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Of course, it doesn't take too much smarts to understand why Israelies must needs keep the upper hand in the struggle as it rages today. They are surrounded by nations, numbers and armies about 20 to one, all pretty much hostile and willing for their demise
Yeah, and it's not like they have one of the strongest armies on the planet and are surrounded by some of the most outdated armies on the planet, have 100-400 nuclear weapons versus zero, have a first-world economy....
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It's either a step ahead all the time for them or death and destruction.
The only people at risk of being utterly destroyed over there are the Palestinians. Sharon has personally advocated what is known as the "final solution" - the ethnic cleansing of the territories by forcing everyone into Jordan. The Palestinians have already been shoved into such a small area that the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated locations on Earth. They're forbidden to bear arms, and are up against one of the world's most powerful militaries.
You do the math about who is likely to be destroyed.
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When offered all his demands on a platter by Barak, Arafat said something like "Go to Hell."
Ah, "Barak's Generous Offer" rears its ugly head again. Do you have any clue what was in "Barak's Generous Offer"? As of 1967, many of Palestine's people (which now number about 16 million) had been driven out of the country, off of their land and our of their homes, to live as refugees. The remaining population had been driven into 22% of the country. After 1967, from the remaining 22%, Israel began colonizing with settlements. While Gaza Strip is essentially one giant prison refugee camp, some of the West Bank remained slightly in tact. The settlements and now the wall will soon have eroded almost all of the remaining farmland. The settlements are a miniscule portion of the West Bank's population, but take half its water.
Barak's offer first took 10% of the West Bank, and outright hands it to the settlers. This 10% snakes across the entire country, segmenting it. However, not segmented enough. Then, there's the 10% "temporary control" line which, with no time limits and no reason to ever give it back (also containing settlements), might as well be included in the first 10%. It further segments the country into little pieces that are virtually impossible to travel between. Not enough, however. Barak's offer then places settler roads and checkpoints, complete with guard towers and buffer zones, which take away whatever hope of traveling between parts of the country they might have had left. In exchange, Barak offered them a chunk of barren desert which Israel had previously used as a nuclear waste dump.
Do I even need to go into the restrictions that Israel also placed on the Palestinians?
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Israel is not on any school maps in Palestinian schools and never will be
Funny you should mention Palestinian schools. Don't worry, the kids won't see the maps very much, because Israel caused the near complete closure of schools during much of the Intifada. They teargassed several schools which attempted to open. Nablus was kept in lockdown for over 100 days contiguously at one point.
BTW, are you aware of the number of Palestinian Christians there are? You should talk to some of the people from the many Palestinian Christian churches in the occupied territories, and ask them what *they* think of what is going on. Want me to connect you with one? You could then ask them yourself how the Israeli army treats them and their churches.
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"Illuminant light,
illuminate me."
[This message has been edited by Rei, 09-30-2003]
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