What you should have asked those students the following: 1) Do you support occupation? 2) Do you support illegal settlements? 3) Do you support Jewish only roads? 4) Do you support the bulldozing of Palestinian homes in the occupied territory, were Israeli law is null and void? 5) Do you support the bombing of hospitals, schools and Mosques (with white phosphorus in some cases)? 6) Do you support the oppression of Palestinian right to self determination? These questions would have been relevant!
I do not hate Israel but the Jewish US citizens need to be loyal to the United States first. I hope Israel flourishes but not at the expense of a US soldier or dollar.
you laying out all wrong ...if you care for truth..nothing wrong to stand with Israel , actually its the right thing to do ,..same as it was to stand with Britain in WWII..the issue are values , if societies share the same values --then to stand for such country is the right thing to do.
USA gives billions to Pakistan, and Pakistan is sending Pakistanis to kill American soldiers in Afganistan and civilians through terror acts , and of course there are no common values
we do not live in the world of 1200 s ..even in 1400 s and 1500s the interests of any country started to matter overall in the whole neighbourhood...and now--we are all in the small village ..and being a Chamberlain -will not do any good ..
@Kbrt111 Acknowledging the damaging blowback effects from foreign intervention isn't being naive; especially when you have a multicultural society with open borders. If the United States government continues to fund both sides of the middle eastern conflicts we will have more terrorism. Most enlightened Israeli citizens that I speak with understand that the US intervention on behalf of Israel's interests are not good for the US or Israel.
@xxdiogenescynicxx you point is such that the peace is the most important thing for USA only in this world and we are so dependent on the rest , and got to make sure not to offend them. .if USA makes mistakes , you are rightly saying that we will pay...
how about the rest of the world? how about the Arab or Muslim world? you are critical of our policies as you have the right to be as a concerned and patriotic citizen..fine..but how about those countries? or they are just sitting there and dispensing a good or bad will , and we all should be just be thinking what they think..this is how your post comes across..
@Kbrt111 Standing with Israel doesn't mean we have to put them before us, nor does it mean we have to continue to support a nation that is in the black, while we are in the red and need to borrow the money from China to do so. It also doesn't mean that we have to turn a blind eye to the things she does wrong and endorse them. At a time when we are facing a 15 trillion dollar deficit, ALL foreign aid is an act of treason.
@Kbrt111 Standing with Israel doesn't mean we have to put them before us, nor does it mean we have to continue to support a nation that is in the black, while we are in the red and need to borrow the money from China to do so. It also doesn't mean that we have to turn a blind eye to the things she does wrong and endorse them. At a time when we are facing a 15 trillion dollar deficit, ALL foreign aid is an act of treason.
if Israel make it past 2020 then justice and truth are not relevant anymore , but actually , they are , which means , Israel won't make it , so let those gays in the military say farewll to each other , their way .
Instead of using the vague term "liberal", implying--but not stating-- modern American liberalism, the speaker might have been more specific (and accurate) by saying "classic liberalism". That is, after all, mostly what his short speech addressed.
Sadly, this guys arguments fall completely flat.Simply ask him how many of these wonderful principals the Israelis apply when dealing with the Palestinians. Answer, none. Particularly not 6 or 7. Its a complex issue, but the hypocrisy lies with the Israelis.
@tubahug the Palestinians are far better off in Israel than in the Muslim countries. And the liberal media never questions the Palestinians who attack Israel and then call Israel the enemy. Liberals are the hypocrites, along with the Palestinians.
@revacohen ok then give them equal rights. Either accept the palestinians into an Israeli state or give them their own land. One vote for one person and you are fucked
@takewhole They have equal rights. There are Arabs in the government and the military, and many Arabs are well educated and have decent jobs and home. They are far better off in Israel than they will ever be in the Muslim world.
because Israel is so very democratic it has the right to exist. Ok i will be even more democratic than Israel and now i will steal the land that Israel has stolenm and now the world should support me. Is it ok to steal land? maybe he forgot to mention that at the beginning of his bullshit speech and propaganda.
@takewhole Before Israel became independent in 1948, she was ruled by the British from 1917-1948, and before that, the Turks for 400 years. Moreover, Jews have lived in Israel for more than 3,000 years, while the Palestinians didn't get there until the late 19th century. Therefore, the Israelis didn't "steal" anything.
@MonstaJammer What about the liberal media? Don't they have an agenda? And if you care so much about oppressed people, why don't you attack the Muslim countries? Israel is a civilized country, while the Muslim countries can get away with anything.
@ ladymoonmelody I have some reservation to call Israel a democracy , I rather call it a liberal ethnocracy: it has some of the characteristics of a democracy but the thnic power of a group is entrenched. A democracy doesn't make special laws to limit the rights of minorities. Anyone who has been in Israel notices that arab-israelis are heavily discriminated against. let's be honest even if Israel has the right to exist, palestinians shoul also have the right to built their own polity
Jews make up less than 1/4 of 1% of the world's population. Anyone familiar with a map of the Middle East today knows that Israel is a tiny strip democracy surrounded by Muslim giants who want Israel destroyed. Judaism came before Islam, as Islam grew as an off-shooting of Judaism. Both have the same root, the same ancestry. Therefore, both Jews and Muslims have a right to be there.
Disingenuous and smug self-serving speech ignoring the brutality of Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. What about: "How many of you think the military and colonial occupation of Palestine should stop?" The progressive left will only respect Israel when it has returned the land and property it has taken from the Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories, when it has restored their freedom (from check points, walled-in towns, imprisonment without trial, and ad-hoc home demolitions).
This is like a lawyer making a case for a mafia boss by going on about how great of a husband and father he is at home. All that is very well, but it doesn't amend for any of Israel's crimes.
I'm sure you are aware that the UN was mostly made up of a few European countries who did not even give the Palestinians a say in the taking of their land. The Israeli government is wiping the Palestinians off the make on a daily basis, every time they remove them from their homes and continue to expand their settlements on occupied territory. Honestly, be rational when speaking about the existence of Israel. If not, you are forced to resort to the typical unjustified.rhetoric.
These fake arguments need to stop. These comparisons are not relevant. Israel has been in breech of international law for approximately 50 years. When you take land by force through war it is against international law. If international law is not going to apply to Israel but Israel wishes to apply it to its international neighbors it is very clear that realistic and logical elements for an argument no longer exist when attempting to support Israel.
@bilaalartbilaal Israel in breech (sic) of international law? In 1947, when the UN divided Palestine into two entities—Israel and Jordan—Israelis rejoiced. Only the Arabs defied the UN. Cairo's Al-Azhar University clergy promptly urged the Muslim world to proclaim a jihad/holy war against the Jews. In July 1948, the Security Council threatened to cite Arab governments for aggression under the UN Charter. Sadly, the Arabs' attempt to destroy the Jewish state has never wavered since then.
nice country with nice people, it will not last long
To survive one must be free in mind and soul not in fear and constant uncertainty. being under protection can not be a quality life what protects you can destroy you too
not learning to blend, accept and be accepted. Life is too short to be part of revenge force and going after your imaginary enemies all the time, Jesus tought to love your enemy but some never learned the meaning
On behalf of Iran and the Persian people, I apologize for what the dictator of my country says about the holocaust and israel, the Jewish people have been a natural Persian ally for centuries ever since Cyrus the Great, the goverment can say what it wants, but know that the persian people, muslim and jewish, support you
@dwoods828 Hi. Wanting not equal rights but special rights? Do you mean Palestinians, whom the UN handed their own refugee agency, UNWRA (28,000 workers), while serving all of the world’s other refugees via UNHCR (6,300 workers)? UNHCR counts only those refugees who lived in a country for generations and were forced to leave because of war, etc. UNRWA’s definition? "Every Arab who left Israel in 1948 and who lived there for TWO YEARS will also be considered a refugee - he and his descendants.”
I think Mr. Stephens is missing an important nuance. I suspect that one of the reasons Israel takes it on the chin from so many Western liberals is precisely BECAUSE Israel is such a liberal country, mostly of European descent and closely allied with the US. I don't believe that most liberals can hold Israel's neighbours to the same standards since there is such an enormous cultural gap. Israeli culture is easier to understand, making it easier to criticize the country's flaws/mistakes.
Yes but you forgot to mention that Israel also is the only country in the Middle East, and the whole world, that was created by dispossessing a whole nation! Israel is the only country in the region that occupies another nation (Palestine), indiscriminately kills civilians, build colonies on occupied lands ect...So please, be at least a little bit honest to yourselves.
@moulhoule You packed many allegations into 3 sentences. Taking them one by one (this may require many posts), you claim Israel is the only country in the world created by dispossessing a nation. This is TRIPLY false.
FACT: Israel was not “created” in 1948. Its Jewish presence has been around for 3,200 years.
FACT: The “Palestinians” are not a “nation.” Before 1948, they called themselves Syrians. The term “Palestinian” was coined after 1967.
@primerib613 You're right, there was a jewish presence in Palestine, but they were Palestinians.
Palestinians are a nation, at least they are not immigrants flocking from all over to illegally populate a land that doesn't belong to them. Nice try zionists, but I'm not buying your "empty land for a landless people" theory.
You are right, USA dispossessed a nation too. Maybe that's why they offer unconditional support to the terrorist state of Israel.
@moulhoule You claim Israel is the only country that INDISCRIMINATELY kills civilians. This is DOUBLY false.
Part One:
FACT: Before military actions, Israel urges Gazans via thousands of leaflets and phone calls to stay away from Hamas sites.
Does Hamas reciprocate?
FACT: Quoting British Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan Colonel R. Kemp, “The IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.”
