Do you owe Israelis an apology? http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/do-you-owe-israelis-an-apology/ In the wake of the recent Hamas-Israel war, two Israeli columnists and the Zionist Organization of America are calling on supporters of disengagement to apologize for the Gaza pullout in 2005. en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-01-21T;22:01:00-05:00 Comment by Salomon Benzimra sbenzi@sympatico.ca After close to 18 years of futile (and bloody) negotiations on the so-called “peace process”, it is high time to go back to basics and abide by the provisions of international law (Mandate for Palestine, 1922) conferring full national rights to the Jewish people on lands west of the Jordan River.  Anything else will perpetuate terror, false hopes to radical Islam and endless mayhem. After close to 18 years of futile (and bloody) negotiations on the so-called “peace process”, it is high time to go back to basics and abide by the provisions of international law (Mandate for Palestine, 1922) conferring full national rights to the Jewish people on lands west of the Jordan River.  Anything else will perpetuate terror, false hopes to radical Islam and endless mayhem.

]]> 2012-05-24T;14:04:00-05:00 Comment by Gary Katz garybkatz@comcast.net What is more galling than Hamas claiming a “great victory?” The idiots who believe them.  Every policy of Hamas has brought grief and economic ruin to Gaza.  Hamas allows few personal freedoms, and, by provoking a more powerful military power, brought destruction to their little terrorist fiefdom.  So they define their “victory” as surviving the disaster they caused.  What a bunch of jerks! What is more galling than Hamas claiming a “great victory?” The idiots who believe them.  Every policy of Hamas has brought grief and economic ruin to Gaza.  Hamas allows few personal freedoms, and, by provoking a more powerful military power, brought destruction to their little terrorist fiefdom.  So they define their “victory” as surviving the disaster they caused.  What a bunch of jerks!

]]> 2012-05-24T;14:04:00-05:00 Comment by David Leone fradale.d@gmail.com I see Mr. Paige advocates the removal of Jews from the “West Bank”.  I wonder, does Mr. Paige also advocate segregation among Blacks and Whites in the United States?  Seems that policy was the focus of the civil rights struggle of the ‘60s about which Americans proudly celebrated this week with both MLK day and the inauguration of Barack Obama as President. But I guess, for some reason, it is okay for otherwise intelligent people to think that what was morally wrong for Blacks is acceptable for Jews. I disagree. If Arabs cannot tolerate even one Jew in the territory that they claim for their state, then they are not ready for real peace between Israel and a Palestinian state. I see Mr. Paige advocates the removal of Jews from the “West Bank”.  I wonder, does Mr. Paige also advocate segregation among Blacks and Whites in the United States?  Seems that policy was the focus of the civil rights struggle of the ‘60s about which Americans proudly celebrated this week with both MLK day and the inauguration of Barack Obama as President.

But I guess, for some reason, it is okay for otherwise intelligent people to think that what was morally wrong for Blacks is acceptable for Jews.

I disagree.

If Arabs cannot tolerate even one Jew in the territory that they claim for their state, then they are not ready for real peace between Israel and a Palestinian state.

]]> 2012-05-24T;14:04:00-05:00 Comment by Paul Winter winfamly@bigpond.net.au I beg to differ from Marc Paige comments. If Paige recalls his history, Israel offered to withdraw from territories that came under its control in 1967 and was met by the Arabs’: no negotiations, no recognition, no peace. The territories had no government having been under Egyptian and Jordanian occupation and in effect no polity had any claim to them. Judea and Samaria were part of lands declared open for Jewish settlement and in particular Gush Etzion was land siezed by Jordan. The Golan was not only given by the British to the French in violation of their mandate, but it had been used for nothing else except for aggression by the Syrians. Jews have a right to hold and settle any disputed land under theri control and Palestinians (since 1965) have a duty to negotiate with words, rather than violence, which territories they will have. And none of those must be allowed to be Jew free; if there are Muslim Israelis, it is only fair and reasonable that there should be Jewish Palestinians in the future. I beg to differ from Marc Paige comments. If Paige recalls his history, Israel offered to withdraw from territories that came under its control in 1967 and was met by the Arabs’: no negotiations, no recognition, no peace. The territories had no government having been under Egyptian and Jordanian occupation and in effect no polity had any claim to them. Judea and Samaria were part of lands declared open for Jewish settlement and in particular Gush Etzion was land siezed by Jordan. The Golan was not only given by the British to the French in violation of their mandate, but it had been used for nothing else except for aggression by the Syrians. Jews have a right to hold and settle any disputed land under theri control and Palestinians (since 1965) have a duty to negotiate with words, rather than violence, which territories they will have. And none of those must be allowed to be Jew free; if there are Muslim Israelis, it is only fair and reasonable that there should be Jewish Palestinians in the future.

]]> 2012-05-24T;14:04:00-05:00 Comment by Marc Paige marcpaige@msn.com The Zionist Organization of America owes an apology to Israel for pushing a policy of placing settlements in the occupied territory of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, costing thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives, draining resources from Israel proper, and making peace between the two parties that much more complicated. The Zionist Organization of America owes an apology to Israel for pushing a policy of placing settlements in the occupied territory of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, costing thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives, draining resources from Israel proper, and making peace between the two parties that much more complicated.

]]> 2012-05-24T;14:04:00-05:00