One looks at the recent past and wonders if there is an acceleration, like the universe’s expanding rush to extinction, of occasions when the United States places itself abjectly on the wrong side of history. The invasion of Iraq, the concentration camp for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, torture during the Bush years and assassinations by drone during the Obama years, are examples (just overseas).
On Thursday, the United States added another when it voted against Palestinian statehood. Not counting four stamp-size Pacific islands that always follow American orders, just four other nations opposed statehood: Israel of course, Canada, Panama and the Czech Republic. One hundred and thirty eight nations approved. In essence, the United States is more alone on this one than when it illegally invaded Iraq.
It’s been embarrassing to hear innumerable American politicians with anything like a Jewish or evangelical constituency echo Hillary Clinton’s verbal contortions: that Palestinian statehood doesn’t advance and may even retard the cause of peace, as if the right to nationhood and self-determination have suddenly become vile concepts to Thomas Jefferson’s descendants. Then again, even Mount Rushmore wasn’t big enough for Jefferson’s hypocrisy, and Hillary Clinton’s nullity as a secretary of state has nowhere so tediously complemented the landscape’s aridity than in the Middle East.
But American isolation on Israel is nothing new. It’s one of the reasons a breakthrough to a Palestinian state has been impossible. America submits to no one’s will anywhere on the planet. Except Israel’s. As Aaron David Miller, a veteran of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, reminds us in The Much-Too Promised Land, his book on his years at the State Department, it’s been American policy since Henry Kissinger and the Nixon years never to put forth any initiative regarding Palestinians without getting Israel’s approval first. Palestinian approval, or trust, has been an afterthought. That’s why Qatar, Turkey and Egypt have had more clout mediating the Palestinian-Israeli march of folly lately than has the United States.
Israel approved the creation of the Palestinian Authority in 1993. That was supposed to be the first step toward a Palestinian state. There here hasn’t been another step since, except backward.
There was the second Palestinian Uprising of 2000. There’s been two crushing assaults on Gaza (2008, 2012), supposedly because Israel would not tolerate attacks from Hamas, though that’s part of the crock of Israeli propaganda. Just 47 Israelis have been killed by fire from Gaza in the last six years, and only one had been killed this year until November. Not negligible, but not worth a war. In comparison, almost 3,000 Palestinians have been killed in the same period, just in Gaza, which has been under siege all those years.
Palestinians aren’t blameless. But they’re not the only terrorists in the equation, and Palestinian suffering overwhelms its equivalent across the border. Here’s something you probably didn’t know about Gaza. It’s an area one quarter the size of Flagler County (one of Florida’s smallest coastal counties). It’s jammed with 1.7 million people. Those people aren’t allowed to fish. They’re not allowed to trade with the outside world. They’re not allowed to work across the border, and of course they’re not allowed to have a state of their own, even though they elected their government democratically. It’s a wonder there hasn’t been an uprising every year. There may yet be.
Especially with Israel’s latest jackboot to Palestinians’ solar plexus: immediately after the UN vote, Israel revealed plans to build colonies (still euphemistically known as “settlements”) in a section of Arab Jerusalem that will ensure that a contiguous Palestinian state between Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank is never possible. It was another disproportionate, cynical Israeli punishment for a Palestinian act in no way different from Israel’s own unilateral declaration of statehood in 1948. But Israel has never learned how to exist without denying that right to Palestine, thrive though it does on the sadism of denying it.
Israel likes to claim that Palestinians deny Israel’s right to exist. And Palestinians, especially of the Hamas variety, do so in word and bluster. But the reality is the opposite. Israel not only exists. It’s impregnable. Nothing, not even the 1967 Arab-Israel War, has threatened its existence since 1947.
But Israel has spent the last six decades denying Palestinians the right to exist in fact—denying them a state, denying them land as it devours it settlement by settlement, denying them their dignity under illegal occupation, denying them their history, and denying them their identity. One of Israel’s most demeaning but powerful propaganda tool is to claim that the Palestinian people really don’t exist. They’re just Arabs who might as well lose themselves in Jordan. American-Indians know the trick. It goes beyond denying a nation its existence. It’s a form of retroactive ethnic cleansing.
