I am ignoring your questions because I don't really give a damn on this particular day. That may change. Or it may not. If I were you, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

My family background is atheist, middle-class, conventional, white. No particularly notable opinions about Jews one way or the other in my family...or Muslims either, for that matter. I was quite pro-Israel in the 1960's, used to collect their stamps, and thought they were really cool, but I gradually became disturbed about their land settlement policies and their military policies from about the mid-70's on. I do not agree with their land expansion or their military policies most of the time, insofar as I think they are overly aggressive, to put it mildly.

I do not agree with the policies of the Muslims who are attacking them either. I strenuously disgree with BOTH.

But I've made that plain over and over again. I don't care if you don't like my saying that they are both equally to blame. And I will not waste my time trying to justify it to a mind that is utterly incapable of being impartial on the matter.

I'm not a Muslim, BB. I'm not even a Christian. Are you a Jew? If so, I think that might be the crucial ingredient that causes us not to see things eye to eye when it comes to judging Israeli actions.