I know I shouldn't have put my nose here while I do not have the time to argue my points all the way through, but as my admittedly hastely-written statement got such intelligent (truly, no pun intended) replies, I feel obliged to respond. I accuse you of preventing me from ever finishing with my gradu.
VC: It seems we have a different understanding of the meaning of the term "sionist", which may be of my own fault (as I'm not sure, if I use it correctly). When I use it, I (falsely?) mean only the extreme fundamentalist minority within the jew community that insanely demands that the borders of Israel cannot be questioned and the war of terror against all Palestinians must be continued, despite the horrible costs in both arab and jewish lives. You seemed to take my comment as if I meant sionist = jew. Sorry, if I used the term incorrectly and confused you. Apart from that, I see where you disagree with me and respect your belief in humanity. I seem to be losing that very belief, once so strong in me, every time I read the news concerning the Near-East situation. I would say you are not the only one, whose respect I have lost in this regard, lately.
Why then, do I not feel similar hatred against the leaders of the jihad, you might ask? Don't take me wrong, I'm not crying for Yassin or any of his kind of religious leaders. I just cry for those thousands of young Palestinians, whose entire generations are taught to hate and kill, as they see no other way out of their situation. Killing someone, who has never experienced life, is pointless. These men and women are the future leaders of the Palestinians, people who will cause hundreds and thousands of unnecessary deaths - but they do not ever see any other options, and that's why I do not hate them as much. The sionists, on the other hand, have the education, the resources and the possibilites - yet they choose to continue this war, and that's why I hate them as much I do.
Child of Time said:
The problem isn't the state of Isreal itself, right? Isn't the problem that Palestinians (or all non-Jewish citizens?) are considered second class citizens because the Jews are afraid of becoming a minority in their 'own' country? Concerning Zionists - well, I would certainly like to see a nazi free world, but that will probably not happen. But if I was to go out and start killing nazis, I would become a as big moron as the nazis themselves. There will always be people with opinions that others wish didn't exist, but we just have to cope with them.
Well put. I hope more people in power were like you - not prone to hatred, like myself. That is my weakness. I cannot see a future, in which there is peace in middle east and state of Israel exists (see more below).
Fireangel: Excellent, insightful post, with some great ideas I had never heard (or thought about) before! Really put my poor rant above in shame.
Still, though, the cynical pessimist in me simply can
not believe your plan would work, not with the people in power right now, not with the harmful religous attitudes so polarized at the moment (thanks to Bush & co.) and not with the lack of will and power within the UN (again, partially thanks to Bush & co.). I wish I could believe in it, but I simply can not.
-Villain (sorry, I truly don't have more time to this, would love to argue this, heated or calm, with you wise people)
