Some help from the history buffs?
 

Over on CB there was a discussion about Palestinian terrorism and I mentioned that the Jews had used some fairly similar tactics against the people from whom they took Israel.

This seemed like completely new information to some.

Is this history really that unknown?

Only to you youngsters. Menachem Begin, for example, was frequently referred to as a terrorist by the Egyptians based upon his acts from 1948 and afterwartds.

I just got excoriated mentioning a small discouraging word about Israel.

Those guys are pro Israel hawks. Sometimes I wish they would be more measured in their responses. Starting a war over three soldiers?

I understand that Israel is sending a strong message, but how measured will they be?

That's because post WWII history is really shy when it comes to speaking ill of the Jews.

Some people have grown up with the impression that the bathrooms in Israel don't have fans (cuz' their poop don't stink).

I'm not picking sides and I am CERTAINLY not anti-Jew. I just think some people haven't heard the whole story.

There has been significant repression by Israelis of Muslim attitudes.

To me, it's a bit of the chicken and egg, one begets the other. And they share some blame. The Muslims share a bigger portion, but the Israelis share a portion nonetheless.

Now it's out of hand.

In my mind, that area is its own worst enemy.

Imagine this, you used Israeli ingenuity and technology, Saudi wealth, and Jordanian and Egyptian labor. You could have a very powerful commonwealth.

Now infrastructure in the poorer countries should be improved but wealth for all countries is possible but for irrational, but deep-seeded hatred.

The Middle East conflict is one of humanity's great tragedies.

In hindsight, the Balfour Amendment was a mistake. The Jews would have been better off, in Brazil with their own country where they were wanted. Now the Muslim likely would have still killed themselves due to governmental oppression, but at least we would not have been in the middle of it all.

This is the end of the world. The three kidnapped soldiers are the "prophets" spoken of in Revelation. They will lie dead in the streets for three days. If that happens, it's time to get ready to rumble for real.

Nobody in the Middle East can project enough power to harm the US significantly. They can have the occasional suicide bomber and the ever so occasional 9/11. They can project terror, but nothing that can defeat the US militarily. Certainly nothing capable of ending the world.

What is a scary thought though is N. Korea, Iran (and other M. Eastern countries that can provide bodies) making an alliance and then somehow drawing China or Russia to their side.

Like I said....it's the end of the world.

I guess it all depends on what one means by "similar tactics." Yes, Zionist Jews did use "terrorist" tactics in their fight to establish an independent Jewish state, many of the leaders forming Israeli political leadership for years to come. These tactics were used primarily to target British soldiers and local policemen whom the Zionists viewed as occupying forces standing in their way to independence. Naturally, there were probably collateral damage and civilian casualties.

However, I don't think anyone has accused these Zionist Jews of deliberately targeting civilians via suicide or other bombings of buses (including school children), hotels, nightclubs, etc., indiscriminate firing of rockets into civilian areas, and other tactics used by Israel's enemies. That is where the vast majority of Americans draw the line, in my opinion. I don't think most Americans would describe the former tactics as terrorism, particularly given that it sounds a lot like what the colonists probably did during our Revolutionary War. But the deliberate targeting of civilians clearly crosses the line.

I see Archaea has firmly aligned himself with the French in his disproportionality concerns (Arch and the French on the same page? Yowzah!?!?). The Israeli Ambassador to the UN agrees, but in a different way. He noted his opinion that were France or China subjected to similar tactics (daily rocket attacks, kidnapping of soldiers, etc.), their responses would make Israel's current approach look measured. He's very correct in this assessment, especially when it comes to China.

It's a tough neighborhood and Israel has survived this long by striking back when attacked, often times much harder. These rocket attacks have been going on for years, but appear to have escalated in recent weeks (targeting Haifa, for example). It appears that the Israelis have made the decision to inflict a major beat down on Hezbollah, something that has been a long time in coming. Frankly, I wish them luck. I suspect a lot of Lebanese do the same.