@moulhoule You claim Israel is the only country that INDISCRIMINATELY kills civilians. This is DOUBLY false.
First, as stated in Part 1, Israel does no such thing, urging Gazans via thousands of leaflets and phone calls to stay away from Hamas sites.
Part 2:
FACT: 1971: Jordan slaughtered, 3,400-20,000 (Arafat’s claim) Palestinians in 10 days. 1982: Syria massacred 20,000 civilians in Hama. Then there’s Yemen, Iran, need I go on?
And what could be more indiscriminate than suicide bombers?
Good luck making this case on the campuses as long as they are dominated by Frankfurt School, New Left, Neomarxist professors and administrators who wield the threat of tenure denial for all those who may have slipped by the initial ideological interview screening, but haven't "gotten with the program". The Weather Underground and the Baader Meinhof gang gather more adulation than Jews who have survived against all odds.
The speaker displays such ignorance (other called it lies) about Israel. Israel has no Human Rights legislation and no constitution. No gay marriages in Israel. No declared gay serves in IDF. Orthodox Judaism runs the rabbinical councils and courts. No Arab MKi will agree that they have the same political rights. All funding were withdrawn from “Ajami”, "Dancing with Bashir" and "Sidon" because of their political statements
@mutzkilewhere u come from? the moon?such lies about Israel that u write, what do u know beside what the islamofashists feed u?What ever Bret says is the truth! And everybody in the world know this, so get of and get a education!
Never mind that Israel's government is as far right as you can get when it comes to occupation and foreign policy. Never mind that Israeli settlers are gobbling up Palestinian land. Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas. Israel is a great place to be gay. Woopieeeeeeeeeee. So is the Netherlands, which happens to be a peaceful country.
@nrf91 Huh? Were the Allies collectively punishing the citizens of Germany for electing Hitler? If they were, World War II would have begun in 1933. It began in 1939, after Hitler attacked Poland, an act of war. Hamas fired 8,000 rockets into Israel since its unilateral withdrawal in 2005. Israel finally responded to those acts of war—not Hamas’s election—in 2009. As the Allies tried to halt Hitler’s army, German citizens died. So too as Israel tries to halt Hamas. Tragic, but not a war crime.
@primerib613 Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that Hamas had nearly put a complete stop to the rocket attacks on Israel during the cease fire. Israel, as even they have admitted, broke the cease fire by crossing into Gaza and killing 4 Hamas members who were allegedly building a tunnel. Israel never fulfilled their end of the bargain during the ceasefire, lifting many of the sanctions. Israel is an abusive occupier.
@nrf91 You wrote: "Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that..."
Whoa. All I was responding to was one sentence in your previous comment: "Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas." And throwing modesty to the wind, I think my reply featured historical veracity and razor-sharp logic - not to mention composure and respect.
@nrf91 You wrote: Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that...
Whoa. All I was responding to was one sentence in your previous comment: "Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas." And throwing modesty to the wind, I think my reply featured historical veracity and razor-sharp logic - not to mention composure and respect.
@nrf91 hamas nearly stopped the rockets,are you a complete fucking idiot.The rocket had to completely stop for there to be a cease fire.What about the 8 YEARS of hamas bombing us in the south of Israel with no response from Israel and no resolutions from the UN?The only mistake Israel made was allowing 8 YEARS to go by before hitting back at those fucking terrorists.I don't know where you live you complete idiot but until you have spent time running for bomb shelters rather shut the fuck up.
@TheCanoncam I have no sympathy for you and your eternal Israeli victimhood while, at the same time, your IDF kills hundreds of innocent women and children, not to mention 9 peace activists on a humanitarian aid flotilla. I'm sure they are all terrorists to you. Even 2 year olds. But the rest of us are sick of you and your propaganda. With your attitude, you will spend many more years running for bomb shelters.
@nrf91 The settlers: it would never happen if the Arabs would agree to egsistance of Israel in1948, and started 5 wars in 62 years, the only reason they have that Israel is not backward muslim like they are, as they wont the whole world to be, the consequence of Arab atak on Israel is settlers, it would be the same or worse if it was the other way around, to what it will never happen!.
To those who vilify Israel for the occupation, keep in mind that Israel's reward for leaving southern Lebanon was Hezbolla and for leaving Gaza, Hamas. Liberal or not, what do you think Israel's reward will be for leaving the West Bank?
My view though not completely informed is that every time I hear an argument both pro or anti-Israel it is distorted! This elementary argument sounds like a lecture to a 5 year old about stealing candy from a candy store. Israelis and Palestinians are the same nationality they deserve to have a combined and mutually respectful homeland.
@Bintacab Something I see a lot with the pro-Israel types is, they don't even really know WHY they support Israel, or why they are "zionists" (nationalists) in the first place. Just throwing that out there because I see it a lot. All they do is associate the Israeli state with their culture or heritage (which is a terrible reason to support the interests of a state and worship the state's flag) but aside from that can't give a logical or philosophical reason for their support.
Primerib613-You really put it very well. I do believe many of the western worlds' extreme left are so immersed in self-hatred that self-destruction is absolutely their post-modern tenet. In a one dimensional world such as theirs--it is easier to caricature the most caricatured group in world history than to look at the entire picture of the middle east in three dimensions from a pragmatic standpoint. In fact , choosing extreme left wing views may well render one incapable of pragmatic thinking.
The reason why the guy's points are bullshit is because they imply that our rights come from the state, when in fact the state only PERMITS people those rights after a struggle by the people to gain them. Every freedom people enjoy wasn't a gift from some generous politician but rather a demand from below. Also, no one is justifying the human rights records of the Arab countries, so I have no idea whom this guy is calling hypocritical.
This reminds me of the piece of bacon I wrap around the bitter pill I have to give my dog every day. If I do it just right he swallows it, if not he spits it out. I'm not swallowing this. Genocide doesn't suddenly smell like a rose after you wrap it in liberalness!
Being nice to gays and women doesn't make up for murdering and starving Palestinian civilians and having an official apartheid state. And yes, it's still apartheid even if you're nice to black jews.
Israel is a state where it's "Human rights for some".
@lieber47 Exactly. Israel's apologists need to stop making excuses and end the occupation. Leftists don't criticize Israel for having better civil liberties than the Arab states but rather because this 43-year occupation has been going on 43 years too long.
What a ridiculous and asinine defense of Israel. I suppose Blacks and supporters of Civil Rights should have conformed and been content throughout the late 19th-to-mid-20th century because after all they were "free" and the United States' justice system was far better than that of Mexico (for instance).
Codswallop. The only people convinced by this feeble attempt at apologetics are Zionist Supremacists who are looking for bullet points to debate against Liberals. You all Fail hard. Try again.
Of course Israel is a champion of human rights. As long as it gets to define the word "human." Comparing the Israeli government's treatment of its own citizens to that of fundamentalist Muslim nations is easy, as long as you ignore how it treats people it has displaced for decades.
If Israel is to survive they should do so without forced contributions by Americans taxpayers. Any private individual, private business or charity that chooses to send money to Israel should be able to do so without restriction or penalty. Arab nations should not expect to receive any U.S. taxpayer funding as well. One may misinterpret this as being anti-Israel but it is not. Supporting Israel or any free nation means not interfering in its policies, thus remaining true to our Constitution.
@alexvegas What are you talking about? Are you unaware of the segment of the Christian population who support the existence of Israel solely on the basis of what they see as the nation's role in Christian apocalyptic prophecy? There is such a thing as Christian Zionists and they actively relish the bloodshed of the Middle East as they see every conflict one step closer to Jesus' return.
Brilliant and so true! Also---it's in America's best interests to have Israel as its best friend in the world(strategic location for landing and refueling our military-) It is also the first country to come forward and offer people, technology, intel after 9/11 --Great Britain second....So let's not kid ourselves, for all the reasons he mentioned and a whole lot more --Israel's right to exist and flourish with the only democratic government in the area is also vital to our own self interest!
You bonehead! You rant about your liberal leaning..yet fail to be honest with yourself in accepting what you idiot liberals have done by electing this piece of trash obama..who, you Einstein wannabe..is responsible for political attack after political attack against Israel. really intelligent voting you liberal idiots! I am 100% FOR ISRAEL..and hope your stupid azz liberals get a clue.
Another argument I would like to see made: As Liberals do you enjoy living in this country? Well it was entirely stolen through war, murder, aggression and endless broken treaties with the native Indians - and US provoked war against Mexico which we instigated in order to gain virtually the entire western portion of the US. So it is pure hypocracy for liberals or any other American to critisize land gained in war from others who attacked first. Helen Thomas - enjoy occupying Manhattan
@drsambyg You don't know much about Liberal thought do you? Liberals DO recognize that the United States' success has been the product - not necessarily of its founding principles - but by taking from some and giving to others. The fact that you recognize the history of US malfeasance demonstrates your contempt for the principles of freedom & justice for all. While we do indeed indirectly benefit from this malfeasance at least we attempt to reform the nation to be in line with its principles.
@drsambyg Yeah, and that's why I (as a radical leftist) am staying in the US. I'd rather fight the heinous actions done by the US government than go somewhere where I wouldn't be able to affect any of that. And for the record, Israeli crimes are American crimes by default. If it wasn't for the US saving Israel's ass Israel would have been done a long time ago.
FANTASTIC short video of WHY we must defend Israel. ALL LIBERALS need to view this and rethink their idiocy since many of them support the palestinians over Israel since they do not know their history, and fail to understand many of them would be hanged, and ALL of them would be stripped of free speech.
oh gosh, i want to ride that peace train from casablanca to beer sheva and on to baghdad...great falafel along the way...but dang, i'm not convinced that mr. stephens applies top drawer methodology here, and if flawed, such an argument can become quicksand for succeeding generations who must walk daily in that desert. on the upbeat side, i find mr. stephens to be a breath of fresh air compared to the intellectual and moral goliaths who, for example, insist that nobody in persia is gay.