In 1948, Harry Truman recognized Israel exactly 11 minutes after Israel declared its independence. Palestinians have been waiting 64 years for a similar recognition. They’ve waited long enough. Thursday’s U.N. vote made Palestinians more relevant. It made the United States less so.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. Reach him by email here or follow him on Twitter.
anonymous says
Pierre I’m disgusted by your constant anti-semitic and anti-zionist undertones. Israel is the only democracy in the part of the globe where theocracy and dictatorship rule the day. The reason the United States opposes Palestinian statehood is because the majority of the population publicly voted in a known terrorist organization whose stated mission is to wipe Israel and Jews off the map. If the United States voted the Ku Kux Klan in to represent them would it still be considered a peaceful democracy?
Israel will not waiver and allow its borders to be overrun by people who want nothing more than destroy them.
Clearly you need a lesson on who America’s true allies are.
NortonSmitty says
“If the United States voted the Ku Kux Klan in to represent them would it still be considered a peaceful democracy?”
Well, we are no longer considered a “Peaceful Democracy” by much of the world.
But Me and Late WV Senator Robert C. Byrd, KKK Exalted Cyclops and Kleagle have no problem with that.
In all fairness, Sen. Byrd turned out to be a great man and was known as “The Conscience of the Senate” in his later years. As good a man as he was, being voted “The Conscience of the Senate” these days carries about as much weight as being voted “Prettiest Fat Girl at the Dance”.
But he still stood out.
Samuel Smith says
1. “Palestinians aren’t blameless. But they’re not the only terrorists in the equation, and Palestinian suffering overwhelms its equivalent across the border.”
You are way off base here. Palestinians aren’t terrorists. There are people that identify themselves as Palestinians that are – Hamas, for example. Let’s not confuse the people as a whole with the actions of the few.
2. “One of Israel’s most demeaning but powerful propaganda tool is to claim that the Palestinian people really don’t exist.”
You are exactly right, and the sad thing about this fact is that the “Jewish people” really don’t exist either, they are just people of arabic descent that happen to believe in Judaism.
Patton says
What a bunch of ANTI-American propaganda ! There is NO Palestine, its stolen land with criminals and terrorist shoved out of their own mid-east countries for being to radical. If you want to “brainwash” the young, don’t forget that many American lived thru those days and know what really happened. Funny how history always tries to REPEAT itself !!!
Samuel Smith says
You mean Israel is stolen land, right?
Stevie says
“According to face-to-face surveys conducted according to the highest international standards, more Palestinians in east Jerusalem would prefer to become citizens of Israel rather than citizens of a new Palestinian state. In addition, 40 percent said they would probably or definitely move in order to live under Israeli rather than Palestinian rule.”
http://jcpa.org/article/what-do-the-arabs-of-east-jerusalem-really-want/
L.D. Ablo says
Another fine example of having religion in government.
To paraphrase Diderot “There can be no peace until the last tyrant is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”
GOD HATES RELIGION.
NortonSmitty says
I think your wrong. God does not Hate, period. And he loves to study our multitude of Serious Religions in the morning of each and every day. He keeps copies of the Bible, Koran, Torah and the Books of Mormon as well as The Dead right next to Him in His only time of solitude in His busy day, right next to His Holy Shitter. Just like we mere mortals do with our You Might be a Redneck if…” tomes and for the same reason, to start his day with a belly laugh to help with His Immaculate Digestion.
He just told me this in our daily after dinner cigar and martini talk. He said to tell all of you that if you doubt His infallible sense of humor to go look at a Platypus sometime. Or Pat Robertson.
Anonymous says
IF Israel is to give away ITs lands IT won in wars they did not start they should give them back to the nations that they won them from.
NortonSmitty says
And that would be… (drum roll please) The Palestinians!
The ignorance displayed by the American public on this matter after 65 years of disinformation and propaganda regarding the Heroic Israeli Underdog is so ingrained in our National psyche we cannot even debate this issue on mere facts today.
And I love a good hard bare knuckle knock-down drag-out debate more than anything. But sadly the facts won’t matter on this one. Guaranteed you will be called anti-Semitic halfway through the first response. By the same Right wing that screams in denial that they are in any way racist for having the courage to point out that Negroes are not fond of work and like to get free things.
I’ll pass.
Clint says
What school did you learn mid-east history from ? You need to go back a few more THOUSAND YEARS ! There is NO Palestine, there never was a Palestine, and there never will be a Palestine….Now go do some research.
