I just got the forwarded email below from my dad. I've heard some of these arguments used before, and think it would be helpful to have some rebuttals. I have the basic knowledge to dispute or at least argue and add nuance to a few of the "FACTS" as described below, but not for the whole screed. I realize it may be a redundant exercise for some, but can i get some input from those who know what they're talking about here?
thanks alex
------- Subject: FACTS
Please read and educate yourself. I may ad only to this letter that it is not to the friends, but to the enemies also
>> > To all my friends who are being asked or who asked me
>> > about the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, and are
>> > confused, Here is something that was forwarded to me -
>> > just facts!!!
>> >
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>> > What is frustrating is the double standard applied to
>> > Israel and the subsequent distortions and embroidering
>> > of truth, especially against Israel. It's bound to
>> > be worse now - I've already heard "reasonable" people
>> > saying that the terrorist attacks against the US
>> > wouldn't have happened if only Israel would negotiate
>> > better with the PLO (who've never renounced their
>> > long-stated goals of obliterating Israel). So I'm glad
>> > to be reminded of this information, but find it
>> > disheartening that so little seems to get better and
>> > so few people want to know the facts . . . .
>> >
>> > A Crash Course in the Real Facts:
>> >
>> > 1. Nationhood and Jerusalem - Israel became a nation
>> > in 1312 B.C.E., two thousand years before the rise of
>> > Islam.
>> >
>> > 2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying
>> > themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967,
>> > two decades after the establishment of the Modern
>> > State of Israel.
>> >
>> > 3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews
>> > have had dominion over the land for one thousand years
>> > with a continuous presence in the land for the past
>> > 3,300 years.
>> >
>> > 4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635
>> > C.E. lasted no more than 22 years.
>> >
>> > 5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish
>> > capital Jerusalem has never been the capital of any
>> > Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians
>> > occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their
>> > capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
>> >
>> > 6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach,
>> > the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned
>> > once in the Koran.
>> >
>> > 7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed
>> > never came to Jerusalem.
>> >
>> > 8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their
>> > backs toward Jerusalem.
>> >
>> > 9. Arab and Jewish Refugees In 1948 the Arab refugees
>> > were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders
>> > promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight
>> > percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
>> >
>> > 10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab
>> > lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
>> >
>> > 11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in
>> > 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of
>> > Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the
>> > same.
>> >
>> > 12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or
>> > integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled,
>> > despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the
>> > 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the
>> > only refugee group in the world that has never been
>> > absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands.
>> > Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel,
>> > a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.
>> >
>> > 13. The Arab - Israeli Conflict; The Arabs are
>> > represented by eight separate nations, not including
>> > the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The
>> > Arab nations initiated all five wars (!!!) and lost.
>> > Israel defended itself each time (!!!) and won.
>> >
>> > 14. The P.L.O.'s Charter still calls for the
>> > destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given
>> > the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy
>> > under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them
>> > with weapons.
>> >
>> > 15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were
>> > desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places
>> > of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and
>> > Christian sites have been preserved and made
>> > accessible to people of all faiths.
>> >
>> > 16. The U.N. Record on Israel and the Arabs: Of the
>> > 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990,
>> > 97 were directed against Israel.
>> >
>> > 17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on
>> > before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.
>> >
>> > 18. The U.N was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues
>> > were destroyed by the Jordanians.
>> >
>> > 19. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians
>> > systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery
>> > on the Mount of Olives.
>> >
>> > 20. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians enforced
>> > an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from
>> > visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.
>> >
>> > These are incredible times. We have to ask what our
>> > role should be. What will we tell our grandchildren
>> > we did when there was a turning point in Jewish
>> > destiny, an opportunity to make a difference?
>> >
>> > For those of you who were kind and interested enough
>> > to read, the preceding, let me add two more items:
>> >
>> > a) Israel is the ONLY MEMBER OF THE UN THAT IS NOT
>> > PERMITTED MEMBERSHIP ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL
>> >
>> > b) Israel has NEVER BEEN PERMITTED MEMBERSHIP IN THE
>> > INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
>> >
>> >
>> > START NOW!!
>> >
>> > Send this to 20 other people you know and ask them to
>> > send it to twenty others. Jew and non-Jew, it doesn't
>> > really matter. The truth and the cause of peace are
>> > universal values we all share, and
>> > everyone must know.
Gregory Lantsberg Principal Engineer Vane Pump team Eaton Hydraulics 14615 Loan Oak Road Eden Prairie MN 55344 Phone (952) 937-7493 FAX (952) 937-7243