Any ceasefire, truce or treaty between Israel and Palestine will be short-lived unless it includes:
a) the complete withdrawal of Israel AND
b) the establishment of a separate Palestinian nation AND
c) the public acknowledgement of an end to the Zionist agenda.
I do not believe that all these three things are possible. At the best we may see A and B, but never C. It is likely that we will only temporarily see A.
"True peace is not merely the absence of conflict: it is the presence of justice." Martin Luther King Jr
Showing posts with label Zionism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zionism. Show all posts
War across the Middle East is inevitable
The Angry Arab News Service commences a blog entry titled "Unintended Consequences" by writing:
I couldn't post a comment on the blog, so instead my reply is here:
No - not unintended.
It was quite predictable and part of the masterplan - full scale war across the middle east is not only inevitable, it has been carefully orchestrated.
It is no different to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that started the Vietnam War. It is no different to the Reichstag fire that allowed Hitler to seize power. It is no different to the US government's complicity in 9/11 that allowed it to enter Afghanistan and no different to the fake WMDs that led to the invasion of Iraq.
So many successive governments cannot be that stupid and unlucky - even when "led" by the likes of President Bush.
There is no coincidence - only the illusion of coincidence (no apologies for The Matrix quote).
The New World Order continues to make its moves on our chessboard. It will only cease when we start acting like Kings, Queens and Knights instead of Pawns.
"have just returned from the Middle East and witnessed how Israel's assault on Gaza is radicalizing mainstream Muslim opinion. Shown endlessly on Arab and Muslim television stations, the massive killing of civilians is fueling rage against Israel and its superpower patron, the United States, among mainstream and moderate voices who previously believed in co-existence with the Jewish state."
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/01/unintended-consequences.html
I couldn't post a comment on the blog, so instead my reply is here:
No - not unintended.
It was quite predictable and part of the masterplan - full scale war across the middle east is not only inevitable, it has been carefully orchestrated.
It is no different to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that started the Vietnam War. It is no different to the Reichstag fire that allowed Hitler to seize power. It is no different to the US government's complicity in 9/11 that allowed it to enter Afghanistan and no different to the fake WMDs that led to the invasion of Iraq.
So many successive governments cannot be that stupid and unlucky - even when "led" by the likes of President Bush.
There is no coincidence - only the illusion of coincidence (no apologies for The Matrix quote).
The New World Order continues to make its moves on our chessboard. It will only cease when we start acting like Kings, Queens and Knights instead of Pawns.
Brethren influencing politics
The following article highlights the increasing challenge we face in upholding the separation of church and state. There is a fine line between ideological-based politics and campaigning for a theocracy. We must be ever-watchful that the line is never crossed.
It is also important to note that the Exclusive Brethren mentioned in this article is NOT the same as other Brethren churches. In fact the New Zealand Open Brethren Church has been quick to distance itself from their more extreme colleagues. More information can be found at SourceWatch
Step to the right as the Brethren gather force
Sydney Morning Herald - September 14, 2005
A scandal in New Zealand over election money from a fringe group reflects a trend, writes Marion Maddox.
The women wear headscarves in public. Their religion opposes assimilation, and they educate children at home or in their own schools. Fearing the taint of the godless, they refuse to eat with unbelievers. They reject democracy, and work towards God's rule.
Yes, it is the Exclusive Brethren, a conservative Christian fringe group whose more than $NZ500,000 ($457,300) in electoral help was denied initially the by the New Zealand Opposition Leader, Don Brash. Brash's embarrassment has brought a frisson of scandal to an election campaign otherwise strictly about tax cuts.
The Brethren's glossy, professionally produced anti-Green and anti-Labour leaflets look familiar. In the weeks before John Howard's re-election in October last year, half- and full-page advertisements appeared in local and metropolitan newspapers endorsing his Government and attacking the Greens. The advertisements echoed the content and style of Liberal Party advertising, but none of the endorsers' names and addresses belonged to the party.
In the US elections, the Exclusive Brethren spent more than $US500,000 ($649,900) on newspaper advertisements supporting George Bush and the Florida Republican Senate candidate, Mel Martinez, known for opposing gay marriage and hate crimes legislation, and linked to the Republican strategy for turning Terri Schiavo's 15-year coma into a "great political issue".