A half-truth is a whole lie -- Yiddish proverb. The enemy of my enemy is my friend? The end justifies the means?
There are many other values that we clearly do not share. Take theocracy, for a one - not an American value at all, except for the Christian zealots/bigots, who would like to make their Bible our secular law.
Partial or whole agreement with another whose other actions are contrary should never be confused with endorsement.
Israel is actually the only nation in the world, not just the middleast, unless I'm mistaken no other nation meets all of that criteria in the world, Israel is the Holy land and I pray that she lives forever
Please remember history. The British controlled the lands in The Middle East and divided the land. At the time the mandated land for Israel was arrid and no one could envision any fertility. But Israel thrived.The first day of statehood Israel was attacked by Goliath neighbors.Its neighbors dwarf Israel's miniscule size. Eygpt 30x the size of israel,Syria 6x its size, or Jordan 3x its size. (Jordan's Palestinian authority never offered part of their enormous lands to form a Palestinian state).
The Palestinians never migrated to the larger spaces offered under Palestinian authority.Only after Israel developed its land created prosperity that the Palestinians sought the heart of Israel or Jerusulem and are claiming it along with the west bank and the Gaza Strip as their home territory;
Palestinians want their State to be in the middle of a country the size of the US state of New Jersey.
Can you imagine trying to live in peace with your sworn enemies occupying land within your own small country? They try everything including indoctrinating their children wth hate, outfitting suicide bombers and sneaking in weaponry within so-called ships carrying relief for (their) people? Come-on people do a reality check against the facts and it is remarkable Israel has survived in the face of constant siege and pressure from those who refuse to study the facts.
Israel is not liberal. It is a theocracy. It is busy murdering and maiming the original Palestinians. The anti-gay forces in Israel are dreadful. The orthodox Jewish men in Israel do not believe in equal rights for women. Israel does not believe in equal rights for Palestinians. Why doesn't he ask that question?
I love it. Absolutely love it. It shows that there is a flat out inherit hatred of the Jews and the Jewish State by liberal God and religion haters. These terrorist governments are the complete antithesis of what libs stand for. These damn liberals are damn hypocrites! AWSOME JOB STEPHENS!!
Okay... by Stephens' logic, if I'm arrested for dealing drugs out of my house, can I argue that it's okay because the guy who lives across the street makes kiddie porn in his basement?
To quote a man whose eloquence I wish I had, "There was a time when drawing moral symmetries between two sides of every conflict was a mark of original thinking. Today, with Western intellectuals overextending two-sidedness to reckless absurdities, it reflects nothing but lazy conformity."
Those who take pride in murder - and those who revel when kids in pizzerias are blown to smithereens - cannot be compared to those trying to stop them.
Stephens seems to be saying, "It's okay that Israel continues to build new settlements in the West Bank, starves and isolates Gaza when the IDF isn't using its residents for target practice, drops white phosphorus on civilians, ignores UN resolutions whenever they're inconvenient, and possesses nuclear weapons while refusing to sign onto the NPT, because Israel is an open, modern democracy and its neighbors aren't." Or did I miss something?
@ThingyBlahBlah3 Sadly, just like the leaders of totalitarian states, Israel and its supporters use the crimes of Arabs to deflect criticism of their own crimes. It's just like how the Nazis would criticize Stalin - they may have been correct but anyone with half a brain could see why they are hypocrites.
Absolutely forthright & true. Whoever answers YES, & hears the truth about what he's saying, MUST write your Congressmen/women, Obama, your Local Papers & stand in SUPPORT OF ISRAEL in your communities. BUY Israeli Bonds, send a check to JNF, JDL, ADL, ORT, Hadassah, Simon Wiesenthal Center, etc. Show your support, by buying Israeli products. Be an example in your community. "If we don't stand for something, (Israel), we'll fall (end up victims ourselves) for anything (the Extremists).
This was a brilliant speech and his points are well presented.
Israel is inhabited by intelligent, creative people and we must stand by her....one of the few countries who support freedom and equality and have given so much to the world in so many fields.
GREAT Video. He neglected to mention how Israel is THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. How Israel leads the world in Waste Water Recycling, and water conservation techniques, Solar power, and more new creative green methods of generating heat and electricity.
Israel also was the third country in the world to have a woman has head of State (Prime Minister Golda Meir, 1973) No Arab country can boast that. The United States has not come so far.
actually Israel owes every piece of advancement it has to America. You act as if Israel obtained all this knowledge on their own, Israel as kingdom, democracy, ect has existed for 3000 years. America and the West has created more human advancement in 200 years, then Israel and all eastern nations in all centuries prior COMBINED.
You also forget Israel would be a crater in the ground if it wasn't for America and the West
@skinnywhop87 Obviously the scientists in Israel that develop these inventions are Israeli and not American. America does have a lot of influence at Israel's military power as it has a big interest of Israel being the strongest in the area.
You cannot compare between the scientific advancements of the humanity of 3000 years ago and those today. Everybody knows that USA is a strong country, no need to glorify it even more.
@HorseMan50 I'm not trying to glorify the US or the west
I'm trying to take Israel down a notch, because they haven't accomplished ANYTHING. They've been GIVEN or have STOLEN EVERYTHING.
As an American, I think israel brings the most instability to the region. Not the most strength. If Saudi Arabia decided to join the other Arab nations and go against israel, they would be FUCKED... With or without the US's assistance
@skinnywhop87 Then why does you government support Israel so much? Because standing between dictatorial Muslim states, the democratic Israel is like a base for the American military that fights terrorism for it. The instability is not Israel's fault, I don't think Israel should give up just because the Arab states don't want a Jewish state between them. I'm not sure you're that much of an expert to tell whether or not if Saudi Arabic opened war against Israel it would win.
First thing be known, I'm not against Israel existing, so long as they're not being repressive as they've been for the past 40 years.
2nd, my Government only supports Israel because it's our largest outpost in the middle east to help protect our pipelines to the Caspian sea. That support is going down the drain, where the rest of Israel's international support has gone aside from france.
3rd the instability is very much Israel's fault. and Arabs for the most part are not...
.. against Israel. Even in Iran, they're home to the second largest jewish population in the entire middle east, and the 3rd largest in the entire world.
The Palestinians (even Hamas) are willing to negotiate for peace, so long as Israel stops building in the west banks, and stop the siege in Gaza, and set-up the borders that Israel itself signed onto in 1967. As long as Israel keeps building in the west bank, the rest of the world will see Israel as the Oppressors, not the heros
first of all, Hamas is NOT willing to negotiate peace with Israel under ANY terms. Hamas belives in violance resistance and holy war untill all israelies or all palestinians die. the first thing they did when the peace talks started was murder israeli civilians and fire rockets into israel.
First of all, Hamas was created by Israel to counter-act Yaser Arafat. And yes I'll give you that many of the radicalized members of Hamas do believe in violence towards and the destruction of Israel. But not all members, many have been forced to that way of life by Israeli occupation, and the Seize of Gaza.
However all the guns Hamas has now and has had in the past were israeli granted. Now their large arms like the rockets and explosives come from Iran and Lebanon.
second of all, israel will stop building once it is negotiated. israel did not lay initial terms before entering the negotiation such as being recognized as a jewisg state with a right to exist, or having the palestinians dissarm their terorist groups or promiss not to carry out any attacks on israeli civilians. why is it only the palestinians can ask for initial concessions?
it's time you realize that the west and the arab world share very different values.
Israel doesn't care about the peace terms, they need to expand and will not stop until they've reached Tehran (a historical and biblical city, one of the cities of Abraham)
They've seized land in Egypt, They've seized land in Lebanon, They've seized land in Jordan. This is what keep the middle east from having peace. Israel runs around like they own the place, and they get offended when people resist that behavior, and in turn call them terrorists
When Israel learns to stop seizing land, and trying to dominate the region. That's when we'll have peace in the middle east. I can promise you that.
You're right, the west and the Arab world do share different values, However we share similarities as well. Like the Arabs, I wouldnt appreciate it much if Mexico or Canada started seizing my land here in America, then trying to say their God granted them permission to steal it. I don't think you would appreciate it either if it were u
Israel seizing land???? Lets check history: 1947 UN agrees to give the Jews land half the size of Israel today, most of it desert. The jews accept, the Arabs decline. 1948 the un declares a jewish state in israel - 7(!!!) arab nations try to destroy it. 1967 - 5 arab countries organize to destroy Israel. Israel ocupies land belonging to the arab countries which planned to destroy it - nothing wrong with that
For one I'm talking about the UN land grants. Check history yourself. Israel has expanded it's borders no less than 5 times. You can find the evolving maps of Israel.
Sorry if Israel doesn't like the fact that the original occupants didn't appreciate being moved to house settlers. Guess what? America had to overcome that too. We couldn't destroy the natives, so we acclimated the two cultures togethers. Offering the Native americans duel citizenship for their tribes and America
1973 - 7 arab countries attack israel planning to destroy it
Israel gives Egypt its land back in return for peace - yeah, real land hungry war mongerrers
israel has left lebanon - the un has authorised that israel left every inch of lebenon land - hizbollah still atacks
israel left gazza and almost started a civil war by evacuating thousands of settlers - all in the hope that it will premote peace, and got the middle finger from the entire world for it
Israel traded land back to Egypt in exchange for peace, seeing as the seizure of Sinai from the Egyptians is what caused the instability in the first place.