NortonSmitty says
Clint, thanks for the tip on the research. I thought I knew the basic highlights, but before I get into an epic Historical/Political/Religious pissing contest with all you Historians around here, I’d better bone up on the subject. And boy, is it interesting! Even the first thing popped up on Google at Wiki was full of interesting shit, but looo-ong! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Palestine#Early_modern_period) And full of long words too, lot of ’em not even in American. So no wonder there ain’t been a lot of studying on the subject.
But I found out that lots of people for a whole long time been callin’ it Palestine instead of Israel. Since at least Biblical times (4 times in the Book) it be known as Palestine. Lots of proof from Biblical era maps to the fact the first line of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, sort of the “Trial Balloon” of a Jewish homeland there, states “His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. I can’t believe a’lotta’ you folks ’round here never heard of it.
So I’m thinking maybe I could do something neighborly for Y’all. maybe I could read up on the whole long sad story and sorta’ simplify it. Get rid of the unnecessary crap to cut to tha’ chase of the story, get rid of the stupid long words and UN-American language and make it so the average fellow can get his mind around it. Kinda’ like Andy Griffith did with that Football thing. But without the record. In kinda’ short stories over a long time so we can absorb it naturally. Maybe while whittlin’.
I’m gonna’ sleep on it.
Anonymous says
NO that would be Egypt,and Jordan “The ignorance displayed by the American public” or at least Mr smittys ignorance on who they won the lands from in wars NOt started by Israel.
John Silverman says
I managed to live through WWII in Paris France, lost my father at the age of one . I also lost five uncles three aunts and eighteen cousins no one helped. If Israel does not defend itself an other six million will die. I do not think that you are anti-semitic , just ignorant of history.
Dorothea says
@John Silverman
Your comment brings up the roots of my personal bias. The first man I ever saw cry was my Jewish grandfather when he greeted his sister after years of searching (also found in Paris) and she told him that his entire family had been murdered by the Nazis. Had the United States (after 1934) and the United Kingdom allowed Jews to immigrate my grandfather’s family, and many other Jewish families, might have survived WWII. Thanks for your comment.
Hammurabi says
Dear Anonymous,
Israel started every single war in that part of the world. 1948. 1967. 1993. 2009. 2012.
Israel is the only nuclear power in the region. Israel occupied by force all the land it sits on.
Please go back and read some neutral source.
fred says
Kind of hard to negoiate with rockets raining down on your heads and your buses being blown up and your citizens being killed while sleeping in the middle of the night and hearing that we are going to kill you all when we get the chance. Why can’t they assimulate into American society like the illeagls do in our country?
Samuel Smith says
Totally agree, it’s hard for the Palestinians to negotiate for peace when the Israelis are busy with missile strikes, bombing school busses and ambulances, and dropping cluster bombs on schools. It would be easier if the Jews just assimilated into Palestinian society.
NortonSmitty says
We have a Winner!
Samuel Smith says
Totally agree, it’s hard for the Palestinians to negotiate for peace when the Israelis are busy with missile strikes, bombing school busses and ambulances, and dropping cluster bombs on schools. It would be easier if the Jews just assimilated into Palestinian society.
Broccoli Rob says
Fact is that Palestine was annexed for the creation of Israel, a home nation for Jews.
In other words, the land was stolen from the nomadic peoples there.
Every other bit of land that Israel has “won,” is illegitimate fruit of the poison tree.
But Israel is a strategic ally of the US, so that’s all that matters. Right?
Does it warm your heart to see American-made tanks and weaponry leveling Palestinian neighborhoods?
And you wonder about 9/11? Are you people blind?
Patrick says
Is there any american citizen out there as outraged as me over the control,a foreign country, israel,has over my goverment ,how is that you ask, we’ll it like this, the israel lobby(AIPAC) will dictate to our law makers what the the policy of the Middle East will be, there interest, not the United States interest, if any politician dare go against israel even a whisper,they will not be reelected that is what they do,they will donate as much money as it takes to have you defeated next election, they have done this in the past that why any America 1st politician has no choice but to be obedient to the israel lobby. What is the answer, Americans need to educate themselves of this and let our politician know that we are aware of what they are up,against and we will suport them in there next election
Abdul says
You better lay off the “broccoli” buddie. How do you “STEAL” land from nomadic people ? How did they track them down to tell them they were going to “STEAL” the land they never own to begin with ?
Sorta like telling a homeless person your going to take the land that their sleeping on !
