miir wrote:Actually, you're the one who seems to be having difficulty seeing both sides.
I see both sides. I acknowledge that you stated that both sides were at fault, and I concur. Yet then you blamed the Israelis for all continued violence ("The difference is that Israelis are killing muslims on (almost) a daily basis where as Iran are not actively exterminating jews") when, as Kilmoll pointed out in the subsequent post, it continues unabated from BOTH sides. It's a Chicken and Egg situation. Which came first and which comes last. If any side quits, the other side does something "in response" to what the other side last did and the cycle begins anew. Palestinians want to avenge slain comrades and those taken prisoner and the Israelis do the same.
No, these aren't "Iranians" per se, but they are fundamentalist muslims (supported by Hezbollah/Syria/Iran), which is what the thread has degenerated to.
The difference being that as the Israelis wear uniforms, they must be painted as the antagonistic jackbooted thugs, right? People who fire rockets, kidnap and kill their enemies are just misunderstood freedom fighters, right?
Wrong. Both sides refuse to come to terms with the (probably mutually exclusive anyway) terms of the other and the cycle of violence never ends.
And yes, Israel has boldly stated their viewpoint (as they demonstrated in the 60s) that the best defense is a good offense. This does make them the aggressor in most situations, whether you agree with that POV or not, but their nation has had a target painted on it for quite some time, so it's an easy to understand mindset when your enemies refuse to acknowledge your country's right to exist.
I personally wish that the Jewish holy land wasn't one and the same with the Christian and Muslim holy land, but it is. Someone's going to occupy it and the other sides are going to have to deal with it as they may. Historically, Muslims have almost always been the best about respecting the rights of other religions to visit shared holy sites, and the Crusader Christians with their greed/bloodthirstiness for actual conquest* were absolutely horrible examples as they tended to put Muslim men to the sword and sell the women and children into slavery, but they've also insisted they be the occupier and lawmaker of the lands as well.
*Read up on the crusades sometime. It's a fascinating period. I recommend the book
Dungeon, Fire and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades by John J Robinson
