QUESTION: For Palestinians and Israelis

How come every time I meet a Palestinian or an Israeli here in the USA they appear to be remarkably civil, friendly, intelligent, polite? I have met many people from that region, from both sides, and also from Syria and Lebanon.

All of these people strike me as a very attractive and philosophical bunch of people who are quite compassionate and tolerant. It is actually a very distinguishing feature of both the Palestinians and Israelis I have met.

Do you think it is because they are on their "best behavior" while visiting here?

Maybe the pressure associated with living in that region is so intense and horrible that, when they escape to America for a visit or a vacation, it is a total pleasure for them, which brightens their whole demeanor?

Or maybe, when they come to the USA for a while, they get a sense of perspective on how pointless the Palestinian and Israeli conflict actually is, and they experience some sort of revelation?

Or maybe, only the more intelligent, serene, and affluent get the opportunity to travel here?

Or is there something weird about that region of our planet, which drives people who actually live there slightly insane?

Or is it something else?

I don't know the answer. That is why I am asking.

I can't really say. I know many people who live in Israel and they are polite and civil and friendly and loving and don't want at all what their government is doing, nor what Hamas is doing. I've never been to Palestine, but met many Arabs who were considered Palestinian at one time, years and years ago, but are now citizens of Israel, and funny how that is, they, too, are polite, civil and friendly and loving and don't want at all what the Israeli government is doing, nor what Hamas is doing. Go figure.

Sorry, I didn't fully comprehend who the question was for. doh!!!!!
I'm neither Palestinian nor Israeli, so my answer really is moot, yes?

reply to post by Axial Leader


Did the TV actually make you believe that those people are some sort of maniacs terrorists who are only purpose in life is to terrorize?

You need to learn the history, an unbiased history in order to find out what is going on, and why it is going on, and why it is being continued without any help for the unprotected.

reply to post by LittleSecret

You need to learn the history, an unbiased history in order to find out what is going on, and why it is going on, and why it is being continued without any help for the unprotected.

Who are the unprotected? Do you mean the Palestinian citizens? Just asking.

[edit on 18-6-2010 by MY2Commoncentsworth]

reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth


Yes the Palestinians are the unprotected.

The situation is very similar to the apartheid regime of South Africa which collapsed.

reply to post by LittleSecret


Yes, the South African apartheid was truly evil. However, I believe that the Israeli government is more interested in protecting its own citizens than creating apartheid. Any ideas on how to make people in the region come together and try to resolve many of these issues?

Originally posted by MY2Commoncentsworth
reply to post by LittleSecret

 

Yes, the South African apartheid was truly evil. However, I believe that the Israeli government is more interested in protecting its own citizens than creating apartheid. Any ideas on how to make people in the region come together and try to resolve many of these issues?

Expanding Jewish settlements is not protecting its citizens, continuing the occupation is not protecting its citizens.

Palestinians have peacefully protested these actions for a long time until the 2nd intifada when they just lost it and the extreme faction of the Palestinian people were given the thumbs up to fight and defend the Palestinians.

After all that was the reason for choosing Hamas.

How can we solve the issue?

The issue can be solved when there is balance, when Israel's security is truly at risk, home made fireworks being thrown towards Israel is not a security risk, car crashes kill more people in Israel than those home made fireworks.

That being said, once Israel truly sees security risk arising in regards to its continuous settlement expansions, and continuous occupations, that is when it will come to the table and start negotiating for a peace plan.

Israel has nothing to gain from peace:

stirred an outburst of anger amongst Palestinians, exasperated by the stagnation of the peace process, as well as by the continuing occupation and settlement expansion.

The violent repression of Palestinian demonstrations demanding the immediate ending of the occupation killed more than 200 Palestinians in one month, of which one third was under 17 years old. To respond to this brutality, the Intifada became militarised as from the beginning of November 2000.

Palestinians peacefully protested for a long time, I feel for them.

Among the many reasons for the start of the second Palestinian intifada in September 2000, the massive expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza must count as the most important.


The 1993 Oslo Accords signed by the PLO and Israel were meant to reconcile Palestinian aspirations for self-determination and statehood and the existence of Israel. In fact, an aggressive policy of settlement expansion and consolidation took place over the following seven years. More Arab land was taken over and more Palestinian homes were bulldozed, more exclusively Jewish roa

In between the time of the Oslo Accord and the 2nd intifada:

When Yasser Arafat and Yitzak Rabin shook hands on the White House lawn in September 1993 there were about 115,000 Jewish settlers in West Bank and Gaza. By the time of the second intifada seven years later there were more than 200,000 of them. Reports suggest another 1,500 families (17,000 people) have been added to this total during 2001, more than the 400 settler families that have moved back to Israel under the impact of the intifada.