Israel has NOT left Lebanon, they're still occupying the sout, so get that right
Israel has not left Gaza, there's still a complete sieze on the borders there, where no one or nothing can come in or out without Israels permission
Lets say the arabs did the same things to Israel, what would Israel? I'm guessing the exact
I'm sure if Egypt or Jordan decided they wanted to seize Tel Aviv, I'm sure every Israeli would say "Lets blow Egypt off the face of the earth" (lol and don't deny it, I date an Israeli girl, Israelis can be very vengful
you're ignorance of history is overwhelming. lets start with the usa. the usa conquered an entire continent butchering the native americans and later giving whast was left of them shitty resuvuars and casinos, allowing them to live in total humiliation and poverty. an entire continent! how the hell can you compare that to land the size of new jersey, sorounded by 25 arab nations, who - guess what - expelled all jews from them BEFORE 1948.
lol I'm ignorant on history? First off all, The "US" didn't butcher and entire continent. Many tribes within the US worked WITH the European settlers from the beginning. Yes there were mass genocides at this time, but not all or most were the result of the US, there's many guilty parties, including the Canadians, French, English, Spaniards, and Portugese
the natives do not live in total poverty, infact they live pretty well compared to the average american. They have plenty of social services, free education plans for college, and many more things that you know nothing about. and it shows narrowing it down to casinos and reservations. The native are actually very proud of their culture and intigration. I think you get your facts from books written in 1912
i'll tell you what - return california and texas to mexico and we'll call it even.
as far as the map you are talking about - it is arab propoganda: the first map is of the 1947 pill comitee sugestion to devide israel between the jews and arabs. the arabs refused. then you have land israel seized after the 6 day war - look it up. you can't initiate a war and then cry that you have to pay the consenquences for losing. part of that land was the sinai desert
And now you're being even more ignorant... AND FYI i would gladly give Texas back to Mexico. And if you want to compare. US Americans earned our land. We worked for it, we built it up and made it what it is today... How did Israel obtain their land? Oh yeah that's right, the global community GAVE IT TO THEM. And the international community gave them the weapons to use to expand their borders. If you want to compare, Israel did NOTHING for it's land. America at least earned ours
@skinnywhop87 you honestly have got to be kidding, right? Your argument is one of the most absurd of all the absurd arguments I've ever heard. You really need some educated enlightenment, but in your case, it might be too late. Why do you want to stay in the dark with such hatred flowing from your thoughts?
@sandee880 You've gotta be kidding yourself, you obviously know nothing. You're just pro-Israel and so you have a bias in checking any of my facts.
BTW I don't hate Israel. Stating facts isn't hate. I like Germany, but it doesn't mean i would hold my tongue for them if I lived in 1940, so I will not do the same to Israel. If you have a problem with my argument, address actual topics. The fact you call me wrong with no basis of fact, shows your ignorance. If you have problem w/
and as for your 2 errors: israel is NOT ocupying southern lebenon. and i am quoting the UN. there were no "UN land grants" i really don't know who made that up. and your original settlers were syrian, jordanian and eqyption citizens. there were no "palestinians" before 1967 - when jordan controlled the west bank. even yaser arrafat, the "great" palestinian leader, was born and raised in Egypt. google "black september 1970"
lol are you going to try to say Israel isn't occupying the west bank and the Jordan valley now as well?
You're an idiot. The region has always been known as Palestine, If you're an Israeli you should really brush up on your history. When the Jews started migrating from the middle eastern countries in the late 1800's the region was and is still known as Palestine. The people living within it were known as Palestinians.... Same way the people living in America are known as Americans
You must be a zionist to try to play that long debunked card, "There are no Palestinian people" How moronic are you? Even your own government stopped using that argument in the 1960's
You also need to check the news. Just 4 days ago they were talking about Israeli troops lining up on the lebanonese border and resestablishing settlement there to monitor hezbollah, They say you guys are preparing for another war with them. This was news less than a week ago.
The arabs dominated the region for 1400 years, maintaining control of Jerusalem so that alone shows how false you are and ignorant on the history of the region. Will you try to say there's no Latin Americans?
@skinnywhop87 Israel, sitting in its borders, attacking no one, is not responsible for the instability in the area.
They don't want Israel to stop the siege over Gaza, because they know the Hamas will get stronger and destroy the Fatach.
Israel is not willing to freeze its building in the West Bank which makes a big problem because Abu Mazen can't agree to that because of the public opinion. Even though the building in the West Bank has no real significance.
oh yeah and you mention all the green attributes of Israel. How about the fact that its one of the most overpopulated regions on earth. And the main resource they insist on STEALING from the Palestinians happens to be all their agricultural land and water wells. ;)
Bret Stephens questions are all great examples of upholding people's personal freedom and human rights.His suggestion is that Israel should not be subject to criticism by liberals on the basis that we share these values. But if we are all committed to upholding human rights in the broader sense then perhaps we need to examine why we should look more favorably on peoples we agree with and not hold them accountable to these principles. How would one ever resolve a conflict with that attitude?
You wrote that Bret Stephens's "suggestion is that Israel should not be subject to criticism by liberals on the basis that we share these values." But he states at 3:47, "By all means, criticize Israel but don't do it from the standpoint of a hypocrite to your own values."
Israel can be criticized, but not on the points he mentioned: gay rights, women's rights, etc., if you are a liberal. On those points, Israel should be supported and recognized.
What you should have asked those students the following: 1) Do you support occupation? 2) Do you support illegal settlements? 3) Do you support Jewish only roads? 4) Do you support the bulldozing of Palestinian homes in the occupied territory, were Israeli law is null and void? 5) Do you support the bombing of hospitals, schools and Mosques (with white phosphorus in some cases)? 6) Do you support the oppression of Palestinian right to self determination? These questions would have been relevant!
TheBiotchify 1 month ago
i just read on this guy and he turns out to be jewish. not surprised at all.
blackstars56 3 months ago
this guy is a joke. has he ever read a human rights report on israel? :s
blackstars56 3 months ago
I love Jerusalem
oji4sama 7 months ago
I do not hate Israel but the Jewish US citizens need to be loyal to the United States first. I hope Israel flourishes but not at the expense of a US soldier or dollar.
xxdiogenescynicxx 7 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx
you laying out all wrong ...if you care for truth..nothing wrong to stand with Israel , actually its the right thing to do ,..same as it was to stand with Britain in WWII..the issue are values , if societies share the same values --then to stand for such country is the right thing to do.
USA gives billions to Pakistan, and Pakistan is sending Pakistanis to kill American soldiers in Afganistan and civilians through terror acts , and of course there are no common values
Kbrt111 5 months ago
@Kbrt111 I do not agree with aid to any country. I want my country to stay out of entangling alliances.
xxdiogenescynicxx 5 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx
a good wish .but sorry to say ---a naive one
we do not live in the world of 1200 s ..even in 1400 s and 1500s the interests of any country started to matter overall in the whole neighbourhood...and now--we are all in the small village ..and being a Chamberlain -will not do any good ..
Kbrt111 5 months ago
@Kbrt111 Acknowledging the damaging blowback effects from foreign intervention isn't being naive; especially when you have a multicultural society with open borders. If the United States government continues to fund both sides of the middle eastern conflicts we will have more terrorism. Most enlightened Israeli citizens that I speak with understand that the US intervention on behalf of Israel's interests are not good for the US or Israel.
xxdiogenescynicxx 5 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx you point is such that the peace is the most important thing for USA only in this world and we are so dependent on the rest , and got to make sure not to offend them. .if USA makes mistakes , you are rightly saying that we will pay...
Kbrt111 5 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx
how about the rest of the world? how about the Arab or Muslim world? you are critical of our policies as you have the right to be as a concerned and patriotic citizen..fine..but how about those countries? or they are just sitting there and dispensing a good or bad will , and we all should be just be thinking what they think..this is how your post comes across..
Kbrt111 5 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx
what I am trying to say --there are principles , which at some point one has to either give up or stand up for them.
Kbrt111 5 months ago
@Kbrt111 Misguided principles will lead to suicide for the United States.
xxdiogenescynicxx 5 months ago
@xxdiogenescynicxx
USA has no misguided principles..in my view..) its moving away from them --for a convenience of the moment, is the danger
Kbrt111 4 months ago
@Kbrt111 Standing with Israel doesn't mean we have to put them before us, nor does it mean we have to continue to support a nation that is in the black, while we are in the red and need to borrow the money from China to do so. It also doesn't mean that we have to turn a blind eye to the things she does wrong and endorse them. At a time when we are facing a 15 trillion dollar deficit, ALL foreign aid is an act of treason.
TheBiotchify 1 month ago
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@Kbrt111 Standing with Israel doesn't mean we have to put them before us, nor does it mean we have to continue to support a nation that is in the black, while we are in the red and need to borrow the money from China to do so. It also doesn't mean that we have to turn a blind eye to the things she does wrong and endorse them. At a time when we are facing a 15 trillion dollar deficit, ALL foreign aid is an act of treason.
TheBiotchify 1 month ago
if Israel make it past 2020 then justice and truth are not relevant anymore , but actually , they are , which means , Israel won't make it , so let those gays in the military say farewll to each other , their way .
freeamericaneagle 8 months ago
will Israel survive? Yes - said God!!!
kfag101 8 months ago
Instead of using the vague term "liberal", implying--but not stating-- modern American liberalism, the speaker might have been more specific (and accurate) by saying "classic liberalism". That is, after all, mostly what his short speech addressed.
