I read the news today oh boy! Page 1,061

Israel is politically in a terribly precarious situation; 70% of it's trade is with europe where it trades as if it was an EU member (all the benefits none of the rules). Not to mention the US blocking any UN action against it.
If the West ever decided it would rather trade with 200 million Arabs, rather than 9 million Israelis Israel would be stuffed.
It needs a meaningful peace with the Palestinians alot more than the other way around. And frankly needs to suck it up and start clearing settlements out of the Westbank ASAP.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/entertainment/19-Nov-2012/82-year-old-man-sentenced-to-prison-after-his-dog-killed-a-cat

An effective life sentence for cat murder.

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2012, 11:32 AM GMT

Israel is politically in a terribly precarious situation; 70% of it's trade is with europe where it trades as if it was an EU member (all the benefits none of the rules).

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And let's not forget the most important benefit, they get to enter the Eurovision Song Contest.

Maybe a proper war would be a good thing in this situation. The UN gets called in like in the Balkans and the result is a dividing up of the area with independent, recognised states in Gaza and Palestine.

Or maybe nothing will happen and it will be the same shit as before.

Quote: Stylee TingTing @ November 19 2012, 11:53 AM GMT

If that were to happen, which world bank(s) would lend the West the credit they'd need for trade? Wouldn't ever happen.

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Muslims don't like paying interest rates on loans, it's there religion or law or summit. That's like poo flavoured poison to the banks.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 19 2012, 12:19 PM GMT

And let's not forget the most important benefit, they get to enter the Eurovision Song Contest.

Maybe a proper war would be a good thing in this situation. The UN gets called in like in the Balkans and the result is a dividing up of the area with independent, recognised states in Gaza and Palestine.

Or maybe nothing will happen and it will be the same shit as before.

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Well 1948, 56, 67, 73, 80, 82, 95, 2006, 2008 and today and those are only the major conflicts. And the UN stayed away each time.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 19 2012, 12:19 PM GMT

Muslims don't like paying interest rates on loans, it's there religion or law or summit. That's like poo flavoured poison to the banks.

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Thats only the fundamentalist Islamic states and event then Saudi seems to have no problem

The mid east is a vast untapped market. And as the layers of Soviet and now tribal restrictions slip away it gets more tempting.

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2012, 12:21 PM GMT

Well 1948, 56, 67, 73, 80, 82, 95, 2006, 2008 and today and those are only the major conflicts. And the UN stayed away each time.

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Ah, we live in a Facebook, Arab Spring, Twitter age now. Social media and overthrowing regimes is all the rage, doncha know?

The Israelis war machine and it's advanced technology could easily crush the Palestinians - but the result of that is non-stop images of dead kids being pulled from the rubble 24-7. And no one's going to 'Like' that on FB.

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2012, 12:23 PM GMT

The mid east is a vast untapped market. And as the layers of Soviet and now tribal restrictions slip away it gets more tempting.

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China is also looking for inroads into the Middle East and what better way to win over the oil producing Muslim nations then by siding with the Palestinians?

Ooh, it's like a soap opera with explosions.

China is rather busy buying every last drop of African oil in exchange for knock off Tamagotchis. Not to mention getting unpleasantly chummy with Southern Europe, send troops in? Not their style.

Israel (prepare to sound like armchair sofa twat) could lose it's military superiority in the mid east in the next 5 years. All it would take is for America to sell more JSFs to Arab states than Israel. Or even EU to start selling countries like Egypt cut price eurofighters.

It's why anyone who's even vaguely proIsrael would sorely like them to knock this shit off quick smart. Pull out of the Westbank open up the borders and just deal with the consequences. Frankly a Palestinian state with buildings, industry and theme parks etc. Is going to be pretty unwilling to see Israel trash these things, how ever heavily armed they. But if all you've got is a hovle because you can't even import cement. Then you're not that fussed about someone bombing it.

