[SJackson]

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

[Agnes Heep]

Israel will not be able to subdue its enemies and live in peace unless it gets help from above. Therefore, we must focus our attention on making ourselves worthy of such help. We must take a hard look at ourselves and at Jewish society, and begin to correct those flaws that keep God apart from us.

I happen to agree with this author; yet at the same time, I'm amazed that his attitude is identical with that of the pro-Jewish sympathizers of the first century Roman occupation, perhaps even including Jesus.

[bluejean]

Absolutely correct. May Israel and Israel's God prevail over the terrorist plague in their land.

It is a GOOD thing for Israel to turn to God, because God WILL see to it that they prevail, against all odds. Even if their 'ally' America walks away from them, sucking on Arab butt, which is exactly what they're doing.

[.cnI redruM]

The US needs to publicly admit that Israel is our ally. Like the French in Avignon, we engage the Jewish to do our bidding and then leave them to get cut down in the streets when association with them is inconvenient. We need to do better than the Europeans and ditch our tendencies towards anti-semitism.

While being anti-Israel is categorically different than being anti-Jew, our failure to support Israel is influenced by our nut jobs and zealots. (eg. CORNELL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR Cynthia McKinney)

[A Broken Glass Republican]

What about those who support Israel as the best ally America has but don't believe the bible literally? Are we to keep putting up with the terrorism blowback due to other's religious beliefs?

That's a question I've never been able to answer for myself.

There's a big part of me that wishes this holy war had been settled 500 years ago...Before all the politics...In Israel's favor, of course.

[ex-Texan]

Poor Colin Powell. He will be forced to recognize this hard truth very soon.

[Paul_B]

At this point the Road Map is a joke - some would say it always was. Arafat remains in control, as always, and he hasn't the will or power to countervene the Arab penchant for self-defeating anger and for Jewish blood.

The sooner Bush wakes up to this reality, the better. The current delusion strikes at the heart of our war on terror. Until the Bush Doctrine is applied evenhandedly -- and who has earned its attention more than Arafat? - our policy will be doubleminded and weak.

[ZviTheWise]

"We must take full possession of the entire Land of Israel, obliterate the Palestinian leadership and expel the Palestinian Arabs from the land...."

[thatdewd]

A most excellent article that is full of truth and good advice. BTTT!

[yonif]

Using religious concepts as a basis for policy raises a difficult question. It is a basic tenet of Judaism that God wants us to possess the Land of Israel, and that He will help us to do so. But Islamists claim that God has rejected the Jews, and wants Muslims to destroy them. Both sides claim that God supports their cause. How can the average person know which side, if either, is telling the truth?

[tubavil]

At any given second of any given day, the government and people of Israel could decide to change their fate and fight terrorism. They steadfastly refuse, preferring instead to perpetually be victims of mad islamic bombers.

Israel is a sovereign State with freely elected leaders and a free populace.

They have chosen death instead of life, but this is their choice.