How good of a job do you think new palestinian leader Abbas is doing ? I think hes doing a great job , and hes the first leader not to be involved with militants and the first leader over there to really have the guts to stand up to militants.
Interestingly, news reports from that cornere of the world have gone very quiet on the Palestinians - most of the focus is now on the Israelis forcably removing Israeli settlers. I just hope that no news = good news...
Actually, these settlers are there because the Israeli government encouraged them to go, so that on the long term the Gaza strip would be more Israelian and less Palestinian. This is a rather low method to claim more land that you don't really need. Now the Israeli government has withdrawn this mistake on its part and the colonists must go, willingly or unwillingly. I'm sure this will get some response from the Opposite Party in the Israel vs Palestine debate...
Abas has been doing a terrible job. Incitement is still rampant in the Palestinian Media and in Mosques and Schools there, and the terror organizations are running around with their weapons in the open and not getting disarmed any time soon. Far from having the guts to stand up to militants he has caved into them keeping their weapons, and what he could do very easily dismiss Imams who preach violence and suicide bombers, fire educators that teach children to hate jews, and order the media to calm down has still not been done. He also used to be a militant himself, he was the Mastermind behind the Munich Massacre. Before becoming PA chairman he lived in total fear of the Mossad assasinating him. I don't doubt that he has changed, but his style of action seems rather french to me (Sorry to any french but even Voltaire enjoyed France bashing).
[/quote] No problem, next time when I hear someone say stuff like "He behaves like a jew", or "he lies like a Jew", I will remember that Abbas has a "french style of action"....
He can fire teachers who teach little children to hate jews without an army, and he could also order the media which he controlls to cut the incitement down. I understand why he would have trouble disarming the terror organizations, but the things he can do without guns are not being done. Castelot France bashing is different then jew bashing because while France is just a country, the jews are a race/religion depending on how you see it, and there is not a long history of the most powerful people on three and later four continents trying to exterminate the french simply for being french. So if you hear "lies like an Israeli" you can get revenge by being ok with it, but being ok with "lies like a jew" crossess the line, especially considering how much America and Israel bashing goes on in France, and the fact that France did betray Israel in 1967 when Israel really needed the support.
2ndLegion, I agree with you completely. Abbas, to me, is no better than that scum Yasar Arafit, maybe just better dressed. In all reality, the Palastine area as a whole can not be contained. The police nor the military has the slightest bit of control. I'm surprised Israel hasn't got completly sick of it already and blown the whole Gaza/West bank to bits. This anti-Jew hatred, some of which is warranted, I will say that, is about as pathetic as it comes. It has been almost 60 years since Israel became a country, get over it already!!! If Egypt's Anwar Sadat had enough sense to recognize Israel and open up relations, why can't the rest of the Arabs? Moving out of Gaza, :-? , Ex-Prime Minster Begin must be rolling over in his grave.
Well no, the french are not "only a country", they are a race/ethnicity too.... And giving a negative connotation to the word french, thus proclaiming that all frenchmen have those negative characteristics is just racism, pure and simple.... Well no, not till this day at least.... But Hitler knew when planning the Holocaust that he could count on the stereotypes and negative connotations the germans/europeans had about the jews.... Such feelings are the roots of Holocaust. Well, in a recent poll, many european countries, including Belgium, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands came out as having more negative connotations with the USA than France. Of course antiamericanism exists in France, but somehow I get the impression that it is harmless as compared to french bashing in the USA. I could name dozens of french bashing sites, while I find it difficult if not impossible to find a similar french site about americans. And no french politician/moderator ever called for boycotting US products, also no one tought about renaming Hamburgers.... As for Israel bashing, well the politics of Prime minister Sharon are being criticised in many countries, including France.(Tough not by me necessarily....) [/quote] Were Israel and France allies then? I don't think so, so how could France betray Israel?? Should every nation that sometime in history betrayed another one, or was at war with another one being bashed for it?? As a sidenote, the IDF was quite happy about getting french planes and other equippment while the US had an arms embargo against Israel back in the 1950's and early 60's. They were also happy about France helping them in their nuclear programm.
To'che Castalot! Without France's help and aid, some of the Arab-Israeli wars would surely have not gone so favorably for Israel.
Well by french I was reffering to the country. "Well no, the french are not "only a country", they are a race/ethnicity too.... And giving a negative connotation to the word french, thus proclaiming that all frenchmen have those negative characteristics is just racism, pure and simple.... " I don't believe the French people always run away stereotype, so I'm sorry for the tasteless joke. Part of the reason I did it was so I could describe Abas without getting accussed of being racist against Arabs since whenever someone criticizes the Palestinians they are either called Islamophobe or Anti-Arab racist, while Bill Orielly gets called a traditionalist for calling for boycotts of french goods, so as I saw it nobody would be offended by a mild anti-french insult there while if I said openly that Abas has done very little and at best seems cowardly in meeting his obligations I would be called a racist. Sorry about the misunderstanding between what French means, I admit I was out of line. "Well, in a recent poll, many european countries, including Belgium, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands came out as having more negative connotations with the USA than France. Of course antiamericanism exists in France, but somehow I get the impression that it is harmless as compared to french bashing in the USA. I could name dozens of french bashing sites, while I find it difficult if not impossible to find a similar french site about americans. And no french politician/moderator ever called for boycotting US products, also no one tought about renaming Hamburgers...." I didn't know about the polls showing that other Europeans have more America Bashing in mind then France, so I stand corrected on that point. "As for Israel bashing, well the politics of Prime minister Sharon are being criticised in many countries, including France.(Tough not by me necessarily....)" But there is also a divestment campaign, and a large percent of the population screaming "Aparthied Occupation Aparthied Occupation Aparthied Occupation" like parrots. I admit that it isn't a problem uniqie to France, and it is worst in Britain, it is still something that gets many Israelis angry. "Were Israel and France allies then?" Absoloutly, France was Israel's number one Ally at the time. That is why there was so much arms and nuclear co-operation. That is also why the media is anti-french, even at times when the British are launching boycotts on Israel and we should be trying to keep France from doing joining in. In closing you can't blame us for Francophobia your own Ambassador said we have a disease that makes us do it. :lol: Just joking about that, I think it is neccessary for Israel and France to both stop insulting each other in the media, and using double standards.
[/quote] Yep, that would be a good start. As another sidenote I would like to add that I have nothing against "mild" french jokes(or even less milder ones). Having done my secundary school in Belgium, only returnig home on weekends, I can tell you that I am more than familiar with french jokes, quickly had to learn to laugh about them myself, and never have a problem with them as long as they are not bad intentionned. But unfortunately the new wave of french bashing has very few to do with jokes and instead gets more and more openly racist.
Considering the history between France and the US (where most France bashing occurs) I am saddened that relations between the 2 have detriorated so badly. That impromptu boycott was ludicrious. I have been to France and it is a wonderful country and the people are extremely friendly, and to ruin a friendship with a country over a war is idiotic to say the least. I think Hamburgers is supposed to be German
Yes, they are. I agree that Abbas is making mistakes, though arguably the anarchy that has overtaken the Gaza strip would have occured under any but the most powerful leadership.