The Exclusive Brethren is a branch of a British movement formed in the 1820s. Its founder, John Darby, was a developer of "premillennial dispensationalism", a set of beliefs about the end of the world made famous by the bestselling Left Behind novels. Followers expect an imminent "Rapture" of believers to heaven, heralding the return of Jesus.
Exclusive Brethren take a dim view of government by the people, traditionally eschewing politics. Since government properly belongs to God, they do not vote. But in recent years they have moved closer to the political activism of other fundamentalists and pentecostalists, including enthusiastic lobbying. According to them, God's law rules out homosexuality, single parenthood, hate speech legislation and "big government".
The restoration of Israel is crucial to Christ's return, so they endorse pro-Israel policies. Holders of such views welcome authoritarian Christian government as setting the stage for the final showdown between God and Satan. They also incline to a "prosperity gospel" in which wealth is a sign of God's favour, and the poor have only themselves to blame, so taxes and welfare subvert the divine order.
The Exclusive Brethren irruption into the New Zealand election points to a broader coalition of right-wing business, political parties and religion.
Bush relies on the votes of evangelical, pentecostalist and fundamentalist Christians, who want conservative government in the Last Days to oppose evil abroad (Iraq) and at home (by cutting taxes and welfare).
Howard's support base for his 1995 return to the Liberal leadership included the conservative Christian Lyons Forum. The religious right has become increasingly outspoken within the party, with the Treasurer, Peter Costello, arguing that Australia's problems will be solved not by legislation but a return to the Ten Commandments, and John Anderson declaring while deputy prime minister that without Jesus, "we're a mob of dirty rotten sinners and we're on the path to hell".
In New Zealand, a loose coalition is now pushing New Zealand down a right-wing path, as seen not just by the emergence of the Exclusive Brethren, but by the rise of the pentecostal church-based Destiny Party, the "family"-focused United Future (formed from a 2002 merger of the centrist United party with Future NZ, an explicitly Christian party), the largely evangelical-funded conservative Maxim Institute think-tank, and even a branch of the Christian supremacist Parliamentary Prayer Network.
With conservative politicians, business and Christian leaders finding common ground, and heartened by electoral success in the US and elsewhere, no wonder even moderately religious politicians such as Howard and avowed agnostics such as Brash, the New Zealand National Party leader, are hitching their stars to the conservative Christian comet.
Dr Marion Maddox is senior lecturer in religious studies at the Victoria University of Wellington and author of God Under Howard: the Rise of the Religious Right in Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2005).
It is also important to note that the Exclusive Brethren mentioned in this article is NOT the same as other Brethren churches. In fact the New Zealand Open Brethren Church has been quick to distance itself from their more extreme colleagues. More information can be found at SourceWatch
Step to the right as the Brethren gather force
Sydney Morning Herald - September 14, 2005
A scandal in New Zealand over election money from a fringe group reflects a trend, writes Marion Maddox.
The women wear headscarves in public. Their religion opposes assimilation, and they educate children at home or in their own schools. Fearing the taint of the godless, they refuse to eat with unbelievers. They reject democracy, and work towards God's rule.
Yes, it is the Exclusive Brethren, a conservative Christian fringe group whose more than $NZ500,000 ($457,300) in electoral help was denied initially the by the New Zealand Opposition Leader, Don Brash. Brash's embarrassment has brought a frisson of scandal to an election campaign otherwise strictly about tax cuts.
The Brethren's glossy, professionally produced anti-Green and anti-Labour leaflets look familiar. In the weeks before John Howard's re-election in October last year, half- and full-page advertisements appeared in local and metropolitan newspapers endorsing his Government and attacking the Greens. The advertisements echoed the content and style of Liberal Party advertising, but none of the endorsers' names and addresses belonged to the party.
In the US elections, the Exclusive Brethren spent more than $US500,000 ($649,900) on newspaper advertisements supporting George Bush and the Florida Republican Senate candidate, Mel Martinez, known for opposing gay marriage and hate crimes legislation, and linked to the Republican strategy for turning Terri Schiavo's 15-year coma into a "great political issue".
The Exclusive Brethren is a branch of a British movement formed in the 1820s. Its founder, John Darby, was a developer of "premillennial dispensationalism", a set of beliefs about the end of the world made famous by the bestselling Left Behind novels. Followers expect an imminent "Rapture" of believers to heaven, heralding the return of Jesus.
