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Inside the Middle East
May 22, 2009
Posted: 844 GMT
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Young Israelis dance with national flags in hand at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City during celebrations on May 21, 2009 of Jerusalem Day which marks the anniversary of the reunification of the holy city. Right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Jerusalem would remain Israel's capital 'forever' as the Jewish state marked the 42nd anniversary of the occupation and annexation of Arab east Jerusalem in the 1967 six day Arab-Israeli war.
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Young Israelis dance with national flags in hand at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City during celebrations on May 21, 2009 of Jerusalem Day which marks the anniversary of the reunification of the holy city. Right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Jerusalem would remain Israel's capital 'forever' as the Jewish state marked the 42nd anniversary of the occupation and annexation of Arab east Jerusalem in the 1967 six day Arab-Israeli war.
David Silverman/Getty Images. A Jewish youth holds up a poster condemning US President Barack Oama's Middle East peace plan as he passes the US Consulate on the way to the Old City on May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Thousands of national religious Jews celebrated Jerusalem Day, the anniversary according to the Hebrew calendar of the city's liberation from Jordanian forces during the 1967 Six Day War.
David Silverman/Getty Images. A Jewish youth holds up a poster condemning US President Barack Oama's Middle East peace plan as he passes the US Consulate on the way to the Old City on May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Thousands of national religious Jews celebrated Jerusalem Day, the anniversary according to the Hebrew calendar of the city's liberation from Jordanian forces during the 1967 Six Day War.
Yin Bogu - Pool/Getty Images. An Israeli soldier lights a torch during the Jerusalem Day ceremony at Ammunition hill May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that all of Jerusalem will remain Israel's capital amidst protests at the Damascus gate of the Old City of Jerusalem wall by eastern Jerusalem Arabs and their supporters.
Yin Bogu – Pool/Getty Images. An Israeli soldier lights a torch during the Jerusalem Day ceremony at Ammunition hill May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that all of Jerusalem will remain Israel's capital amidst protests at the Damascus gate of the Old City of Jerusalem wall by eastern Jerusalem Arabs and their supporters.
David Silverman/Getty Images. Right-wing religious Israelis dance with their national flag outside the Damascus gate of the Old City on May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Thousands of national religious Jews paraded past the US Consulate towards the Old City and the Western Wall in celebration of Jerusalem Day, the anniversary according to the Hebrew calendar of the city's liberation from Jordanian forces during the 1967 Six Day War.
David Silverman/Getty Images. Right-wing religious Israelis dance with their national flag outside the Damascus gate of the Old City on May 21, 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. Thousands of national religious Jews paraded past the US Consulate towards the Old City and the Western Wall in celebration of Jerusalem Day, the anniversary according to the Hebrew calendar of the city's liberation from Jordanian forces during the 1967 Six Day War.

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Hope   May 22nd, 2009 2:40 pm ET

Oh yeahhhhh???...And what were the Palestinian people of East Jerusalem doing on this day? commemorating displacement? homelessness? Living under occupation as second class citizens? Tell us more. Show us more. You are not doing the world favor presenting this as a one sided tale. Such thorny flags, flashes of bloodshed creeps in my head viewing them collectively..Could you have at least balanced your images by showing the colorful Palestinian flags as well?..

Filipe   May 22nd, 2009 6:43 pm ET

Hope,

Maybe there were no Palestinian flags there to be seen?? Ever think of that?

Why would they celebrate this Jewish Holiday?

Why does it bother you so much that Israel can have holidays and celebrations and the media publishes photos?? They do the same for the Arabs? I doubt you whine and cry and complain when this occurs.

You claim this to be a one sided tale-- How so?? The article is about Jerusalem Day-– a Jewish Holiday!!!!

Hope   May 22nd, 2009 11:43 pm ET

Si Filipe..Whining. Why not!!..You and your people been whining about your ongoing sufferings (doubt many buy your pathetic BS's anymore) induced by EVERYONE on this planet -including Aliens I suppose- for how long now??..So what is a bit of whining on behave of the Palestinian people who've been/are living through the fires of "Hell" thanks to your god given talents of evil deeds. Heard of a bad karma? What goes around comes around :0

G.   May 23rd, 2009 1:23 am ET

Jerusalem is a very old holy place for Jewish people and a newer holy place in the timeline for Christian people, two thousand years. Perhaps that causes violence between the two – don't know. I hope not.

Flags are a little interesting, symbolic I guess. I doubt that a God who created the stars is overly impressed with them, but I kind of like them. I wouldn't mind a colorful shot of the Palestinian flag and its meaning. I have no doubt that there are many sweet, peace loving, kind, Palestinian people and Jewish people and everyone else people – and those stinkers in all those groups and all such categories we depend upon to translate our world. It's always shocking to realize how much alike we are, but we are.

university rector   May 23rd, 2009 7:19 am ET

HOPE (aka liar)

What do you know about jerusalem? have you been there? have you made a study comparing the standard of living of the Arab citizens of Jerusalem with tre one of , say, Amman?

