As far as I am concerned all killing is an obscenity, - an idealist's point of view, but in the real world it seem so be an ingrained feature of our culture, so short of climbing a mountain and finding Shangri-La, we have to make a judgement of each situation and seek to improve it.
We've discussed the Palestinian question ad-nauseum and there seems little point in opening another thread to continue it here, though I've no doubt that it won't be too long before we're back slagging each other off. I would be grateful if we could address the issue in hand and not use this in order to score points over individuals, as has already started to happen.
My assessment of the situation of the Israel/Palestinian situation as far as who is killing who, is that Israel is a well armed militaristic State with nuclear weapons who have used their superior strength to seize territory and drive Palestinians from their homes. They have had no hesitation in using heavy weaponry, including debilitating and lethal chemical weapons which they have turned on the Palestinian population in general.
Next to the Israeli arsenal, those used by the Palestinians are little more than pea-shooters and compared to their nuclear capacity, they are equivilent to little more than a draught from an open window .
The Israelis have said they will return to the conference table within two weeks - I very much doubt if that would have happened if it hadn't been for the Palestinian opposition, feeble as it has been, and for their 'own goal' act of piracy which has dragged their behaviour into the public eye with a vengeance.
Condemning Palestinian retaliation out of context is the same as condemning the French tactics used in opposing the Nazi occupiers, or the Irish against the British Empire, or the Viet-Namese for using the tactics they did against the might of the US - poor against weak; David against Goliath, however you care to term it.
Yes - the Palestinians should stop killing and wounding Israelis, and the Israelis should stop killing Palestinians - but as neither are going to at the present time, what do people suggest the Palestinians should do to protect their homes and lives - turn the other cheek, surrender?
WITHOUT AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONFLICT DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON WHICH SIDE YOU SUPPORT - NOTHING MORE.
Jim Carroll