RateItAll: The Opinion Network

As a Jew, and to me Zionism is a family value, my Great-Grandmother worked hard to get Israel started, I begin to ponder on my pro-Israel views, as it seems that the truth is that the Palestinians often feel opressed by the Israelis. There seems to be alot of pro-Israel bias around us and it bothers me when people keep saying "The Media keeps lying about Israel", the media lies, because they lie in all directions. Theodore Herzl the founder of modern zionism originally proposed Uganda as the Jewish homeland, and we have been through alot of persecution as a small group of people and needed someplace safe. While many did not believe him since their lives were fine, persecution began to spread throughout Europe and the purges and the holocause occured decades later. Soon as the Ottoman Empire fell after World War One, with the support of Christian zionists in Britain, Israel became a British colony. Now, zionists wanted to get the land their ancestors lived in, Israel. The natives (palestinians/Jordanians) and the Jews could not be in control of the land so in 1948 Israel got a small peice of land (more along the sea) and the natives got Jordan which included the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel was established in 1948, and yes like any government, they made some bitter mistakes as some were land greedy during wars caused by border conflicts. However, neighboring countries made an illegal offense of a naval blockade, and they were undersupplied and no one would support them, they then made a sudden attack on their neighboors as they invaded Old Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula and the West Bank, and Egypt compromised for peace and Israel gave up the Sinai Peninsula. Jordan gave the West Bank to Israel, and became friends with Israel and would not take it back. The agreement, did not turn out well for the West Bank natives in the long run, and many, not all feel bitter, and suicide bombings burst out, and today it seems as the Palestinian government has not stopped the terrorists enough that I am afraid they would use their own freedom of land to get more land. However, I would like the West Bank to become under Arab/Palestinian control someday, so permanant peace can be attained. In any religeous text, one can use it to justify bad actions, such as a mother killing a rebelious child under in the Five Books of Moses/Torah, therefore theocracy is a problem. Israel may have Jewish proponents to the laws, but it is no where near a theocracy, as Iran is, and many Palestians want (Hamas). I think the Palestinians if they stop killing they can enjoy the many benifits Israel has (technology, its a beautiful place so they can travel, visit religeous sites)

I am currently reading Allies for Armageddon, The Rise of Christian Zionism by Victoria Clark, a fascinating study. I crib a quote from the Yale University Press that describes the book as well as any language that I can use.

"Guided by a literal reading of the prophetic sections of the Bible, Christian Zionists are convinced that the world is hurtling toward a final Battle of Armageddon. They believe that war in the Middle East is Gods will for the region. In this timely book, Victoria Clark first explores the 400-year history of this powerful political ideology, laying to rest the idea that Christian Zionism is a passing craze or the province of a lunatic fringe. Then Clark surveys the contemporary Christian Zionist scene in Israel and in the United States, where the influence of the religious fundamentalists has never been greater."

"Clark engages with Christian Zionism directly, interviewing leaders, attending events, and traveling with Christian Zionists in the Holy Land. She also investigates the Christian Zionist presence in Israel. She finds that the view through the Christian Zionist lens is dangerously simple: President Bushs War on Terror is a mythic battle between good and evil, and Syria and Iran represent the powers of darkness. Such views are far from rarean estimated fifteen to twenty million Americans share them. Almost one in three Americans believes Israel was given to the Jews by God as a prelude to the Battle of Armageddon and Jesus Second Coming. Clark concludes with an assessment of Christian Zionists impact on American foreign policy in the Middle East and on Americas relationships with European allies since the attacks of 9/11."