<p>Any thoughts? The confrontation between police and protesters on the synagogue roof this morning was amazing to watch. I hope it will be worth it in the end, but, frankly, it’s hard to believe it will make a lasting difference.</p>
<p>Very sad to watch. Maybe I haven’t been following the news closely enough with the Middle East conflict, but I still have a lot of questions that the media don’t seem to be answering about the whole deal.</p>
<p>Why in the world are you posting this in a college discussion website? It boggles my mind.</p>
<p>we’re in the cafe… see the croissants over there?</p>
<p>Isn’t this the parent cafe where we can escape college discussions and talk about whatever news or subjects that interests us?</p>
<p>Wow.</p>
<p>Anyway, I will accept the weirdness and talk. Does anyone on this board disagree with the disengagement? I do in theory, but in practicality I can understand why Sharon is doing it.</p>
<p>Seems wrong to uproot people who have lived somewhere for 30 years. I believe they are doing it to give the land to the Palestinians for exchange for peace. Will the Palastinians EVER be happy? What about the suicide bombers - will they ever stop? Inquiring minds want to know.</p>
<p>Speaking of Palestine, recently someone hacked into my Paypal account and wired over $1000 to Palestine.</p>
<p>I would report that to the FBI. I’m serious. </p>
<p>In terms of the disengagement, Israel’s motivations are numerous (not simply “peace” with the two-faced PA). In about 10 years, it is projected that the Arab population of Israel will be greater than the Jewish population, considering the high rate of reproduction. Thus, sealing off the 1 million + Palestinians will secure their right to a Jewish state. Second, Israel has lost many soldiers defending settlements in Gaza and many don’t view it as worth the sacrifice. Israel has stopped the “peace now” campaign of the early 1990s with Yasser Arafat because she has realized that the promises made on the Palestinian side are hardly promises at all. Rather, their leaders are corrupt (Arafat died the fourth richest leader in the world, while his people were among the poorest) and claims of “peace” are shattered by Hamas and Hezballah consistently.</p>
<p>Anyone have any additional ideas?</p>
<p>Regarding the credit card fraud, I reported it to the Federal Trade Commission (as well as the cc company and credit bureaus). Whoever stole my identity wired the money via western union internet and they know the person who received the wire. I hope I’m not put on some list for aiding and abetting terrorists!</p>
<p>Back to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. What I want to know is what exactly the agreement is for the Palestinian state? Who gets Jerusalem, or is it up for grabs? It will just be interesting to see what Hamas and Hezballah will do when they finally get what they want - that is, if one really knows WHAT they want…</p>
<p>Is there yet “an agreement for a Palestinian State”? As far as I’ve heard, there’s only a Jewish withdrawal from the Gaza strip. The Palestinians living there will still be denied freedom of movement, and governmental autonomy. Those, apparently, are two of the things Humas and Hezballah criticize about the particulars of this pull-out. But then again, some of the more incendiary rhetoric coming out of such extremists groups calls for nothing short of the total annihilation of the Jewish people from the region, and even the face of the earth. So it is indeed questionable, as to whether or not some contingents of The Palestianian Movement will ever be satisfied.</p>
<p>Can anyone explain why the Israelis demolished every home of theirs in the Gaza strip, as they withdrew, but left 12 synagogues standing? Is this not a prelude to more trouble?
First of all, I was really disappointed that the homes were needlessly destroyed, when new occupants could have very well moved in. Secondly, by stating that they cannot demolish religious buildings, (which they had earlier said they would), they can now expect Palestinians to burn the synagogues, and then have an excuse to do damage to mosques and churches.</p>
<p>Chocoholic: The Israelis demolished the homes at the request of the Palestinian Authority, which said that it wanted to build higher density housing in those areas.</p>
<p>But don’t be concerned about the Israeli government or individual Israelis damaging mosques and churches as a response to Palestinians destroying synagogues - as a democratic country with values very similar to our own, the government won’t do any such thing and if necessary will call on its police and the like to prevent any such occurrences and protect those buildings.</p>
<p>forced evacuations in Gaza and New Orleans.</p>
<p>I just hope that everyone stays calm, in the transitional period, and that they can be good neighbors.</p>
<p>“The last-minute decision to leave the synagogues intact also angered the Palestinians, who said they would have to demolish them.” I guess its okay for them to do this, why would they want 19 synagogues in the Gaza strip. Just take them down quietly and respectfully, though it would have been better all around if the Israelis had done it as promised.</p>
<p>In Washington, US State Department spokesperson Sean
McCormack said the decision “puts the Palestinian Authority into a situation where it may be criticised for whatever it does”.</p>
<p>It was a set-up, pure and simple.</p>
<p>“A set up, pure and simple.” Give me a break. Do you honestly think this has been an easy decision-making process for the Israelis - to participate in what would have been the greatest destruction of synagogues since Kristallnacht.<br>
Peace.</p>
<p>I think it was very, very easy for them to renege on their agreement, and capture cheap publicity photos of Palestinians destroying synagogues that they don’t need.</p>
<p>Pure photo-op, a Kodak moment.</p>
<p>Oh Please!!! I do not think any Jewish person would destroy a place that was once a synagogue. This was not a Kodak moment. THis was destruction by those that now occupy the region. They could have used those buildings for community offices, etc. Now they have rubble.</p>
<p>The agreement was that the Israelis WOULD destroy the synagogues. That’s the whole point.</p>
<p>The Palestinians asked that the houses be destroyed. They were inappropriate for a large population crowded into a tight space, and not the way an urban population lives. They would have wasted precious space, as well as being a drain on limited energy and water resources. As part of the deal, the synagogues were to go - to be destroyed by the Israelis - Jewish, I presume. </p>
<p>I don’t think it was easy for the Israelis to decide to destroy their own synagogues. They did, however, make such a decision, and then renege on it. Pure photo-op - they got exactly what they wanted (well, perhaps would have been better if there were Muslims who kept pigs, who let them wallow around the altars…)</p>
<p>Carolyn asks,“Any thoughts?”</p>
<p>Yes, It is Sept 12, 2005, don’t forget that I called this.</p>
<p>What will happen is that Israel will get nothing! Hamas has promised to destroy Israel and keep up the killings. Israel will not get the lasting peace that they so hoped for,but the suicide bombing will continue. All of the sacrifice made by those of Gaza and other settlements will be made in vein! Moreover, even if the Palestinians stop the attacks,which won’t happen, other terrorist organizations will infiltrate there and start suicide attacks.</p>
<p>Israels only chance for economic survival is to build the wall, and wall the Palestinians in. They need guard towers built into the wall and lots and lots of mines. Who knows? Maybe this will work like Hadrian’s Wall.</p>
<p>If this doesn’t work, which I believe will be the case, Israel won’t have a lot of good alternatives besides bombing the Palestinians and killing a much greater number than the suicide bombers will kill. This will either convince the terrorists that suicide bombings won’t work, or it will result in the eventual annihilation of the Palestinians. However, the world won’t allow this type of retribution nor will Israel participate in this type of behavior. Thus, Israel is in a bad spot.</p>
<p>For what its worth, I don’t think we are any better off in Iraq. My prognostication, without my crystal ball is that once we leave, the terrorist and fundamentalists will take over. All the money and all the blood lost by us will be totally wasted! I hope that I am wrong on both counts.</p>
<p>I must have awoken on the wrong side of the bed today</p>