Poll: Do you like Israel?

[TitanDrone]

I have never been to Israel so I voted I don't care.

I DO get a LOT of my daily news filled by stories about Israel vs. everyone and I want them to stop. If you live in Israel or have any influence over what goes on there, I kindly ask that you get your $%&# together and move in to the 21st century with the rest of us. Here are some pointers.

- don't divide your population along ethnic lines
- do not force a conflict when the courts can resolve disputes
- eliminate extremists' access to elected posts (don't vote for them.)
- don't allow religious arguments to influence politics (no priests or clergy may hold office.)
- make love, not war (sounds corny, but in the case of Israel it is still valid.)

And finally. Try your best not to turn up on my TV news any more. Failure to do so, will result in my support for a UN solution that revokes the rights of anyone to live there. I call it the kindergarten-solution. A solution often used when kids cannot agree to share toys; remove said toy from the equation. In this case the rights of ANYONE living there are in jeopardy because a small minority (on both sides,) insist on using violence, threats, forced re-settlement and other 18th century methods.

On behalf of the rest of the world: SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR FAIL COUNTRY.

Now back to playing computer games to Escape our dull reality.

 

[SilentCom]

I don't really have an opinion on Israel. I don't know much about them actually.

 

[EonEire]

I have actually no idea and have no interest in the Israel / Palestine conflict. As much as i have heard about it throughout my life I still have no idea whats going on there and if I got this far knowing absolutely zero about it, I may as well just keep on trucking.

 

[Kyle Meadows]

I just think that there is a way for both Palestine and Israel to coexist. Israel has that one peice of land holy to both sides, right? Why not make it an independent area that both Muslims and Jews can visit? Again, I may not understand. But if you want to know who I support, Israel. They are a ballsy country with an amazing military. My father was proud to have fought alongside the Israeli Special forces. As for your government, well...
My fellow Americans may have different opinions, but I can't rightly judge because my government sucks too.

 

[imperialus]

Nope. Can't say that I do. Israel today is like South Africa during Apartheid. Nelson Mandela used to be a terrorist too [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivonia_Trial].

 

[redisforever]

It's a beautifull country though not really tourist friendly.

Why isn't so tourist friendly?
Even though we are considered 'dangerous' , this year had the largest attraction of tourists in a decade.
Our military, military police and police forces keep citizens and tourists safe.

Very true. I feel safer in Israel than in Canada sometimes. And it is kinda not tourist friendly. Not many tourist attractions, and such.

 

[TheIronRuler]

But you need to ask yourself how far can a person go when he claims land for himself.
If you accept what the Palestinians say, you should also return all land that American took from the natives there, India should become a British colony again...
Nobody investigates their claims seriously, they just say that they are right so that they could claim Israel is wrong.

I never said anything about returning the land, just that taking it in the first place was wrong (though there's nothing to be done about that, that was several generations ago) and continuing to take more continues to be wrong.

Land wasn't taken before the founding of Israel. There was a foundation that accepted donations and bought land for Jews to settle in and lead a life.
Today the organization exists and its purpose is to tend for the national parks and other sites (archaeological, historical, etc.) throughout Israel.
Israel was founded legally by a UN resolution. A day afterwards, a war broke out because the Arabs refused the deal to split Israel into two countries.
Israel won, took the land that wasn't in her control and should have been.
A series of bloody wars that took a toll on everyone later, Israel took land like the Golan Heights for its strategic priority. There are about 50 thousand or less living there.
It's a sad history of bloody wars, Israel had every right as the victor to claim land. It now has peace with Egypt because it gave land back for it.

 

[Fetzenfisch]

My opinion is thats not the peoples fault that they are represented poorly in outer affairs.Seriously get some less bitchy diplomats in your offices around the world.
When it comes to the israelis i met so far, half of them were cool, half of them were complete idiots.But the ones that were cool had some of the best dark and evil sense of humor i ever experienced, great times.