No? Why not hypocritic whiner? All you do is whine, whine whine....

John A   May 23rd, 2009 9:52 am ET

G Jerusalem is also a very old place for the Arabs. The Jews never founded the city of Jerusalem. The only solution is two states, shared and equal. Is equality too much to ask from peoples who claim to follow religion

Filipe   May 23rd, 2009 2:23 pm ET

No Hope,

Sorry, but you apparently mistake me for a Jew or an Israeli-which I am neither. So you need not blame me for you r problems as I have nothing to do with them.

But I guess that's just your point, the plight of the Palestinian people is and has always been someone else's fault! Why should that surprise any of us? They certainly can't be to blame for their own situation, can they?? That would just not be possible. If they were to admit they are the cause of their own dilemma, no one in the rest of the world would be obligated to assist them or feel sorry fro them!

What a joke!!!!

Filipe   May 23rd, 2009 5:14 pm ET

Israel has proclaimed that Jerusalem will never again be partitioned as it was when it was under Arab occupation by Jordan. Israel has proclaimed Jerusalem will be open and accessible to all religions--as it is now! So I fail to see any validity in some of the points being made about "equality" ! What's that all about??? Jerusalem has been a Holy city to the Jews and the Christians for hundreds-even thousands of years before there was any such religion called Islam. I find it rather generous that the Israelis offer the freedom of worship to all religions in Jerusalem--- given the fact that the Jews were prohibited access to Jerusalem by the Arab occupiers!

university rector   May 23rd, 2009 7:07 pm ET

When the Jordanian army massacred the Jews in the old city and exiled the few remaining in 1949, you Israel bashers (or your teachers) shut up, not a sound.

When Jordan desecrated Jewish holy places and broke all treaties which granted Jews access to the holy places, you were very quiet.

But you only whine when the treacherous Arabs are on the losing side, you cannot stand Jews standing up for their rights and refuse to be killed.

nitwit hypocrites all of you

university rector   May 23rd, 2009 8:35 pm ET

and another thing, johnny boy, Jerusalem was Jewish before there were any arab muslims

try to deny this fact

Blog Cat   May 23rd, 2009 11:10 pm ET

Israel reinstates Punitive House Demolitions adding to its reprehensible Human Rights Record

The Israeli government has been demolishing houses in East Jerusalem and across the West Bank and Gaza Strip since it commenced its belligerent occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967. There are three main types of house demolitions: operation, administrative and punitive. The last type is not only the most barbaric from a moral point of view but more importantly, from a legal perspective, constitutes collective punishment in the form of property destruction and generates some of the gravest violations of international humanitarian law, constituting a war crime when amounting to intentional and systematic “wanton destruction”.

Administrative demolition of homes in East Jerusalem has been a tool at the hands of the Israeli government for the purpose of pursuing the quiet transfer policy, displacing Palestinians out of occupied East Jerusalem. Just recently, over over 80 homes demolished in Al-Bustan part of the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan. The houses were issued demolition orders for to violating building laws and building without a building permit. It should be noted that the reality is that such permits are not accessible to Palestinians residents of East Jerusalem due to both bureaucratic barriers and an overarching practice of discrimination testified also by the constant expansion of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.

M Ariely   May 24th, 2009 4:45 am ET

IN THE HOLY QURAN – JERUSALEM WAS NOT MENTIOED ENEN ONCE
IT IS USED AS A POLITICAL TOOL FOR ISLAMIC INTERESTS
The real story-
Many Muslims consider the Quran location named " El Akza" as Jerusalem
What is 'El Akza" ?
Prophet Muhammad used to travel between Mecca and Medina.
On the way he was stopping for thinking and paying on one of two shrines.
One close to the main road-
The second one, far away from the main road, named "El Akza'(fare away)'

DAMASCUS RULERS INVEBTED THE STORY OF JERUSALEM AS " EL AKZA" DUE POLITICAL NEADS
Why are some Muslims considering Jerusalem a holly city- and calling it El Akza?
Following the initial great conquers of the Arabs from Hidjaz, the governors of Damascus area behave immoral in many aspects of life.
As an outcome- the religious leaders of Mecca and Medina- had forbidden pilgrim from Damascus areas to the holy places.
It turned to be a great problem for the Damascus leaders.
As an alternative to the Hidjaz holy places they choose Jerusalem as a destination for holy pilgrim and invented the story of Prophet Muhammad dream.
Prophet Muhammad dream is not in the Quran

JERUSALEM BECOME ONCE AGAIN AN INSIGNIFICANT PLACE IN MUSLEM WORLED AFTER THE DESPUTE BETWEEN DAMASCUS AND MECCA HAS BEEN RESOLVED AND PILGRIMS STARTED VISITING MECCA AGAIN.

University rector   May 24th, 2009 11:04 am ET

Blog dog

Let us examine the Jordanian treatment of, not houses built without a permit, but jewish holy places and cemetaries.

