The Middle East

[scoundrel]

I don't think this talk of Israeli imperialist ambitions against her neighbours deserves to taken seriously, but as ever Israel has to be seen as the bad boy. So I'll pretend this is a grown up topic of conversation.

Nearly all Israeli expansions have occurred as a result of fighting neighbours when attacked, not from attacking neighbours. The main potential avenues of future expansion are Jordan and Egypt, and not only has Israel concluded formal peace treaties with these parties, but both Jordan and Egypt have well established and friendly relations with other powerful players, such as the USA, Turkey, Britain and France. Meanwhile, Syria and Lebanon are inside the reach of Turkey - any intelligent Israeli government would be seriously risk-averse there also.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Two men at an illegal Israeli checkpoint on occupied land, and instead of reacting like normal human beings they shoot a child in the head.

These are the hostilities the Palestinians chose to begin on the day they mounted a pogrom against Jewish people. This is what war is like. I'm sorry if it's too hard for them.

[Priapus]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

I don't think this talk of Israeli imperialist ambitions against her neighbours deserves to taken seriously, but as ever Israel has to be seen as the bad boy.

It just depends on the time frame you're considering. Right now, their focus is on expanding into Gaza. I don't see Israel as being inherently bad, but their conduct of late is frankly appalling and I am not afraid to call it out. I wish my government could muster the same civility.

[SexObjex]

Originally Posted by Rogerbh

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-accus...142956295.html

You allow in these asylum seekers, and you allow in their beliefs. I feel for the pensioner who happened to be the victim of this idiot.

Allahu akbar, just following their faith. What a gift to the world these peace-loving enlightened people are.

[SexObjex]

Originally Posted by Priapus

Right now, their focus is on expanding into Gaza.

Right now, their focus is on paving Gaza and handing Hamas back the keys. Here you go, fixed that for you. Israel wants no part of Gaza because Gaza is an irredeemable hellhole of no value to Israel.

[badman999]

Originally Posted by Priapus

There have been increasingly large rifts in Israeli politics between the Orthodox community and the mainstream population.

Indeed. The relationship between the black hat brigade and the rest of the country is clear evidence that there should always be a seperation between state and religion; also it's proof positive that proportional representation sucks balls because it gives fringe lunatics a disproportionate voice in the country's politics.

For a country where everyone serves in the military, it's long been galling that there is a subset of the population who do not. It seems to be coming to a head at last, with arrests of draft dodgers. That needs to continue - you don't need to fight if you don't want to, but you do need to serve even if you are claimng to be a conscientious objector.

Foxbat idolises the extreme black hats. They are Foxbats anti-zionist heros, oppressed by the big bad wolf that is the Israeli justice system.

They will be a problem when Israel implements a two state solution, as they were in (I think) 2005 when Israel turned over Gaza. They solved the problem last time and will do it again.

[badman999]

Originally Posted by SexObjex

Right now, their focus is on paving Gaza and handing Hamas back the keys. Here you go, fixed that for you. Israel wants no part of Gaza because Gaza is an irredeemable hellhole of no value to Israel.

I agree that they will want out of Gaza, but they won't hand anything to Hamas apart from death. Netanyahu has made that clear - Hamas being dismembered is a pre-requisite to the end of the war.

[SexObjex]

Either way, Gazans are getting back a parking lot, and it's their own fault. Every death, every destroyed building, they asked for this.