Broccoli Rob says
I like my Boccoli and reserve the right to cultivate it, share it and eat it.
Would you like a little bit? I understand that it staves off Alzheimer’s Disease.
Please accept my invitation as a prescriptive measure, Abdul.
fact says
Israel actually has one of, if not the oldest recorded deed there is. Its in the BiBLE, yes GODS own words but you do not understand because truth is hidden from you!
Hammurabi says
Dear fred,
I wish you explained whose rockets are falling on whom.
The rockets coming out of Gaza are of the home-grown variety and can cause very limited damage. Besides, the people in Gaza are hopeless prisoners and they need to do something about that to be able to gain some freedom.live and survive.
Read about what the other side did in operation Cast Lead. A million times what Gaza rockets can do.
Read this article with an open mind.
fred says
Dear Hammurabi,
You are very uninformed. They are not all home grown rockets, unless you consider home grown from Iran. I have seen the rockets, warheads, fuzing systems and the resulting damage; most are not of “homegrown” construction. Just to let you know I have many years of ordnance training and many years of investigating damage from ordnance and other bombing scenes. Killing people is limited damage now? Sneaking into homes in the middle of the night and killing unarmed childern is limited damage? Dragging dead bodies through the street is limited damage?
My experience with Palastinians and Jews is that most get along just fine, I have broken bread with both. It is the extremists that cause the trouble. Take a guess who wants to destroy who. Do you ever hear the Israelies rant that they want to wipe the Palastinians off the face of the earth?
Who was firing rockets into Israel prior to the Isreali 27 December 2008 response (Operation Cast Lead)? Would you protect your citizens?
Open your mind.
P.S. Have you ever been there? I have had the displeasure of seeing the limited damage first hand. If the home grown rockets that are smuggled into the Gaza strip were launched on your homeland how would you respond?
I guess the UN had nothing to do with establishing Israel after they were nearly wiped out in Germany?
Hammurabi says
Dear fred,
You call me uniformed as you do not know me.
I grew up in Palestine and was expelled by the invading Jewish armed gangs. I saw Palestine shrinking step by step. in 1948 a big chunk of Palestine was confiscated. In 1967 the rest of it was confiscated.
The were no Jews where I lived within about 40 miles. In the Palestine I knew, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in peace.
There was no Palestinian army or Palestinian armed forces which was our downfall and which made us an easy target. We had been tamed by 400 years of Ottoman rule.
I do not need to get informed. I lived it and know it first hand.
Have a great day.
Broccoli Rob says
Dear Hammurabi, I am sorry about your expulsion and the horrors that your people suffer on a daily basis. You can take some cold comfort in knowing that not all Americans endorse this ongoing crime.
THANK YOU for sharing your experience.
Robin from Orlando says
Does being killed by a home made rocket or one from Iran, make you any less dead than if you are hit by a more professionally made rocket? Besides, if the other side has better weapons, why would you provoke them?
All the people in Gaza have to do is being willing to have a treaty with Israel and allow it to exist. Just like Egypt did, and received Sinai back in return. They are not hopeless prisoners. There are border crossings both into Israel and Egypt.
NortonSmitty says
Even though I am an American, I know how our Israeli allies feel. Last 4th of July, my neighbors kid shot a bottle rocket that landed in my back yard and exploded. And even though I had him in the scope of my HK91, I could not pull the trigger because our laws here are not as evolved as the Israeli rules of engagement. Someday.
Dorothea says
@NortonSmitty
Suppose your neighbor’s kid shot a dozen bottle rockets that landed on your roof and burned your house down with you inside? Your analogy is humorous, but not really apropo. Rockets reigning down on Israel have been going on for months, not just one day. They were made in Iran and very lethal.
BTW, we made a bet a while back about Libya. I won.
NortonSmitty says
Your analogy is strikingly apropo. Because the chances of a kid shooting a thousand bottle rockets at my house, having one of them start it on fire without me noticing and my not getting out prior to death is probably higher than an Israeli “Settler” dying in the same situation from an unguided Palestinian rocket made of stovepipe. After preliminary calculations, I have determined this to be about he same odds as you would get on Netanyahu’s foreskin growing back.
What would not be apropo is my analogy of a single gun in response to this attack. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) used American supplied F-16s, Apache and Cobra helicopters, guided Bunker-Buster bombs, Depleted Uranium ammo, and other conventional weapons to kill about 400 Palestinians on the first day of the attack, the highest death toll in the 60 years of the conflict. All of the weapons above are banned from use in civilian areas by multiple treaties recognized by every Government in the world.
