[Tim Clausz]

Forgive me for continuing this off-topic thread, but I think Laura's 
comments were unbelievably one-sided.  I did not post this to start a fight; 
I just wanted to dispute what I thought were biased opinions.  I feel that 
(here in the US anyway) the Palestinians are always unfairly blamed for the 
violence, when obviously both countries are to blame.  Constantly pointing 
fingers at the other side is not going to solve anything.

I also think that American and Israeli propaganda has swayed many Americans' 
opinions on the issue.  Just days after 9/11, Ariel Sharon took advantage of 
the terrorist attacks on the US to try to get sympathy for Israel: "Acts of 
terror against Israeli citizens are no different from bin Laden's terror 
against American citizens."  Of course acts of terror against civilians in 
ANY country are deplorable.  But I cannot believe that Sharon would compare 
the acts of September 11 to violence between two countries that has been 
going on for decades.

<<The mere fact that the UN General Assembly condemned these actions by 
Israel's surrogates proves nothing, except that a majority of the nations 
are anti-Israel and/or anti-Semitic.>>

How disgusting that any country or entity that is even remotely critical of 
Israel is labeled "Anti-Israel" (or worse, "Anti-Semitic").  I see and hear 
an infinitely greater amount of "Anti-Palestine" comments in the media, yet 
I never hear any claims of racism toward Palestinians.

<<Until they learn to negotiate in good faith, something Arafat has never 
done...Please note that Israel always targets military and/or political 
locations and personnel...and the point is that at least Israel doesn't 
intend to kill them...>>

What proof do you have to support ANY of these statements?  Based on these 
comments, Israel is not to blame for anything.  So it is OK if a few 
Palestinian civilians are killed even though Israel didn't target them?

You also argue that "citizens are also killed and wounded" in "war".  Could 
that argument not then be used to justify targeting them?  If citizens are 
going to die anyway, why not target them?

<<to play by the rules of western civilization>>

What an arrogant statement.  Why must Middle Eastern (or any) countries
"play by the rules" of Western civilization -- because the US says so?

<<...just did a survey which found that 55% of Americans support Israel, 
while only 14% support Arafat et al.>>

I think surveys like this are meaningless, except to show that too many 
Americans just accept whatever our government tells us and whatever the 
media reports.  I think this also helps explain Bush's ridiculous 80+% 
approval rating.

Tim

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