^ Correct. Very much like in apartheid South Africa, only the whites “faced” military conscription, the other race groups were volunteer and rarely rose in the ranks.
The interesting phenomenon is that while the secular Israeli birth rate is falling rapidly, also falling is the Palestinian rate, albeit much more slowly and still a positive rate. However, both are eclipsed by the really high birth-rate of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sects.
These are encouraged to resettle in the West bank, with low rate loans and resettlement grants. Their presence within Israel proper is actually a cause of friction with the secular Israelis. They’re exempt from many services (military is one) and certain taxes which irks most Israelis whose military must defend these illegal settlements!
Most troubling for the secular Israelis is that many ultra-Orthodox do not believe an Israeli state should exist while the destroyed Temple is not rebuilt in Jerusalem.
I just wish fellows such as rikoshayrabbit not expose their utter ignorance of God’s plan which has nothing to do with what such fellows like rikoshayrabbit would think God’s plan should be.
He probably did. I mean, it’s scott, and a cartoon about the middle east - what did you expect?
Btw, the cartoon brings up a good and seldom discussed point. Like the Israeli pols, the Palestinian ones are also under pressure by their electorate. However, the Israeli are pressured by their far right to expand settlements, while the Palestinians are pressured to not allow any. It will probably take an external force to arbitrate this conflict - but the way Obama (like most current US presidents) has been unwilling to force the issue, I can’t say I’m all that confident about the peace process.
«Scottfreitas»’ reading of what is going on in Palestine is interesting, in that he (?) projects what the Israeli regime is doing (limiting Palestinian reproduction in places like East Jerusalem by withdrawing residency permits and refusing to allow Palestinians to construct housing for their families) onto the Palestinians, who have no power at all to limit any measures the Israelis wish to take, no matter how in contravention of international law these happen to be. But perhaps, as Bruce4671 suggests, an agreement could be reached - if the US stopped pouring thousands of millions of taxpayer dollars into the Israeli military annually. With that sort of support (deeds not words) the Israeli regime feels no need to come to any sort of accomodation with the Palestinians other than the type of ethnic cleansing that’s been going on these last six decades….
a.c.d over 14 years ago
That is so not true. The Israelis would never let them join the army. Have you ever been there? It is a like a modern day aparthied.
OmqR-IV.0 over 14 years ago
^ Correct. Very much like in apartheid South Africa, only the whites “faced” military conscription, the other race groups were volunteer and rarely rose in the ranks.
The interesting phenomenon is that while the secular Israeli birth rate is falling rapidly, also falling is the Palestinian rate, albeit much more slowly and still a positive rate. However, both are eclipsed by the really high birth-rate of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sects.
These are encouraged to resettle in the West bank, with low rate loans and resettlement grants. Their presence within Israel proper is actually a cause of friction with the secular Israelis. They’re exempt from many services (military is one) and certain taxes which irks most Israelis whose military must defend these illegal settlements! Most troubling for the secular Israelis is that many ultra-Orthodox do not believe an Israeli state should exist while the destroyed Temple is not rebuilt in Jerusalem.
SABRSteve over 14 years ago
I just wish fellows such as rikoshayrabbit not expose their utter ignorance of God’s plan which has nothing to do with what such fellows like rikoshayrabbit would think God’s plan should be.
David Riedel Premium Member over 14 years ago
And God’s plan would be… .?
4uk4ata over 14 years ago
Of course, history has shown many examples of the crooked and warped minds of the faithful as well… so your point is?
a.c.d over 14 years ago
^ba-zing!
versipellis over 14 years ago
“Religion is the opiate of the masses.” ~ Karl Marx
MurphyHerself over 14 years ago
“Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” - Mark Twain
4uk4ata over 14 years ago
He probably did. I mean, it’s scott, and a cartoon about the middle east - what did you expect?
Btw, the cartoon brings up a good and seldom discussed point. Like the Israeli pols, the Palestinian ones are also under pressure by their electorate. However, the Israeli are pressured by their far right to expand settlements, while the Palestinians are pressured to not allow any. It will probably take an external force to arbitrate this conflict - but the way Obama (like most current US presidents) has been unwilling to force the issue, I can’t say I’m all that confident about the peace process.
4uk4ata over 14 years ago
I think they managed to keep it more or less civil for a large part of the last 2000 years, though.
mhenriday over 14 years ago
«Scottfreitas»’ reading of what is going on in Palestine is interesting, in that he (?) projects what the Israeli regime is doing (limiting Palestinian reproduction in places like East Jerusalem by withdrawing residency permits and refusing to allow Palestinians to construct housing for their families) onto the Palestinians, who have no power at all to limit any measures the Israelis wish to take, no matter how in contravention of international law these happen to be. But perhaps, as Bruce4671 suggests, an agreement could be reached - if the US stopped pouring thousands of millions of taxpayer dollars into the Israeli military annually. With that sort of support (deeds not words) the Israeli regime feels no need to come to any sort of accomodation with the Palestinians other than the type of ethnic cleansing that’s been going on these last six decades….
Henri