Hmmm, Winsmith actually got me thinking. I often mention the 1 million dead in Iraq, the millions of Vietnamese, Laotians, Bill Clinton and Sudan, the list goes on.

Usually, I am just kind of ignored. Sometimes I get challenged, and or attacked. Is this just bigotry, American exceptionalism (even on UT) or what?

It is true that when a post criticizes Israel there is a cadre of Israelis and Israeli firsters who will attempt to defend the indefensible, but does that really explain the discrepancy in numbers and the level of vituperation? I mean in the last few days, Glenn's posts on the Gaza massacre (as it will become known) have attracted nearly a thousand posts each.

How many Palestinians has Israel killed in the last 8 years? How many Iraqis and Afghanis has America killed in the last 8 years, and how many Afghanis and Pakistanis will Obama kill? What is the difference? Is there a difference?

Yes, yes, Glenn and the vast majority of the UT crowd do condemn American militarism, and loudly, but my perception, and my mind is still open on this question, is that WS is correct that Israel is being singled out.

Winsmith, I don't want to shock your delicate sensibilities, but people will talk about Jews and Judaism.

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This isn't much of a story, but I feel compelled to share.

My sister got married in 1977, and shortly afterwards she & my BIL bought a house in a one of the Philly suburban communities commonly described as a Jewish neighborhood.

I mean, if one of my older Italian-Amerikan gentile relatives asked my sister where she lived, more likely than not their first response would be, "Oh, aren't there a lot of Jews up that way?" Mind you, I can't remember this being said in a pejorative way; it was just a passing observation. True to its reputation, however, their neighbors on either side were Jewish-- still are, I presume.

Anyhoo, the point here is that for years, my sister would flinch and cringe if anyone said the word "Jew" in her house. She sort of reacted with an instinctive "shushing" motion.

My sister is a sweet and generally good-natured woman, so I didn't have the heart to really go after her-- but I would respond in a stage whisper, "What will the Jews do if they overhear us talking about them?" Still do, once in a while, although she's calmed down considerably over the years.

And despite my sardonic amusement, I do understand to some extent why she's like that. Because-- regardless of my own unremitting opposition of the predatory and criminal forces within Israel that I refer to as the "Reich of Zion"-- we're not anti-semitic.

Thus, my sister worries that if a neighbor or passer-by hears the word "Jew" floating out of the house-- especially in warm weather, when the windows are open-- said (Jewish) neighbor or passer-by might wrongfully conclude "there goes another prejudiced goy family talking about The Jooz again!"

She doesn't want to be embarrassed or misunderstood. Or so I surmise; she's never actually offered an explanation. But this walking-on-eggs in one's own home to the extent of not wanting to speak of Jews in a normal tone of voice always struck me funny.

Now watch one of the Dervishes ask exactly why someone would have occasion to be using the J-word, hmmm?

Yes, there must be a wire loose in the noggin' that leads one to think -- I know I can make light bulb go on in head!

re: Israel, however, what more can be said?!?

Only one precondition, Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist. That's all it would take to make any negotiations meaningful.

Don't fall for that one, Bill. Israel is "singled out" to the extent it is for some very good reasons. What is happening is Israel is not a war between tribal (Isolated) adversaries in a far off place, where we have had no involvement.

America, Americans and International insitutions have been intamately involved in Zionism and Israel from almost its earliest days till the present.

Israel doesn't want to be singled out, okat! Then they can terminate their relationships, military, political and financial, with the US and US citizens, and we won't "single them out"

Much has been given to them. (Or is that all obviated because at some time and some place some people persecuted Jews? Bullshit)

A little can be expected, in any case, they can damn well tolerate our scrutiny. Or again, how many exceptions do they need from normal ordinary conditions do they need to make that thing work? How much is it supposed to cost the world to have an Israel?

And on a personal level: What can God do for the Jews in Israel, that He can't do for them anywhere else(and why won't He do it)?

And more importantly, (to a Jew) What can the Jews do for God in Israel that they can't do for Him anywhere else(and why won't they do it?)

I think it all boils down to is, enough is enough already. You think Job was a patient man. Sheesh, 60 years on. The theft of lands, the resources, the eceonomic curtailment, the denial of free movement, the sanctions, the two tiered law system, the dehumanization, the demonization, the humility, the right to terminate anyone who is perceived as a threat (infants included). The constant harrassment, the continual chipping away. And these stoopid Palestians are still hanging around?? You'd think they'd get the message already. And here they are, still complaining. Resisting. Enough already, no more mister nice-guy . . .

Yes, absolutely, Israel should be brought to task for Gaza, the wall et al. My point was that the level of outrage, in America (and maybe round the world, not sure about that) seems to greater than it was for say Fallujah.

It is hard to measure outrage, but it really does seem to me that Israel is getting a rougher ride than America did over Iraq. I will say I am not sure about this, it's just an impression.

If you recall Fallujah and I am sure you do, there are quite a few similarities between the current attack on Gaza and the revenge attack on Fallujah. In the first week of the attack alone, American forces killed 600 people. Of course the line was that "95%" of them were "military age males". White phosphorus was used as a weapon, as well as AC-130 gunships, which are about as indiscriminate as you can get. It was very very bad. Yet, the response was muted in comparison to Gaza. I checked Google news on this yesterday, and there were 29,000 stories. I recall Fallujah getting a few thousand at most.

At least Gaza is next to Israel, and they have been shooting rockets. The Fallujahians? (sp) only crime was to have killed 4 mercenaries.

Having said this, we cannot, should not, and will not be sidetracked by spurious attacks of antisemitism. One of these guys, I forget which one, actually accused Ondelette of that! Which as we know is freaking bizarre as it is the complete, total, opposite, of the truth.