Good to hear there are other 'euro-refugees' on board H.C.! Strictly speaking, you're an Aussie - I view myself as such, too. You obviously live in the West, Chuck.
IF we manage to get GZ back onto H.C. we can organise coffee, Sachertorte and Schlag (my speciality!).
Re Israel: I have a grudging respect for Israel, since my simplistic (because I was a child) gut reaction back in the late 40s, early 50s, was: "Why didn't they fight? why didn't they defend themselves?"
Now Israel does fight back, but there has to be an end. Maybe the violence will simply burn itself out: on either side.
One big problem is that Israel is so totally outnumbered by Arab states on all sides, plus the Arab nations, due to their dominant religion with consequent banishment of their womenfolk to bed and kitchen, probably outbreed them at least 4:1, if not more - I have no figures on this, so, please, DYOR! But that fact alone should show the road to reason, if not friendship, in my view.
Perhaps the psychological insistence on being the 'chosen people' being one reason of success for the Jewish people could also have a karmic counter-point, i.e. causing non-acceptance and persecution by others. The Israelis will have to experience a real mind shift, and I do not discount that possibility, they're after all an intelligent race.
I also lost interest in and dispaired with Israel with the assassination of Rabin, back in the 90s - I saw that as a great tragedy and set-back for peace talks and eventual co-existence. No, I haven't read much on the religious right in Israel, except what I see on TV and in discussion with other people.
