[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Disengagement: A Tale of Two Israels?

An Edwardesque headline

[Nachum]

It is just too dangerous a place for young Israelis to be risking their lives defending an island of 8,000 Jewish settlers

It is too dangerous to relinquish this territory to acknowleged murderers; who would use it as a springboard to launch attacks on the next nearest target. Young Israelis will be defending their lives on the next "line in the sand" arbitrarily drawn.

[hispanichoosier]

Polls on disengagement do not measure magnitude of opinion. The settlers are really pissed off, whereas the average Israeli in Tel Aviv may be for disengagement but probably wouldn't be willing to die for it. Many--not all--of the settlers whose homes will be handed over to the Palestinians would be willing to die for their land. I don't think civil war will happen, but Sharon's playing with fire by pushing the settlers like this.

[Piranha]

If there really were a majority in favor of evicting Jews from entire regions of Israel because of their religion, then Prime Minister Sharon would not have risked civil war (his words) by refusing to hold a referendum.

Obviously, the polls are cooked.

[StonyBurk]

I long for that day when there will be no more blood debt
betweent the seed of Ishmael and Isaac.I pray for the Peace
of Jerusalem. For the temple seen by John. I weary of the
games played by the concubines children.And the blindness of my people who hide behind their false wall separating them from the Allmighty-and form the Law. Once we claimed what is not ours -but we were closer to the Truth.now the shed blood of the innocents defile our land and this nation divided against itself is brought to desolation-yet we are
so determined in our reprobate state-to force that City of David to it's knees by concessions to man and empty promises of Peace. Peace-but there is NO peace.