rei writes:
I just had to take issue with this particular point.
While I have no issue with what you said regarding jews in Iraq, and the results of British screwing around there (which inflamed anti-jewish feelings), I stand by what I said as well.
Muslims did not start out enjoying a good relationship with jews. The Koran takes a pretty dim view of many of their practices.
On top of that, there has always been the garden variety "low level" bigotry (or xenophobia) you can find anywhere else on the planet. The nature of nomadic arabic life was clanish and not really open to those of opposing religions.
Of course the same could be said of many early Xtians towards Jews as well.
Heck, one of the reasons Britain went forward with the plan to create Israel (and got help from the US) is that they weren't really wanted by "Xtian" leaders either. Kind of sticking the muslims with the problem, and at the same time fulfilling Bible prophecy and appeasing fundamentalist Jews.
But more important is the dynamic of the region of Israel. Of the people that were there, there had been longstanding disputes between muslims and jews. It can be argued that the conflict wasn't based in religion, but the parties did break down along religious lines.
Sharon and some of the old hardliners discuss the old days before Israeli statehood was even on the table and what life was like there... including the violence.
Britain's efforts totally disenfranchised nonJews (pissing off any that weren't upset already), and "settled" the ongoing property conflicts in favor of the Jewish extremists. This is not to say the Islamic extremists should have been given everything they wanted either. If Britain was going to do it right they should have gotten all involved to settle their land claims (perhaps with financial bonuses to those who didn't get all the land they wanted) and then drew up borders.
Well that is if Britain HAD to make Israel a Jewish state... something I don't think was wise or kosher.
I think maybe you were talking about widespread or regional anti-jewish sentiments (which led to a movement). That I agree was fostered by Britain screwing up Iraq and then Israel. But to say there wasn't a measure of intolerence against jews around what would be Israel, and religion being an element of that problem... I can't go that far. Only in fairness to the muslim population there, there were certainly Jews that didn't like muslims. #1 on that list would be Sharon and family.
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holmes
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