I have to say one thing. The israel-palestinian conflict, regardless of who is to blame, does not account for the entire Islam - West problem. Even if the israel-palestinian conflict will be resolved, even in a way that the palestinians would be extremely pleased, you still have the much much bigger problem - the cultural clash between west and islam. The fundamentalists of the islam will not be appeased once the palestinian problem is resolved. the palestinians are considered the underdog of the arab world, and they are considered so by the arabs themselves, not by the jewish. the arab fundamentalists use them only as an excuse. the real reason for the hate is the cultural conflict which is by far more vast. the capitalist west and the fundamental islam see the world through entirely different eyes. the israel-pali problem is nothing but a drop in the sea. even if israel is completely annihilated, and even if the US draws all troops from all arab countries, you will still have terrorist acts - and this time it will be because women in the west dress too promiscuously. And so on, and so on. it is a cultural clash that has been neglected for generations, and the world will now pay the price, and it will not be resolved in our life time.
Don't forget that Islam has also been attacking India for the past several hundred years and this has nothing to do with Israel, the crusades, the west or anything like that. When Islam has no one to attack, they attack each other.
thats exactly why we shouldnt get involved, let islam live in the 17th century world, dont try to impose democracy and freedom on them. they dont want it, they have lived that way for centuries there should only be a clash between israelis and the arabs, and i am sure israelis would do fine. why is it israel + us vs arabs? we got dragged into this and its a fu.. mess. " you will still have terrorist acts - and this time it will be because women in the west dress too promiscuously." cmon thats not true !
Maybe, Copernicus, it's because the US knows that if it totally stayed uninvolved, the Europeans would, with glee, put all the power they have behind the Palestinians to help them drive every Jew in Israel into the sea. Maybe there IS some goodness of heart involved.
splphil, trying to say that "unfortunately" some babies get killed - but accidentially by one side - and deliberately by the other side just shows you are totally biased. How does blowing up a bus/cafe etc. differ from letting a busy street or apartment building ride a rocket/missile ? As far as I can remember both sides of this conflict uses "logic" about how these babies and kids will grow up into "jewish devils" or "palestinian terrorists". Extremists on both sides are dangerously crazy morons. Islamic fundamentalists have just as crazy attitudes as many orthodox jews or militant christians in my views. I remember some years ago when news cameras caught israeli IDF soldiers breaking the arms and fingers of youths throwing stones from a hillside - strangely that was better times there than nowadays. Stupid politicians in the region - israeli and palestinian as well as US politicians are all at fault for todays crisis - not to mention those who elected - and still continues to support them.
You're all wrong and I'm right. Refute that! No seriously, why do politically charged, not economics type threads keep getting posted in the economics forum? Copernicus, can't you read and understand English? Please stop polluting the Economics forum.
israel has a nuclear weapon and highly trained military force. if they wanted they could take out the entire arab world within minutes.