The Jewish cemetary on Mt. Scopus dates back several centuries. After the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem in 1948/49, they used the gravestones to build pig stalls.

At the place of the Western Wall, one of the hoiest places of Judaism, they put a public pissoir.

This is how Muslims respect Judaism.

But blog dog is intersested only in propaganda, not truth about his Arab masters and mentors.

miriam   May 24th, 2009 2:41 pm ET

Blog cat,

This year, almost as many houses have been destroyed in West Jerusalem as in East Jerusalem. It has nothing to do with transfer of the Arab population, but everything to do with illegal building. It takes everyone in Jerusalem a long time to get building permits and if you build without the permit, the property is destroyed or sealed.

The Arab population in Jerusalem is growing and the Jewish population shrinking, evidence that there is no 'transfer' policy.

88 homes in Silwan (derived from the hebrew word Shiloach, as in the Bible) have not been demolished. Residents admit that their homes were built illegally and have been offered new homes but refuse to accept Israeli government offers for fear of being considered traitors, and the subsequent consequences.

There has been a steady increase in applications for Israeli citizenship by East Jerusalem Arabs, an opportunity they were offered in 1967 but many refused to accept then.

Blog Cat   May 24th, 2009 9:15 pm ET

Miriam,

It’s about the illegal occupation.

Try reading some real journalism for a change

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8066389.stm

miriam   May 25th, 2009 11:52 am ET

Blog Cat,

There is no illegal occupation.

Under international law, occupation occurs when territory is seized from a recognized sovereign.

Israel captured the West Bank in a defensive war.

The territory was not under the control of a recognized sovereign.

Slogans such as "Israeli illegal occupation" are baseless under international law.

It's about the preoccupation – your preoccupation with hatred of Israel and the Jews.

Filipe   May 25th, 2009 2:50 pm ET

Blog Cat,

Thanks for the input !!!!!!!

The link you posted is exactly what I was talking about—– the illegal outposts that Israel is removing—— because they are illegal!!!

I’m glad you managed to find mention of it western media. I was beginning to think that the eviction and demolition of the illegal Israeli outposts had gotten no mention in western media.

Nice work there Blog Cat !!!!

university rector   May 25th, 2009 5:36 pm ET

blog dog

you think that by ignoring the facts I posted you will turn these facts into non-facts?

Fat chance, nitwit

Blog Cat   May 26th, 2009 10:11 am ET

http://www.geocities.com/savepalestinenow/internationallaw/studyguides/sgil3.htm

Miriam if you fully explore the link above you will understand your huge error in legal matters. Israels occupation is considered illegal everywhere except in Israel.

University Rector, you think ignoring the law and world opinion will make the matter go away. Quote, "Fat chance nitwit".

Blog Cat   May 26th, 2009 10:13 am ET

Filipe you are welcome for my input and I appreciate your gratitude. Lets hope you don't start changing your opinion, as that would seriously reduce your credibility.

John A   May 26th, 2009 12:06 pm ET

Blog cat, Israels Clueless klux klan have always found ways to defy UN resolutions, Humanitarian/ civil rights groups and international law. And they continue with the help of Filipe, Miriam & University "raving mad" Rector.

Filipe   May 26th, 2009 4:49 pm ET

BLog Cat,

I don't change my opinion. I hold true to my values-- truth, justice and adherence to the rule of law for all. No baseless accusations, no twisting of the facts, no misrepresentations of the truth. I believe in the basic principal of innocent until proven guilty. Unlike a lot of those on this blogspot who proclaim someone or some country as being "guilty", yet no court of law has ever done so.

Those who see fit to pronounce guilt in the absence of the judicial process are nothing more than propagandists and disseminators of false information. It's simply meaningless to continue to cry guilty at someone who has yet to be tried in court of law-– talk about lynch mob mentality !!!!

G.   May 27th, 2009 1:14 am ET

Beyond all this political stuff, don't you feel really that God gave man a mission to populate the earth and we've done it and now we are killing the world, in general. Why is there not better population control? We know what causes it and some solutions. We aren't rabbits. We are people. That should matter. That's to all the nations, not just here.

G.   May 27th, 2009 1:19 am ET

John A. – I sometimes read old lit. One book is the Bible about Jerusalem. Now I don't know how far back your history is about, but not that far.

miriam   May 27th, 2009 6:03 am ET

Blog Cat,

Just reading the web address shows that the opinions represented are baseless.

Palestine has never been a state.
It was the name adopted by the British Mandate for the region they controlled after the defeat of the Ottomans. It consisted of modern day Israel, Gaza, West Bank and Jordan.

The name is derived from the Philistines, a sea-people who invaded the eastern Meditteranean coast in about 1200 BC ,most probably from Crete.

The Romans used the name for the province when they conquered the area.

