[kj] the 'Holy' Land

[Pat Tofield]

	> Living on 1.7% of the land and having 227 000 people out of
approx 4 	million is, in my eyes a minorityXXXXXXX

in anyone's eyes this is a statistical minority....agreed....but these
people, or at least the ideology behind what they stand for is very
powerful in Israel - even if the 'majority' don't actually voice for the
same ideals....


	> XXXXX  Security is required before peace talks can
progressXXXX

not arguing with that...and nor are my children...!!!



	> XXXXXXXHow about the mass peace protests in dizengeoff???where
100 	000s of Israelis march for peace?

Not Dizengeoff actually but the 'City Square' in Tel Aviv - renamed
Rabin Square after then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down
there (following a Peace procession) by a Jew who disagreed with his
vision that Israel should ever have any kind of negations with
Arabs......

They marched... yes...and *still* Sharon was voted into power....!!
(Some see him as the very architect of the long standing intefada and so
much hatred and resentment....and they have a point, but it goes way
beyond that)


There is so much here that cannot be summed up in a few glib statements
(mine included)........sorry....I only live here!

Pat











-----Original Message-----
From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net]
On Behalf Of xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 1:44 AM
To: gathering at misera.net
Subject: Re: [kj] the 'Holy' Land



.
1) Settlers are not a 'tiny' minority....they are here
(Israel).......and they are powerful.....


XXXX"In a report entitled "Land Grab: Israel's Settlement Policy in the
West Bank," B'Tselem said that  the settler's built-up areas cover only
1.7 percent of the West Bank.    
. According to settlers' estimates, 227,000 people lived in West bank
and Gaza Strip settlements at the end of 2001"

Living on 1.7% of the land and having 227 000 people out of approx 4
million is, in my eyes a minorityXXXXXXX




2) there are a bunch of 'ordinary' Israelis who think like settlers, and
make a lot of political (and actual) noise ....these people are voters -
and they voted for Sharon - even though he might be seen to be betraying
them temporarily...

 XXXXX  Security is required before peace talks can progressXXXX




3) the average 'man-on-the-street' Israeli - (Yossef Blogs as it were) -
is reasonably 'left wing' by most 'left wing' thinking
countries........the problem is that 'left wing' in Israel roughly
translates to 'wimpy wanker' in the eyes of the ones who shout the
loudest...... 
 
  XXXXXXXHow about the mass peace protests in dizengeoff???where 100
000s of Israelis march for peace?

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