 

[TheIronRuler]

I just think that there is a way for both Palestine and Israel to coexist. Israel has that one peice of land holy to both sides, right? Why not make it an independent area that both Muslims and Jews can visit? Again, I may not understand. But if you want to know who I support, Israel. They are a ballsy country with an amazing military. My father was proud to have fought alongside the Israeli Special forces. As for your government, well...
My fellow Americans may have different opinions, but I can't rightly judge because my government sucks too.

Your proposition had been offered by the UN and it was the original plans for Jerusalem to be an inter-national place where no country could claim it their own.
But the Arabs refused and STARTED A WAR with Israel a day after it had announced independence (legally). Who do we blame for it?

 

[Exterminas]

No.
But I have to add that I have never been there and I am a german, so I got bombarded with guilt-inducing propaganda my whole life. Makes it kind of hard to like them.

In addition to that the whole middle-east conflict seems really silly to me. Why did they have to found Isreal there? Why couldn't it be somewhere in Nevada?

I mean Holy Places are one thing, but are they worth this kind of bullshit all the time?

 

[Macgyvercas]

I support Israel's right to exist. But here's the thing: I also support Palestine's right to exist. I think the two should exist side by side.

Yeah, that'll never happen.

Let's just assume for the moment that the Bible is meant to be taken literally (which, given how religion dictates pretty much everything over there, it probably is).

The Israelis say that God promised the land to them because He said that it would go to the decendents of Abraham's first born son (and they take that to mean first born legitimate son), whereas the Muslims say it was promised to his first born son whether legitimate or not (Abraham's first born son was Ishmael, born to Sarah's maidservent).

So as long as that problem is in the way, there will never be a lasting peace between the two.

 

[TheIronRuler]

I have never been to Israel so I voted I don't care.

I DO get a LOT of my daily news filled by stories about Israel vs. everyone and I want them to stop. If you live in Israel or have any influence over what goes on there, I kindly ask that you get your $%&# together and move in to the 21st century with the rest of us. Here are some pointers.

- don't divide your population along ethnic lines
- do not force a conflict when the courts can resolve disputes
- eliminate extremists' access to elected posts (don't vote for them.)
- don't allow religious arguments to influence politics (no priests or clergy may hold office.)
- make love, not war (sounds corny, but in the case of Israel it is still valid.)

And finally. Try your best not to turn up on my TV news any more. Failure to do so, will result in my support for a UN solution that revokes the rights of anyone to live there. I call it the kindergarten-solution. A solution often used when kids cannot agree to share toys; remove said toy from the equation. In this case the rights of ANYONE living there are in jeopardy because a small minority (on both sides,) insist on using violence, threats, forced re-settlement and other 18th century methods.

On behalf of the rest of the world: SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR FAIL COUNTRY.

Now back to playing computer games to Escape our dull reality.

Not going to happen.
There's a massive public that represents about 15% of our population which is a devote religious Jew. They're like every other person that pays taxes and has the right to vote.
I can't tell them not to vote, because it would be undemocratic.
Every ethnic group that views itself as discriminated have some sort of lobby and political group already up and running. In the 50's to the early 70's Spaniard Jews were discriminated heavily. Due to that, a political party of Religious Spaniard Jews arose to end the discrimination.
Now it's discriminating against non-religious Jews and Ashkenazi Jews.
I can't do shit to stop it.

 

[TheIronRuler]

No.
But I have to add that I have never been there and I am a german, so I got bombarded with guilt-inducing propaganda my whole life. Makes it kind of hard to like them.

In addition to that the whole middle-east conflict seems really silly to me. Why did they have to found Isreal there? Why couldn't it be somewhere in Nevada?

I mean Holy Places are one thing, but are they worth this kind of bullshit all the time?