No residents of the area refered to themselves as Palestinians although under the British the residents, Jewish or Arab, were issued passports describing them as British Subjects of Mandatory Palestine.

Arabs had no nationalist aspirations until the Balfour Declaration whereas Jews have considered the land their homeland for over 2000 years despite their exile.

"Save Palestine Now" is therefore a fictitious statement since it has never been a state to need saving.

The UN Partition Plan was not ideal for either side, but the Jews accepted it, the Arabs did not since destroying the Jews was and is more important than statehood.

After the 1948 war, the armistice lines differed from those proposed in 1947 but Israel fought a defensive war and in such battles land can be taken. The Jordanians and Egyptians made no attempt to create a Palestinian state on the land Israel didn't control.

Finally, why do the Palestinians refer to themselves as 'invaders' ?
That's what their name means!

Mordechay Ariely   May 27th, 2009 6:35 am ET

John A posted comment: Israels- Clueless klux klan

To John A and the innocent people mislead by the propaganda voiced by him:
1: Clueless klux klan – IS A RASIST ORGANIZATION
THE ANSWER TO THE RASISM AGAIST JEWS IS ZIONISM
Regaining Israel independence destroyed by empires 2000 years ago and subject to :
Persecution, mass killings, transportations, dehumanization
Racism definition in encyclopedia:
Racism is the belief that a particular —-race is superior or inferior to another,—-that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her**** inborn biological characteristics

2: EXAMPLES OF JEWISH ACTS AGAINST RASISM
a: Jews Goodman and Schwerner and a black Chaney,civil rights working to register black voters murdered in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan 1964
b:Rabbi Gendler of Great Barrington jailed 1962 in Albany with Martin Luther King for protesting segregation practices
c:Helen Suzman a SA Jew for 13 years the only MP to condemn apartheid was twice-nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Archbishop Desmond Tutu said SA owed her an enormous debt in the struggle against apartheid

3; EXAMPLES OF ARABS PRORASIST STANDING
A:Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan, interview aired on BBC Arabic TV on November 7, 2008:
In an Arab Country, OBAMA WOULD BE TOLD 'YOU ARE A SALVE
B:daily Al-Ayyam, October 25, 2008
Christians are being persecuted not only in Iraq, but in most Arab countries, regardless of their numbers there. They are subjected to every possible kind of discrimination

university rector   May 27th, 2009 8:49 am ET

blog dog

your terror defending twisting of facts only makes an impression on johnny boy, nobody else believes your Hamas charter quotes anyway

John A   May 27th, 2009 10:26 am ET

Is University Rector married to Gleigh and do they have two children named Filipe and Miriam. Is this a sad fanatical Zionist family who spends all day churning out nonsense? At best when Israel is proven to be wrong, they will point out faults with the Arabs. And as a last bid to win they will claim Jews have occupied the land for generations and it was given to them by God.

Christians who no nothing about the middle east refer to the bible, hear of Jews and conclude that they were the natural in habitants of the region. But knowledge of history raises questions here.

Real history teaches us something very different. Look at historical empires and how they were made.

Before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered Palestine by waging war on Arabs. Not one historical mention of Alexander being opposed by Jewish armies. Why, because they never existed.

The Romans also fought against the Persians in the region. Although there was occasional uprisings from the Jewish community. Not one historical mention of Jews and Romans meeting on a battle field with large armies. Why, because the Jews were a minority. We do know of Masada, one Jewish town in the region which resisted the Romans. We also know Romans put down a Jewish rebellion in Jerusalem. But there was not one single case of thousands of Jews dressed in armor meeting Romans on a battle field as they advanced through the region. Why, because the Jews were a minority who settled in pockets of the region, when the Arabs actually ruled the majority of the area.

Flip forward in history to the British empire. Who did the British come up against? It was the Ottomans and not the Jews. So when did the Jews ever control the region in a way that allowed them to raise an army to protect their land. The answer is it never really happened. Even King David tried to defeat Arabs who occupied the area which the Jews wanted to claim.

This is why in the Jewish holy book the Torah never actually states exactly where the boarders of the promised land lay. It simple refers to their belief that God promised the Jews a homeland.

Now we can move onto the man made claims from God and Allah. (Man made as nobody has the signature of God) This becomes an argument over who has the best invisible friend.

Today there are two peoples occupying the same land. The only solution is two states. Simple. Both groups recognize Jerusalem as their holy city. Simple solution, share Jerusalem.

Another solution being the contentious rights over Jerusalem are controlled by the UN. The UN allows access and protects the peace for all. The remaining area of the country gets divided between the two peoples. Once boarders are recognized, any party who breaches their boarder gets punished by UN with inpartiality. Will the two great religions share or will they continue to argue over who has the most influential invisible friend called God. Surely one day man kind will look back on this crises and wonder how could people be so unkind.

John A   May 27th, 2009 10:27 am ET

Is University Rector married to Gleigh and do they have two children named Filipe and Miriam. Is this a sad fanatical Zionist family who spends all day churning out nonsense? At best when Israel is proven to be wrong, they will point out faults with the Arabs. And as a last bid to win they will claim Jews have occupied the land for generations and it was given to them by God.

