Russ
In article <a9d3v1$28jte$2@ID-121201.news.dfncis.de>, "David Flood" <NOSPAMmaoltuile@utvinternet.ie>writes:

And Barak tried it. What did he get for his trouble? The Palestinians

David Flood
went to

war and ensured his defeat in favor of Sharon.

Describing the Palestinians as having "gone to war" is rather startling. Are you referring to the entire population; mothers, children, toothless

grandfathers?

Or do you mean the religious fundamentalist nuts and extremist

types carrying out a heinous indiscriminate terrorist campaign against

population of Israel (not just Jews).

Russ
Let's start with the 77% who support homicide bombings.

David Flood
If the latter, then I'll have to refer you to modern Irish history -

splinter of Fenianism (crazed beyond all reason) has always carried on

own private war with the British state, even when the rest of the contemporary 'movement' has achieved acceptable terms.

Russ
Hmmmm. That might describe the class of 1916 as well.

Anyway, could these 'splinters of Fenianism' claim 77% support?

BTW, when exactly did they become crazed? Were they crazed in 1969, 1970, sometime later?

David Flood
Arafat, I suspect, is in the same boat - there will *always* be some fragment of Palestinian society harbouring the aim of evicting the Jews,

which will be largely beyond his power to prevent.

Russ
He's not even trying.

David Flood
What we've learned is that the only way to marginalise this faction is to show the people that politics is working, and for that you need the stability of an intact PA, not the Israelis shooting up anyone who wears a headscarf and looks at

the wrong way.

Russ
It was working. Tons of investment and economic developement. Arafat and

threw it away by restarting the intifadah.

In this thread, I've been in the position of defending Sharon, although

David Flood
do

not particularly like him. What I object to are those who say they Palestinians rightfully object to negotiating with him.

Who said this?

Russ
A certain poster with the initial CD.

Even more so because it was the Palestinians who got Sharon elected.

David Flood
Urr, no, I think that that's actually the Israeli citizens who voted for him, after Peres and Barak screwed the peace process up so

Russ
How, by offering them a state?

are a *quite* nasty bunch, who obviously much prefer a good ol' war, followed by some

cleansing, as a solution to their problems.

This is precisely why I have little sympathy for the Palestinians.

purposefully caused Barak, the Labor PM who was negotiating with them,

David Flood
lose

the election and they themselves caused Sharon to win. They are

reaping precisely what they sowed.

I think Barak lost the election himself.

I would also be *quite* reluctant to state also that any people 'brought' something on themselves - if you go down that route, then you start

'all' Afrikaaners, 'all' Ulster-Scots, or 'all' Jews (or even 'all' Americans!), for the failures of their respective political and societal establishments.

And that's when you start on the slippery slope of yourself doing

quite awful to *them*.

Russ
Ask Bomber Harris and Winston Churchill. (Or Harry Truman)