I had an earlier post discussing this.
Let me copy paste. You will be enlightened!
---

Remember Zionism? Members believed that Jews are a nation and therefore should receive land for them to live in and become a country.
The reason why the old testament land was chosen is because even though the pioneers of Zionism were mostly secular, the majority of Jews at the time were religious. Plus, people that would immigrate to a desert country with no infrastructure whatsoever (At the time of the Turks) are usually the ones that have nothing to lose. That lot includes folk that have been suffering persecution in the Russian Kingdom (Tzardom?), which are all religious Jews.
---
Any other questions can be directed at me.

 

[mikey7339]

Their fighter pilots are so badass they can land an F-15 with one wing blown off. As a fellow pilot I support any country that can raise people like that.

 

[stefanbertramlee]

I do.

They are quite often dickish, but also incredibly badass.

And since I'm not going to support the side that fires rockets indiscriminately into residental areas, props to Isreal.

 

[Exterminas]

I had an earlier post discussing this.
Let me copy paste. You will be enlightened!
---

Remember Zionism? Members believed that Jews are a nation and therefore should receive land for them to live in and become a country.
The reason why the old testament land was chosen is because even though the pioneers of Zionism were mostly secular, the majority of Jews at the time were religious. Plus, people that would immigrate to a desert country with no infrastructure whatsoever (At the time of the Turks) are usually the ones that have nothing to lose. That lot includes folk that have been suffering persecution in the Russian Kingdom (Tzardom?), which are all religious Jews.
---
Any other questions can be directed at me.

I wasn't trying to claim that there was no reason for them to found Israel in the Holy LAnd.
My point was that I doubt that reason was a good one/ worth all the trouble.

My knowledge of judaism is farily limited, but I would assume that since they regard themselves as god's chosen people, they won't have to fear repression from god for wanting to live peacefully in the Nevada-Desert.

 

[stefanbertramlee]

No.
But I have to add that I have never been there and I am a german, so I got bombarded with guilt-inducing propaganda my whole life. Makes it kind of hard to like them.

In addition to that the whole middle-east conflict seems really silly to me. Why did they have to found Isreal there? Why couldn't it be somewhere in Nevada?

I mean Holy Places are one thing, but are they worth this kind of bullshit all the time?

I had an earlier post discussing this.
Let me copy paste. You will be enlightened!
---

Remember Zionism? Members believed that Jews are a nation and therefore should receive land for them to live in and become a country.
The reason why the old testament land was chosen is because even though the pioneers of Zionism were mostly secular, the majority of Jews at the time were religious. Plus, people that would immigrate to a desert country with no infrastructure whatsoever (At the time of the Turks) are usually the ones that have nothing to lose. That lot includes folk that have been suffering persecution in the Russian Kingdom (Tzardom?), which are all religious Jews.
---
Any other questions can be directed at me.

Russian Empire. BTW.

 

[Mace Tulio]

I have no strong feelings one way or the other, I just wish Israel and Palestine could learn to get along.

 

[trollnystan]

Er... I plead the Fifth. Can I do that even if I'm not American?

Seriously though; you have a beautiful country, and I know lovely people from there - although the future Israeli fighter pilot I once met who didn't know when WW2 broke out was weird - but some of the policies your government has is shit IMO. I can't say I have any real answers in how to solve the conflict between Israel and Palestine - both sides have done bad things - but the child-minder in me wants to put both of the countries in a time-out. And maybe ground them for a bit.

Oh, if only life was that simple...

 

[TheIronRuler]

-snip-

I wasn't trying to claim that there was no reason for them to found Israel in the Holy LAnd.
My point was that I doubt that reason was a good one/ worth all the trouble.

My knowledge of judaism is farily limited, but I would assume that since they regard themselves as god's chosen people, they won't have to fear repression from god for wanting to live peacefully in the Nevada-Desert.

Did you read the post?
The point was that in order to encourage the poor and suffering lot which was religious, they HAD to have Israel in the old testament land. Else Jews would have never come.
They had many, MANY different offers and places to go, including parts of the Ottoman Empire, A part of Russia in an autonomy and some of the British colonies.