You might change your opinion on the "level of public openness and democracy in those countries" if you were a Palestinian or a Guantanamo detainee. As it stands you're lucky enough to be in the "leave him alone" segment of the populations of both countries.
Israel makes claims about being a democracy but that democracy only really extends to non-Palestinian citizens. If that's your definition of democracy, then S. Africa was a democracy in the 80s (for whites at least).
You probably have never read the great russian author Bulgakov... but in Sobach'e Serdce/Dog's Heart one of the character gives an advice on good appetite "Do not read the soviet press before dinner" The only advice I can give you is to save up $1000 and go to Israel on your next vacation and see the oppressed people for youself. You don't even need visa for that.
The media doesn't seem to care about Gaza when the bombs aren't flying. Of course there's also the fact that Gaza hasn't been at peace for a really long time. Just because Israel stops bombing for a few months at a time doesn't mean they've stopped all aggression against the citizens of the occupied territories. They still control the borders and prevent travel, they still control the flow of resources and maintain dangerous lakes of shit within flood distance of major settlements. I think you're going to have to define peace here because by the traditional sense they haven't had peace in decades.
It's late and I'm about to watch the Star Trek(2009) So no disrespect, I'm just going to give you several links you might find interesting.
Letter about Gaza from my close friend in Israel. He's in reserve counter-terrorist unit. (http://merig00.livejournal.com/158054.html)
you probably haven't read this: An Open Letter to A citizen Of Gaza: I Am the Soldier Who Slept In Your Home (http://merig00.livejournal.com/165734.html)
Pictures of Gaza from palestinians (http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Gaza_526/Picture_11187.html)
My collection of pictures from Gaza several month before the Cast Lead. Gathered from different source (obviously I didn't take them (http://merig00.livejournal.com/167069.html)
And just as a bonus - a picture of evil heartless baby killers:
Good night and I hope you'll find this interesting and a bit refreshing.
Let's see, two letters from members of the IDF, not off to a good start. I'm not sure what you're trying to show me with the pictures, pictures from far off can be deceptive. Are you trying to suggest that it's all just a hoax and Palestine is really just a perfect land full of pristine cities? Obviously Gaza wasn't a pit full of broken buildings BEFORE Israel started bombing the shit out the place. What does that prove? Again, pictures with an agenda and a certain perspective can be deceptive. It's a fact that Israel periodically cuts off electricity and water. It's a fact that they've delayed food deliveries to the point of humanitarian crisis in order to punish the entire population for the acts of a small group of terrorists. It's a fact that they prevent humanitarian organizations from entering the country, and arrest those who try to sneak in.
Just because a girl is attractive doesn't make her a saint. Besides, all Israelis are forced to serve in the IDF. I've known people from here who returned to Israel to serve. It's not a choice. Many members of the IDF are refusing to serve in the occupied territories. For all we know, these girls don't want to be there any more than the Palestinians want them to.
And for all I know those girls are prepping for a training exercise like US Nat'l Guard soldiers on their weekend maneuvers. Who's to say they're about to go out and kill some Palestinian children. Perhaps it's just a practice to prepare to kill those children.
is there any cognitive dissonance you experience when you act as though racism doesn't exist and isn't a motivation for anything except when someone criticizes the u.s. or israel, in which case it is the only possible reason?
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Israel makes claims about being a democracy but that democracy only really extends to non-Palestinian citizens. If that's your definition of democracy, then S. Africa was a democracy in the 80s (for whites at least).
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I don't need to visit the country to know what is going on. I also don't need to witness their oppression first hand to sympathize.
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Letter about Gaza from my close friend in Israel. He's in reserve counter-terrorist unit. (http://merig00.livejournal.com/158054.html)
you probably haven't read this:
An Open Letter to A citizen Of Gaza: I Am the Soldier Who Slept In Your Home (http://merig00.livejournal.com/165734.html)
Pictures of Gaza from palestinians (http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Gaza_526/Picture_11187.html)
My collection of pictures from Gaza several month before the Cast Lead. Gathered from different source (obviously I didn't take them (http://merig00.livejournal.com/167069.html)
And just as a bonus - a picture of evil heartless baby killers:
Good night and I hope you'll find this interesting and a bit refreshing.
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Just because a girl is attractive doesn't make her a saint. Besides, all Israelis are forced to serve in the IDF. I've known people from here who returned to Israel to serve. It's not a choice. Many members of the IDF are refusing to serve in the occupied territories. For all we know, these girls don't want to be there any more than the Palestinians want them to.
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i've seen the gigantic wall painted to "look as though the palestinians weren't behind it"
i've seen israel's propaganda
why don't you try going there before you defend it, creep?
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is there any cognitive dissonance you experience when you act as though racism doesn't exist and isn't a motivation for anything except when someone criticizes the u.s. or israel, in which case it is the only possible reason?
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