>I had the same position on both-- the US
>and Europe should force the oppressing regime
>out of occupied lands and recognize
>independence for the rebelling nationalist people.
What exactly are you saying here? Serbia/Kosovo and Israel/Palestine are not, of course, exactly analogous, but let's say that they were.
First, is it really true that, before the NATO bombing, notably more Kosovars were killed than Palestinians have have been killed in the intifada? The numbers are pretty close -- maybe 2,000 dead in Kosovo (not all of whom were Kosovar Albanians), compared to perhaps 1,300 Palestinian dead. (Granted, not all of them were civilians.)
Second, what exactly is the opposite extreme on Israel to which people have jumped? Are you claiming that anyone has seriously proposed attacking Israel with cluster bombs and depleted uranium? What I've heard people say is that the US should use its enormous financial and diplomatic leverage over Israel to push for a just two state solution. My guess is that, if the US had been giving Serbia $3 billion a year and preventing any UN observers from going to Kosovo, most people on this list would have opposed such a US policy.
Third, what exactly is your position? Let's say the US stopped all aid to Israel and ended all diplomatic support, and organized the world to exert all the non-military pressure it could on Israel to accept a two state solution. And let's say that Israel still refused. In all seriousness, would you then support a US attack on Israel? (Even assuming Israel didn't have nuclear weapons.) I can imagine very, very few situations in which I would support that. I can imagine a few more in which I would support arming the Palestinians.
I think that, in this, I'm pretty representative of the people on this list. (You all can let me know if I'm wrong, and you all think NATO should be bombing Tel Aviv.) So my guess is that it's this position which is consistent, and yours which is not.
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