Christians who know nothing about the middle east refer to the bible, hear of Jews and conclude that they were the natural in habitants of the region. But knowledge of history raises questions here.

Real history teaches us something very different. Look at historical empires and how they were made.

Before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered Palestine by waging war on Arabs. Not one historical mention of Alexander being opposed by Jewish armies. Why, because they never existed.

The Romans also fought against the Persians in the region. Although there was occasional uprisings from the Jewish community. Not one historical mention of Jews and Romans meeting on a battle field with large armies. Why, because the Jews were a minority. We do know of Masada, one Jewish town in the region which resisted the Romans. We also know Romans put down a Jewish rebellion in Jerusalem. But there was not one single case of thousands of Jews dressed in armor meeting Romans on a battle field as they advanced through the region. Why, because the Jews were a minority who settled in pockets of the region, when the Arabs actually ruled the majority of the area.

Flip forward in history to the British empire. Who did the British come up against? It was the Ottomans and not the Jews. So when did the Jews ever control the region in a way that allowed them to raise an army to protect their land. The answer is it never really happened. Even King David tried to defeat Arabs who occupied the area which the Jews wanted to claim.

This is why in the Jewish holy book the Torah never actually states exactly where the boarders of the promised land lay. It simple refers to their belief that God promised the Jews a homeland.

Now we can move onto the man made claims from God and Allah. (Man made as nobody has the signature of God) This becomes an argument over who has the best invisible friend.

Today there are two peoples occupying the same land. The only solution is two states. Simple. Both groups recognize Jerusalem as their holy city. Simple solution, share Jerusalem.

Another solution being the contentious rights over Jerusalem are controlled by the UN. The UN allows access and protects the peace for all. The remaining area of the country gets divided between the two peoples. Once boarders are recognized, any party who breaches their boarder gets punished by UN with inpartiality. Will the two great religions share or will they continue to argue over who has the most influential invisible friend called God. Surely one day man kind will look back on this crises and wonder how could people be so unkind.

G.   May 27th, 2009 1:26 pm ET

It seems to me that anyone with an opinion or a quote makes up a website and posts something then others quote that person. I'm careful about what I link with or read. There are some nuts and bad people on the net it seems to me. Of course, the majority is not that way but they tend to busy working and raising children.

Mostly, I hope that the ME people, whoever or whatever region or religion they are, learn to co-exist. I would love to read in the next twenty years, by the time I'm seventy, that young people there are enrolled in colleges and growing in good ways.

It disturbs me that Christian people are mistreated by some. I am one. I have to think about that a little bit. It's shocking to me. I'm not happy about it though.

university rector   May 27th, 2009 5:16 pm ET

Blog cat, Israels Clueless klux klan have always found ways to defy UN resolutions, Humanitarian/ civil rights groups and international law. And they continue with the help of Filipe, Miriam & University “raving mad” Rector
=================================================
Johnny baby,

Isn't funny how ignorami like you always revert to insults when they realize they are beaten

valkyrie22   May 28th, 2009 7:49 am ET

Remember the Naqba! The founding of Israel was cursed by the fact that this evil deed was done by Terrorists( Irgun, Stern Gang-Rahm Immanuel's father was one), Gangsters, War Criminals,Assassins and Mafiosi. Stop the $30 Billion in aid; Boycott/sanction/divest from Israel. Listen to British MP George Galloway on youtube.

John A   May 28th, 2009 8:30 am ET

The Jews pretend they ruled the area thousands of years ago.

Question: Has anybody ever heard of a Jewish navy organized to protect the shores of a Jewish state from the Egyptians, Romans, Persians, Crusaders or British.

Answer: No Jewish navy ever existed, because the Jews never ruled the region. They were allowed to practice their religion amongst the Arabs. They also had settlements and controlled towns like Masada or Jerusalem for very short periods of time. But never in history have the Jews controlled the area, not until the fake state of Israel was created by the UN in 1948.

Just think about a Jewish navy fighting against Roman invaders. Just the thought of such a perversion of history is laughable.

university rector   May 28th, 2009 10:00 am ET

"The Jews pretend they ruled the area thousands of years ago.

Question: Has anybody ever heard of a Jewish navy organized to protect the shores of a Jewish state from the Egyptians, Romans, Persians, Crusaders or British"
=====================================================

Now let's see, thousands of years ago, that's when e.g. the British (who did not even exist then) invaded the shores of a Jewish state, right. and the Pesians of course would have come from the Mediterranean, right?

These are the usual lies of Johnny baby, who actiually is clueless

And what does a navy have to do with whethet there was a Jewish state or not, can you explain this nonsense?

Blog Cat   May 28th, 2009 12:43 pm ET

University Rector , you are truly ignorant of historical fact

Any regional power with a coastline creates it's own navy.