Jeph629 1 year ago
Sadly, this guys arguments fall completely flat.Simply ask him how many of these wonderful principals the Israelis apply when dealing with the Palestinians. Answer, none. Particularly not 6 or 7. Its a complex issue, but the hypocrisy lies with the Israelis.
tubahug 1 year ago
@tubahug the Palestinians are far better off in Israel than in the Muslim countries. And the liberal media never questions the Palestinians who attack Israel and then call Israel the enemy. Liberals are the hypocrites, along with the Palestinians.
revacohen 10 months ago
@revacohen ok then give them equal rights. Either accept the palestinians into an Israeli state or give them their own land. One vote for one person and you are fucked
takewhole 4 months ago
@takewhole They have equal rights. There are Arabs in the government and the military, and many Arabs are well educated and have decent jobs and home. They are far better off in Israel than they will ever be in the Muslim world.
revacohen 4 months ago
because Israel is so very democratic it has the right to exist. Ok i will be even more democratic than Israel and now i will steal the land that Israel has stolenm and now the world should support me. Is it ok to steal land? maybe he forgot to mention that at the beginning of his bullshit speech and propaganda.
takewhole 4 months ago
@takewhole Before Israel became independent in 1948, she was ruled by the British from 1917-1948, and before that, the Turks for 400 years. Moreover, Jews have lived in Israel for more than 3,000 years, while the Palestinians didn't get there until the late 19th century. Therefore, the Israelis didn't "steal" anything.
revacohen 4 months ago
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This is an awful man. He is biased and caters to the agenda. I suggest you all read "The shock doctrine" by Naomi Klein.
MonstaJammer 1 year ago
@MonstaJammer What about the liberal media? Don't they have an agenda? And if you care so much about oppressed people, why don't you attack the Muslim countries? Israel is a civilized country, while the Muslim countries can get away with anything.
revacohen 10 months ago 2
@ ladymoonmelody I have some reservation to call Israel a democracy , I rather call it a liberal ethnocracy: it has some of the characteristics of a democracy but the thnic power of a group is entrenched. A democracy doesn't make special laws to limit the rights of minorities. Anyone who has been in Israel notices that arab-israelis are heavily discriminated against. let's be honest even if Israel has the right to exist, palestinians shoul also have the right to built their own polity
rutagengwa 1 year ago
Jews make up less than 1/4 of 1% of the world's population. Anyone familiar with a map of the Middle East today knows that Israel is a tiny strip democracy surrounded by Muslim giants who want Israel destroyed. Judaism came before Islam, as Islam grew as an off-shooting of Judaism. Both have the same root, the same ancestry. Therefore, both Jews and Muslims have a right to be there.
LadyMoonMelody 1 year ago
Simple enough....
levybeth 1 year ago
Disingenuous and smug self-serving speech ignoring the brutality of Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. What about: "How many of you think the military and colonial occupation of Palestine should stop?" The progressive left will only respect Israel when it has returned the land and property it has taken from the Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories, when it has restored their freedom (from check points, walled-in towns, imprisonment without trial, and ad-hoc home demolitions).
humanitarianCJJ 1 year ago
gay or other things about israel has noting to do with it's crime in the world !
artin74 1 year ago
This is like a lawyer making a case for a mafia boss by going on about how great of a husband and father he is at home. All that is very well, but it doesn't amend for any of Israel's crimes.
suitg 1 year ago
I'm sure you are aware that the UN was mostly made up of a few European countries who did not even give the Palestinians a say in the taking of their land. The Israeli government is wiping the Palestinians off the make on a daily basis, every time they remove them from their homes and continue to expand their settlements on occupied territory. Honestly, be rational when speaking about the existence of Israel. If not, you are forced to resort to the typical unjustified.rhetoric.
bilaalartbilaal 1 year ago
These fake arguments need to stop. These comparisons are not relevant. Israel has been in breech of international law for approximately 50 years. When you take land by force through war it is against international law. If international law is not going to apply to Israel but Israel wishes to apply it to its international neighbors it is very clear that realistic and logical elements for an argument no longer exist when attempting to support Israel.
bilaalartbilaal 1 year ago
@bilaalartbilaal Israel in breech (sic) of international law? In 1947, when the UN divided Palestine into two entities—Israel and Jordan—Israelis rejoiced. Only the Arabs defied the UN. Cairo's Al-Azhar University clergy promptly urged the Muslim world to proclaim a jihad/holy war against the Jews. In July 1948, the Security Council threatened to cite Arab governments for aggression under the UN Charter. Sadly, the Arabs' attempt to destroy the Jewish state has never wavered since then.
primerib613 1 year ago
nice country with nice people, it will not last long
To survive one must be free in mind and soul not in fear and constant uncertainty. being under protection can not be a quality life what protects you can destroy you too
not learning to blend, accept and be accepted. Life is too short to be part of revenge force and going after your imaginary enemies all the time, Jesus tought to love your enemy but some never learned the meaning
MrAataghi 1 year ago
Excellent! Perfect speech!
hirschjoe 1 year ago
Very refreshing to see the double-think in Western Society exposed so calmly and clearly. Many thanks. More of this kind of clear thinking please!
chrismoyler 1 year ago
On behalf of Iran and the Persian people, I apologize for what the dictator of my country says about the holocaust and israel, the Jewish people have been a natural Persian ally for centuries ever since Cyrus the Great, the goverment can say what it wants, but know that the persian people, muslim and jewish, support you
WinkyMaeve 1 year ago
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silly fa*gots d*cks are for chicks!
and that's supposed to be a pro for Israel?
bunnytrix92 1 year ago
Brilliant.
He talks to liberals through THEIR OWN affections.
I learned something important today.
MisterBlueSky1000 1 year ago
Good argument. However those groups named are never satisfied with equal rights...they want special rights.
dwoods828 1 year ago
@dwoods828 Hi. Wanting not equal rights but special rights? Do you mean Palestinians, whom the UN handed their own refugee agency, UNWRA (28,000 workers), while serving all of the world’s other refugees via UNHCR (6,300 workers)? UNHCR counts only those refugees who lived in a country for generations and were forced to leave because of war, etc. UNRWA’s definition? "Every Arab who left Israel in 1948 and who lived there for TWO YEARS will also be considered a refugee - he and his descendants.”
primerib613 1 year ago
I think Mr. Stephens is missing an important nuance. I suspect that one of the reasons Israel takes it on the chin from so many Western liberals is precisely BECAUSE Israel is such a liberal country, mostly of European descent and closely allied with the US. I don't believe that most liberals can hold Israel's neighbours to the same standards since there is such an enormous cultural gap. Israeli culture is easier to understand, making it easier to criticize the country's flaws/mistakes.
waylandsmith 1 year ago
Thank G-d Jews are a miraculous, holy and eternal people.
mitzpeh18 1 year ago 12
@mitzpeh18 dont make me laugh
NaBjE11 8 months ago
Thank G-d that the Jews are a MIRACULOUS, HOLY and ETERNAL people.
tzophen 1 year ago
Yes but you forgot to mention that Israel also is the only country in the Middle East, and the whole world, that was created by dispossessing a whole nation! Israel is the only country in the region that occupies another nation (Palestine), indiscriminately kills civilians, build colonies on occupied lands ect...So please, be at least a little bit honest to yourselves.
moulhoule 1 year ago
@moulhoule Good luck with that. You're talking with the hasbara here. Honesty is not high on their agenda.
nrf91 1 year ago
@moulhoule You packed many allegations into 3 sentences. Taking them one by one (this may require many posts), you claim Israel is the only country in the world created by dispossessing a nation. This is TRIPLY false.
FACT: Israel was not “created” in 1948. Its Jewish presence has been around for 3,200 years.
FACT: The “Palestinians” are not a “nation.” Before 1948, they called themselves Syrians. The term “Palestinian” was coined after 1967.
FACT: The USA dispossessed a nation - big time.
primerib613 1 year ago
@primerib613 You're right, there was a jewish presence in Palestine, but they were Palestinians.
Palestinians are a nation, at least they are not immigrants flocking from all over to illegally populate a land that doesn't belong to them. Nice try zionists, but I'm not buying your "empty land for a landless people" theory.
You are right, USA dispossessed a nation too. Maybe that's why they offer unconditional support to the terrorist state of Israel.
moulhoule 1 year ago
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primerib613 1 year ago
@moulhoule You claim Israel is the only country that INDISCRIMINATELY kills civilians. This is DOUBLY false.
Part One:
FACT: Before military actions, Israel urges Gazans via thousands of leaflets and phone calls to stay away from Hamas sites.
Does Hamas reciprocate?
FACT: Quoting British Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan Colonel R. Kemp, “The IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.”
(To be continued…)
primerib613 1 year ago
@moulhoule You claim Israel is the only country that INDISCRIMINATELY kills civilians. This is DOUBLY false.
First, as stated in Part 1, Israel does no such thing, urging Gazans via thousands of leaflets and phone calls to stay away from Hamas sites.
Part 2:
FACT: 1971: Jordan slaughtered, 3,400-20,000 (Arafat’s claim) Palestinians in 10 days. 1982: Syria massacred 20,000 civilians in Hama. Then there’s Yemen, Iran, need I go on?
And what could be more indiscriminate than suicide bombers?
primerib613 1 year ago
To mirawayne.....I have a Phd...I'm an Israeli....and your lack of basic facts matches the ignorance of Stephens.
mutzkile 1 year ago
Good luck making this case on the campuses as long as they are dominated by Frankfurt School, New Left, Neomarxist professors and administrators who wield the threat of tenure denial for all those who may have slipped by the initial ideological interview screening, but haven't "gotten with the program". The Weather Underground and the Baader Meinhof gang gather more adulation than Jews who have survived against all odds.
exrock712 1 year ago 12
The speaker displays such ignorance (other called it lies) about Israel. Israel has no Human Rights legislation and no constitution. No gay marriages in Israel. No declared gay serves in IDF. Orthodox Judaism runs the rabbinical councils and courts. No Arab MKi will agree that they have the same political rights. All funding were withdrawn from “Ajami”, "Dancing with Bashir" and "Sidon" because of their political statements
mutzkile 1 year ago
@mutzkilewhere u come from? the moon?such lies about Israel that u write, what do u know beside what the islamofashists feed u?What ever Bret says is the truth! And everybody in the world know this, so get of and get a education!
mirawayne 1 year ago
Yesher koach!