Exclusive Brethren take a dim view of government by the people, traditionally eschewing politics. Since government properly belongs to God, they do not vote. But in recent years they have moved closer to the political activism of other fundamentalists and pentecostalists, including enthusiastic lobbying. According to them, God's law rules out homosexuality, single parenthood, hate speech legislation and "big government".
The restoration of Israel is crucial to Christ's return, so they endorse pro-Israel policies. Holders of such views welcome authoritarian Christian government as setting the stage for the final showdown between God and Satan. They also incline to a "prosperity gospel" in which wealth is a sign of God's favour, and the poor have only themselves to blame, so taxes and welfare subvert the divine order.
The Exclusive Brethren irruption into the New Zealand election points to a broader coalition of right-wing business, political parties and religion.
Bush relies on the votes of evangelical, pentecostalist and fundamentalist Christians, who want conservative government in the Last Days to oppose evil abroad (Iraq) and at home (by cutting taxes and welfare).
Howard's support base for his 1995 return to the Liberal leadership included the conservative Christian Lyons Forum. The religious right has become increasingly outspoken within the party, with the Treasurer, Peter Costello, arguing that Australia's problems will be solved not by legislation but a return to the Ten Commandments, and John Anderson declaring while deputy prime minister that without Jesus, "we're a mob of dirty rotten sinners and we're on the path to hell".
In New Zealand, a loose coalition is now pushing New Zealand down a right-wing path, as seen not just by the emergence of the Exclusive Brethren, but by the rise of the pentecostal church-based Destiny Party, the "family"-focused United Future (formed from a 2002 merger of the centrist United party with Future NZ, an explicitly Christian party), the largely evangelical-funded conservative Maxim Institute think-tank, and even a branch of the Christian supremacist Parliamentary Prayer Network.
With conservative politicians, business and Christian leaders finding common ground, and heartened by electoral success in the US and elsewhere, no wonder even moderately religious politicians such as Howard and avowed agnostics such as Brash, the New Zealand National Party leader, are hitching their stars to the conservative Christian comet.
Dr Marion Maddox is senior lecturer in religious studies at the Victoria University of Wellington and author of God Under Howard: the Rise of the Religious Right in Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2005).
AOG talks GAY
Assemblies of God in gay talks
By Lyndon Barnett
Sydney Star Observer, Issue 781, Published 9/08/2005
IN A LANDMARK MOVE, HOMOSEXUALITY IS ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE PENTACOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD.
The National Executive of the Assemblies of God (AOG) has agreed to discuss homosexuality with Anthony Venn-Brown, the first openly gay member of the Australian Pentecostal church.
This unprecedented meeting could be a positive step forward for church relations with the gay and lesbian community. The AOG is the largest Pentecostal denomination in Australia containing a number of mega churches, including the high-profile Hillsong in Sydney.
The current belief within the AOG is that homosexuality is a sin, and it is impossible to be both homosexual and a Christian. Homosexuality is considered a lifestyle choice or the result of a dysfunctional childhood.
"It is my aim through intelligent and respectful dialogue to change the misconceptions within the AOG regarding homosexuality. Whilst it's rare to hear gays or lesbians castigated from the pulpit, I am challenging the traditional church doctrines," Venn-Brown said.
Venn-Brown is a former leader with the Assemblies of God who resigned very publicly in 1992. He has subsequently written his autobiography, A Life of Unlearning, detailing his 22 years living a closeted life within the Pentecostal church.
Brian Houston, National President of the AOG and senior pastor of Hillsong, commented to Venn-Brown upon accepting the invitation: "I'm sure you are aware that we are still a long way apart philosophically, but we will give you a fair hearing."
Venn-Brown believes this dialogue demonstrates that views are slowly changing.
"Such an invitation would not have happened 10 years ago," he said.
He hopes the meeting will lead to the establishment of a committee consisting of some executive members of the AOG, a psychologist, a theologian and himself.
"I believe it will be important for the committee to look at sexual orientation from a scientific, psychological as well as a theological basis. I hope to discuss the six verses from Leviticus, Romans and Corinthians which are most commonly used to justify an anti-homosexual stance," Venn-Brown said.
"These verses have an historical and cultural context that needs to be explored. Also the translation from the original ancient languages can lead to misinterpretation.
"I believe understanding and acceptance of homosexuality within the AOG will take some time. We'll know the journey is over when an openly gay man or lesbian is ordained," he said.
