DAM, "Born Here", Hebrew/Arabic with English subtitles

Maybe what's happening will someday build into a genuine, good-faith effort for peace. I hope it does, though there have been fake shows for the media in the past. But hey, anything is possible.

It will become genuine when Israel stops the ongoing theft of land and water, and admits that a real, just solution is required. Israel certainly has an open invitation to join the community of civilized nations that respect basic, inalienable human rights; it's up to you guys to cross that bridge.

You are right, Zionism isn't what America stands for, but it is closer to America than anything Palestinian leaders in Fatah and Hamas are saying. Or for that matter, any policy by any Arab regime in the country. At least it's not Lebanon, 3 generation Lebanese of Palestinian descent get treated worse by their fellow Arabs than by Israel.

Secondly, repressive actors have a long history of blaming the victim. "We're rounding up the gypsies because they commit so much crime." "American Indians are dangerous, lazy drunks." "We're hacking up Tutsi babies because Tutsis are undesirable to us Hutus."

It doesn't even matter if there's a grain of truth to your criticism of the other; "he did it first" is suitable for second grade, but not for a nation with an ounce of integrity or pride. Grow a pair and take responsibility.

Arabs aren't considered undesireable. Many statements from early Zionists showed that they tried to reach out to the local Arabs. Hence the reality that Israeli Arabs have more rights than Arabs in Arab countries. Some even serve in IDF combat units.

I am not characterizing Palestinians from some novel, but what Palestinian leaders are saying today. PA PM Fayaad is perhaps the most liberal of the bunch, but he has no political base of support. Many Pals view him as an Ameriacn stooge.

Well, the claim of "reaching out to Palestinians" has only a grain of truth to it, but to your main point: Sure, there are political challenges. Someday I hope Israel starts to make a good faith effort to negotiate; when that happens Israel's legitimate concerns certainly do need to be taken into consideration.

First, Israel has to start acting in good faith, and yes, that does mean a real settlement freeze, respect for human rights, and a stop to the ongoing theft of land and water.

Do you wish that with every country in the Middle East or from the rival Palestinians factions? Or just Israel?

Don't forget the Palestinians still don't have a united leadership. How can they make a deal with Abbas when he hasn't reconciled with Hamas yet?

From recent videos and articles in Israel, the freeze is becoming real to an extent. We have the visible signs already, IDF and police clashing with settlers (turning violent), Netanyahu being called a traitor by the hardcore settlers, etc.

I'm unimpressed by arguments of the form "at least Israel isn't as bad as X," followed by a trashing of whatever X happens to be.

First of all, shouldn't a country aspire to be more than just a little bit better than something they hate? It's like that stupid argument the neocons make over here to justify torture, where they say that what we're doing isn't as bad as -fill in the blank-. So what? The America I want to live in is a hell of a lot more than not quite as bad as a repressive regime.

Nobody claims equality for Palestinians in the occupied territories, though some do get services Arab citizens of Arab countries don't get, such as access to medical care. As for Arab citizens of Israel, they have the same rights to voting and health services, though the state doesn't spend enough resources in the Arab sector.

As for your French friend, the tech company probably assumed he was able to move into the country. They can't just hand him a work visa.

You are precisely right about my French friend - yes, the tech company did assume he could move in, because they assumed he was Jewish. You are making my point.

In a Western country, they don't just "hand" people work visas, but the idea that someone with desirable skills would be denied a work visa based purely on their religion would be absolutely shocking and repugnant.

Plenty of Western countries give citizenship to foreigners who share an ethnic kinship with the country. Modern Japan, Germany, Italy to name a few. A Jew's right to immigrate to Israel and become a citizen is based on a mostly ethnic definition of who is a Jew.

Your friend's denial wasn't based on animosity towards his non-Jewishness, but rather on the hard work of Jews to ensure that they will have a place to be.