THIS! OMG why in the world isn't this point made constantly? I keep wondering why there's no push-back on this issue. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were expelled from all these middle eastern countries when Israel was created but no one talks about that fact. Why is it that the Arabs who chose to leave Israel when it was created are poor poor refuges now for eternity but no one is worried about the Jews that had to run for their lives from places where they've lived for thousands of years? Not to mention all the other groups of people who were displaced during and after WWII in Europe--for some reason only the Arab Palestinians matter.

I've always said that I will support the idea of the "Right to Return" (or financial compensation); but, only if it is TWO-WAY street. To give Palestinians the Right to Return; but, not the Jews from Arab/Muslims lands their Right to Return isn't just.

Also, there is a Palestinian refugee problem and not a Jewish refugee problem because one country, Israel, welcomed refugees giving them the opportunity to become full citizens and create a life for themselves. Aside from Jordan, which gave citizenship to Palestinians, no other Arab/Muslim country has done anything for the refugees.

Most Arab/Muslim countries did NOT do anything for Palestinians except to use them as a propaganda tool against Israel and the US.

Most Arab/Muslim countries did NOT do anything for Palestinians except to use them as a propaganda tool against Israel and the US. ~ charles at December 1, 2019 7:29 AM

And it's time we stopped falling for that. Gaza is not a West-created problem.

When people talk about the Palestinian problem, I am reminded of another war-torn country that in the '50s was just coming out of a long period of having been colonized by imperial powers, was full of dirt-poor farmers, and was saddled with low literacy levels and a massive refugee influx. This country is now a world industrial power, has high literacy levels, and boasts some of the largest corporations in the world. The country? South Korea.

Culture is destiny. Arab/Muslim culture seems incapable of creating a modern industrial economy. The Arabs prefer to sit back and blame Israel and the West for their own failures. BDS is based on a lie.

It might be good to realize that for the past 70 years the only move Israel could make that would appease many of its arab neighbors would be to cease to exist.

I wonder what would happen with the governments, dictators and religious fascists in Muslim Middle Eastern countries if they didn't have Jews to direct all that frustration, anger and hate against.

Ken R:"I wonder what would happen with the governments, dictators and religious fascists in Muslim Middle Eastern countries if they didn't have Jews to direct all that frustration, anger and hate against."

Without Israel/Jews to use as a scape goat they would no doubt use the West for the same; and to some extent they do.

Mixed in with the Jew hatred, the religious fanatics talk of recapturing "lost" Spain. And, no doubt, they would also set their sights on Rome - the center of Christianity.

Christians in the Mid-East are not all that safe. Just look at how they are targets in Pakistan and Egypt on a regular basis.

So, the fact that Israel/Jews are closer just makes it more convenient for them.

That's one of the things that makes me really happy about fracking. We now have the opportunity to simply disengage from the Arab nations if we so choose, and leave them to the tender mercies of Russia and China. It is worth noting that some people in Saudi Arabia have realized this too. And now they are trying to make moves in a reform direction, establishing a diplomatic back channel with Israel and cooperating in some regional security initiatives. Let's see if we can encourage more of this.

Charles points out that Christians are not so safe in the middle east either. In fact, Christmas time is when bombings of churches increase. My friend, an Assyrian Christian from Iraq, was not allowed to attend college. When he escaped during the night on the back of a smuggler's motercycle, they were shot at. He came here with nothing and is now a dentist. He is the most vehement supporter of America you will find.