🚀 go-pugleaf

In ba.general Rich Corinthian Leather <inexplicable@mysterious.net> wrote:
> Merlin Dorfman wrote:
>> In ba.general Rich Corinthian Leather <inexplicable@mysterious.net> wrote:
>>> Merlin Dorfman wrote:
>> 
>> ...
>>  
>>> Something you conveniently overlook: Jewish destruction of Palestinian 
>>> infrastructure so they can't get a functional government in place to 
>>> stop the retribution. It's a vicious cycle!
>> 
>>      In a way I almost agree with you.  First I would point out that
>> the actions you refer to are "Israeli," not "Jewish," and your use of
>> that phrasing puts your mindset in question.

> Given that Israel is a *specifically* Jewish state, the terms are 
> interchangeable.

    The terms are not interchangeable, there are many Jews outside
Israel, and a good number of non-Jews in Israel.  But beyond that,
you say "Jewish destruction of Palestinian infrastructure," not 
"...of Muslim infrastructure," though the PA is definitely, in fact
exclusively Muslim whereas Israel is not exclusively Jewish.

>>      But yes, the hard-line Palestinians count on the Israelis to
>> over-react and thereby cause more terrorism, and the hard-line
>> Israelis count on the Palestinians to carry out more terrorism
>> thereby making other Israelis less likely to pursue initiatives for
>> peace.  And if things really look like they are moving towards a
>> settlement (which of course doesn't meet the desires of the hard-
>> liners on either side), they are not beyond taking an action to
>> derail the peace process, be it terrorism or assassination or some
>> other act which, though nonviolent, is calculated to infuriate.  And 
>> yes, I am talking about Ariel Sharon.

     And I might add...Israel for the most part avoids deliberately
causing civilian/noncombatant casualties while the Palestinians (and
of course Hezbollah) deliberately seeks to cause the maximum such
casualties, both by attacking civilian targets and by locating
their own installations and personnel among civilians/noncombatants.
     Of course while Israeli policy is to minimize such casualties,
individuals may not follow the policy, and occasionally such
individuals are investigated or prosecuted.  And the selection of
targets can certainly be criticized for the near-certainty that
such casualties will result.