Mediterranean with flavours of the French Riviera.

It all unravelled in two years, and before they knew it, Hamas was lobbing rockets into Israel. There were lulls and occasional hopes that peace might prevail but the various Intifadas culminating in the rape of 7/10 have bought an end to the decades old hopes.

Israel will never make the Gazan mistake again.

Hi mhaze,
"The two state solution is effectively dead in the water. Over the decades the Israelis supported and worked toward creating a liveable Levant region where Jew and Arabs (who call themselves Palestinians) could live in relative harmony between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea."

It was probably dead in the water decades ago, the moment Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, after Netanyahu was encouraging all the lunatic settlers to rise up, and then 'strangely' found himself on the throne.

If it's dead in the water, than that's because Netanyahu spent the last 30 years devoted to making it so.

I hate these kinds of arguments.
It's a metaphor of pushing someone down a flight of stairs to make them a paraplegic.
- And then making fun of them or discriminating against them for being in a wheelchair.

If 'the two state solution is effectively dead in the water' then that's because willfully Israel made it so, along with all the horrible things they've done to the Palestinians since 1995 included.
- Don't talk to me about Israel tried to do things the right way, because that's bs, they never did.

Mhaze,

Paul is a typical jew hating gangreen with a big mouth and tiny brain.

Hamas were a bunch of murderers and rapists masquerading as a government. Oct 7th showed them committing every war crime in the book with a few more invented on sovereign Israeli land i.e. Israeli before 1967, They need to be destroyed.

The men and women of Gaza openly supported Hamas and cannot plead innocence.

AC,

Not a word about Israel's open gesture toward peace by via the Gazan disengagement process. That's about what we've come to expect. Ignore any facts that disprove the narrative.

Israel gave the Gazans the chance at independence and prosperity. They instead chose war and destitution which the usual suspects then blamed on their go-to scape-goat...the evil Jews.

Hi mhaze,
"Not a word about Israel's open gesture toward peace by via the Gazan disengagement process. That's about what we've come to expect. Ignore any facts that disprove the narrative."

Honestly that's a screwed up mentality you have there;
Criticising me for omitting information that you believe I'm omitting deliberately, when I'm actually not even aware of the issue you've raised, and you can just as easily add to the discussion, shared the information and enlightened us all yourself.

I'm not a historian, or an old school diplomat, or the living embodiment of the World Book Encyclopedia you know.

"Israel gave the Gazans the chance at independence and prosperity. They instead chose war and destitution which the usual suspects then blamed on their go-to scape-goat...the evil Jews."
- I watched this video around the end of November last year with Alastair Crooke, and old school British diplomat - and he went through all the wars and significant events in Modern Israels history in detail.
I've been meaning to go back and re-watch the video if I can find the right one, to use and share the info in my comments, but never got around to doing so.
- But he said the Palestinians were never really offered a fair deal, were never ever offered any kind of peace deal that wasn't one that wasn't swayed more in Israels interests, and he demonstrated a good knowledge of Israels history.

And I have to go with that which people smarter and more knowledgeable on the subject say, who I feel are trustworthy sources when I haven't taken the time to look at every single issue in depth myself.