"But Mr Houston and the AOG should be commended for accepting my invitation to meet when other denominations such as the Catholic Church have completely closed the door to any discussion," Venn-Brown said.
Other local religious groups are also involved in dialogue with gay and lesbian members.
Rabbis from Reform synagogues meet twice a year to discuss Jewish policy. These rabbis have been discussing gay and lesbian issues throughout the past decade.
The Sydney Jewish gay and lesbian support group, Dayenu made a presentation to the rabbis in 2000 to open a debate on same-sex marriage. Judy Kell, one of the presenters, said the rabbis felt the members needed further education before the Jewish community would accept same-sex ceremonies.
Members of Dayenu believe the rabbis may soon agree to same-sex unions. The next meeting is scheduled for November this year.
Rabbi Fred Morgan of Melbourne's Temple Beth Israel told the Star he was committed to the dialogue.
"We are committed to further study and learning in this area [same-sex marriage], and we regularly revisit the issue at our biannual meetings," he said.
Although the Roman Catholic Church is known for its outspoken views on homosexuality, the United Ecumenical Catholic Church (ECC) is a contemporary Catholic church supporting the gay and lesbian community.
"We worship in the same fashion as Rome, without the restrictions that come from Rome," EEC Archbishop Ron Langham said.
There is, however, no dialogue between the ECC and traditional Catholic leaders.
"We are not interested in getting into a bun fight with other churches over their beliefs. We respect other's rights to believe," Bishop Langham said.
By Lyndon Barnett
Sydney Star Observer, Issue 781, Published 9/08/2005
IN A LANDMARK MOVE, HOMOSEXUALITY IS ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE PENTACOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD.
The National Executive of the Assemblies of God (AOG) has agreed to discuss homosexuality with Anthony Venn-Brown, the first openly gay member of the Australian Pentecostal church.
This unprecedented meeting could be a positive step forward for church relations with the gay and lesbian community. The AOG is the largest Pentecostal denomination in Australia containing a number of mega churches, including the high-profile Hillsong in Sydney.
The current belief within the AOG is that homosexuality is a sin, and it is impossible to be both homosexual and a Christian. Homosexuality is considered a lifestyle choice or the result of a dysfunctional childhood.
"It is my aim through intelligent and respectful dialogue to change the misconceptions within the AOG regarding homosexuality. Whilst it's rare to hear gays or lesbians castigated from the pulpit, I am challenging the traditional church doctrines," Venn-Brown said.
Venn-Brown is a former leader with the Assemblies of God who resigned very publicly in 1992. He has subsequently written his autobiography, A Life of Unlearning, detailing his 22 years living a closeted life within the Pentecostal church.
Brian Houston, National President of the AOG and senior pastor of Hillsong, commented to Venn-Brown upon accepting the invitation: "I'm sure you are aware that we are still a long way apart philosophically, but we will give you a fair hearing."
Venn-Brown believes this dialogue demonstrates that views are slowly changing.
"Such an invitation would not have happened 10 years ago," he said.
He hopes the meeting will lead to the establishment of a committee consisting of some executive members of the AOG, a psychologist, a theologian and himself.
"I believe it will be important for the committee to look at sexual orientation from a scientific, psychological as well as a theological basis. I hope to discuss the six verses from Leviticus, Romans and Corinthians which are most commonly used to justify an anti-homosexual stance," Venn-Brown said.
"These verses have an historical and cultural context that needs to be explored. Also the translation from the original ancient languages can lead to misinterpretation.
"I believe understanding and acceptance of homosexuality within the AOG will take some time. We'll know the journey is over when an openly gay man or lesbian is ordained," he said.
"But Mr Houston and the AOG should be commended for accepting my invitation to meet when other denominations such as the Catholic Church have completely closed the door to any discussion," Venn-Brown said.
Other local religious groups are also involved in dialogue with gay and lesbian members.
Rabbis from Reform synagogues meet twice a year to discuss Jewish policy. These rabbis have been discussing gay and lesbian issues throughout the past decade.
The Sydney Jewish gay and lesbian support group, Dayenu made a presentation to the rabbis in 2000 to open a debate on same-sex marriage. Judy Kell, one of the presenters, said the rabbis felt the members needed further education before the Jewish community would accept same-sex ceremonies.
Members of Dayenu believe the rabbis may soon agree to same-sex unions. The next meeting is scheduled for November this year.
Rabbi Fred Morgan of Melbourne's Temple Beth Israel told the Star he was committed to the dialogue.
