Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 16:24:08 -0500
From: Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Political Inventions
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Strong, Lee" wrote:

> Candy,
>         I must respectively disagree with you on this one at least in part.
> Israel, while certainly not always perfect, is a moral nation that is
> fighting for its life against a bloodthirsty, hateful and immoral enemy.
> The Israelis have made many specific, sincere attempts to make peace with
> all their neighbors and lived up to its commitments when made.  Specific
> examples include Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.  However, many Arabs, including
> the Palestinean Authority, want bloody spoils of victory rather than peace
> and prefer to continue fighting.  As a constitutional republic, Israel has a
> right to live in peace and a right to defend itself from hostile neighbors.
> I'm only sorry that other nations including the United States have been as
> accomodating to unjust Arab demands for as long as we have been.  But it's
> always easy to be free with other people's lives.

What a Pollyannish view.  It ignores the Nazi-like invasion of surrounding
territories by the (right wing, fundamentalist) "settlers."   These
"settlements" are naked land-grabs and have caused great misery.  They are also
the main sticking point in any peace efforts.   They *should* be razed to the
ground and wholly abandoned, but since it was Sharon who initially established
them, that appears unlikely.

In the meantime, the leaders of the Arab states have offered normal relations to
Israel if it returns the lands it seized in 1967.  This is a Major Breakthrough
-- and one Israel has turned its back on.

--Ted White