Pope says Bethlehem wall "can be taken down"

[Shiloh62]

The problem with what the Pope said is this incessant need to make the Israelis and Palestinians morally equivalent where this conflict is concerned.

Most other countries would have simply obliterated the Palestinians in response to terror, suicide bombers and such being perpetrated on their own soil.

The fact that Israel's major response to terror has been to provide a security buffer shows that Israel's morality is not only superior to what we see from the Palestinian side, but is even superior to that of other countries who would no doubt destroy any entity that was fomenting terrorism against them.

The most common and the most erroneous view of this conflict is that the Palestinians hate the Jews and the Jews hate the Palestinians and they have this tit-for-tat cycle of violence going on between them because they just can't get along. It is an attempt to make both sides appear just as guilty for the continuation of the conflict, which is simply not true.

Comparing the morality of Israel to the morality of the Palestinians is like comparing the morality of the Firefighter with that of the arsonist.

Unfortunately, the Pope chooses to take the "moral equivalency" approach in order to appear even-handed, but his comment demonstrates a woeful lack of knowledge of the history and dynamics of this conflict.

I agree, Shiloh. they are in no way equal. Its not a simple playground fight where the teacher says everybody get along. Israel is in the right,and have tolerated to much already.

[Shiloh62]

I'm not sure why the pope believes he is the final authority on this anyway. This isn't taking place in Rome.

[MorningGlory]

I'm not sure why the pope believes he is the final authority on this anyway. This isn't taking place in Rome.

He's definitely not the final authority and this is one problem I have with the Vatican. Instead of looking for God's decree regarding Jerusalem they try to find their own solution.

[Guest shiloh357]

I'm not sure why the pope believes he is the final authority on this anyway. This isn't taking place in Rome.

It isn't just the Pope. It is nearly every leader of every country in the world. They all think they have the right to tell Israel a sovereign nation what to do with their own land. They all think they have the right to demand that Israel provide a solution for a refugee problem the Arabs created.

[Scarletprayers]

I'm not sure why the pope believes he is the final authority on this anyway. This isn't taking place in Rome.

It isn't just the Pope. It is nearly every leader of every country in the world. They all think they have the right to tell Israel a sovereign nation what to do with their own land. They all think they have the right to demand that Israel provide a solution for a refugee problem the Arabs created.

[Gauntlet]

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday said the fortified Israeli wall dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem could be taken down, if Israel and the Palestinians could remove the walls around their hearts.

http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArt...513?src=RSS-WOR

That is unlikely, to say the least. Israel and Palestine have both gone all-in towards Mutually Assured Destruction. It really would take an act of God to save the Middle East from itself and the world.

No they have not. Israel is not trying to destroy the Palestinians. There is nothing mutual about any desire for destruction. Israel simply wants to be left alone in peace. It is the Palestinians who seek Israel's destruction.

You make it sound pretty one-sided.

[Guest shiloh357]

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday said the fortified Israeli wall dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem could be taken down, if Israel and the Palestinians could remove the walls around their hearts.

http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArt...513?src=RSS-WOR

That is unlikely, to say the least. Israel and Palestine have both gone all-in towards Mutually Assured Destruction. It really would take an act of God to save the Middle East from itself and the world.

No they have not. Israel is not trying to destroy the Palestinians. There is nothing mutual about any desire for destruction. Israel simply wants to be left alone in peace. It is the Palestinians who seek Israel's destruction.

You make it sound pretty one-sided.

Israel has never started a war, has never employed the use of terror, has never called for the destruction or expulsion of the Palesitnians.

Israel has in the interest of peace, allowed the Palestinians to become citizens of Israel as evidenced by their sizable Palestinian citizenry, they have allowed noncitizen Palestinians to take advantage of free healthcare, social security and welfare, all at the expense of the Israeli tax payer.

