Fundamentalism (General)

by David Turell , Friday, October 31, 2008, 15:39 (5663 days ago) @ Walter

In the review, you mentioned the Arab-Israel conflict. The west is always preaching about democracy, but in January 2006 Hamas won a democratic election and the west not only refused to recognize their goverment but actively worked to bring it down. I'm not anti-Jewish, but I don't see how Israel can ever hope for peace if it goes on oppressing the Palestinians and the west refuses to put pressure on them to negotiate with the people they are oppressing. - Walter: Welcome. Your comment about the Arab-Israel conflict is much too simplistic. It would take a 300 page book to explain where we are now. Just remember that the UN division of "Palestine" in 1947 recognized duly purchased areas of the British colony by Zionists. In 1948 5 Arab nations attacked and were defeated. 750,000 "Palestinians" were told by the other Arab countries to flee during that conflict, and they were promised to be returned after the Arab 'victory'. After the '48 war the displaced Arabs were not allowed to emigrate into the other Arab countries, except into Jordan (which originally was "Trans-Jordan", that part of Palestine across the Jordan River) and the rest got sequestered in the Gaza Strip (5x10 miles roughly) and after more wars (started by Arabs) also sequestered in a shrunken West Bank. Somewhat reluctantly Egypt and Jordan made a sort-of peace with Israel, recognizing practicalities. Lebanon is still too weakened by Syrian machinations to be a factor, but Syria and Iran have never given up on their idea of simply driving the Jews into the sea. - Against that background, remember that Arafat was always a terrorist and never could be trusted. Once he was gone, the Bush foreign policy was absolutely chaotic as you suggest. If the Arab League would all get together and promise to accept Israel in perpetuity, then the two Arab parts of Israel could be their own country or become contiguous regions of Jordan and Egypt, but both those coutries have never shown interest in doing that. - Please keep in mind that no native Arab country is a democracy. There are kingdoms or dictatorships everywhere. Since Arabs were either colonized by Europe or ruled by the Turkish Empire for hundreds of years, there is little education in Democracy and it will take a generation or two to develop it, with much resistance from the Saudis and the Wahabi sect.