And Seriously, GAZA:

Gaza, one of the most densely populated tracts of land in the world, is home to 1,178,000 Palestinians, 33 per cent of whom live in United Nations-funded refugee camps.
Gaza is also home to 6,900 Jewish settlers. Yet the Israeli-controlled areas and settlements take up about 40 per cent of Gaza's land. Israel controls all external borders, crossing points and major roads in Gaza.

No justice no peace, don't forget that.

reply to post by LittleSecret


Yes, I believe that the Israeli's should abandon all settlements in Gaza and Palestine and give peace another chance. I would very much like to see Palestine and Gaza become thriving, free and independant states.

I hope that president Obama can work towards this end, to make this a reality someday. Someday soon I hope. But it seems like it is impossible when one considers the current state of affairs.

Thank you for your honesty and candor in helping everyone to understand the situation a little better.

reply to post by LittleSecret

Originally posted by LittleSecret

Did the TV actually make you believe that those people are some sort of maniacs terrorists who are only purpose in life is to terrorize?

You need to learn the history, an unbiased history in order to find out what is going on, and why it is going on, and why it is being continued without any help for the unprotected.

Did the TV actually make you believe the same is true for Israelis?

Are you sure you've learned the unbiased history? Or did you learn only that which was taught to you?
Do you ever wonder who is the teacher?

[edit on 19-6-2010 by Eliad]

reply to post by LittleSecret

originally posted by LittleSecret
And Seriously, GAZA:

Gaza, one of the most densely populated tracts of land in the world, is home to 1,178,000 Palestinians, 33 per cent of whom live in United Nations-funded refugee camps.
Gaza is also home to 6,900 Jewish settlers. Yet the Israeli-controlled areas and settlements take up about 40 per cent of Gaza's land. Israel controls all external borders, crossing points and major roads in Gaza.

No justice no peace, don't forget that.

Yes but I am reading conflicting reports here. It appears that all Jewish people were evacuated from Gaza in August 2005.
Here is the link...www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org...

I am assuming that your information came from this link...news.bbc.co.uk...

Would you care to elaborate on this?


[edit on 19-6-2010 by MY2Commoncentsworth]

reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth


Yes the settlers were removed, and that brings me to my next point:

As I said Palestinians have been protesting peacefully for a long time, it didn't work, prior to second intifada I gave you examples of how Palestinians were demeaned by the Zionist regime.

When violence broke out after the second intifada Israel finally decided to leave Gaza:

The Second Intifada broke out in September 2000 with its waves of protest, civil unrest and bombings against Israeli military and civilians, many of them perpetrated by suicide bombers, and the beginning of rockets and bombings of Israeli border localities by Palestinian guerrillas from Gaza Strip, especially from Hamas and Jihad Islami movements. In February 2005, the Israeli government voted to implement a unilateral disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip. The plan began to be implemented on 15 August 2005, and was completed on 12 September 2005. Under the plan, all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip (and four in the West Bank) and the joint Israeli-Palestinian Erez Industrial Zone were dismantled with the removal of all 9,000 Israeli settlers (most of them in the Gush Katif settlement area in the Strip's southwest) and military bases.

en.wikipedia.org...

Now as you know the Fatah movement stopped resisting, infact it is getting aid from the US to start tension between Palestinians.

Rather then protecting Palestinian rights, Fatah has become a proxy force for Western nations, including Israel, while Israel expands its settlements towards Fatah controlled territories without any resistance.

Israel's plan to construct another 1,600 homes on occupied Palestinian territory "undermines the trust we need," US Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

www.presstv.ir...

But as I said previously, the Clash between Obama/Israel was just a ploy.

And this is the date of the news:
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:15:24 GMT

reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth


It never ceases to amaze me that Israel is always portrayed as the bad guy. Why should Israel be forced to surrender sections of its country to a group of people that hate them? Israel offered the West Bank to Palestine, they refused it. Israel has regularly tried to appease the Palestinians but were rebuffed each and every time.
As for your "fireworks" comment, how insensitive can an individual get! Tell all of those students and parents of students that were killed at the bombing of Jerusalem University. They were killed by fireworks though right?
If a homeland is needed, why not demand it from an Arab country? Why should Israel give away any of their country? How many homeless people have you taken the time to help this week? Have you given any of your home to a homeless family? Don't judge Israel for not doing what you won 't do yourself.