Jews are not calling for the desruction of the Palestinians, but young Palestinian children are taught in Palestinian schools that Jews are descended from apes and pigs and derserve to be destroyed. They are taught the virtue of killing Jews as "shahidim" martyrs (suicide bombers).

Israel has built schools, universities, and hospitals for the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. They have provided far more in the way of medicine, freedom and opportunity to the Palestinians than any Arab country has. The Arab world despises the Palestinians, even though they were they the ones who made the Palestinians refugees in the first place.

Israel has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to live in peace. But even after all of the welfare free medical care, social security, free schools and universities and all the other things they have provided, Israel is subjected to more terrorism and more dead Jews on Israeli streets.

Then when Israel finally is forced to defend itself, we have people like you accusing Israel of wanting to destroy the Palestinians as if they are equally guilty for the conflict for simply responding in self-defense to unprovoked attacks. Frankly, you might want to consider actually learning something about the conflict before pointing your finger at Israel as if they share equal blame, because anyone who knows anything about this conflict knows that Israel has done more for peace than ANY other country would do if they were facing a similar threat.

Israel is not perfect has made mistakes but Israel's mistakes and miscalculations and errrors in judgment occur in a sincere attempt at self-defense against maniacal enemies working for and openly desiring her destruction. Israel is forced to fight wars they did not want to fight and suffer attacks they did not deserve and did nothing to provoke other than frustrate the Muslim intolerance at her continued existence.

While we must admit that we do not always agree with the decisions of the leadership in Israel and that Israel has made mistakes, to the detriment of their own cause, it must be pointed out that Israel’s mistakes were made in a sincere attempt at self-defense and not out of any motivation to brutalize, terrorize or discriminate against the Palestinians. Furthermore it should be noted that those mistakes would have never been made in the first place were Israel not being subjected to continuous day and night onslaught of terrorism, threats of annihilation from maniacal enemies that outnumber her 100 to 1, and crushing pressure from the world community to make insane concessions that threaten not only her well but, create security nightmares all over Israel. This, in the vain pursuit of peace with an enemy that has never promised or even offered peace, but is sworn to Israel’s destruction.

[MorningGlory]

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday said the fortified Israeli wall dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem could be taken down, if Israel and the Palestinians could remove the walls around their hearts.

http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArt...513?src=RSS-WOR

That is unlikely, to say the least. Israel and Palestine have both gone all-in towards Mutually Assured Destruction. It really would take an act of God to save the Middle East from itself and the world.

No they have not. Israel is not trying to destroy the Palestinians. There is nothing mutual about any desire for destruction. Israel simply wants to be left alone in peace. It is the Palestinians who seek Israel's destruction.

You make it sound pretty one-sided.

Gauntlet, do you not keep up with the news? Israel has NEVER instigated military action against anyone; it has been, every single time, a reaction to militant attack from their muslim neighbors. Every time, since Israel became a nation again in 1948 and they were attacked by several surrounding countries immediately. Read the history and decide for yourself whether it's one-sided or not.

[Gauntlet]

I'm not sure why the pope believes he is the final authority on this anyway. This isn't taking place in Rome.

No, and there are very fewer and fewer Christians in the Middle East these days.

[Gauntlet]

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday said the fortified Israeli wall dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem could be taken down, if Israel and the Palestinians could remove the walls around their hearts.

http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArt...513?src=RSS-WOR

That is unlikely, to say the least. Israel and Palestine have both gone all-in towards Mutually Assured Destruction. It really would take an act of God to save the Middle East from itself and the world.

No they have not. Israel is not trying to destroy the Palestinians. There is nothing mutual about any desire for destruction. Israel simply wants to be left alone in peace. It is the Palestinians who seek Israel's destruction.

I don't trust any of the major news outlets when it comes to world politics. I don't trust the Religious Right when it comes to reporting world politics, especially when war, religion and $$$ are involved. Too many people getting too rich telling me what me what isn't exactly the truth. So nuts to that.