[Le Rouge]

Do you believe there should there be a Jewish homeland in the region of Palestine? Regardless of whether this entails a Jewish state, a bi-national state, a mixed state, no state kibbutzism, what-have-you.

I voted yes.

[Captain Sam]

Yes.

The Jewish people have a right to defend themselves. They've been persecuted for over a millennia.

[Nets]

Yes, there already is, this question was answered in the affirmative by international law in 1922, and then again in 1947.

I believe a Jewish-Democratic state in the Land of Israel should exist within the 1949 armistice lines with some modifications.

[Captain Sam]

Captain Sam, could you clarify what you mean my 'defend'?

Before the creation of Israel, Jews could not collectively defend themselves. The creation of Israel gives Jews the ability to defend themselves militarily and preserve their existence.

[Le Rouge]

I would not equate the perseverance of the Jewish people with the perseverance of a Jewish state.

[Nets]

Le Rouge is correct. I see the difference as the perseverance of the Jewish people with or without equality and dignity, hence the state. The same reason the Palestinians want a state.

[Sephardi]

I agree with Captain Sam. Look carefully about what he is saying. If some country decides to shoot down a couple thousand Jews that are living there, what army is going to save them? They can make a guerrilla force, but now that we have Israel we have the IDF that will protect Jews everywhere.

[Paradigm]

I don't necessarily agree with the way it was founded, but insofar as it already exists, I don't think it should be undone. I agree with Nets about returning approximately to its 1949 borders.

[Noelnada]

In my ideal view, there would be only one secular nation in Palestine, one nation where men of every religious confessions could live in peace. I don't see it like a good thing to have a jewish religious state next to a muslim religious state. If this has to be this way, i'd even prefer to see it under the occupation of christian crusaders to be honest

[Nets]

In my ideal view, there would be only one secular nation in Palestine, one nation where men of every religious confessions could live in peace. I don't see it like a good thing to have a jewish religious state next to a muslim religious state. If this has to be this way, i'd even prefer to see it under the occupation of christian crusaders to be honest

Women be damned!

But on a serious note, this is a symptom of your opposition to nationalism and nation-states in general, applied to this case but not particular to this case, yes?

[Noelnada]

But on a serious note, this is a symptom of your opposition to nationalism and nation-states in general, applied to this case but not particular to this case, yes?

You are right i guess, but also a strong secular, universalist influence. I can't accept people of jewish religious confession have more rights to immigrate in Israel than other people. As i can't accept "non-muslim" don't have the right to visit the holy site of Mecca.

I believe there is only one God and only fallible interpretations of that fact, the reason why i'm secular.

[ingliz]

No not in the Middle East or anywhere else unless some state somewhere voluntarily seceded land to set up a Jewish homeland - New Hampshire or New Mexico would do or some other redundant unimportant bit of the US, I mean would any American really miss them and Israel was your idea.

[Noelnada]

I mean would any American really miss them and Israel was your idea.

Really an American idea ? I thought it was rather an jewish European idea, with the help of some Brits and German (...) before WWII and the help of more Europeans after that.

[sploop!]

No.

But I have no problem with them moving to Texas or somewhere where the locals are as racist as they are, and equally well armed and able to defend their lands from further theft and incursion.

I haven't always felt like this. Once, I thought we should do everything in our power to support the Jews in gaining a homeland. But the racist thuggery that has sprung from the state has completely changed my mind.

[Cheesecake_Marmalade]

It was the result of British Colonialism, yes.

In this case, I agree with Noelanda. I'd prefer a secular state being set up. Some of the biggest tensions come from the fact that there are two openly oppositional theological states existing right next to each other. I say we redraw the borders among ethnic lines and install secular dictators...

[Bella]

Yes


There are like 20 something Arab countries, 50 something Muslim countries and only 1, I repeat, ONE Jewish country in the whole wide world. If other Arabs really cared about the plight of the Palestinians, maybe they could give them some land. After all, it is their fellow Arabs. What about Jordan letting the Palestinians have some of their land and have a country of their own. Palestinians make up most of Jordan anyway and even the Queen of Jordan is Palestinian herself.

But seriously this topic has really been beaten to death.

[Noelnada]

I say we redraw the borders among ethnic lines and install secular dictators...

Maybe Uday and Qusay might be available for the job.

There are like 20 something Arab countries, 50 something Muslim countries and only 1, I repeat, ONE Jewish country in the whole wide world.

There is no Taoist, scientologist, bahaiist, shia ismaili nizari (or whatever faith that outweight judaism in number of followers) country in the whole wide world either

Silly argument. I wonder what Benedict XIII is waiting to send the crusaders to free Jerusalem from the infidels.

[Oxymoron]

Yes there should be a Jewish state in the land of Israel.

[ingliz]

I thought it was rather an jewish European idea

"The fear that American Jews would encourage the USA to support Germany in WWI culminated in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 by the British government. This endorsed the creation of a Jewish Homeland." So not an American idea, although many American Jews were Zionists, but Israel would still have remained a dream were it not for American money and political lobbying which began in 1897 and continues to this day. American Jewry made the creation of Israel possible, without the US there would be no Jewish homeland.

[Sayed Zakerya]

Secular states only may bring peace to ME. Religious states would ruin the integrity of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon & most of the ME states. States that are based on religion legends introduce discrimination & suffer to the ME inhabitants. No state should be permitted to declare this either in Palestine or in any other ME country.
Nets, I expected you would call for UN partition borders of 1947 not these of 1949.This together with dropping the iron wall theory will mark your relatively welcomed change.