Fuzzycop 1 year ago
Never mind that Israel's government is as far right as you can get when it comes to occupation and foreign policy. Never mind that Israeli settlers are gobbling up Palestinian land. Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas. Israel is a great place to be gay. Woopieeeeeeeeeee. So is the Netherlands, which happens to be a peaceful country.
nrf91 1 year ago
@nrf91 Huh? Were the Allies collectively punishing the citizens of Germany for electing Hitler? If they were, World War II would have begun in 1933. It began in 1939, after Hitler attacked Poland, an act of war. Hamas fired 8,000 rockets into Israel since its unilateral withdrawal in 2005. Israel finally responded to those acts of war—not Hamas’s election—in 2009. As the Allies tried to halt Hitler’s army, German citizens died. So too as Israel tries to halt Hamas. Tragic, but not a war crime.
primerib613 1 year ago
@primerib613 Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that Hamas had nearly put a complete stop to the rocket attacks on Israel during the cease fire. Israel, as even they have admitted, broke the cease fire by crossing into Gaza and killing 4 Hamas members who were allegedly building a tunnel. Israel never fulfilled their end of the bargain during the ceasefire, lifting many of the sanctions. Israel is an abusive occupier.
nrf91 1 year ago
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@nrf91 You wrote: "Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that..."
Whoa. All I was responding to was one sentence in your previous comment: "Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas." And throwing modesty to the wind, I think my reply featured historical veracity and razor-sharp logic - not to mention composure and respect.
primerib613 1 year ago
@nrf91 You wrote: Good lord what a bunch of lies, distortions and twisted logic. You forget to mention that...
Whoa. All I was responding to was one sentence in your previous comment: "Never mind that they are collectively punishing (a war crime) the citizens of Gaza for electing Hamas." And throwing modesty to the wind, I think my reply featured historical veracity and razor-sharp logic - not to mention composure and respect.
primerib613 1 year ago
@nrf91 hamas nearly stopped the rockets,are you a complete fucking idiot.The rocket had to completely stop for there to be a cease fire.What about the 8 YEARS of hamas bombing us in the south of Israel with no response from Israel and no resolutions from the UN?The only mistake Israel made was allowing 8 YEARS to go by before hitting back at those fucking terrorists.I don't know where you live you complete idiot but until you have spent time running for bomb shelters rather shut the fuck up.
TheCanoncam 1 year ago
@TheCanoncam I have no sympathy for you and your eternal Israeli victimhood while, at the same time, your IDF kills hundreds of innocent women and children, not to mention 9 peace activists on a humanitarian aid flotilla. I'm sure they are all terrorists to you. Even 2 year olds. But the rest of us are sick of you and your propaganda. With your attitude, you will spend many more years running for bomb shelters.
nrf91 1 year ago
@nrf91
Yes ... point one percent of the Middle East land mass ... when will these hook nosed colonialists ever stop?
ZELIG500 1 year ago
@nrf91 Very true. And also remember the growing number of right-wing ultra-orthodox who live in Israel.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
@nrf91 The settlers: it would never happen if the Arabs would agree to egsistance of Israel in1948, and started 5 wars in 62 years, the only reason they have that Israel is not backward muslim like they are, as they wont the whole world to be, the consequence of Arab atak on Israel is settlers, it would be the same or worse if it was the other way around, to what it will never happen!.
mirawayne 1 year ago
To those who vilify Israel for the occupation, keep in mind that Israel's reward for leaving southern Lebanon was Hezbolla and for leaving Gaza, Hamas. Liberal or not, what do you think Israel's reward will be for leaving the West Bank?
avimeyers 1 year ago 2
Brilliant!!!
houseslave1001 1 year ago 2
My view though not completely informed is that every time I hear an argument both pro or anti-Israel it is distorted! This elementary argument sounds like a lecture to a 5 year old about stealing candy from a candy store. Israelis and Palestinians are the same nationality they deserve to have a combined and mutually respectful homeland.
Bintacab 1 year ago
@Bintacab Something I see a lot with the pro-Israel types is, they don't even really know WHY they support Israel, or why they are "zionists" (nationalists) in the first place. Just throwing that out there because I see it a lot. All they do is associate the Israeli state with their culture or heritage (which is a terrible reason to support the interests of a state and worship the state's flag) but aside from that can't give a logical or philosophical reason for their support.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
Primerib613-You really put it very well. I do believe many of the western worlds' extreme left are so immersed in self-hatred that self-destruction is absolutely their post-modern tenet. In a one dimensional world such as theirs--it is easier to caricature the most caricatured group in world history than to look at the entire picture of the middle east in three dimensions from a pragmatic standpoint. In fact , choosing extreme left wing views may well render one incapable of pragmatic thinking.
LibertyIsntForFree 1 year ago
The reason why the guy's points are bullshit is because they imply that our rights come from the state, when in fact the state only PERMITS people those rights after a struggle by the people to gain them. Every freedom people enjoy wasn't a gift from some generous politician but rather a demand from below. Also, no one is justifying the human rights records of the Arab countries, so I have no idea whom this guy is calling hypocritical.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
This reminds me of the piece of bacon I wrap around the bitter pill I have to give my dog every day. If I do it just right he swallows it, if not he spits it out. I'm not swallowing this. Genocide doesn't suddenly smell like a rose after you wrap it in liberalness!
Kunturankawa 1 year ago
@Kunturankawa Agreed.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
Being nice to gays and women doesn't make up for murdering and starving Palestinian civilians and having an official apartheid state. And yes, it's still apartheid even if you're nice to black jews.
Israel is a state where it's "Human rights for some".
lieber47 1 year ago
@lieber47 Exactly. Israel's apologists need to stop making excuses and end the occupation. Leftists don't criticize Israel for having better civil liberties than the Arab states but rather because this 43-year occupation has been going on 43 years too long.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
What a ridiculous and asinine defense of Israel. I suppose Blacks and supporters of Civil Rights should have conformed and been content throughout the late 19th-to-mid-20th century because after all they were "free" and the United States' justice system was far better than that of Mexico (for instance).
Codswallop. The only people convinced by this feeble attempt at apologetics are Zionist Supremacists who are looking for bullet points to debate against Liberals. You all Fail hard. Try again.
mikepalomino 1 year ago
Thisa is all the more reason why Israel deserves our support -- not the criticism that so many propagandists are providing based on non-facts.
StevenBHartholz 1 year ago
Of course Israel is a champion of human rights. As long as it gets to define the word "human." Comparing the Israeli government's treatment of its own citizens to that of fundamentalist Muslim nations is easy, as long as you ignore how it treats people it has displaced for decades.
moeskido 1 year ago
If Israel is to survive they should do so without forced contributions by Americans taxpayers. Any private individual, private business or charity that chooses to send money to Israel should be able to do so without restriction or penalty. Arab nations should not expect to receive any U.S. taxpayer funding as well. One may misinterpret this as being anti-Israel but it is not. Supporting Israel or any free nation means not interfering in its policies, thus remaining true to our Constitution.
jeffersonianideal 1 year ago
'Christian zionists'?? That's like saying 'vegetarian butchers'.
alexvegas 1 year ago
@alexvegas What are you talking about? Are you unaware of the segment of the Christian population who support the existence of Israel solely on the basis of what they see as the nation's role in Christian apocalyptic prophecy? There is such a thing as Christian Zionists and they actively relish the bloodshed of the Middle East as they see every conflict one step closer to Jesus' return.
mikepalomino 1 year ago
Israel is on the correct side of human rights issues, so we should give them nuclear weapons? Sorry, but that's retarded.
jaycoh 1 year ago
Brilliant and so true! Also---it's in America's best interests to have Israel as its best friend in the world(strategic location for landing and refueling our military-) It is also the first country to come forward and offer people, technology, intel after 9/11 --Great Britain second....So let's not kid ourselves, for all the reasons he mentioned and a whole lot more --Israel's right to exist and flourish with the only democratic government in the area is also vital to our own self interest!
JJ41616 1 year ago
You bonehead! You rant about your liberal leaning..yet fail to be honest with yourself in accepting what you idiot liberals have done by electing this piece of trash obama..who, you Einstein wannabe..is responsible for political attack after political attack against Israel. really intelligent voting you liberal idiots! I am 100% FOR ISRAEL..and hope your stupid azz liberals get a clue.
rickinnev 1 year ago
Another argument I would like to see made: As Liberals do you enjoy living in this country? Well it was entirely stolen through war, murder, aggression and endless broken treaties with the native Indians - and US provoked war against Mexico which we instigated in order to gain virtually the entire western portion of the US. So it is pure hypocracy for liberals or any other American to critisize land gained in war from others who attacked first. Helen Thomas - enjoy occupying Manhattan
drsambyg 1 year ago
@drsambyg You don't know much about Liberal thought do you? Liberals DO recognize that the United States' success has been the product - not necessarily of its founding principles - but by taking from some and giving to others. The fact that you recognize the history of US malfeasance demonstrates your contempt for the principles of freedom & justice for all. While we do indeed indirectly benefit from this malfeasance at least we attempt to reform the nation to be in line with its principles.
mikepalomino 1 year ago
@drsambyg Yeah, and that's why I (as a radical leftist) am staying in the US. I'd rather fight the heinous actions done by the US government than go somewhere where I wouldn't be able to affect any of that. And for the record, Israeli crimes are American crimes by default. If it wasn't for the US saving Israel's ass Israel would have been done a long time ago.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
The content of this video is GREAT but . . . . . so hard to hear with the loud background music. Please remove the music. Thanks.
