Wow---looks like I misspoke and the good Rabbi Sol was not tired after all.   In fact he has his facts quite correct. Sorry to disappoint Carol C.
      
         I was fairly young at the time of the UN vote that allowed for the creation of the State of Israel (actually listened to the voting with my family on the radio---tubes and all---remember tubes?) What transpired after that is exactly as Rabbi Sol states.

         You, Carol, are correct about one thing. The terrorism of the Irgun. What you fail to mention, however, that unlike Arafat (and I have said this before) Ben Gurion not only stopped it but pulled in the leaders of these "gangs". In fact, Ben Gurion ordered the blowing up of the ship that was supplying the Irgun and ordered the arrest of Begin. Research the Altalana affair. Another eye opener as to who tries to stop brash acts and who does not.

       At this point I should also add that prior to the bombing of the King David Hotel---which housed the British CID (who had raided the Irgun for documents) a number of phone calls were placed to avoid civilian casualties. Apparantely they were ignored for some reason. A reason that, sometimes, seems almost like the reasons our Southerners gave years back about advice from the "colored" folks.
         
         Begin's ascendency, years later, to the position of PM has nothing to do with the aforementioned. Rather, it was a response by the voters---and I emphasize the democratic word "voters" here--to a feeling of vulnerability by the citizenry.   I would also add that the sad demise of Rabin was caused by a fanatic on the Israeli side who is just as pig-headed as the people on the Palestinian side.

          I think we all have to view this in a historical perspective--thinking of all the thousands of years that have elapsed we also have to recognize that Britain tried to ameliorate the situation in, sadly, a non productive way, the Zionists purchases --I re iterate the word "purchased" the land they now inhabit. Any other lands were because of incursions on their territory that were repulsed.

You know what--it is the old cliche---that's war. And, war is sad and I surely wish we all lived in peace.


Bill Hahn