NumberTenOx

When will they see that killing just causes more killing?

I'm half German Jew, and I'm ashamed that my country (the USA) has not done more to stop the Israelis from persecuting, displacing, and killing Palestinians. These are our friends? Can't they see the cause and effect, that if you give people no chance for hope they will strike out blindly, that the more you beat them down the more righteous they will feel in retaliation?

And the Palestinians, are they so afraid of progress towards peace that they must always kill any chance by kicking the tiger in the nuts? When do you say "enough!", and keep the boys home with their families instead of packing them with explosives and sending them off to a false, pathetic martyrdom?

A pox on both their houses.

NumberTenOx

Before you flame me, I'm not a middle east expert. I'm a frustrated human, who can't understand why this continues to happen. I want it to stop.

I think a real leader would stand up and proclaim a unilateral truce.

Sakpo

The problem with that is, neither side has a leader with enough influence to stand up and say "everybody on our side, stop the killing!" and have the order followed by all the factions on their side.

Reminds me of this.

NumberTenOx

Perhaps you are right; I'd still like to see someone try, they would go down in history.

The piece from the Onion is too funny, until you realize it was written in September, 2001. Thanks for posting it.

Laci

Which Pox. Monkeypox or Smallpox? hee hee
.

Loren Pechtel

No Palestinian leader could. They would be assassinated. An Israeli leader would simply be voted out of office.

Godless Dave

Or assassinated, like Rabin.

Sakpo

Yep. The Israeli leader Yitzak Rabin was murdered by a right wing, anti peace, Jew named Yigal Amir in 1995. His "crime" was being seen by the nutters as selling out Israel in his attempts to achieve a peace with the Palestinians. It's not as if both sides don't have these people, Loren.

Loren Pechtel

Assassination is a risk for an Israeli leader who wants to back down. It's a certainty for a Palestinian one that wants to.

Sakpo

So will you admit that the above was off base? It's not true that the Palestinian leader would face assassination but the Israeli leader would only face electoral defeat. Both sides have people willing to murder their leaders if they feel they're being "sold out" or whatever. Btw, I don't know how you come up with these odds that one is at risk while the other is certain to be killed.