georgeob1 wrote:Foxfyre wrote:But setting that aside, try to focus on the Jews for a moment and what happens to them when many millions of Arabs who have pledged to exterminate them have the opportunity and license to do exactly that? You are asking them to give up the only homeland they have. What would you do if you were them?
Foxfire,
Please explain to us what might be a realistic alternative to an Israeli accomodation with the Palestinians - one that conforms to the political norms for the modern world?
Who is to say what is the 'political norm for the modern world'? Every day somewhere in some thread you are likely to find one or more posts condemning or criticizing or ridiculing or calling backward or ignorant or inferior the United States, its culture, and its political systems. The great experiment that became our republic was certainly not the 'political norm' of the world of that day. Yet as we threw off the yokes of slavery, segregation, racial discrimination, etc. we still work to be sure voters in Florida are not inconvenicned by having certain voting machines and we implemented Affirmative Action intended to correct injustices of the past and we still gerrymander voting districts to be certain certain groups of people are not disenfranchised. None of these things are 'normal' but they are deemed necessary to meet real or perceived needs of certain groups.
Considering that the Jews are unique in the world as a group that has for so long been persecuted and/or discriminated against because they are Jews, is there no room on a global scale to gerrymander a process by which this relatively tiny population of the world can have a place to just be themselves and not have to be at the mercy of anybody else to decide what will become of them?
Quote:Given the intransigence of her Moslem neighbors and the huge disparity in population growth rates between them and Israel, just what is likely to be required to maintain the status quo as the future evolves and the relative size of the Jewish population of both Israel and the region grows smaller and smaller?
I don't know. Maybe the Jews themselves will see that a Jewish state is not viable or sustainable at some point. But my gut tells me that is for them to decide and not us. I think it will be necessary for the Arabs to cease their Jihad against the Jews before that will ever be a consideration.
Quote:Should the United States continue its guarantee of security for Israel, even though the national security, political and economic cost to us is large and growing? Should we continue a trade regime with Israel that is more favorable (to them) than any other country in the world (including our immediate neighbors)? Should we continue sending most of our economic aid to Israel - one of the most advanced economies in the world? Should we continue the forced purchase of U.S. military equipment from Israeli firms and the huge credits we give them annually for their own defense shopping here? Should we continue the very large bribes (aid) we send annually to Egypt as a condition of their continued peace with Israel? Should we allow ourselves to be the economic gurantor of any future peace deal among the parties, while we have so many other growing priorities?
Again I don't know. Is it better for democracies to exist in the Middle East as yeast that may keep it from becoming more and more ingrown and fanatical? Given that the Middle East has the power to bring the industrialized world to its knees by controlling a substantial percentage of the world's crude oil reserves, for now is it in our national interest that we continue to exact some influence there? If the Jews are indeed God's chosen people as the Old Testament states, will there be divine retribution if we allow the Jews of Israel to be exterminated because it isn't our business?
If I knew the answer to these things, I would throw my hat into the ring to be world dictator or something.
I do know that I think it should be no problem to anybody if the Jews have one tiny place in the world where they can ensure that Jews can live and worship free without fear or discrimination.