"We are committed to further study and learning in this area [same-sex marriage], and we regularly revisit the issue at our biannual meetings," he said.
Although the Roman Catholic Church is known for its outspoken views on homosexuality, the United Ecumenical Catholic Church (ECC) is a contemporary Catholic church supporting the gay and lesbian community.
"We worship in the same fashion as Rome, without the restrictions that come from Rome," EEC Archbishop Ron Langham said.
There is, however, no dialogue between the ECC and traditional Catholic leaders.
"We are not interested in getting into a bun fight with other churches over their beliefs. We respect other's rights to believe," Bishop Langham said.
Today's Intelligence
Don't laugh too loud, for fear of being labelled anti-semitic, but the hilarious gaff by the Israelis brought a smile to the faces of many worldwide.
As reported in the SMH today, the Israelis believe that Arafat could either make a full recovery or die.
"According to our intelligence assessment, Arafat's chances of recovery range between full recover and death."
General Aaron Ze'evi, Israel Defence Force.
Yep! You heard it first folks, Arafat will live or die ... absolutely guaranteed by the Israel Defence Force! I'm sure the spooks at Mossat have distanced themselves from the oxymoronic army intelligence :-)
Everyone wants to be George W Bush these days!
World Wants Kerry to Beat Bush!
Well, that was the headline from the Sydney Morning Herald, but I'd hardly call 10 countries being definitive of the world. Then again, the USA thinks the world consists of itself and a handful of annoying little countries.
Similar (they say identical and then contradict themselves) polling was conducted among 10 nations in mid-late September to gauge public opinion toward the upcoming USA election.
Regarding the opinion toward the USA, only Israel went against the trend of negativity with 40% of respondents having an improved attitude towards the USA compared to 28% who had a worse opinion. Other results were Canada, 64% had a worse attitude compared with 70% of the French, 45% of Brits, Japan 74%, South Korea 67% and Australia 54%. The SMH failed to report the result from Russia, Spain and Mexico.
Other results from the survey indicated strong support for Kerry; that the USA had too much influence on international affairs; and a consistent opposition to the War in Iraq.
The full report is copied below.
World wants Kerry to beat Bush
By Michael Millett, October 15, 2004 - 9:35AM
The US President, George Bush, is encountering growing international hostility to his campaign for a second term in the White House.
A remarkable collaborative polling exercise, undertaken by leading newspapers in 10 countries across the globe, has highlighted strong opposition to the Bush re-election campaign.
While the findings have no direct impact on the US election - the poll excludes the Americans whose vote really counts - they show the Bush Administration is struggling to secure popular support for its policies outside American borders.
The hostility is directed not only at the White House: the image of the US itself appears to have suffered collateral damage. This is despite the fact that most of those polled believe in the US alliance and declare they are not anti-American.
The ambitious exercise, initiated by Canada's Quebec-based La Presse, required the 10 project partners to run identical polls in mid- to late September to gauge public attitudes towards the US election on November 2.
The Herald, which commissioned its regular pollster ACNielsen for the exercise, is the first paper to appear with the results in print under Friday's co-ordinated publication date.
Across most of the countries surveyed, including Australia, opinions towards the US had deteriorated over the first Bush term.
Only Israel, lockstep with the US in terms of foreign policy objectives and delivery, ran against the trend. Forty per cent of Israelis surveyed said their attitude towards the US had improved over the past two or three years. Twenty-six per cent said their view had soured.
This contrasts with the response elsewhere. In Canada, 64 per cent said their attitude had worsened, France 70 per cent, Britain 45 per cent, Japan 74 per cent, South Korea 67 per cent and Australia 54 per cent.
The souring view is directly linked to public dissatisfaction with Mr Bush, mainly over his prosecution of the Iraq war.
In all countries except for Israel, majority opinion remains firmly against the US-led war. (No specific question on Iraq was asked in the Australian exercise.) In July, a majority of Australians (55 per cent) said the war was not justified, down eight points since May.
The strongest opposition to the war was in South Korea, Mexico, Spain and France.
This anti-war mood appears to feed directly into an international preference for John Kerry, the Democrat challenging Mr Bush for the presidency.
In eight of the 10 countries taking part in the poll, Senator Kerry is rated the preferred winner, with huge margins in France, Canada and Spain. Only in Russia (52-48) and Israel (a more decisive 50-24) is Mr Bush the preferred winner.