At no point in history (i.e. Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Crusaders, Persian Empire all the way up to the British Empire) have the Jews ever held regional power. Therefore the Jews were never able to build a navy and defend against any would be invader. The only native power that has ever ruled that region has been Arabic. No Jewish navy, not even a large scale Jewish army. Impossible for the Jews to manage large scale, when they have always been the minority in the region.

This clearly blows the myth of a Jewish country thousands of years ago.

The simple truth is the Jews never held authority in the region until Israel was invented by the UN in 1948.

And this is amazing, because when the UN talk of Israel breaking international law or the Geneva convention, Zionists like you will say that's because the UN is pro Arab. Without the UN, Israel would remain a mythical promise in the Torah. The idea of Israel is simply religious mythology. A Jewish state never existed before 1948 (only Jewish settlements or a few towns). And not by coincidence 1948 is when the Middle East crisis began.

G.   May 28th, 2009 2:00 pm ET

I'm not Jewish, but have always known that the Jewish people have been persecuted. Big news. I've known a few. Most are pretty funny which is kind of fun. I like humor. Sometimes it's a little dry, like mine, but still funny if you can get it. The history goes back six thousand years. I find that awesome. China is older, but most cultures are not even close to that number. What does that mean? I don't know. People are not great at figuring it all out I figure.

Blog Cat – Israel was invented in 1948? What planet do you come from? That is really funny because I have once or twice read the name Israel and about the region in the Holy Bible which is very old. Perhaps you have not heard of it. His former name was Jacob and changed to Israel by God. Ring a bell? 1948? Glad you told me – thought it was 1949 so learned something. I'm not big on this stuff.

university rector   May 28th, 2009 2:08 pm ET

Quote from Charles Krauthammer – The Weekly Standard, May 11, 1998

"Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice cream at the corner candy store."

Filipe   May 28th, 2009 7:25 pm ET

professor blog dog albania, Judge John A Cut N Paste,

What does it matter if the Jews had a navy or if they didn't?? Who cares??? You two guys do, obviously. But I've never heard of any one else who cares!

Why do you guys always seem to revert to living in the past???

The fact is-past history will not change the present day situation!

Present day situation is what it is and there is nothing you two whiners are going to do about because the Jews didn't have a navy 2000 years ago!!! What a joke!!!!

The bottom line is, it's up the the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority to determine the final solution- not you guys, not me, not the UN, UK, US, EU or the Arab League-- it's up to Israel and the PA-– so you just need to stop whining and crying and belly aching because it's all for naught !!!!!!

Sorry about your luck-– but it's simply none of you business! And nothing you can say or do will change that!

John A   May 28th, 2009 7:49 pm ET

Neither G or University Rector provide any details about a Historic Jewish NATION!. Just talk about settlements and relics from their historic minority group in the Middle East. None of you could answer the question, so I will repeat it and wait for a reply. The question refers not to a Jewish presence in the area, but a Jewish "nation " which has an historic claim. A town is not a nation. A synagogue surrounded by mosques does not make a Jewish state. Try to stick with the point

Question: Has anybody ever heard of a Jewish navy organized to protect the shores of a Jewish NATION from the Egyptians, Romans, Persians, Crusaders or British. (A navy can only be constructed by a regional authority, not a settlement or a band of religious minorities living in a country)

Answer: No Jewish navy ever existed, because the Jews never ruled the region. They were allowed to practice their religion amongst the Arabs. They also had settlements and controlled towns like Masada or Jerusalem for very short periods of time. But never in history have the Jews controlled the area, not until the fake state of Israel was created by the UN in 1948.

Just think about a Jewish navy fighting against Roman invaders or the Greeks, Egyptians etc... Just the thought of such a perversion of history is laughable. Israel never existed as a nation. Not before 1948.

Truth Be Told   May 29th, 2009 1:36 am ET

Avodah – http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2890816/avodah_hebrew/
Yerushaláyim – http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2806525/yerushal_yim_hebrew/

Holy Bible and history books both document King David, Solomon and the subsequent Jewish rulers from the tribe of Juday, who ruled this area centuries before Jesus Christ came on the scene, and even longer before the Arabs and Islam. The current Israelis clearly can refer to this and claim Jerualem as their own.

M Ariely   May 29th, 2009 8:18 am ET

To : John A, Blog Cat and all similar unbased propaganda activists**

Lets read your feedback to the 2 posted comments!!!

1:IN THE HOLY QURAN – JERUSALEM WAS NOT MENTIOED EVEN ONCE
IT IS USED AS A POLITICAL TOOL FOR ISLAMIC INTERESTS

2:a:-EXAMPLES OF JEWISH ACTS AGAINST RASISM
a: Jews Goodman and Schwerner and a black Chaney,civil rights working to register black voters murdered in Mississippi by members of the Ku Klux Klan 1964
2:b:-EXAMPLES OF ARABS PRORASIST STANDING
A:Abd Al-Bari ‘Atwan, interview aired on BBC Arabic TV on November 7, 2008:
In an Arab Country, OBAMA WOULD BE TOLD ‘YOU ARE A SALVE

John A   May 29th, 2009 9:56 am ET

G Wrote –
Blog Cat – Israel was invented in 1948? What planet do you come from?