Mjacknow 1 year ago
good point...at this point we'll take any we can...
toontune 1 year ago
FANTASTIC short video of WHY we must defend Israel. ALL LIBERALS need to view this and rethink their idiocy since many of them support the palestinians over Israel since they do not know their history, and fail to understand many of them would be hanged, and ALL of them would be stripped of free speech.
esp0661 1 year ago
oh gosh, i want to ride that peace train from casablanca to beer sheva and on to baghdad...great falafel along the way...but dang, i'm not convinced that mr. stephens applies top drawer methodology here, and if flawed, such an argument can become quicksand for succeeding generations who must walk daily in that desert. on the upbeat side, i find mr. stephens to be a breath of fresh air compared to the intellectual and moral goliaths who, for example, insist that nobody in persia is gay.
rottieboyy 1 year ago
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verdecitron 1 year ago
What israel does right does not entitle it to do wrong, though... that is the real issue....isn't it?
verdecitron 1 year ago
A half-truth is a whole lie -- Yiddish proverb. The enemy of my enemy is my friend? The end justifies the means?
There are many other values that we clearly do not share. Take theocracy, for a one - not an American value at all, except for the Christian zealots/bigots, who would like to make their Bible our secular law.
Partial or whole agreement with another whose other actions are contrary should never be confused with endorsement.
Even a broken clock is right twice daily.
lepin 1 year ago
Good argument.
muslimsgotohell 1 year ago
Israel is actually the only nation in the world, not just the middleast, unless I'm mistaken no other nation meets all of that criteria in the world, Israel is the Holy land and I pray that she lives forever
TrekkieAtlantis 1 year ago
Please remember history. The British controlled the lands in The Middle East and divided the land. At the time the mandated land for Israel was arrid and no one could envision any fertility. But Israel thrived.The first day of statehood Israel was attacked by Goliath neighbors.Its neighbors dwarf Israel's miniscule size. Eygpt 30x the size of israel,Syria 6x its size, or Jordan 3x its size. (Jordan's Palestinian authority never offered part of their enormous lands to form a Palestinian state).
thinkingprevails 1 year ago 5
The Palestinians never migrated to the larger spaces offered under Palestinian authority.Only after Israel developed its land created prosperity that the Palestinians sought the heart of Israel or Jerusulem and are claiming it along with the west bank and the Gaza Strip as their home territory;
Palestinians want their State to be in the middle of a country the size of the US state of New Jersey.
thinkingprevails 1 year ago 3
Can you imagine trying to live in peace with your sworn enemies occupying land within your own small country? They try everything including indoctrinating their children wth hate, outfitting suicide bombers and sneaking in weaponry within so-called ships carrying relief for (their) people? Come-on people do a reality check against the facts and it is remarkable Israel has survived in the face of constant siege and pressure from those who refuse to study the facts.
thinkingprevails 1 year ago 2
Israel is not liberal. It is a theocracy. It is busy murdering and maiming the original Palestinians. The anti-gay forces in Israel are dreadful. The orthodox Jewish men in Israel do not believe in equal rights for women. Israel does not believe in equal rights for Palestinians. Why doesn't he ask that question?
Truegret 1 year ago
To the 2 thumbs down voters. what is it that you disagree with?
Boyntonstu 1 year ago
brilliant
lisalisser 1 year ago
I love it. Absolutely love it. It shows that there is a flat out inherit hatred of the Jews and the Jewish State by liberal God and religion haters. These terrorist governments are the complete antithesis of what libs stand for. These damn liberals are damn hypocrites! AWSOME JOB STEPHENS!!
njdevils613 1 year ago
Okay... by Stephens' logic, if I'm arrested for dealing drugs out of my house, can I argue that it's okay because the guy who lives across the street makes kiddie porn in his basement?
ThingyBlahBlah3 1 year ago
@ThingyBlahBlah3
To quote a man whose eloquence I wish I had, "There was a time when drawing moral symmetries between two sides of every conflict was a mark of original thinking. Today, with Western intellectuals overextending two-sidedness to reckless absurdities, it reflects nothing but lazy conformity."
Those who take pride in murder - and those who revel when kids in pizzerias are blown to smithereens - cannot be compared to those trying to stop them.
Who is that man? Daniel Pearl's dad.
primerib613 1 year ago 3
@ThingyBlahBlah3
Absolutely not. What is the logic that you are quoting? I don't get the logic behind your "logic."
ytbrtzg 1 year ago
@ytbrtzg
Stephens seems to be saying, "It's okay that Israel continues to build new settlements in the West Bank, starves and isolates Gaza when the IDF isn't using its residents for target practice, drops white phosphorus on civilians, ignores UN resolutions whenever they're inconvenient, and possesses nuclear weapons while refusing to sign onto the NPT, because Israel is an open, modern democracy and its neighbors aren't." Or did I miss something?
ThingyBlahBlah3 1 year ago
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TheYonala 1 year ago
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TheYonala 1 year ago
@ThingyBlahBlah3 Sadly, just like the leaders of totalitarian states, Israel and its supporters use the crimes of Arabs to deflect criticism of their own crimes. It's just like how the Nazis would criticize Stalin - they may have been correct but anyone with half a brain could see why they are hypocrites.
juliaisafilmbuff123 1 year ago
Comment removed
dmoser71 1 year ago
Absolutely forthright & true. Whoever answers YES, & hears the truth about what he's saying, MUST write your Congressmen/women, Obama, your Local Papers & stand in SUPPORT OF ISRAEL in your communities. BUY Israeli Bonds, send a check to JNF, JDL, ADL, ORT, Hadassah, Simon Wiesenthal Center, etc. Show your support, by buying Israeli products. Be an example in your community. "If we don't stand for something, (Israel), we'll fall (end up victims ourselves) for anything (the Extremists).
shaynabreanne 1 year ago 4
This was a brilliant speech and his points are well presented.
Israel is inhabited by intelligent, creative people and we must stand by her....one of the few countries who support freedom and equality and have given so much to the world in so many fields.
JanRose1943 1 year ago 6
GREAT Video. He neglected to mention how Israel is THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. How Israel leads the world in Waste Water Recycling, and water conservation techniques, Solar power, and more new creative green methods of generating heat and electricity.
Israel also was the third country in the world to have a woman has head of State (Prime Minister Golda Meir, 1973) No Arab country can boast that. The United States has not come so far.
donnyr254 1 year ago 6
@donnyr254 Exactly my views,,,Isreal is a leader in so many ways and particularly in environmental issues I applaud.
PatHendricks 1 year ago
@donnyr254
actually Israel owes every piece of advancement it has to America. You act as if Israel obtained all this knowledge on their own, Israel as kingdom, democracy, ect has existed for 3000 years. America and the West has created more human advancement in 200 years, then Israel and all eastern nations in all centuries prior COMBINED.
You also forget Israel would be a crater in the ground if it wasn't for America and the West
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 Obviously the scientists in Israel that develop these inventions are Israeli and not American. America does have a lot of influence at Israel's military power as it has a big interest of Israel being the strongest in the area.
You cannot compare between the scientific advancements of the humanity of 3000 years ago and those today. Everybody knows that USA is a strong country, no need to glorify it even more.
HorseMan50 1 year ago
@HorseMan50 I'm not trying to glorify the US or the west
I'm trying to take Israel down a notch, because they haven't accomplished ANYTHING. They've been GIVEN or have STOLEN EVERYTHING.
As an American, I think israel brings the most instability to the region. Not the most strength. If Saudi Arabia decided to join the other Arab nations and go against israel, they would be FUCKED... With or without the US's assistance
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 Throw away your cellphone if you think Israel hasn't accomplished anything
robev33 1 year ago
@robev33
lol too bad IBM invented the technology used in cell phones during WWII.
BEFORE Israel was even a country, so try again
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 Then why does you government support Israel so much? Because standing between dictatorial Muslim states, the democratic Israel is like a base for the American military that fights terrorism for it. The instability is not Israel's fault, I don't think Israel should give up just because the Arab states don't want a Jewish state between them. I'm not sure you're that much of an expert to tell whether or not if Saudi Arabic opened war against Israel it would win.
HorseMan50 1 year ago
@HorseMan50
First thing be known, I'm not against Israel existing, so long as they're not being repressive as they've been for the past 40 years.
2nd, my Government only supports Israel because it's our largest outpost in the middle east to help protect our pipelines to the Caspian sea. That support is going down the drain, where the rest of Israel's international support has gone aside from france.
3rd the instability is very much Israel's fault. and Arabs for the most part are not...
cont*
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@HorseMan50
.. against Israel. Even in Iran, they're home to the second largest jewish population in the entire middle east, and the 3rd largest in the entire world.
The Palestinians (even Hamas) are willing to negotiate for peace, so long as Israel stops building in the west banks, and stop the siege in Gaza, and set-up the borders that Israel itself signed onto in 1967. As long as Israel keeps building in the west bank, the rest of the world will see Israel as the Oppressors, not the heros
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
first of all, Hamas is NOT willing to negotiate peace with Israel under ANY terms. Hamas belives in violance resistance and holy war untill all israelies or all palestinians die. the first thing they did when the peace talks started was murder israeli civilians and fire rockets into israel.
