Ships to Gaza incident

[Edan]

That doesn't mean Israel's actions caused a decline in support for Hamas.

Perhaps not, but they haven't rallied behind them.

[Asher]

"By the time the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933 and rising numbers of Jews sought refuge in other countries, it had become virtually impossible for Jews to find refuge in Canada"

"fought a difficult battle against quotas which all but banned Jewish immigration from Europe in the years prior to World War II."

Seriously, do you read your sources?

How do you think over 100,000 jews got into the country if it was virtually impossible to get in?

I'm curious.

It was hard from 1935-1939 because the immigration minister at the time was an anti-Semite. I was referring to the bigger picture.

[Asher]

Coming out of lurk for this...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/126155/Support-Israel-Near-Record-High.aspx

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/june_2009/81_say_palestinians_must_recognize_israel_s_right_to_exist_as_part_of_any_peace_agreement

http://www.gallup.com/poll/116308/Americans-Support-Israel-Unchanged-Gaza-Conflict.aspx

This is a pretty good demonstration of how Americans feel about support for Israel:


I can count the people I've met personally that don't support Israel on one hand.

Bottom line: Americans love Israel, and unlike the euros, we aren't interested in betraying our closest ally for Arab oil, let alone a PR stunt. The practical reasons for our alliance are many, but are mere side benefits. We support Israel on principle.

Back to lurking.

You support Israel because the country has, collectively, been brainwashed.

There's no reason to. None. You support because you have supported.

What does Israel do for the US? They provide intel so the CIA can go around ****ing up more countries and instigating future conflicts, and even arming future enemies?

And what do you get out of it? You have paid trillions of dollars to Israel over the years, as I understand it. You sacrifice your relationship with many other countries to maintain it.

America is stubborn, Americans are stubborn. Let Israel be on its own. They're ****ing arrogant and they need to learn they can't be.

[Al B. Sure!]

Asher:

All that antisemitism crap is made up*. If the US and Canada were antisemitic until the 1950's, that means it took half a century for the oppressed Jews to get to those economic levels.

So I guess that means 46% of Black households should make $100+K within the next ten years or so if it takes 50 years to recover from racism.




*used such terminology for effect; More appropriately, possibly exaggerated.

[Asher]

I agree that "anti-semitism" is usually like playing the race card.

Hell, LOTM called me anti-semitic because I got tired of him twisting as many threads as possible into discussions of Judaism, or at least constant references to it.

I don't think most people labeled anti-semitic are actually anti-semitic. A lot of people don't like Israel because of how they behave, how they act, how they bully...not BECAUSE they are Jewish. They are Jews that happen to be bullies, or bullies who happen to be Jews.

[Al B. Sure!]

LOTM as in Lord of the Mark? If so, yeah he was very good for that. What happened to him?

[Asher]

LOTM as in Lord of the Mark? If so, yeah he was very good for that. What happened to him?

He left the site because they wouldn't ban me for "being anti-Semitic".

[Al B. Sure!]

Strange. I don't recall him taking much issue with my screen-name although I could be wrong. There was briefly a thread about banning me or forcing a change in the screen-name and I don't remember everyone who was supporting it (I know Hueij, for example, and a few others); maybe LOTM was but I don't remember.

[C0ckney]

whatever the stated objective of the blockade, the result is clearly to keep the palestinians in poverty and dependant on aid. the blockade also means economic strangulation, there is no work and as a result people barely subsist and there is no opportunity for economic development. the UN says that israel only allows in 1/4 of the aid that is needed in any case. it's collective punishment of an entire population in retaliation for the actions of a few.

it's an inhumane and misguided policy which brings hardship and misery to millions and does nothing to weaken the extremists.

[Asher]

[Mortabis]

You support Israel because the country has, collectively, been brainwashed.

There's no reason to. None. You support because you have supported.

What does Israel do for the US? They provide intel so the CIA can go around ****ing up more countries and instigating future conflicts, and even arming future enemies?

And what do you get out of it? You have paid trillions of dollars to Israel over the years, as I understand it. You sacrifice your relationship with many other countries to maintain it.

America is stubborn, Americans are stubborn. Let Israel be on its own. They're ****ing arrogant and they need to learn they can't be.

No. We stick to our principles. We stick with our allies. We would gain no friends by betraying an ally; all we could possibly do is alienate the remainder of our friends.

The Jews have been exterminated to near-extinction on numerous occasions. They fight daily to protect their homes so that they can practice their religion freely in a democratic society. This is what Americans consider to be in the finest tradition of our country. It's one of the principles that the 13 colonies were founded on.

Israel is the only sane country in the middle east. If you are a woman, or a homosexual, or merely not a muslim, Israel is the only country in the middle east where you are welcome. Why would the USA select any other nation as its ally in the region?

[Patroklos]

There is nothing illegal with what Isreal did. Stop sea lawyering about international waters, it doesn't mean what you think it means. Boarding operations are inherently dangerous, I should know as I was a boarding officer for three years in that very part of the world. They only nation state with egg on it's face is Turkey if facts and logic mattered.

That's all I can bother posting via phone

[Asher]

No. We stick to our principles. We stick with our allies. We would gain no friends by betraying an ally; all we could possibly do is alienate the remainder of our friends.

What friends would those be?

Most of your friends aren't too happy with Israel right now.

If you guys stick with your allies, then why the **** did you enter WW1 & WW2 well after everyone else and only when you had no other recourse?

For a principled nation, you've murdered the natives, enslaved blacks, chased away the Jews, beaten the gays (and still withhold full equal rights for them), and tried to stay out of both World Wars for as long as possible. As a principled nation, you've equipped the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. As a principled nation, you invaded a sovereign nation in Iraq under false pretenses. Excuse me if I don't buy that your nation is big on principles.

Israel is the only sane country in the middle east.

What exactly is sane about Israel? The whole ****ing country is insane.

Why would the USA select any other nation as its ally in the region?

Why does the USA need an ally in a region notorious for endless conflict?

What is Canada's middle eastern ally?

[Al B. Sure!]

No. We stick to our principles. We stick with our allies. We would gain no friends by betraying an ally; all we could possibly do is alienate the remainder of our friends.

Umm... Pakistan like four times... The US RARELY sticks with its allies and doesn't betray them. We've betrayed Pakistan repeatedly (over Kashmir in the 70's for example).

And Turkey has been our ally for decades. Oh, and we're down with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Kuwait.

[Al B. Sure!]

If you are a woman, or a homosexual, or merely not a muslim, Israel is the only country in the middle east where you are welcome.

Jordan?