How many of you think that Israel is a peaceful country?

Question

I come from a neutral country (India). As per my understanding of events, The region called Palestine Mandate was inhabited by Arabs for past 2000 years before Jews started to settle in the region. Before long the Jews tried to build the state of Israel and faced resistance by Arabs who felt that their territory is being encroached. The result has been many decades of violence where each party has aggravated and committed violence on the other side.

I do not say either one is right or wrong. What I want is a popular opinion if people really think that Israel is a peaceful country which does no harm to Palestenians (as is normally depicted in the press, not forgetting that most of the media, atleast in the west, has heavy Jewish influence)?

Answer 1

I think they would like to be "peaceful" but they have a lot of work to do in the human rights department. The biggest problem for Israel today is I see it is, the die has been cast. They treated the Palestinians so abominably for so long that it is going to take a long time to repair relations, if it's possible at all. There are many, many righteous Israelis who want to do whatever is possible to co-exist peacefully with the Palestinians. Most of the resistance comes from the more recent arrivals (settlers)(most come from the former Soviet Union - mainly Russia), who, according to earlier residents and their descendants, "just come for the free houses, free cars, free healthcare and the climate - they're not even practising Jews, they're atheists!".

Answer 2

Wow, you could not be more wrong....

I lived and worked in the Middle East for seven years, and lived in countries including Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Israel during this time.

When I first went out there, I didn't really have a view about events out there either way.

But I can tell you from personal experience that Israel is NOT the country causing all the problems.

I see that paperback-writer has given a good account of the historical situation, so I won't repeat all this.

In Israel, you can see minarets and hear the Arabs chanting and praying freely. In some areas, you see more Arabs than Jews, and they all appear very happy and contented; the ones I spoke to certainly had no complaints.

On Israeli TV, you will find the news is balanced and fair and there are SO many discussions about the best and most sensitive way to handle the problems. All views are represented. Most strikingly, you will find that although the Israelis loathe what the Islamic terrorists do to them all the time, they still have basic respect for their Arab neighbours and they long, long, long for peace. I saw this very clearly.

In the Arab countries, I found that, for the most part, it was a whole different story. I would not believe it had I not experienced this myself, personally.

There is so much anti Jewish and anti Christian literature and rhetoric, it's really shocking. Some of the material against the Jewish people has clearly been lifted straight from the old Nazi propoganda. I was disgusted.

The Arabs, when they speak freely, admit that the issue with Israel is NOT one of land. It is because it is a Jewish land. They cannot tolerate one tiny little Jewish country in their part of the world.

So I am amazed, really, by your question, because you seem to have it so wrong, I'm sorry to say.

Oh, and note to JESS: what is this utter rubbish about the Jewish people controlling the media - that's an old, old lie and you should be ashamed fo yourself for repeating anything so idiotic. Last time I read his biography, Rupert Murdoch was not a Jew. Neither are any of the other big time owners of papers and TV stations in Europe.

Answer 3

Israel is not necessarily a peaceful country. But only because they are forced to defend themselves on all sides from hostile neighbors. They were given back their, once native, land after the war and that's something Palestinians are going to have to accept.

Gypsy..your people's land was conquered. That's what humans do. Get over it already. However, I'm not surprised by your response. Typical ignorant, Jew-hating Midwestern rant.

Answer 4

Israel is no more or less peaceful than any other western nation.

It fights wars in self defense and dose what it deems necessary to protect its citizens.

hindsight being 20/20, and the fact that all leaders are human certainly mistakes were, and are being made by both sides.

To say that Israel is some innocent dove that dose no wrong is as much a misstatement to say that Israel is some vast Zionist plot to oppress Arabs and to steal their land.

Answer 5

I don't at all get a good vibe from Israel. I do think that Western Media, being heavily Jewish, is biased in the information it presents the public in regards to Israel and Palestine. I mean, most younger people and teens have no idea why there is even fighting going on in this region of the world.

I don't think that Israel is peaceful, but I do think that the US and Israel have some sort of sick parasitic bond with each other and that is why we don't hear more about the negative about the country.

Answer 6

Afraid you have your facts wrong.

