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Politics : The Left Wing Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Poet who wrote (3866)	2/7/2001 5:07:21 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6089

Poet, Good morning - well, it is here, anyhow. I personally see Israel as the only democracy in the ME, and the nearest to Western civilisation. Overly religious, and I dislike the special protections and privileges given to the ultra-Orthodox [most especially, the way they get to occupy prime bits of land in the West Bank, while being protected by an army they're exempt from serving in]. Also, I know they occupied neighbouring countries after being attacked by them: but I don't think it acceptable of any modern civilised nation to keep territory thus acquired. Still, Israel's far better than its neighbours... I guess I just expect it to sustain higher standards. The British people have historically been rather pro-Israel, although to nothing like the extent in the US; the British state, incidentally, was relatively pro-Arab (from ~1918-1967, anyway). There's certainly very few apologists for Islamic fundamentalism, still less terrorism. However, there's also a strong anti-Zionist movement here. (I wouldn't exactly align myself with it - I think it's actually anti-Jewish as well). Basically, this is opposed to the expansion of Israel to its 'historical' boundaries - history being the Biblical kingdom of David, possibly with add-ons. Sharon appears to believe in just that philosophy, and who cares if this is 3000-year-old legend... and other people have lived in those territories since then? Hence the invasion of Lebanon he led, achieving nothing except the waste of (mainly US) money and plenty of lives (on both sides, but especially the Lebanese) and the formation of some skilled new terrorist/guerrilla movements... and hence his refusal to return any of the land occupied 30 years ago to its rightful owners. And, for that matter, his little demonstration on Temple Mount which started the current intifada. Prospects for peace there, now? Minimal. I can't see him as a man likely to achieve it, except by the massacre of his opponents. One can hope for better - maybe he'll decide it's an unwinnable war - but I'm not sanguine. The analogy I drew may be somewhat extreme, but IMO not entirely. <sigh> we shall see. And of course you're forgiven for a late response... I'm usually the one joining in the next morning, you all keep going far too late for us time-challenged Brits!