G please supply an ancient map of Israel. None exist. There was never a country called Israel before 1948. In answer to your question I'm from planet earth, where are you?

Nobody deputes the presence of Jews in the Middle East. However Israel's claim for legitimate existence comes from the argument that they once ruled the region. What a laugh.

Name one Jewish ruler that protected his kingdom with a Jewish army and fought against the occupiers from Greece, Rome, Persians, Crusaders, Ottomans & British. Not one historical record of a Jewish nation raising an army to protect itself from historical invaders.

You can refer to the Torah or Bible. But these books have never been proven factual, they merely represent religious beliefs. If they were factual we would all know for sure that God exists and if the God is called Allah, God or whatever.

So lets remain with the history that we know to be true.

No Jewish nation resisted the Greeks under Alexander the Great.

The Jewish King Solomon was based in Jerusalem in defence against the Egyptians. Remember Jerusalem is not a country.

No Jewish nation existed during the Roman empire, which is why the Romans only fought against Persian armies on a battle field. Remember minority community revolts which Jews made against the Romans are not the same as a Jewish army which represents a Jewish nation. Again, no Jewish nation ever existed.

The Crusaders never fought a Jewish army, again no Jewish nation existed.

The Ottomans never fought a Jewish army, again no Jewish nation existed.

The British never fought against a Jewish army, again no Jewish nation existed.

Blogger handle Truth Be Told – You have a very pretentious name, when will you answer my points and live up to your self proclaimed truth?

John A   May 29th, 2009 11:20 am ET

M Ariely its nice that some America Jews fought against the KKK.
Many American Jews are also terrified of Israels racist propaganda against Arabs.

The problem is not Jewish it is Zionist, a political movement supported by radical Jews. The same radical Jews who founded Israels politics.

An example of radical Jewish clueless klux klan attitudes can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/23/israel-gaza-war-crimes-guardian

What we need is for the good Jews to rise up against the horror of Zionism. As the link shows, terrible things happen when good people fail to act. So if you are a good Jew who believes in equality, please speak up against the crimes which are committed in your name.

No murder is acceptable, be it committed by a Jew or an Arab. Such a belief is the very opposite of propaganda. When an Arab commits murder the Western media cries terrorists! When Israel commits murder, the western media is not even allowed into Gaza to see the truth.

G claims this is because Israel wanted to protect the journalists from harm. Pure madness as the journalist wanted to report there in the same way as they reported in Vietnam, WWI, WII etc. Never does a legitimate government prevent journalism. This only happens when a government wants to hide the truth. So if you are a good Jew, speak up against the horror of Israels government. If you can not do this, you will join them in the pages of shameful history.

Filipe   May 29th, 2009 1:32 pm ET

John Albania Cut N Paste,

Again-– living in the past!!!! Who cares!!!!! The past won't change the present !!!!!

Your rantings about armies, wars, navies and empires is all irrelevant in today's society. It is meaningless!

The fact is that Israel is a recognized sovereign state. You'll just need to get over. Nothing you will do or say will change that fact!!!!

university rector   May 29th, 2009 2:35 pm ET

Never does a legitimate government prevent journalism

another one of your propaganda lies, Johnny babay

Falklands, Iraq, Grenada,

Of course if you think that the governments of the USA and the UK are not legitimate................

university rector   May 29th, 2009 2:37 pm ET

A synagogue surrounded by mosques does not make a Jewish state
=================================================

We already established that Jews existed before Muslims, so your statement is nothing but pure nonsense, nitwit

university rector   May 29th, 2009 2:39 pm ET

Johnny baby

your propaganda lies about a Jewish nation never existing are as persuasive as your denial of your total support of the Hamas charter, nitwit

Try reading Josephus Flavius

G.   May 30th, 2009 2:19 am ET

Jewish people were in Jersaleum during the time of Christ. That was over two thousand years ago. This is not WWII. Not even close. There are terrorists hiding among citizens and using them as shields as they fire at the Israeli soldiers. German soldiers fought out in the open in battlefields mostly in uniforms that made them identifiable. This kind of warfare is different, more complicated if you care anything about the civilians and hope to avoid them. Do journalists really belong in a place like that?

G.   May 30th, 2009 2:25 am ET

I'm trying to figure out the navy question. Did Israel have a navy two thousand years ago when in Jersaleum during the time of Christ? Or a thousand years later? Aren't most of these countries about camels and mules and things like that? Do a lot of countries in the ME have navies even now? Is there a present day Egyptian navy?

G.   May 30th, 2009 2:26 am ET

I thought this was an arid, hard to travel place, not big on water travel in general.