Israel is a peaceful country. Jews lived in Palestine for just under 4000 years continuously; the term 'Palestinian' referred originally to the Jews in fact; Palestine was the same area as Judea, it was renamed by the Romans when they took control of the area.

Mark Twain, returning from Palestine in the 19th century, famously reported: 'Apart from the Jews living there, there are just a few wandering Arab nomads'.

The 'Palestinians' as we know them today, did not exist as a separate entity until 1969 - some two decades AFTER the revival of Israel.

In 1948, the British - who held the mandate for Palestine - proposed partition. Just over half the land went to the Arabs, just under half to the Jews.

The Jews accepted immediately. The Arabs refused and within 12 hours of the Jewish part - Israel- being established all the neighbouring Arab countries simultaneously attacked.

This is all historical, objective, verifiable FACT.

And remember: there are 22 Arab countries, many of them large, and wealthy through oil.

There is one tiny Jewish country; she is smaller than Wales, smaller than the American state of New Jersey, and she is not at all wealthy.

During this, the War Of Independence in 1948, Israel got bits of land as she defended her citizens and pushed the Arabs back. And yes, of course she kept those bits of land - name me ONE country that returns land to enemies who have attacked them!!

In Israel over 20 per cent of citizens are not Jewish; many of them are Arabs. Israeli Arabs have exactly the same rights as Israeli Jewish. People of ALL faiths are free to worship as they please.

Compare this to Iran, where women are still regularly stoned to death. Or Saudi Arabia: it's illegal to even own a Christian bible, only Islamic texts are permitted.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, apart from Turkey.

Now I expect to see a question from you asking whether Arab countries are 'peaceful' also - that would only be fair...

Answer 7

Bypass, why don't you take that Bible and thump yourself upside the head with it?
No, Israel is NOT peaceful. If they were so, they'd have no reason to retain their "victimhood" status, and continue their land grab. It's not in Israel's own interest to be at peace.
Nothing p!sses me off more than those who think they have some sort of god-mandated "right" to inhabit someone else's land. It's very reminiscent of "Manifest Destiny", the white European notion that god "wanted" them to steal the Americas from the First Nations. As an individual of Native American ancestry, I am a strong proponent of the rights of indigenous people everywhere...and that includes Palestine.

Edit: Jess, incredibly good response!

Edit: David, kiss my midwestern @ss, ya p!ssy NYer: go back to your hellhole and stop contaminating our part of the country with your "better than thou" NY attitude. People like YOU give Americans a bad name.

Answer 8

Israel is the most un-peaceful country in the world today. They constantly harass the palestininas, in defiance of the genava convention.

One example of thousands- Israel snipers were given rubber bullets during the second infitada to disperess crwods, they were told to shoot for the body, but instead they aimed for the eyes of children and women, resulting in blindness

Answer 9

ISRAEL IS THE ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

THEY HAVE DONE EVERY THING THEY CAN TO PACIFY THE ARABS..THE ARABS WANT TO DESTROY ISRAEL AND "PUSH THEM INTO THE SEA"



IF YOU WILL RECALL, DURING THE SIX DAY WAR ISRAEL WAS ATTACKED. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THEY ARE BEING TERRORIZED ALMOST DAILY.

THE JEWS WERE GIVEN THAT LAND BEFORE THE ARABS HAD IT..NOT ONLY ISRAEL BUT A LOT OF THE MIDDLE EAST BELONGED TO THE JEWS..

IT WAS GOD GIVEN TO ABRAHAM....IT WAS STOLEN FROM THEM BUT GOD SAID HE WAS GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TO THEM.
PRESIDENT TRUMAN DECLARED ISRAEL A STATE IN 1948, AND THIS WAS BIBLE PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED...

ISRAEL IS OUR CLOSEST FRIEND AND HAVE SHARED A LOT OF THEIR INTELLIGENCE WITH US. OF WHICH. THEY ARE EXPERTS IN.

PRESIDENT REAGAN AIRLIFTED 6000 EUTHOPIAN JEWS BACK TO THEIR HOMELAND WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT.....

GOD HAS PROMISED HE WOULD BLESS THOSE THAT BLESSED ISRAEL AND CURSE THOSE THAT CURSED ISRAEL....

Answer 10

you bet ye.