Page 2 of 3 [ 46 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

Sean
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,505

18 Aug 2005, 1:14 pm

vetivert wrote:
someone else posted that using "I", or "in my experience" in posts, which makes it valid in one's experience, but isn't necessarily carved in stone as the Absolute Truth. might i suggest that this would be useful here? obviously, people from Jewish and Arab/Palestinian backgrounds will have very different experiences, and i think it's useful to hear both, to listen to someone else's experience. we don't have to agree with either.

There needs to be an absolute truth to the matter and that's what this discussion is about. "In my opinion" or "in my exeperience" makes everything subjective and therefore nothing can be determined that way. Thus, I think it would be best for the thread to continue on the way it was and let people learn something useful by debating in persuit of truth.

The fact of the matter is that Israel has nothing left to give the Palestinians without jeopardizing the survival of their nation. Israel backed down from the terrorists and the terrorists now see Israel as weak.



vetivert
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,768

18 Aug 2005, 1:19 pm

is there anything which could be described an Absolute Truth?

Ken Wilber's (a philosopher) "Eye of Spirit" is an interesting read which talks about that very subject.



Sophist
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,332
Location: Louisville, KY

18 Aug 2005, 4:12 pm

I have more compassion for the Israelies than I do the Palestinians simply because I am more familiar with them in US culture and media. However, I have heard a bit on both sides. That land is religiously significant to them both.

I couldn't say either were right or wrong. But clearly sharing the land is impossible because they each want it all.


_________________
My Science blog, Science Over a Cuppa - http://insolemexumbra.wordpress.com/

My partner's autism science blog, Cortical Chauvinism - http://corticalchauvinism.wordpress.com/


Sean
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,505

18 Aug 2005, 9:58 pm

The land of Palestine wasn't important to the Arabs until the Arabs dicovered just how imprtant it was to the Jews. Unlike the Talmud, no mention of Jerusalem is found in the Quaran.



stlf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Gender: Male
Posts: 668

18 Aug 2005, 10:02 pm

"pulling out" is not an effective method of protection. Israel should know that!



Bec
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,918

18 Aug 2005, 10:16 pm

stlf wrote:
"pulling out" is not an effective method of protection.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



vetivert
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,768

19 Aug 2005, 1:12 am

stlf wrote:
"pulling out" is not an effective method of protection. Israel should know that!


ever considered putting your asides into a book, stlf? i'd buy it! rofl!



Jetson
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,220
Location: Vancouver, Canada

19 Aug 2005, 8:53 pm

Didn't Israel take the disputed territories during a war in 1967? Didn't they decide they needed "buffer zones" initially because Lebanon and Syria were shelling them from the Golan Heights and elsewhere while Egypt was approaching from the west intent on genocide?

If you win territory in a war, why would you be obligated to give it back? Next thing you know, Mexico will be asking the USA to give back Texas.

Some of the newspapers I've seen are speculating that Israel gave up Gaza because you can't defend 7000 settlers on a narrow strip of land surrounded by 2,000,000 hostile enemy combatants who like to use suicide bombers to get their point across. A withdrawal at this point is both tactical and strategic -- Israel consolidates their forces by recalling a weak front, and now has a stronger claim to the West Bank because they've already given a unilateral concession.


_________________
What would Flying Spaghetti Monster do?


eamonn
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Jul 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,301
Location: Scotland

19 Aug 2005, 10:06 pm

Yeah right. The Westbank belongs to Palestine. The west bank and Gaza strip were taken over by Israelis much more recently than the war in 1967. If might is right whats wrong with me beating up everyone thats weaker than me and taking all their worldly possesions? Everyone is entitled to their opinion (and i'm no fan of islamic fundamentalism) but dont be surprised if arrogant war oreintated ways are revenged by much destruction and lives.



Aspie1
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,749
Location: United States

20 Aug 2005, 12:13 pm

Sean wrote:
The land of Palestine wasn't important to the Arabs until the Arabs dicovered just how imprtant it was to the Jews. Unlike the Talmud, no mention of Jerusalem is found in the Quaran.


Actually, Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. Only it's called "El Qud", which means "The Holy". It's where Mohammed rose to heaven. The description of the location in which it's is located closely matches Jerusalem's surrounding land. But you're right in the sense that Jerusalem is never mentioned by name.



RobertN
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 934
Location: Cambridge, UK

20 Aug 2005, 1:52 pm

vetivert wrote:
is there anything which could be described an Absolute Truth?

Ken Wilber's (a philosopher) "Eye of Spirit" is an interesting read which talks about that very subject.


There is no such thing as Absolute Truth. Everything is Subjective. :idea:


OK, I take the side of the Palestinians because they have been oppressed by the Israelis for decades. In my opinion, a 2 state solution is the only way, with the Palestianians getting far more than just the Gaza strip, and the Isrealis keeping only what they were given in 1948.



Postperson
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jul 2004
Age: 66
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,023
Location: Uz

20 Aug 2005, 8:06 pm

mmm I wonder if the whole idea of a Jewish homeland has actually worked.

The world is a different place compared to when Israel was created. It was convenient for the west to have a westernised state in the middle east, and it seemed like it would be good for the Jews postwar, but has it worked? Being a stateless people seems to work for them in many instances - look at the USA.



TaliDaRadical
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 18 Oct 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 152

20 Aug 2005, 8:30 pm

Quote:
The world is a different place compared to when Israel was created. It was convenient for the west to have a westernised state in the middle east, and it seemed like it would be good for the Jews postwar, but has it worked? Being a stateless people seems to work for them in many instances - look at the USA.

SO TRUE! Free Palestine, everybody!



Sean
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,505

20 Aug 2005, 8:42 pm

I don't see why Israel didn't just drive out the Palestinians across the Jordan river once and for all. It seems that would have been a much more permanent and constructive solution. They tried to invade Israe. by military force, they lost, and as a result, their land became Israel's to do with as theey please. Now, Israel has decied to piss their national security away on a bid for peace that history has shown won't work.



RobertN
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 934
Location: Cambridge, UK

21 Aug 2005, 6:40 am

Sean wrote:
I don't see why Israel didn't just drive out the Palestinians across the Jordan river once and for all. It seems that would have been a much more permanent and constructive solution. They tried to invade Israe. by military force, they lost, and as a result, their land became Israel's to do with as theey please. Now, Israel has decied to piss their national security away on a bid for peace that history has shown won't work.


I think that is a very bigotted and imperialist response, Sean. I don't see how you think it is justified that Israel can take other people's land from them.



Bec
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,918

21 Aug 2005, 1:20 pm

RobertN wrote:
I don't see how you think it is justified that Israel can take other people's land from them.


I don't know what Sean's personal beliefs are, but I do know that a lot of people (not just Jewish people) believe that the land belongs to the Jews. Historically they lived there thousands of years ago. Religiously they believe the land was given to them by God. They believe the Arabs have no rights to that land.