Right On Carton! I agree with your take on everything. I wish we could convince more people in this country that there is no moral equivalence between the two sides. Too often I hear that "they're all the same, both sides are terrible, brutal, etc." "I hope they just kill each other off" "A pox on both their houses", etc.
We are comparing the forces of civilization with what is essentially a barbarian culture of death. And Islam is at the root. < /rant >
I lived there for 2 months in 1994... (right before Oslo went into effect) I was in East Jerusalem... 1/4 mile from the Garden Tomb/Calvary and 1/2 mile from the Old City (entering by the Damascus Gate)
Hopefully, if my grades hold up, I might try to see if I can get a scholarship to attend the Hebrew Union College on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem. Maybe get a master's degree there. Of course, that is long term planning that might not work out.