G.   May 30th, 2009 6:03 am ET

I really thought it was all about air travel now, some subs, but searched Isreal navy and Egyptian navy. Not sure that helped at all. It's all going outter space of course.

G.   May 30th, 2009 6:08 am ET

Sounds to me like the ME needs to catch up. Navy? No one cares too much about weapons. Honestly. We are now into sub atomic particles and trying to find out greater things, how the universes co exist. Each has it's own black hole. It's much bigger than anyone ever, ever thought. Imagine it for a 1/100 of a second, if able. Read and study. Be enlightened. I like that term.

G.   May 30th, 2009 6:09 am ET

Everyone does realize there is a super collider at CERN?

G.   May 30th, 2009 6:10 am ET

Cutting off heads or beating someone with a big club sounds really backwards?

G.   May 30th, 2009 6:14 am ET

I'm being nice because this is the ME and I like it. Everyone in the U.S. likes it mostly. But probably not all. Some don't know what the ME initials mean is my guess.

Nustra   May 31st, 2009 6:02 pm ET

i don't really understand why pple won't tell the truth, have any of u read the history of arabs, can u link the arab history to the province we now call isreal or palestine?
they were just a waring tribe that had commercial ties and nothing more. as for the jews, any one who doesn't know history shold read and find out that they have been around for thousands of years in that region with smaller, isolated tribes such as the samaritans, jebusites etc, no mention of arabs or arab community threre.

over 4000 years ago, the jews existed in that region with these small tribes and the jews grew to be the dominant tribe in there. hw else was solomon able to build such a temple and why would the romans allow them to have a king (to keep the peace) in Herod.

the jews were tolerant of the presence of other tribes and their kings in the region and they existed side-by-side. such isolated kingdoms made it easy for a gr8 army to overrun them (like alexander the gr8 did) there is no mention of the arabs fighting alexander in that region....(but history tells of David and other jewish fighters standing against the persians and the medes and the jordanians etc.

am aware that the absence of evidence is not the evidece of absence, but no one in his right minds will doubt the presence of jews in that region and no such person will say arabs have roots in the region!!!

in case u don't know, the province was called judea even in roman records it was changed to palestine by the romans as punishment for the various uprisings by the jews.
palestine them came from a small village of non-jews that were the monority.

the arabs are the occupiers, if they really really care about the palestinians, why don't they give them lands in other arab countries???

we all (those who read the truth about history and not the words of imams) knw what the jordanians did to the palestinians (fellow so called arabs)... it is obvious tht israel is the only just guy in the region.

power situation in the ME changed after islam came out about 1500 years ago (which is recent in historical terms) the waring muslims in their jihad sacked the jews – already distabilized by the romans in previous uprisings (masada, jerusalem AD 70 etc.) and claimed jerusalem as theirs. they claimed their prophet rose from there to haeven but i have my doubts (especially about his going to heaven) we all know it's not, jerusalem is not even mentioned in the quran.
infact somewhere in the original quran (not the versions adultrated from damascus and othere locations for political reasons) it is mentioned that the land belongs to Moses and his pple. we also know the quran is littered with jewish characters....that gives credence to the legitimacy of israel and jews in that land.

i think the problem is muslims, jihadists.....not arabs.... who want to rid the middle east of other religions and the jews are the only ones giving them the gr8est resistance.

i got news for u bloody jihadists, u will never win, not in Jerusalem, not any where, u will always be subdued and u will always resort to terrorism. even at that, u will still be defeated. u will never win because victory never comes with the sword.

G.   June 1st, 2009 2:35 pm ET

Saturday night was my teenage son's birthday party, 3:30 -11:30 then I drove a few home and cleaned up. The hubby helped. Sunday was working first service and church second and a long play afterwards, on and on. A good part of last night, I had falling dreams. Not fun. And a few others. I'm tired and not patient. I hope people in the ME work it out – I really do. Others have done it. It is possible. Israel will not get its own way all the time. Lesson One. Other countries will have to quit picking on them. Lesson Two. Lesson Three, the biggie, as long as they all hate each other, Lesson One and Two are impossible. That has to change first. I don't know if they are capable. Others have done it, but not sure they can. We'll see. I don't have high expectations though. I just hope.

University rector   June 3rd, 2009 9:01 am ET

G.

nice thoughts

here is one for you:

The Arabs have lost all wars and still exist

The first war Israel loses-no more Israel

So Israel cannot have its way all the time, but if Israel's security is to be compromised, no compromise is possible (excuse the wordgame)

troubled   June 3rd, 2009 10:45 pm ET

the more i see these deffenders of israel the more i get concerned. like that harvard professor who was on campbell brown last night, he actually called for the u.s. to get tougher with palestinians. like allowing israel to carpet bomb lebanon and gaza while we sat there and said nothing wasn't enough. it is obvious that our foreign policy is shaped by people who love israel more then america. and that, boys and girls is very very troubling.


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