Jebbie, while your attempts at being the UT Hall Monitor are likely appreciated by the Allahu Akbar masses that chant for Israel's destruction on this blog, I must respectfully disagree with your deeming me a "troll."

You see, dear lad, I hold an opinion different from yours as well as Mr. Greenwald's, and I'm merely expressing said opinion my way. Obviously, my way is not your way, but regrettably I remain an individual who arrives at his own conclusions -- unlike you, it seems, who are yet another nodding minion of the Great Liberal Hive Mind and appalled at the very idea that Israel would have the audacity to defend itself.

Of course, you are right about the French and Palestine. I only mention France to stress how little power the inhabitants had in their own lands. Although France did not, as you say, control the lands which became Israel, they played a part on the minipulations and arrangements which allowed the Zionists to get hold of Palestine and turn it into a Jewish State.

Omooex, I used to get very impatient with your patience. I then realised I can't expect you (Omooex) to get angry with Zionists, for my sake. Since I realised that, I have come to see your moderation and patience in a different light, and amire it greatly.

Don't forget the Irish! (/maureenodonnell)

"Please try to stop confusing the sandal operas you see on TV with the facts in the ME."--DM

Sorry, my capacity to watch soaps and ME reality is challenged. Be my teacher, oh informed one.

On subject--psychology of war conflict and ME turmoil does have interesting and historic perplexities for all indulgent masochists.

Jebbie, while your attempts at being the UT Hall Monitor are likely appreciated by the Allahu Akbar masses that chant for Israel's destruction on this blog, I must respectfully disagree with your deeming me a "troll."

-- Lab211

Gee, all in one sentence. Amazing. That would be like saying, "While your attempts are appreciated that pointing out that I, the one who shit in his pants, is the one who is stinking up the room, I respectfully disagree with your deeming me as the one who is stinking up the room."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6712/is_/ai_n29231017

Israel Growth Market for Boeing

Boeing, which makes the GBU 39 referred to in Glenn's article had a good feeling about Israel's needs back in 2005. I'd say business is probably booming.

This, to me, has always been the biggest pro-Israeli lobby. The US arms industry where Israel spends its American military aid. The loop is perfect; no Zionists or pro-Israelis needed. Just cold hard American cash.

I really admore a guy like you, who he refrains totally from any passive-agressive rhetorical tricks. What a mensch you are!

Tell me Lab, what does God think of Zionism?

Israel is on record that a blockade, such as that imposed on Gaza, is just cause for war. Further, Gaza has engaged in acts of war against Israel. And Israel has responded by engaging in what it refers to as a war. In sum, the parties are at war with each other.

So, is it called "terrorism" when Gaza attacks simply because they lack the tanks, planes and so forth that Israel possesses? If Gaza was better armed and equipped, would we then call it war regardless of to which side we were referring?

Terrorism is acts of violence carried out by barbarians without modern weaponry. War is acts of violence carried out by civilised people with modern weaponry. Acts of terrorism are designed to purposefully inflict cilivian casualties, acts of war are designed to accidentally inflict civilian casualties.

More importantly, what does god think of the French? Wasn't it one of those horse-eating navel-gazers who killed him in the first place? ;]

"I am a veteran of battle and would gladly fight again."

- Lotus Feet (January 6, 2009)

"I've been to war. I've raised twins. Given a choice, I'd rather go to war"

- George W Bush (January 27, 2002)

I feel so unworthy to be in the presence of such bravery..

..to strike a "serious" or "reasonable" posture in response to this Gaza invasion. Isn't that what you constantly accuse others of doing? It's unseemly and not like you at all to write the following:

"All wars -- even the most just and necessary -- entail civilian deaths, so incidents like this don't, by themselves, prove the war is wrong."

I realize it's difficult for we Americans--especially in the wake of World War II--to acknowledge the fact that there is no such thing as a "just" or "necessary" war. But, in fact, there remains no such thing.

Historians of the world wars of the 20th century know that young men of draftable age were desperate to avoid "service" in the armed forces. They got married, rushed to attain advanced degrees that would exempt them from front-line duty, and even mutilated themselves for no other reason than to avoid war. Why? Because war means senseless murder; it necessarily involves killing one's fellow human beings for no reason other than politics. Murdering one's fellow humans in the name of a "cause," no matter how supposedly noble, is neither just nor necessary.

In your interview with Hewitt you acknowledged as much, i.e., diplomacy must be allowed to work.

I'd like to see an edit on this.

HH: Now of course in Israel, the government is not run by those extremist elements, to whatever extent they exist, and I just don’t know. I know that Kahane was an extremist, et cetera, but I just don’t know that there were many of them, nor have they ever been in power in Israel.

Perhaps because he's a rightwinger, Hewitt cannot find the extremism within himself that he sees in others. To say, as he did, that they've never "been in power in Israel" is simply bizarre. I'm not one for a lot of links, but here are a few via Wikipedia:

In a New Yorker magazine interview Moshe Feiglin, leader of the right wing Manhigut Yehudit faction of the Likud Central Committee, is quoted saying "You can’t teach a monkey to speak and you can’t teach an Arab to be democratic. You’re dealing with a culture of thieves and robbers. Muhammad, their prophet, was a robber and a killer and a liar. The Arab destroys everything he touches." http://tinyurl.com/8nj2v

In February 2004 Likud member and deputy defense minister Ze'ev Boim, speaking at a memorial ceremony, said "What is it about Islam as a whole and the Palestinians in particular? Is it some form of cultural deprivation? Is it some genetic defect? There is something that defies explanation in this continued murderousness." In a comment, Likud member of Knesset Yehiel Hazan supported Boim's statements: "I think this it is in their blood. It is something genetic. I have not researched this, but there is no other way to explain this,". He added "Don't believe an Arab, even one who has been in the grave for 40 years." (same link as above)

And, one more on Feiglin, from the liberal Jewish site Tikun Olam: "Here are some of the more shocking beliefs that Feiglin holds:"

On the Jewish Leadership website, [he] proposes principles for a constitution for Israel. It would include a high rabbinic court, chosen only by clergy, that would overturn any legislation it saw as contradicting Jewish religious law. A newly established senate, with a guaranteed Jewish majority of over 80 percent, would have to consult the rabbinic court on all national issues. Israel would lay claim not only to the West Bank and Gaza, but also to all of Jordan.

And these are remarks from Likud leaders, never mind that Israel has a parliamentary form of government and makes arrangements with other, smaller parties (some more extreme than others) to form coalitions.