I'm not usually much of copy-and-paster but found this recently released video fascinating. Basically, it is from about 10 years ago where Netanyahu admits that Israeli was never really negotiating peace accords in good faith. He also basically says, "America is easy to manipulate and even if they object to what we do... oh well.".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6KLFrye9Xk&feature=player_embedded

And this is some sort of suprise?

This country's one-sided relationship with Israel is it's number one Achille's Heel in terms of foreign policy.

"Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." (Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001, to Shimon Peres, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio)

I took a class (elective) called The Politics of Hollywood while I was in college. As silly as it may sound, it was very interesting. There were plenty of humorous accounts of things Hollywood personalities had done politically, which made it fun, but perhaps the most telling topic was that of how the ranks of Hollywood's writers, directors, actors, and execs are almost overwhelmingly represented by practitioners of the Jewish faith. It is no coincidence that the image most often portrayed of Arab peoples in Hollywood productions is that of the militant Muslim who is hell-bent on world domination and is especially obsessed with killing Americans. Hollywood is very influential in American society (and in our politics), so it is no wonder that our national perspective of the situation in the Middle East is what it is.

American life is an imitation of art (and media).

It's the elephant taking a $$hit in the salad bowl at the dinner table that everyone pretends to not notice. Don't expect many on this board to comment or acknowledge viewing the video. After all, each of us are subjected to the same brain washing. It's sad but true.

Well lets see where the guilt is from. At end of WWI the Jews were promised a Palestinian State that did not happen as promised. Followed by 5 million plus butchered in concentration camps and when the survivors fled to Palestinian after the WWII the British jailed them until INGUN blew the King David Hotel down around their ears and the Brits took off. Then the surrounding Arab nations attacked the new Jewish state which somehow kicked their asses.

From that point on both Arab and Jew have treated the other with absolute total disregard of reasonable conduct. In fact my favorite statement is the Arabs and Jews deserve each other. We used the state of Israel's Air Force to lock up the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Cold War as they did not have aircraft carriers and in a confrontation a CIA report said of that " if the Russian fleet attacked ever, it would have a very short and very lively life span " So we armed Israel one to help them, two it was a very inexpensive answer to Russian naval power.

Bottom line? In the 1930's through WWII the world turned their backs on the horrors inflicted on European Jews knowing what was happening. The guilt drove the solution and the view of the present state of Israel that never again would it allow the Jewish population to be slaughtered and NEVER would they depend on others to defend them. Right of wrong those lovely little European nations that enslaved peoples all over the world and in two wars killed millions started the problem then ran away, they do that a lot.

The Jews and Arabs are both the children of Abraham and they must learn to stop killing each other before they really wipe each other out.

Manufactured Consent.

Good read.

This is another issue where I can see points on both sides, but yes, they are all acting like children. Throughout times there have been some glimmers of home, but sadly Egypt's leader was assassinated, pretty much ending that process.

Neither side is blameless in this, including the US and the old USSR, as the both of us used the middle east to essentially fight proxy wars for us. Ignoring that and saying it is all Israel's fault is a bit short sighted.