Tiger By the tail........

[Loosehead]

Without wanting to start a deep discussion on the whole Isreal/Palistinian problem. When are the Palistinian miltants going to learn that getting a tiger by the tail is bloody dangerous?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5 124872.stm

[Dom Tuk]

Why, do they hope to milk it !!!

[andy-hughes]

The simple fact is, these two races hate each other. It's a hard concept for westerners to grasp, but each generation is brought up with tales at their mother's knee about the dreadful people on 'the other side' which festers into full-grown hatred in adults.

English people claim to dislike the French, or even the Scots, but this is on a different level, these people HATE each other with a depth of feeling we cannot imagine.

They understand that irradication of the enemy from the disputed land is probably not a realisable deam, but it is theirt dream none the less, and a lot spend a lot of time and energy trying to make that dream come true.

[Loosehead]

I understand that Andy. What I struggle to grasp is why do they do something that will be revisited on them many times over in terms of severity. They kidnap one soldier Isreal will end up directly or indirectly killing hundreds and damaging infrastructure. Hate away but at the same time use a bit of common sense. They have legitimate political leaders now and progression open to them.

[Toureman]

It is hard to understand but some people do not know when they are beaten.

There is of course still the Religion problem.

[andy-hughes]

You are approaching this argument from the stance of a European who sees things calmly and logically, and looks ahead to consequences in advance.

People with, shall we say, rather more inclination to act first and make a point, and see the consequences as even more evidence of the evil of their enemies, do just that - act first, and worry about reprisals after.

Common sense is not a concept these people are familar with.

[El D]

andy, while what you say is true, I must point out that it is not just tales at their mother's knee that drive the situation but direct experience of the carnage/atrocities committed in the area. I am sure that almost everyone in the Gaza strip has lost friends and family. Their feelings are real, not induced.

Loosehead - it is arguable that this is what the militants want. Their existence is fuelled by conflict, to lure the Israelis into the nightmare of occupation or into occupied territory where they are vulnerable provides them with a perfect opportunity. The greater the retaliation by Israel, the greater the popular backlash from the Palestinians, and so it goes on.

[Dom Tuk]

the israelis have now bombed a power station (half of gaza is in darkness) and a few bridges. Or should i have said the israeli terrorists have done this.

Do you know how many Palestinians are in Israeli prisons.

[Dom Tuk]

andy hughes....commonsense is something that the palestinians are immensely gifted with. That is the reason why they have been subjugated for all these years and their land taken away from them and a militarily weak people they have had to bear this injustice. They have known nothing but suffering at the hands of the insurgents/terrorists who have used a bible, a book of unknown authenticity ,as title deeds.
By the way some of the worlds foremost heart surgeons are Palestinians.

[Booldawg]

I've always wanted to open an Israeli lap dancing club and call it 'The Gaza Strip'

[Lonnie]

Hope no-one minds me butting in on this, its basically true what Loosehead has said, but they,(the Palistinians), know what the reaction will be, and want it, don't forget, they still have 'The Destruction of Israel' on their mandate.

Because of their mindset, they will, every so often, provoke a reaction that they hope will unite the Arab world in a war against Israel, and also turn world opinion against them,.

They don't mind how many innocents die to achieve their aim.

[El D]

Of course Israel's collective guilt mechanism is hardly discerning.

[Playbill]

The answer to the original question of when the militants will learn the danger of their actions, is probably never. andy-hughes statement that the two races hate each other is too simplistic. We are talking about two groups of people who have different attitudes to life itself. The Palestinians eagerly sacrifice themselves (and whoever happens to be near them) as bombers, while the Israelis have more respect for their lives. Don't forget, this latest upsurge was triggered by the kidnapping - the life - of one soldier.

[jno]

If Britain had been occupied by Nazi Germany, do you suppose people would not have fought to liberate what they saw as their homeland, by every means available to them? Or do you think they would have said 'Ooh, mustn't do that, I'll be getting a tiger by the tail'?
My guess is some people would have done one thing, some the other.

[jno]

as I understand it, Jews claim that, according to the Bible, God promised them the land, and so it's theirs. A Zionist movement began in the 19th century (ie, a movement to reclaim it as a national homeland for Jews) but it came about after the horrors of the second world war. Before that the region was run by western European powers - chiefly Britain and France - who had seized it in their general attempt to colonise the whole world. The Palestinians lived there at the time but were not given a say in the matter.

[Lonnie]

Just a footnote,
There's never been a country, or nation called Palestine, it a Roman corruption of the word Philistine, and the original Philistines weren't of Middle East origin.

[Booldawg]

The Jews were exiled from there 1700 years ago and spread themselves across the world. They pitched up there in 1948 and basically want it back now.

[Lonnie]

True Booldawg, but the Jews weren't the original inhabitants, although they were there before the 'so called' Palestinians.

[Birt]

I understand jno's post regarding if britain was occupied by the Nazis. Werent we called Anglo-Saxons at one point?
So by the Jewish interpretation the germans (saxons) had some claim to Britain?