Senator Kerry benefits from being a relative unknown. In Australia, respondents were less likely to express an opinion about him (a 37 per cent "don't know" response compared to only 4 per cent for Mr Bush) but there were more people with a favourable rather than unfavourable opinion of him.
If Mr Bush was re-elected, 40 per cent of Australians surveyed believed the international state of affairs would worsen. Eleven per cent believed it would improve and 45 per cent believed it would stay the same.
While the appeal of the US has faded of late, Australians remain strongly committed to the relationship. Seventy-two per cent had a favourable opinion of Americans; 22 per cent had the opposite view.
Almost three in every four believed it was important that the US play a leadership role in the world and 92 per cent said it was important Australia maintain good relations with the US.
Four of the project countries asked whether the US had too much influence on international affairs. The results were emphatic: 86 per cent of Canadians, 73 per cent of Britons, 66 per cent of Mexicans and 87 per cent of South Koreans answered yes.
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Why fighting terrorism with more terrorism is vile
It appears from the limited information available that Israel has once again lowered itself to use acts of terrorism against those that violently oppose its US-endorsed regime of racial and religious vilification.
As a result of the assassination (killed when he turned the ignition of his booby trapped car) in Syria of Izz el-Deen al-Sheikh Khalil, one of the senior figures of the Islamic militant (and undeniable perpetrator of terrorist acts) Hamas, the group has vowed revenge. And rightly so, if you follow the god-ordained example of the war mongering Bush clan ... an eye for eye is their unshakeable creed.
The fact that three pedestrians were also wounded (with the potential to have been killed) in the blast clearly provides further evidence that Israel (assuming they are behind the murder) values life and freedom no more than the terrorist cells they, and the "Tri-liar Alliance" (USA, UK & Australia) are seeking to eliminate.
A terror attack is no more justified coming from a supposedly "civilised" nation, whether it be the self-proclaimed protector of "truth, justice and liberty"or merely a convenient ally, than it is by a band of suicidal religious zealots. Both are barbaric. Both are hate-inspired. Both are worthy of our strongest condemnation.
While we may all contemplate the bitter sweet taste of revenge in our most subversive moments of anger or grief, there can never be justification for the taking of a single innocent life, even by accident. Using an explosive device in a public space to rid the world of an enemy is too great a risk to the wider population and shows a total disregard for life. The end does not justify the means.
But therein lies the paradox, at least for some people. I'm certainly no extreme pacifist when it comes to taking a life in order to preserve the lives of others. For example, I would not hesitate in using violence to protect my loved ones. It is a natural instinct.
However, being human comes with a caveat that supports resorting to violence only when reason fails. It is sad indictment that our history's most common theme is one of murder and destruction, yet we are rarely, if ever, able to identify a single recorded act of justifiable carnage where innocent lives are taken.
In the famed hypothetical of travelling back in time to meet a young Adolf Hitler, I most certainly would have taken the opportunity to eliminate that evil - no hesitation - and in my mind I believe I could justify the action to myself, the victims of the holocaust and the futuristic world from whence I came. But in achieving the objective I change the course of the future and, rather than being a hero that prevents the massive destruction of the future, I am merely a murderer of a young man with an unknown future and whose family now mourn his loss.
Shame on the state of Israel! It is time to redefine the axis of evil and the member states.
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Criticism, not anti-Semitism
LETTER TO THE WEST AUSTRALIAN (not published)
Reading the various reports recently about prominent ALP criticism of Israel raising the ire of Australian Jews has me concluding that some followers of Judaism (fortunately not the ones I know and respect) are a little too precious about their religious homeland. A land that is also of important significance to believers in Christianity and Islam.
Since when do Australian Anglicans get upset at criticism of UK policy? Do our Italian migrants or numerous Catholics claim bigotry when the world criticises the Vatican? Clearly, no, on both counts! But somehow Israel seeks special immunity to criticism, at least in the eyes of these few descendants of Abraham.
At the present time the world is vary wary of, if not prone to condemning, religious states. Why should Israel be any different? It is in breach of more UN resolutions than Afghanistan ever was under the Taliban. Israel deserves to be rebuked while it continues to be an aggressor-occupier.
I echo the words of Harry S. Truman in his recently discovered diary (West Australian, Sat 12/07/03) "Put an underdog on top ... and he goes haywire".
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