Kat, I think Judaism is more than a religion.  However, I agree that
what Hitler did was far worse that what the Israelis and Palestinians
are doing to the other.  That's why I qualified my statement by saying
that "in some respects..."
I also think violence begets violence, and until Israelis and
Palestinians learn to absorb the vitriol originating with the actions of
the extremists, there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Salkin Kathleen
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 9:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Hi there!!! (Asbestos anyone?)

Hoo boy have you got it wrong, in my opinion.

What Hitler did was far far worse than anything the Israelis and
Palestinians are doing to each other.  Hitler was attempting to wipe out
a
religion, and he succeeded, by 6 million people at last count.  That's
not
the case in the Mideast.  Not the way I see it.  The issue is over land
and
the right to settlement.

And every time the Israelis try to declare a truce, a Palestinian
extremist
lets off another suicide bomb.  It's as if they don't want peace.
Granted,
Sharon has a lot to answer for with his 'hawkist' politics, but there's
blame on both sides.

I do believe with the gap growing between the 'haves' and the
'have-nots' in
this world, the conflicts will only get worse as resources become
scarcer.
We're already seeing the effects of dwindling water supplies out West in
our
own country as states and communities fight over water rights.

Kat


----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael H Collis" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 5:19 PM
Subject: Hi there!!! (Asbestos anyone?)


> This is the controversial topic I've been thinking about for the past
> few weeks, ever since we started talking about the terrorists, Islam,
> Hitler and the Jews, and the atrocities done in the past.   I find the
> situation facing Israel and the Palestinians very ironic, in that in
> some respects, I see parallels in what Israel is doing to the
> Palestinians and what Nazi Germany did to the Jews.  I know the
> situations aren't the same, but I think enough similarities exists to
> make me pause and wonder which side is right, and which side is wrong.
> The modern state of Israel has only been in existence for the past 50
> odd years; before, I don't know what it was.  I do know that the
Israeli
> government took land away from the Palestinians and made them leave
and
> settle somewhere else, and that the land is a major point of
contention
> between Israeli and Palestinians.  Do the Israeli's have ownership of
> the land due to the United Nations' decree, and are the Palestinians'
> protests that the Israeli's are trying to eliminate their culture
> without merit?  I wish I had answers that were satisfying to me,
because
> I know where both groups are coming from, and I can empathize with
both.
> I just don't think there are any easy answers, and that's why I cringe
> inwardly whenever someone starts blaming one side or the other.  I
only
> know that violence begets more violence.  Jesus taught a third way
> between violence and pacifism.  The older I get, the more his words
ring
> true to me.
>
> I'll put on my asbestos suit now!!!!!!!!!  :)
> Mike