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From: mr@homxb.UUCP (M.RINDSBERG)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Might makes right in the Middle East
Message-ID: <1172@homxb.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 03:24:26 EST
Article-I.D.: homxb.1172
Posted: Sun Jan 26 03:24:26 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Feb-86 10:13:28 EST
References: <3630048@csd2.UUCP>, <574@ittvax.ATC.ITT.UUCP> <1136@homxb.UUCP>, <66@calgary.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T - homxb!mr
Lines: 61

> > > Give the palestinians their homeland back, and the middle-east 
> > > terrorist problem WILL go away.
> > 
> > It isn't their homeland anymore. We, the Jews, have fought for it
> > (to regain control after 2000 years) and have won !!!! When the
> > fact that we won is acknowledged and when the palestinians start
> > looking somewhere else for a homeland, then, the problem will be
> > solved.
> >
> > mark
> > homxb!mr
> 
> If you believe in this "might makes right" philosophy, how can you
> morally condemn the palistinians who employ terror? If the rest of
> Isreal believes this too, why should we give a shit if you get pushed
> into the sea?
> 
>      Radford Neal

You seem to think that there is no difference between torrorism and war.

Let me explain the differences. Terrorism is aimed at (mostly) civilian
targets and are expected to be very bloody and in a very public place. There
also exists airspace terrorism so the terrorists can fly back to safety
and then kill everybody on board (hasn't been working very well, though).
Now war is different. War is when two or more countries assemble armies
and they fight with each other until the countries at war have either run
out of people to be killed or have decided to stop the war. (very simplified)

Now back to politics. During 1947 and 1948 the Jews decided it was high time
to get for themselves their homeland back, so they did. In 1948 the UN
proposed a plan to give everyone a homeland, it was refused unilaterally.
There was a lot of land available for the "palestinians."  But, the arabs
couldn't seem to leave Israel alone and attacked in 1956, and there was a war
and the Jews won and the arabs lost, but to prevent future conflicts the
Jews had to take some territory for safety margins. Then again in 1967 the
arabs attacked in full force and miraculously the Jews won again (against
great odds), but then the mighty USA stepped in and stopped the war.
More territory was absorbed. In 1973 on the most important day of the year
for Jews, the arabs attacked again and with great loss of life the Jews again
won the war and was able to protect its citizens. In 1982 the people in the
Northern sections of Israel were forced to live in bomb shelters, literally
( I was in Israel at the time, and believe me, it is true). So, Israel
defended its northern borders during the summer of 1982. OK.

Who were the instigators of each war ? And what were the stated reasons and
intentions ?

Back to what I originally said. The Jews spent very much in acquiring the
country. The loss of life was tremendous (percentagewise). Now we feel that
Israel has a right to exist as it did exist a few thousand years ago. Why
is it that everyone insists that Israel give back its land to a group of
non-unified people who can't even find a representative and which even
refuses to recognize that Israel exists.

As to why "you should care whether the Jews are driven into the sea". There
are those who believe that Israel is beneficial to the US in the middle east,
being its only strong ally in the region.

mark
homxb!mr