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
First of all, Hamas was created by Israel to counter-act Yaser Arafat. And yes I'll give you that many of the radicalized members of Hamas do believe in violence towards and the destruction of Israel. But not all members, many have been forced to that way of life by Israeli occupation, and the Seize of Gaza.
However all the guns Hamas has now and has had in the past were israeli granted. Now their large arms like the rockets and explosives come from Iran and Lebanon.
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
second of all, israel will stop building once it is negotiated. israel did not lay initial terms before entering the negotiation such as being recognized as a jewisg state with a right to exist, or having the palestinians dissarm their terorist groups or promiss not to carry out any attacks on israeli civilians. why is it only the palestinians can ask for initial concessions?
it's time you realize that the west and the arab world share very different values.
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
Israel doesn't care about the peace terms, they need to expand and will not stop until they've reached Tehran (a historical and biblical city, one of the cities of Abraham)
They've seized land in Egypt, They've seized land in Lebanon, They've seized land in Jordan. This is what keep the middle east from having peace. Israel runs around like they own the place, and they get offended when people resist that behavior, and in turn call them terrorists
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@aridorot1
When Israel learns to stop seizing land, and trying to dominate the region. That's when we'll have peace in the middle east. I can promise you that.
You're right, the west and the Arab world do share different values, However we share similarities as well. Like the Arabs, I wouldnt appreciate it much if Mexico or Canada started seizing my land here in America, then trying to say their God granted them permission to steal it. I don't think you would appreciate it either if it were u
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
Israel seizing land???? Lets check history: 1947 UN agrees to give the Jews land half the size of Israel today, most of it desert. The jews accept, the Arabs decline. 1948 the un declares a jewish state in israel - 7(!!!) arab nations try to destroy it. 1967 - 5 arab countries organize to destroy Israel. Israel ocupies land belonging to the arab countries which planned to destroy it - nothing wrong with that
cont
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
For one I'm talking about the UN land grants. Check history yourself. Israel has expanded it's borders no less than 5 times. You can find the evolving maps of Israel.
Sorry if Israel doesn't like the fact that the original occupants didn't appreciate being moved to house settlers. Guess what? America had to overcome that too. We couldn't destroy the natives, so we acclimated the two cultures togethers. Offering the Native americans duel citizenship for their tribes and America
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
1973 - 7 arab countries attack israel planning to destroy it
Israel gives Egypt its land back in return for peace - yeah, real land hungry war mongerrers
israel has left lebanon - the un has authorised that israel left every inch of lebenon land - hizbollah still atacks
israel left gazza and almost started a civil war by evacuating thousands of settlers - all in the hope that it will premote peace, and got the middle finger from the entire world for it
give me a break
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
Israel traded land back to Egypt in exchange for peace, seeing as the seizure of Sinai from the Egyptians is what caused the instability in the first place.
Israel has NOT left Lebanon, they're still occupying the sout, so get that right
Israel has not left Gaza, there's still a complete sieze on the borders there, where no one or nothing can come in or out without Israels permission
Lets say the arabs did the same things to Israel, what would Israel? I'm guessing the exact
cont
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@aridorot1
same thing the Arabs are doing I would imagine...
I'm sure if Egypt or Jordan decided they wanted to seize Tel Aviv, I'm sure every Israeli would say "Lets blow Egypt off the face of the earth" (lol and don't deny it, I date an Israeli girl, Israelis can be very vengful
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
you're ignorance of history is overwhelming. lets start with the usa. the usa conquered an entire continent butchering the native americans and later giving whast was left of them shitty resuvuars and casinos, allowing them to live in total humiliation and poverty. an entire continent! how the hell can you compare that to land the size of new jersey, sorounded by 25 arab nations, who - guess what - expelled all jews from them BEFORE 1948.
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
lol I'm ignorant on history? First off all, The "US" didn't butcher and entire continent. Many tribes within the US worked WITH the European settlers from the beginning. Yes there were mass genocides at this time, but not all or most were the result of the US, there's many guilty parties, including the Canadians, French, English, Spaniards, and Portugese
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@aridorot1
the natives do not live in total poverty, infact they live pretty well compared to the average american. They have plenty of social services, free education plans for college, and many more things that you know nothing about. and it shows narrowing it down to casinos and reservations. The native are actually very proud of their culture and intigration. I think you get your facts from books written in 1912
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87
i'll tell you what - return california and texas to mexico and we'll call it even.
as far as the map you are talking about - it is arab propoganda: the first map is of the 1947 pill comitee sugestion to devide israel between the jews and arabs. the arabs refused. then you have land israel seized after the 6 day war - look it up. you can't initiate a war and then cry that you have to pay the consenquences for losing. part of that land was the sinai desert
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
And now you're being even more ignorant... AND FYI i would gladly give Texas back to Mexico. And if you want to compare. US Americans earned our land. We worked for it, we built it up and made it what it is today... How did Israel obtain their land? Oh yeah that's right, the global community GAVE IT TO THEM. And the international community gave them the weapons to use to expand their borders. If you want to compare, Israel did NOTHING for it's land. America at least earned ours
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 you honestly have got to be kidding, right? Your argument is one of the most absurd of all the absurd arguments I've ever heard. You really need some educated enlightenment, but in your case, it might be too late. Why do you want to stay in the dark with such hatred flowing from your thoughts?
sandee880 1 year ago
@sandee880 You've gotta be kidding yourself, you obviously know nothing. You're just pro-Israel and so you have a bias in checking any of my facts.
BTW I don't hate Israel. Stating facts isn't hate. I like Germany, but it doesn't mean i would hold my tongue for them if I lived in 1940, so I will not do the same to Israel. If you have a problem with my argument, address actual topics. The fact you call me wrong with no basis of fact, shows your ignorance. If you have problem w/
cont
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@sandee880 then point out where i'm incorrect and attempt to correct me or become enlightened on it yourself.
FYI my girlfriend Is israeli, the last thing I would do is hate Israel. Learn the difference between objection and hate. There's a huge difference
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
isreals day is coming to an end!
NaBjE11 8 months ago
@skinnywhop87
and as for your 2 errors: israel is NOT ocupying southern lebenon. and i am quoting the UN. there were no "UN land grants" i really don't know who made that up. and your original settlers were syrian, jordanian and eqyption citizens. there were no "palestinians" before 1967 - when jordan controlled the west bank. even yaser arrafat, the "great" palestinian leader, was born and raised in Egypt. google "black september 1970"
aridorot1 1 year ago
@aridorot1
lol are you going to try to say Israel isn't occupying the west bank and the Jordan valley now as well?
You're an idiot. The region has always been known as Palestine, If you're an Israeli you should really brush up on your history. When the Jews started migrating from the middle eastern countries in the late 1800's the region was and is still known as Palestine. The people living within it were known as Palestinians.... Same way the people living in America are known as Americans
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@aridorot1
You must be a zionist to try to play that long debunked card, "There are no Palestinian people" How moronic are you? Even your own government stopped using that argument in the 1960's
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@aridorot1
You also need to check the news. Just 4 days ago they were talking about Israeli troops lining up on the lebanonese border and resestablishing settlement there to monitor hezbollah, They say you guys are preparing for another war with them. This was news less than a week ago.
The arabs dominated the region for 1400 years, maintaining control of Jerusalem so that alone shows how false you are and ignorant on the history of the region. Will you try to say there's no Latin Americans?
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 Israel, sitting in its borders, attacking no one, is not responsible for the instability in the area.
They don't want Israel to stop the siege over Gaza, because they know the Hamas will get stronger and destroy the Fatach.
Israel is not willing to freeze its building in the West Bank which makes a big problem because Abu Mazen can't agree to that because of the public opinion. Even though the building in the West Bank has no real significance.
HorseMan50 1 year ago
@skinnywhop87 Arabs for the most part are not against Israel? Why do you think we are in constant war all the time?
The only Arab country that is ok with Israel is Jordan, all the rest aren't attacking just because they are afraid.
HorseMan50 1 year ago
@donnyr254
oh yeah and you mention all the green attributes of Israel. How about the fact that its one of the most overpopulated regions on earth. And the main resource they insist on STEALING from the Palestinians happens to be all their agricultural land and water wells. ;)
skinnywhop87 1 year ago
@donnyr254 green or not. israel's crimes against humanity can't be forgotten by recycling a plastic bottle or two.
shame on you
yazmannn 1 year ago
Liberals are the reason for destruction of U.S.A
RuGolani 1 year ago
@RuGolani
Now here we have an example of complete ignorance! What a stupid and ridiculous post you make.
brynababy1 1 year ago
@RuGolani Amen Brother!
coltsfann88 1 year ago
Bret Stephens questions are all great examples of upholding people's personal freedom and human rights.His suggestion is that Israel should not be subject to criticism by liberals on the basis that we share these values. But if we are all committed to upholding human rights in the broader sense then perhaps we need to examine why we should look more favorably on peoples we agree with and not hold them accountable to these principles. How would one ever resolve a conflict with that attitude?
warnelivesey 1 year ago
@warnelivesey It cool to be anti Israel. That what count! That why so many Jew kids am anti-Israel & pro Obama. No?
samuel17517 1 year ago
@warnelivesey
You wrote that Bret Stephens's "suggestion is that Israel should not be subject to criticism by liberals on the basis that we share these values." But he states at 3:47, "By all means, criticize Israel but don't do it from the standpoint of a hypocrite to your own values."
primerib613 1 year ago
@primerib613
Israel can be criticized, but not on the points he mentioned: gay rights, women's rights, etc., if you are a liberal. On those points, Israel should be supported and recognized.
ytbrtzg 1 year ago