In a message dated 1/1/02 9:29:00 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in response to Jeroen:
<< Except for the fact that the US does a lot of questioning. There is a lot of debate in the US about whether Israeli violence goes to far, frequent official US criticism of Israel for some instances of violence, debate about whether Israel would be better off unilaterally recognizing Palestinian Independence, etc, >> And in fact even the subject of Palestinian independence, which the US has pushed for at least the past 10 years, has met with a great deal of opposition in the ranks of the Israeli government. We have not stopped working towards some form of Palestinian state, nor have we stopped objecting to Israeli retaliatory strikes when they seem, to us, to be excessive. But let's face it, Hamas, Hezbolla and the Infitada, (who claim to be the voice of the Palestinian people) are waging a PR campaign they cannot hope to win. Every innocent Israeli civilian that is murdered by a Palestinian suicide bomber is an example of what we consider uncivilized and barbaric behavior. Remember the bombers who dipped their shrapnel nails in rat poison? This is not the act of people who desire peaceful coexistence. And incredulously, you want to know why Americans aren't on their side? Jon
