Originally posted by: Lemon law
The point being, its the Palestinians who were displaced so the State of Israel could exists, one can not logically argue for fairness for Israel and still advocate unfairness for Palestinians, Israel is stuck with the Palestinians and would be better off assimilating them, instead they are shunted off into inhumane refugee camps. Were I in their boat, I would be rebelling too.
Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is almost as reprehensible as Hitler's treatment of the Jews.
Israel is champion in assimilation, perhaps more so than any other nation from the foundation of the USA. Israel has assimilated Jews from all around the world, most of which were atheists, not united by religion.
In the time of mass immigration of Soviet Jews, Israel has taken a number composing more than 20% of its population at the time. Even more amazingly, around that time, Israel also brought in hundreds of thousands of Jewish Ethyopians.
Now, would you imagine USA willingly assimilating 60 million ex-Soviet immigrants because they are Christians? How about, lets say, 10 million Christian Africans, guys that lived in tents up to that time, that have never seen a TV in their lives?
Which brings me to your issue - Assimilating the Palestinians was never an option. In general, no country can embrace a group around 60% of it's population and remain stable, regardless of who the population is. And then specifically, I've yet to see one Western country successfully assimilating a considerable amount of Muslims. We will all see what happens in Europe over the next decade, and it's not going to be pretty.
You just can't mix a tribal, primitive, non-educated, Muslim society with ANY Western society, let alone one they have grudges against. Funnily, the only Western society getting closest to assimilating Muslims is... Israel, with 1.3 million Muslim Arabs. It's not always working, but it's the closest you can get. But it's a fine balance.
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
It's easy to back it up. Israel is a religious state. That is disgusting. It's one thing if private citizens discriminate or mistreat, but it's completely different if the government discriminates from such a basis.
Israel was found as a home for the Jews. It was asked for after the outcome of WWII. Other religions have found themselves countries over time, while Jews missed the train, thinking they would be better off scattered around countries. Then came the Holocaust and proved them wrong. Obviously, just like the financial bailout of now, sometimes processes that should occur by themselves just don't, and artificial intervention is needed to set things right.
The ties of Israel, as a country, to Judaism are there to keep the demographical fine balances and country identity. Other democratic countries just don't need to do that, usually, as they enjoy an overwhelming majority of Christianity. Even so, Europe has already began looking with a crooked eye on Muslim immigrants, considering very tough immigration policies, and even deportation.
If you side with the "everyone is welcome" policy, please go ahead and remove the US immigration office. Let anyone come in. How is RACIAL profiling (no Blacks, no Mexicans) better than RELIGIOUS one? A person can not change race, but he can change his religion.
Other than immigration policies, Judaism has very little to do with the way Israel is ran - not any more than Christianity dictates for the US, and even less.
And like I said to Lemon Law, Israel has a larger percentage of Muslim citizens compared to any other country in the West - nearly 20% it's population.
Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Israel's previous Prime Minster obviously wasn't too far left to rise to his position. However, he did recently acknowledge Israel's long standing discrimination against Arab-Israelis:
The discrimination goes both ways. They evade civil duties and usually side with the Palestinians in conflicts, while Israel turns an eye away. It's not discrimination as it is separation - they are left alone, and leave the country alone, for good and worse.
And the acting Prime Minister only confirmed that shortly before by suggesting Arab-Israelis should move to Palestine:
Don't try to portray it like he suggested deportation. As part of an agreement, those in Israel seeing themselves Palestinians rather than Israeli are more than welcome to cross the border. More so, there are large Arab areas near the West Bank which are inside the '67 borders and are likely to be given, with inhabitants in place, to the Palestinians in the case an agreement is made, whether they like it or not.
As I said before, assimilation of these groups is very marginal at best, and Israel would do far better without them. There's nothing politically incorrect stating that - not all people are equal when it comes to values, traditions and way of life. Integration, in such cases, is better avoided if peacefully possible, for the sake of both sides. Consider Serbia.
Exactly, Israel don't want those people, but the Israelis running things do want those people's land.
That's why Kadima, the currently ruling party, was elected nearly solely upon the grounds of one-sided withdrawel from these territories?
Did you even read that link? It taken place AFTER the border was forcefully breached by the Hamas, and Palestinians fled into Sinai. Egyptians asked to increase their military, as the forces in Sinai peninsula are regulated by the Israel-Egypt peace agreement.
Egyptians weren't so nice when Hamas breached the fence, using deadly force to stop the rampage. They know why they don't want these people in their country. Palestinians are considered the Gypsies of the Arab world. Why didn't Jordan offer to assimilate the West Bank? Israel would happily comply, and Jordan is 80% Palestinian anyway. Why didn't Egypt ask for the Gaza strip? They saw from afar what Israeli leaders of 30 years ago didn't.
Gaza strip was under Egyptian control before '67, while the West Bank was Jordanian territory. Ever seen countries NOT looking to get their land back in peace agreements? Because Israel formed agreements with both, and neither asked for these territories back.
Do you know the Palestinians in Rafiah (Gaza strip) were very happy to see Israeli tanks on the way to Sinai? Just like the Iraqis were happy with American tanks going into Bagdhad.
Things are much more complicated than it seems, down in the Middle East.