Very sensible and logical, sootyj.
Don't go in to politics!

But what about religion?
Might that have something to do with what's been going on over there for the last couple of milleniums?

Nice to see Hague throwing his two penneth in, especially as we started the whole bloody mess, Balfour etc. Still Israel can do no wrong in our eyes, just shouting 'They started it!' is a bit infantile to say the least and unhelpful. Oh how I hate that egg faced moron. All those poor kids injured and killed in Gaza and we still leap to their defence

'the Israeli status quo' ?

I only just got my tickets for the real ones reunion next year, don't tell me there's a bunch of Jews rockin' all over the World ?

Quote: Pingl @ November 19 2012, 2:24 PM GMT

Nice to see Hague throwing his two penneth in, especially as we started the whole bloody mess, Balfour etc. Still Israel can do no wrong in our eyes, just shouting 'They started it!' is a bit infantile to say the least and unhelpful. Oh how I hate that egg faced moron. All those poor kids injured and killed in Gaza and we still leap to their defence

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In this case because we've been killing people with drone strikes for the last 2 years in multiple diferent countries. Under the rather feeble defence that they might possibly be thinking or planning on attacking us.

Israel would call bullshit on that pretty fast.
If you watch the footage of Hamas training and indoctrinating the next generation of fedayeen. Then you start to see why on a profound level Israel is terrified of them.

Of course all this misbegotten conflict does is give Hamas more recruits and the atmosphere of war that they thrive on.

Quote: Stylee TingTing @ November 19 2012, 3:30 PM GMT

The rest of the world can blather, bluster, banter, bunter, manter and munter 'til the cows come home, but it's not going to change the reality: the Israeli government has carte blanche to do what it wants - and it does and will continue to do so. No amount of UN complaint, argument, "threats" plus pontification with procrastination is going to change the Israeli status quo one jot.

As for William Hague, the platitude-spouting, shallow, meaningless non-entity of a public servant gravytrainer - I think he should be sent trussed-up to HAMAS.

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The Israelis do not ignore world opinion. They suffered huge losses in 1973 instead of conducting a pre emptive strike, because of it.

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2012, 3:55 PM GMT

In this case because we've been killing people with drone strikes for the last 2 years in multiple diferent countries. Under the rather feeble defence that they might possibly be thinking or planning on attacking us.

Israel would call bullshit on that pretty fast.
If you watch the footage of Hamas training and indoctrinating the next generation of fedayeen. Then you start to see why on a profound level Israel is terrified of them.

Of course all this misbegotten conflict does is give Hamas more recruits and the atmosphere of war that they thrive on.

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There is no doubt that it is not a one sided problem, but I'm afraid to back Israel without stating that it is attacking defenceless civilians is frankly mindboggling. Being terrified is no excuse for the kind of actions they are taking, and certainly isn't going to increase their chances of not living in terror. I have lived in Israel and am well aware of their mindset. But to say they started it first and therefore this somehow justifies their actions is not acceptable, this was Hague's line. Israel is not without its share of blame or sabre rattling, dialogue is the only answer, these attacks will achieve nothing unless God forbid they really intend to invade.

I don't think anyone says they started it and excpects to be taken seriously

Israel doesn't target civilian targets for fun

Its more like ham as sticks a rocket launcher on as school becasuse dead kids make good propaganda

Israel then bombs said school because frankly they don't give a shit

The whole thing is a miserable game

The IDF has women in front line combat roles as well as leaders

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2012, 4:29 PM GMT

I don't think anyone says they started it and excpects to be taken seriously

Israel doesn't target civilian targets for fun

Its more like ham as sticks a rocket launcher on as school becasuse dead kids make good propaganda

Israel then bombs said school because frankly they don't give a shit

The whole thing is a miserable game

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Agreed, and sadly I can see no end in sight without some courageous leadership from within.

Oh just pointing out your previous post was asinine I'd have done it iuf you were posting about cheesecake