After this warmup, they broke out the weapons that are illegal to use anywhere against anybody. White Phosphorous and Fletchette (Dart-Trowing) artillery shells and more.
When it was over, more than 1300 Gazans were dead including 313 children and over 6000 wounded. Oh yea, on the third day of the Israeli attack a rocket killed 3 in Israel. And one Israeli soldier. With dozens of reliable reports from international observers about the deliberate targeting of civilians and children, not one apology let alone a prosecution.
That is who you are defending Dorthea. The Pro/Con website you site is a whitewash. Look a little deeper for the truth.
And you’re gonna’ have to remind me of the bet. And show me the money.
Dorothea says
@NortonSmitty
Please get some sources for your facts. I really get tired of trying to find sources for whatever so many commenters on FlaglerLive post as facts.
Netanyahu faces reelection in January and I hope he loses, especially since he supported Romney.
That being said, the bombs, not homemade, but Iranian made, that Hamas showered on Israel for months prior to Israeli retaliation were less effective at killing, but not for want of Hamas’ trying.
Please exlain the “whitewash” that you found in the Pro/Con website, otherwise I’ll have to assume that any website that doesn’t agree with you, you consider a whitewash. You may write some really fine poison pen comments, many that I agree with, but you get an “F” when it comes to sourcing your material.
The bet that we made was that, according to you, Libya would be taken over by the United States for their oil. You said that this was the US’s excuse for defending Libyan rebels. I said that you were wrong, which you were.
Dorothea says
If any FlaglerLive reader really wants to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict I recommend the following website:
http://israelipalestinian.procon.org/
Dorothea says
The following historical excerpt is from the Pro/Con Israeli Palestinian website’s historical timeline:
TIME PERIOD: 1978 – 1978
“In the early 1970s, tension along the Israel-Lebanon border increased, especially after the relocation of Palestinian armed elements from Jordan to Lebanon [see Black September Outcome]. Palestinian commando operations against Israel and Israeli reprisals against Palestinian bases in Lebanon intensified. On 11 March 1978, a commando attack in Israel resulted in many dead and wounded among the Israeli population; the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) claimed responsibility for that raid. In response, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on the night of 14/15 March [1978], and in a few days occupied the entire southern part of the country except for the city of Tyre and its surrounding area.”
On 15 March 1978, the Lebanese Government submitted a strong protest to the [U.N.] Security Council against the Israeli invasion, stating that it had no connection with the Palestinian commando operation. On 19 March [1978], the Council adopted resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), in which it called upon Israel immediately to cease its military action and withdraw its forces from all Lebanese territory. It also decided on the immediate establishment of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The first UNIFIL troops arrived in the area on 23 March 1978.”
http://israelipalestinian.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=1134
If you read this excerpt, along with previous and following events in the timeline, you may understand what motivates Mr. Tristam’s (a Lebanese-American immigrant) bias in his editorial.
NortonSmitty says
Or maybe it was this: http://www.counterpunch.org/2001/11/28/at-last-the-truth-about-sabra-and-chatila-massacres/
Who knows? They’re just so sensitive about this stuff!
confidential says
Israel and its multitude of billionaires and millionaires living successfully, profiteering while tax exempted in our USA, (example: Sheldon, Arison Carnival Cruises, Koch, H Schultz, etc), have plenty of money to fund the innumerable war fights they pick on. But NO, thanks to many of our bought our politicians and religious leaders, they keep milking the impoverished American Middle Class taxpayer to pay for their war supplies, intelligence and even our get kid soldiers to fight for them. This agrees with their Tanakh (bible) interpretation, of sock it to the Gentiles. Meanwhile they continuo planning and demanding more invasions (now Iran) and wars! Wether if they have or not WMD’s.
Please take in account that not all of Jewish people agree with the above, I know many compassionate and good families and individuals among them.
Lets see if now at least Senator Rockefeller will be successful on having Arison pay the billions he owns until now exempted taxes, needed to be collected by our depleted USA revenues..
http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2012/03/articles/passenger-rights/senator-rockefeller-blasts-cruise-industry-you-are-a-world-unto-yourselves/
Dorothea says
@confidential
You mention Jewish Israeli? millionaires and billionaires who pay no or little American taxes, although they are not “exempted” as you state. They use creative accounting practices. While this one part of your comment is true, some of them are war mongers. However, Koch? If you mean the Koch brothers, they are not Jewish or Israelis.
http://thisculturalchristian.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-religion-is-koch-brothers.html
The Tanakh is a Hebrew acronym for the Jewish bible, and does not as you state translate into “sock it to the gentiles.”
