It gives an image of lands like in South Africa. Which is false. The settlements are houses most often on top of rocky hills. There is no gardens worth speaking of whatsoever, and there will never be. These places as you most probably know were structured as lines of defense for central Israel. Not defense against Palestinians per se, but against half a dozen 100 ,billion $ armies, some of which still have actual military plans. And they do it only because so it pleased alla. As far as the Palestinian are concerned, they don't give a damn, and never did.
You must be kidding - the Palestinians surely give a damn. For every stone and every grain of sand. You are not getting it - it is not about gardens, or beauty. It doesn't matter if you stole a garden or you stole a simple rock - you stole. That's all that matters to the Palestinians. What kind of argument is that? If someone took part of your house, and said "but it is only a small part without carpet, just ugly floor" what would you say? That's not the point! Every grain of sand!
Anyway, with a peace agreement, most of these settlements will be evacuated. All those of the Sinai/Gaza, and all those not strategic. So many palestinians famillies will have running water, solar heating, and a garden, but not much bigger than their carpet, the garden.
Not "most". ALL. If not ALL, then there is no peace. Every grain of sand must be given back. Try to understand - it is the PRINCIPLE OF IT. And running water is not the point. You can't bribe someone out of their rights. If someone said: "I'll take your house, but leave you a piece of it, and I'll also get you cable TV, so be quiet" what would you say? Stealing is stealing, no matter what the bribe is supposed to be.
Incident question : why did the Kowetis kick out a good hundred thousands of Pals after the Gulf war ? It's not because Arafat made a choice of teaming with Saddam that those populations who have settled and where hard working honest muslems have any responsibility in it. However they were kicked out and no one complained including the UN... Isn't that strange ? What would we have heard had the Kowetis been Jews too...?
What the Kuwaitis did to the Palestinians is irrelevant to what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians. If a robber robs you, do you feel better if he says: "but look, other robbers killed their victims, and I let you live". Let the Kuwaitis answer for their crimes. It does not absolve Israel from theirs. Same thing with "complaints". Could apartheid South Africa say: "why do you complain about apartheid in South Africa, when the blacks are treated much worse in genocide in Rwanda and other parts of Africa?". Irrelevant. The point is YOU are committing a crime. That others are also committing crimes does not make your crime smaller. ALL CRIMES are wrong. Including the Israeli occupation of Palestinians.
That settlement plan, after 67 had some realistic reasons to exist by any military standards; Israel being ten miles wide in its middle, and its main airport within reach of any metal workshop capable of welding metal tubes with propellant and explosives. A technique known since the early twenties by any decent private club (Germany outlawed them as soon as Hitler took over).
No country can justify stealing the land of their neighbors with security concerns. Maybe it would make the Arabs feel more secure if Israel was destroyed, but that does not mean they have the right to destroy Israel. Maybe it would make Russia feel more secure to annex a piece of Lithuania, but that is illegal under international law, and a crime. Settlements are a land grab, no matter what the justification - whether the creation of Greater Israel (note, the settlers are living there, so it is not just a purely military outpost), or a "security zone". Remember last time what happened in Lebanon to a "security zone"? Yes, Israel had to leave, WITH NO NEGOTIATION. Same here - leave, no discussion, no negotiation, give back the stolen land.
On terrorism : if on a philosophical level you acknowledge that it is an acceptable practice for the Palestinians to blow up civilians because they don't have heavy equipment, or because the Israeli soldiers know how to fight back, I strongly disagree.
And your explanation that them terrorists have no better alternative is not correct. Each social group has to find, to invent its own ways of liberating himself, and many ways are still to be found. Gandhi (a lawyer!) found his, and so did America.
I do not remember Americans setting London and other UK cities on fire during heavy dry windy nights...? Do you ?
Didn't America have good reasons to pressure London to the most ?
Ten guys with torches was all it took to succeed. No need for hight tech. Torches.
How come the Founding Fathers didn't take that route ?
Wasn't Arafat portrayed as a Founding Father too ? Isn't it even the wording of his Arabic name ? Just like his top buddies ?
How come it was Washington that went up in flames, instead of London ?
Are you saying that somehow Palestinian methods are the worst? Well here is a thought for you - during WWII, German civilians were certainly targeted by the occupied people. And also by the allies. The bombing of Dresden was designed to inflict specific damage on civilians in order to break the spirit of German civilians. So yes, these are sad methods used by all.
USED BY ALL. This means that just as you condemn Arafat for using "terrorist" methods to be a father to his country SO DID ISRAEL IN BEING BORN! Arab civilians were targeted by Israeli gangs (which included future Israeli leaders and fathers of the nation) to provoke panic and make them leave their villages. Don't you know that Shamir and many others were identified in posters by the British as wanted terrorists?
The Arabs are no worse in their methods than the Israelis have been.
How will there be peace? How will the Arabs "find a method to founding a country?"
Remember Lebanon? All you have to do, is give back the STOLEN land. There is nothing to discuss. Give back the stolen land. Then, that can be a foundation for peace between Israel and the Arabs. It won't be easy. It will be slow. There will be setbacks. But there is no other way.
Bottom line: Give back the stolen land. Stop the occupation. Let the Palestinians create their country their way - as Israel has had the privilege to create their country.
Israel is a colonialist, apartheid regime occupying a people and stealing their land. When they quit doing that, there will be peace. If not, there will not be peace. Injustice will not stand.
As the sun in already rising over Babylon, and, as I am hardly further away than a UN de facto accepted missile's shot from them, I wish you a good night, Sir; because tomorrow I also swim. Not with sharks, be reassured.
With dolphins. If they accept me, that is?
I wish you a good swim. As to your question, I suggest that you have little to worry over whether dolphins will accept you. Rather, worry if your Arab neighbors will accept you. If you are a good neighbor, I bet they will. If you occupy and persecute them, well, dolphins and sharks will be the least of your problems. Take care! |