Originally posted by pwhit
reply to post by MY2Commoncentsworth

 

It never ceases to amaze me that Israel is always portrayed as the bad guy. Why should Israel be forced to surrender sections of its country to a group of people that hate them? Israel offered the West Bank to Palestine, they refused it. Israel has regularly tried to appease the Palestinians but were rebuffed each and every time.
As for your "fireworks" comment, how insensitive can an individual get! Tell all of those students and parents of students that were killed at the bombing of Jerusalem University. They were killed by fireworks though right?
If a homeland is needed, why not demand it from an Arab country? Why should Israel give away any of their country? How many homeless people have you taken the time to help this week? Have you given any of your home to a homeless family? Don't judge Israel for not doing what you won 't do yourself.

Compare the weapons used by Palestinians to weapons used by Israel then tell me if it is not equivalent to fireworks.

One more thing, how many people die due to fireworks around the world?

One more thing, how many people die from car crash in Israel?

And last thing, how many innocent Palestinians have been killed by Israel, and how many innocent Israelis killed by Palestinians?

Have you given any of your home to a homeless family? Don't judge Israel for not doing what you won 't do yourself.

WOW, WOW let's back down for a second, you think that Palestinians were homeless? I thought Jews were slaughtered in Europe so they came to Palestine to run away from the European prosecution.

I thought Jews were homeless?

Go research Zionism.

Your ignorance amuses me.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by LittleSecret]

Civil and friendly people can get downright nasty when their backs are up against the wall and they are in a struggle for their existence. Add a few religious extremist nut jobs to the mix and the picture gets really ugly.

Originally posted by hotpinkurinalmint
Civil and friendly people can get downright nasty when their backs are up against the wall and they are in a struggle for their existence. Add a few religious extremist nut jobs to the mix and the picture gets really ugly.

Exactly, if you meet me in a normal environment you would definitely enjoy a discussion with me because I'm a talkative guy and can lure the chiks for my mates ^^

But there are certain things which tiks me off:

1. If someone tries to assault me without any justification

2. If someone messes around with my family

3. ?If some one beats up a lady

In those situation, if and only if I loose it then you will see my other side. Palestinians only lost it after the second Intifada, they had much patience indeed.

I sound more like a vicious animal in those situation rather than a pleasant guy.

Never the less I always keep justice in mind, I have even been punched in the face without retaliating due to understanding my own wrong doing.

reply to post by LittleSecret


Once again, thank you for your time and patience in communicating your thoughts and ideas. You are obviously very dedicated to the liberation of the Palestinian people, and I applaud your efforts.

But as I said previously, the Clash between Obama/Israel was just a ploy.

Why would President Obama's tough stance toward Israel be a ploy? What does he have to gain politically by not moving the peace process forward?

Is this a serious question? How about "Because you don't meet their government, you meet real people"? Simple answer.

I'm sure if you met were to go to Iraq and act normal, they would say "Why aren't you like other Americans? Why aren't you shooting us while we walk to the store? What's wrong with you? Why aren't you a savage like all Americans?"

It's all about perception. And what an insulting thing to insinuate that being in America gives them a "normal" perspective on how to act.

reply to post by LittleSecret


You're talking about events that had happened 10 years ago. Much has changed.
Fatah stopped resisting because Arafat, its militant leader, died.
Because it stopped resisting Israel has pulled out most of the checkpoints, it gives the fatah tens of millions of dollars each month to rebuild, it has a police force of its own, a government, and the only thing stopping it from reaching its full potential are those damn settlements which will be removed soon hopefully.
The west bank is flourishing, it has night clubs and restaurants.
It's not prefect, but it's headed in the right direction.

This tension that you speak of started when hamas started shooting fatah activists in the street.
This made all of fatah leave the Gaza strip..
I'm pretty sure they're pissed off as it is.

And wasn't the building in the settlements frozen?

With respect,
Eliad.

reply to post by pwhit

As for your "fireworks" comment, how insensitive can an individual get! Tell all of those students and parents of students that were killed at the bombing of Jerusalem University. They were killed by fireworks though right?

LittleSecret made that statement. You replied to the wrong person. I have to agree with what you have said here in your quote. However, I do not believe that the expansion of settlements in the West Bank will further the peace process.



[edit on 19-6-2010 by MY2Commoncentsworth]