The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #121349   Message #2656241
Posted By: Peter T.
14-Jun-09 - 02:20 PM
Thread Name: BS: Obama's astonishing speech in Cairo
Subject: RE: BS: Obama's astonishing speech in Cairo
I think that's hardly fair. Israel may be doing all these things, but (a) it is surrounded; and (b) there is a very strong theme in Arab countries that Israel's existence is illegal, and that they should be wiped off the face of the earth. In traditional wars, that usually means you only have to lose once. I can see the mindset that propels Israel towards "offensive defence" -- again, given the past history (cf. the Holocaust), but given that Israel has over a hundred nuclear weapons, its existence is not seriously threatened. It is the disconnect between its existing power and its psychology (not exactly enhanced by suicide bombers) that has got them into today's situation where they are essentially operating unethically in defence of themselves.

yours,

Peter T.