If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
F*ck me sideways! Bush calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine!
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7181658.stm
:eek: :eek:
Has the chimp, as the end of his tenure approaches, decided he would like to be remembered as something other than the worst President in US history?
I must say I'd never thought to see the day in which an American President asks for an end to the occupation of Palestine.
The sky will be full of pigs tonight!
:eek: :eek:
Has the chimp, as the end of his tenure approaches, decided he would like to be remembered as something other than the worst President in US history?
I must say I'd never thought to see the day in which an American President asks for an end to the occupation of Palestine.
The sky will be full of pigs tonight!
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
0
Comments
Hasn't it been US policy for years? - that's why US official documents call them 'Occupied territories'.
He also says 'right to return' is a no-goer, if only others would be as sensible...
The US has never requested the Israel dismantles its illegal settlements. At the very most, it has once or twice expressed 'regret' whenever Israel announced yet another expansion of an existing settlement.
I remain a bit sceptical but if that is really what Bush meant, if he really means the US wishes Israel will withdraw in full (which would invariable mean the eradication of all illegal settlements), then it is certainly an unprecedented move- no doubt about that.
The Palestinians will have to make some concessions as well of course- the refugee issue is unlikely to be resolved to their satisfaction. But asking Israel to fully withdraw from all the land they nicked in 67 is not an unreasonable demand. It is the key to the entire conflict.
If the Israelis had offered that even once and it'd been rejected, at least they could say they have tried to achieve peace. But that was never their intention. Hell, only last week they announced plans to expand their tumour-like illegal settlements even further.
Why is it racist? Most states officially subscribe to a certain religion. What their citizens practice in their own homes is for most of these states a private matter.
I think, although I'm not sure, he's referring to the zionists who believe all of Israel / Palestine is 'Jewish' land.
That's not what Zionism is about.
Simple and plain Zionism is about the Jews having a country of their own, working as a safe haven against persecution which has existed in the diaspora.
I'm a Zionist, and I do not advocate a Greater Israel - but I am a full supporter of the existence of the State of Israel and its purpose.
Well I said I wasn't sure
It was, until you brought it in and tried to associate it with a certain believe that it fundamentally does not include
Not intentionally as a political point, I was mistaken in my use of terminology. Sorry
I was only trying to point out what I thought IWS was saying!
I have no problems with a Jewish homeland, but you must admit that the means through which they've got their current territory is unnacceptable.
Jordan occupied the West Bank and Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip before the Six Day War in 1967. NPR has quite a good summary account here.
I think it is fair to say that it is unacceptable that over forty years on Israel is occupying all of the land won in '67 - but there's not much that's unacceptable about how Israel ended up with the land in the first place... Egypt and Jordan were hostile and aggressive actors posing direct threat to Israel. That is not true today hence there's no reason to be occupying the West Bank or Gaza Strip (Sharon could partly see that hence the Gaza withdrawal). And anyhow the West Bank/Gaza would be independent of Egypt/Jordan which sensibly don't want them back.
Jerusalem is more complicated; city-state status and allowing it to serve as the capital of both countries appears a logical compromise.... but frankly for as long as Hamas are on the scene the kind of co-operation needed for it to work make such a proposal completely unrealistic.
Disillusioned hits it pretty straight. Perfectly understandable why it has been under Israeli command, just not why for so long. But then again, I guess it's just down to classic power politics and bargaining power etc.
Personally, I am not in favour of holding on to the West Bank and Gaza, though do not agree with '67 borders either, being that I am against the division of Jerusalem.
Because that area was never Jewish in the first place, and plenty of arabs live(d) there. Ignoring the religious aspect for a second, these are two distinct cultural groups, and to be frank, saying that one group must accept the "Jewishness" of the state is tantamount to the Aussie, American or (white) South African president saying that the native population must accept the "whiteness" or "Europeaness" or "Christianity" of the state.
Most countries adher to a framework, in Israel it is a Jewish one. Yet still hasn't stopped lots of non-Jews requesting citizenship.
The non-Jewish citizens of Israel have religious/cultural freedom, and when there has been problems the supreme court has alwas worked in their favour ensuring them their rights. And rightly so. Therefore it is not racists, it doesn't tell any of its citizens that they are stripped of their rights due to their religion.
Not really, I seen a program where a Christian convert family got daily abuse by their Orthodox Jewish neighbours, maybe legally they have freedom but certainly not socially.
There's parts of NI where a Protestant family that converted to Catholicism would get daily abuse - or vice versa.
In an Orthodox Jewish district of Jerusalem a family of Christian converts (especially if they sought to convert others) would unfortunately suffer abuse... As would a gay couple if they openly displayed their affections. In Israeli law however religious freedoms and gay rights are very strongly protected. Israel for the most part is very tolerant, pockets of Jerusalem are not representative of the entire country. At the other end of the spectrum Tel Aviv is a very liberal city and gay-friendly and is ahead of the rest of the country... (Although, some would say London is ahead of the rest of the UK).
Hmm, good news though I must say. Did Israel finally get its commupance for selling the latest US technology to China?
I'd be the first to criticise the sectarian tension in this country, however, the idea that Israel is some sort of haven for all non-Jews is a bit naive if you ask me.
To be honest trying converting to Orthodox Judaism in this country and you'll get plenty of knuckleheads daubing swastikas on your door.
Israel isn't perfect, but it not a hotbed of religous radicals stoning their fellow citizens for blasphemy either...
No one has claimed that, hence bringing in the example of the rulings of the Israeli supreme court.
You have to appericiate though, that Israel compared to its surroundings is a glowing example in the region. That you can't deny. Israel battles the same issues based on discrimination as the rest of the West I would say - but this discrimination is not institutionally embedded in the system any differently from in any Western country.
Therefore it is rich to claim Israel to be racist.
It was though, if you go back in history far enough.