Mickey Arison, CEO of Carnival, is Jewish, but lives in Miami. I have no idea if he promotes war. So please document this.
I’m detecting a whiff of anti-semitism in your comment.
confidential says
@Dorothea.
Do you remember Rachel…in 2003? One more murdered martyr in Gaza and she was an American like you and I. Maybe the real bias, has made this tragic event to fall into obliviousness?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie
Patrick says
Also google,USS LIBERTY ,and you will realize who the actual terrorist are and even back in 1967 israel already had enough power to cover this attack up, educate yourself on this,save american lives, Iran will be the next war that Americans will die,for the will of the israel government
Dorothea says
@confidential
You did not answer my comment and, instead brought up the death of Rachel Corrie. Rachel was killed by one soldier driving a bulldozer, not all of the Israeli army. In a recent court case her death was ruled accidental. Whether this decision is a coverup remains a question unanswered. Now try answering my comment without changing the subject.
NortonSmitty says
Rachael Corrie got on her knees in front of an armored Israeli military bulldozer going to destroy a Palestinians home. She no doubt saw the famous video of the heroic Chinese protester in Tienanmen Square who knelt down and diverted the tank during their protests and became an inspiration to the whole world. .
Unfortunately for her, she assumed that the Israeli Army would have as well developed sense of honor as a Chinese Communists tanker. Her mistake.
confidential says
@Dorothea.
I respect your words here. But I can reassure you that your sense of smell (whiff) is failing as some of my best friends are jewish. Will be sad to see you also falling into the typical excuse that most use, against those of us that dare to disagree with Israels policies and or their control of our country.
The reminder of Rachel Corrie murder in 2003, still unpunished, was not to change any subect but a very important proof on the same issue. The recent court rule was just a charade, ask her parents.
Continuing with your requested answer, I never said that the named jewish billionare and millionaires not paying taxes here, are war mongers….but instead they should help and fund Israels war conflicts other than us forced to do so.
Regarding the Koch brothers religious affiliation the reports are many depending the eye of the beholder.
If you have further proof of your conviction feel free to copy us. We all really need to be informed.
Dorothea says
@confidential
I don’t always agree with Israel, nor do I particularly agree with Netanyahu on most issues. If you think that Iran is only an Israeli problem, than you aren’t following the news very closely. I have read through your comments and I have already provided links this disprove almost all your allegations. Just take the time to click on those links and you read.
I am glad to know that you are not an anti-semite, but don’t accuse me of not separating most Jewish-Americans from zealous Zionists. I know the difference. The signs of a bigot are not usually overt, but come in subtle comments like “some of my best friends are _____” You fill in the blanks.
confidential says
@Dorothea. Unfortunately you insist in the generalized slogan “to complete the blanks” when we disagree..I believe the scars that you still have from the tragedy you endure during WWII for the murder of your family, affect you deeply in the present and is understandable. Maybe yes, the USA should have intervened earlier and save millions of innocent lives, but nevertheless our boys by the thousands gave theirs on the Normandy beaches and beyond to save thousands or millions prisoners of the nazis .
I agree with most of your thoughts materialized here and I see you are a compassionate woman. As humans that we are, can’t agree in everything. We can agree to disagree,don’t we?
Regarding the treat of Iran …I regarded as the treat and same noise made when Russia, China, India and Pakistan achieved nuclear power, remember? Even North Korea now. They were to attack us any day then….did they till now..? These countries want to have the same power that we and our allies have, so we all respect them. I am glad you don’t always agree with Israel.
Maybe I am pacifist here, but lets do not start another war (Iran), when there is no need for it and we can’t afford it! We leave in a different world and era than the one that preceded WWII. Lets follow Eisenhower’s advise not making a business of starting wars.
By the way I am not accusing you of anything or labeling you much less a …bigot. To the contrary I admire your support for the one cause we have in common….if you noticed. And yes some of my best admired, honest intelligent friends are Jewish and we learn from each other as we have much in common. Also my beloved late younger sisters name was Dorys…