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Monday, January 5, 2009 12:00 AM

Why Israelis support the Gaza offensive

Israel's post-traumatic war is not just about stopping Hamas rockets, but about repairing reputations -- and erasing the stain of failure.

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  • Monday, January 5, 2009 11:13 AM

    Why Jerusalem?

    Why did the Jewish population of Europe, when seeking a refuge and a county of their own, have to choose Jerusalem? Wasn't that asking for trouble?

    -- Fallonius

    One, it's their traditional homeland and ancestral home. Jews have lived in the area since before recorded history. To the point that every Seder (a passover event) has the phrase, Next year in Jerusalem.

    Two, Jews would have never left the area, except they were forced out by enemies. Somehow they managed to survive as a distinct people.

    Three, after centuries of pogroms and attempts at genocide, it didn't start with Hitler, he was just more effective than most, Jews decided that the only way to keep genocide from happening to their people would be to return to their ancestral home.

    So, in seeking reestablishing a country of their own, to be safe from genocide, you have a problem with Jews returning to their own country? Where else where they supposed to go?

    It's not as if Jews haven't had a many thousand year history with the area, it's not as if Jerusalem isn't their spiritual home.

    If Mecca and Medina were conquered by a foreign body, let's say the Chinese, I'd support Arab Muslims returning to their homeland as well.

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