>Doug, if you'll allow me one more pass at our literal-minded friend (gas
>chambers were meant as a handy metaphor, not the actual, physical use of
>them in Gaza or Nablus), I'll close my end of this discussion by restating
>that the Israeli's are not systemically eliminating the Palestinians as a
>people. The birthrates among Palestinians bear this out.
The high birthrates bear out my conclusion rather than yours. High birthrates in this day and age are a symptom of a population under great stress. Parents who expect their children to survive do not, as a general rule, have large families.
> Plus, there are
>Israeli Arabs, including those who serve in the Knesset, who might scratch
>their heads and wonder why they still live and breath in this supposedly
>Aryan-type atmosphere.
>
>Yes, there are those in Israeli society, both in mainstream and extreme
>parties, who doubtless salivate at the thought of a Palestinian-free Judea
>and Samaria. And Sharon's aggressive settlement policy is an attempt to push
>Palestinians further and further away from their homes. All of this noted.
>But resistance to these policies exists within Israel, a society that, for
>all the "Jewish state" rhetoric, is open and intermixed.
This claim reminds me of the claim by apologists for the apartheid regime in South Africa that SA was "democratic". You had to ignore the inconvenient fact that it was only democratic for white South Africans though. Likewise, you have to ignore the fact that Israeli society is only open and intermixed for those classified as of pure Jewish stock.
In Israel proper, Arabs live in segregated communities with second class services such as water and schools. But they are the lucky ones of course (and expected to be grateful.) In the "occupied territories", which are to all intents and purposes a permanent part of greater Israel, the state is still in the process of colonisation.
In Tasmania there are still a few remnants of the Aboriginal people. Of course their culture has largely been eliminated, but they are free to vote and stand for parliament. Some people get a little annoyed when they make distasteful mention of "the past", but aside from that they enjoy tolerance and a much greater degree of equality than Arab Israelis. They can go to the same schools, live in the same suburbs and travel freely without carrying identity cards which identify them as non-Europeans.
Perhaps that means that talk of Tasmanian Aborigines being the victims "genocide" is all nonsense? What do you think Dennis?
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas