@822-190 by now you should know by my posts, that I am not a Jew hater - but I know that the propaganda war on both sides exaggerates - the figure of 40 000 dead was quoted in a number of interviews during last week on Radio National - and we can all see the damage and suffering caused to the rag-tag humanity trying get away, trying to save their children and their meagre belongings and their lives in the rubble of what which has been unleashed on them. I also know that many people in Israel do not agree with Netanjahu's policies and they want an end to that war, too, and they would like to get rid of him too, maybe he knows this and thinks 'winning' is the only way back into favour
To an objective observers it does look like a war is being waged on a defenceless civil population which no longer has housing, nor food, nor hospitals - it is unconscionable what is happening to the Palestinians. To a jew who survived the Holocaust (and is still around), their plight should make uncomfortable viewing.
I often think of my first boyfriend's mother, who was Jewish and she survived Hitler in Austria by pretending to be Palestinian. The country folk she was living with had no idea what a Jew or Palestinian looks like so she survived and, miraculously, she never had a chip on her shoulder either - she was a beautiful lady. Israel is probably looked at by its Arab neighbours, as a continuation of European colonisation, as formerly practiced by the British, French and Italians, except the new colonisers are American, who keep sending their ultra-religious emissaries to build ever-more settlements in the 'disputed' areas, producing large families and being ultra-religious.
I also know the simple solution would be for Hamas to release the hostages - the fact that they don't, has me asking a deeper questions - do they want to provoke a larger regional war - for example?
As to myself, my profile: I don't hate anyone, but I am allergic to the hyper-religious of any type of religion - they preach love and cause nothing but hatred and are pretty good at dishing it out, too!
Fun fact: why does Israel participate in the yearly Eurovision song contest, if it does not see itself as 'other' or 'European' - a 'stranger' to the surrounding Arab world?
Anyway, I transgressed on my own interdict, not to have an opinion on this awful and incredibly tragic conflict, because jews have been life-changing and good people in my life, but none of them were religious zealots, but urbane, educated people. Shalom Taurisk
