Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sea_urchin who wrote (9568)	12/22/2005 11:56:23 PM
From: Emile Vidrine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 22250

Who threatens Israel today and who does Israel threaten? Which threat has the greater credibility? Let's avoid the weak logic of: "historically it isn't just the local Palestinians who threaten Israel, it has been the entire community of Arabs..." Let's replace it with the ‘here and now’. If we go by historical precedents, the EEC shouldn't exist. England should be about to declare war on France and France on Germany, etc. In the 'here and now' Israel is not threatened by any neighboring state. There is no neighboring state that powerful. Israel is one of the 10 most powerful in the world. Israel's tired old arguments date back to a different era where indeed those arguments had credibility. "They want to drive us into the sea". Today, the combined power of all its neighbors can not accomplish that. The other side of the coin is much more stark. Israel has one of the most powerful airforces in the world and they have 400 thermonuclear weapons that can annihilate all their neighbors. In the 'here and now', there are only two main dynamic factors involved in this issue: 1.) Israel's continuing settlements opposed by the Palestinians and by most of the rest of the world 2.) Continued Palestinian suicide bombings and Israeli reprisals against the Palestinians for every suicide bombing. Israel's use of the same tired old arguments merely justify continuing the building of more settlements. Sure they'll give up a few homes in the Gaza, but for every one they destroyed in the Gaza, they're building 100 in the West Bank. Another tired argument the Israelis give us is: "They don't want peace... they only want to drive us into the sea". The entire world sees through all the silliness. Everyone understands the Palestinians, Hamas, etc. simply do not have the power to do so. Israel is just too powerful. But they (the Israelis) continue to cry like little babies feigning weaknesses while hiding behind what is perhaps the world's 6th or 7th largest and most modern weapons arsenal. And a good chunk of that arsenal has been paid for by the US taxpayer who is getting the short end of the stick. All we're seeing for all the money we've given them is prolonged conflict in the region without any light at the end of the tunnel. And at the center of that conflict, as the unnamed and unnameable cause is Israel. To even name that cause brings down the wrath of God upon the poor unfortunate who dares do so; brings down instantaneous accusations of anti-semitism, bigotry and what have you. In the end, peace can no longer come at the point of a gun. We're relearning this lesson today because we forgot an identical lesson we were given when we were drubbed so badly by another weak and poor people in Asia. We forgot the most important lesson of all from that war; how powerful a motivating force nationalism is. We're relearning the same lesson today in Iraq. The Israelis too will eventually learn the same lesson; that peace can only come from face-to-face talks. There can be no talks with the Palestinians because Israel has adamantly opposed the creation of a real Palestinian state. By real, I mean one that is recognized to be a 'state' by the world; one with borders, with ports and airports, with a people who have an independent economy; can purchase goods they need including weapons to defend themselves. The Palestinian Authority does not have any of these. Israel will not allow them to have any of these. The PA is a joke of a state. And any negotiations done with a "joke-of-a-state" is nothing more than a silly joke.