10 comments

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  Daniel

  11 months ago

  While I don't want to read into your motivation for posting this, it does feel a little like you want me to think about how horrible the Israelis are. One wonders how many times the tables have been turned? Understand that I think the violence on both sides is wrong, the Palestinian terror and Israels over the top retaliation.
  
  Maybe I missed the point, But doesn't this happen daily there, is not the entire region held in fear because of the violence of a few?
  
  All that aside I pray for the work and safety of the CPT workers. I think they are doing good things.
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  markvans

  11 months ago

  No, my motivation is much simpler than that. I just post CPT news releases when they are sent to me...which is usually whenever there is a conflict of any sort involving CPTers.
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  Daniel

  11 months ago

  ok, that's cool. :) For some reason it just felt weird to me.
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  Mike

  10 months ago

  Very sad. Tensions are high but there is no justification for this. Most Jews living in Judea are not this way despite how they have been attacked. This is a place where the love of Jesus can do much good.
  
  Many Israeli's are hurting right now. They are starting to figure out that despite all the peace attempts nothing is working. The West never reports on how many Israeli's are attacked or the daily engagements with terror groups. Much to pray for.
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  joet

  10 months ago

  These Jews shouldn't be there at all, Mike. The settlements are illegal under international law and are inside the green line.
  
  Whilst there are attacks by violent Palestinian groups, the fact remains that the settlements are built illegally and are increasing not decreasing in size.
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  Mike

  10 months ago

  Joet,
  
  Thanks for your response. I question your definition of legal. This has throughout history been Jewish land. True the Arabs did take it over. I have no problem with all the middle east being Arab and a Jewish homland extending through Judea and Samaria. It is such a small plot of land and the Arab world is so vast.
  
  The UN which follows majority vote, therefore the pro Arab position, sees this as illegal. I look forward to the Arab states of Syria and Iran to conform to international law. I look forward to Saudi A conforming to International law and stop killing Christians. The list goes on.
  
  Israel is the only stable government in the middle east where peace and justice exist. It is not a perfect nation but certainly better than any of the countries surrounding it.
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  joet

  10 months ago

  I am not going to argue with you. When you have been there and seen the effect that a few thousand people have on millions as I have, maybe you would think differently.
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  joet

  10 months ago

  OK, you know what, I am going to argue with you.
  
  The last time there was a substantial Jewish population in Palestine was around the time of the Crusades. That is like a thousand years ago. I don't know about where you live, Mike, but if we started reverting back to land ownership rights of a thousand years ago, you would have to be finding Vikings or Celts (or whoever invaded first) with land claims to the land where I sit.
  
  The creation of Israel directly caused a mass refugee exodus of people who had been living in the land for many hundreds of years. Today, several million still live in unsuitable refugee camps. Those who were not expelled altogether were forced into a fraction of their original lands in the West Bank and Gaza. Even this was not enough and the settlers decided to take even more land. This is all inarguable fact. You might not have a problem with a Jewish homeland, bully for you. Several million who it has affected do.
  
  Second, the UN General Assembly has consistently opposed Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Of the 192 member states voting in 2006, only United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau voted against the motions. Last time I looked, Arab countries did not have a majority of the UN General Assembly.
  
  As to your other points: Iran is not an Arab country, it is Persian. Saudi is a depositic and horrendous regime. This has nothing to do with anything.
  
  Peace and Justice do not exist in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, you are kidding yourself. The settlement exist deep within the green line and outside of the main part of Israel. Whilst they swim in their flush pools, over the walls Palestinian farmers struggle to grind a living. Whilst they drive quickly on settler roads (that only they can use), whole populations of villages are prevented from crossing to their own houses. Thousands of children daily run the gauntlet of checkpoints to get to school. Old people and pregnant women die because soldiers will not allow ambulances to get to hospital. It is true that for most Israelis life is quite good. But for the vast majority of Palestinians life is barely worth living.
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  Andrew

  10 months ago

  Joet,
  thank you for the sanity in your response. Mike, you are misguided. Please listen to other views regarding Palestine. Before the division and creation of the Israel state, Muslim, Christian and Jew were rubbing shoulders and quite happy thank you very much.
  
  Having been and seen for myself, it is a shame that there is so much hype and American dollars supporting the Jewish cause. Remember, the USA is not God's second nation!
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  Jenni

  9 months ago

  Was the camera man able to press criminal charges? Was the masked man able to be identified? Has he lost any of his own family in the conflict? Thank you if you can do a follow up story.
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