Why I am an atheist Jew and a Zionist.

[max-greece]

OH dear - I am not Marx, I am Max and this is the only thread I have ever started on the subject.

Is it the Xmas drinking starting early with you lot?

I mean - WTF?

Sorry I made that mistake. It's early; my brain isn't at 100% yet.

Anyway, the whole Jews/Zionism thing is pretty darn complex. Yes, the persecution they faced when they didn't have their own country is part of the issue. I don't doubt for a second that the persecution in Europe would have continued if they hadn't gotten together and formed Isreal. Now they've just traded one form of conflict with another since they've been in kinda perpetual war with the rest of the middle east. I kinda wonder, what ways would there be for there to really be peace in that region? Or is it even possible? Has Islam gotten such fanatical followers that are so eager to die for Islam that they're actively looking for an opportuniy to martyr themselves and Isreal is just an easy target?

That's OK - give me a rep and I'll forgive you.

Otherwise - great question on lasting peace.

I'd go with - return to the 1948 borders plus the Golan heights (at least until such time as Syria sorts itself out into something resembling a decent country/democracy). Properly set-up a Palestinian state. Move the capital of Israel back to Tel Aviv and turn Jerusalem into an international city guarded by the Swiss - just like they do for the Vatican.

All that in exchange for a peace accord with each of the Arab countries plus Iran with guarantees from them to respect Israel's national sovereignty.

UN peace keeping force employed during the setup. Settlements in occupied territories taken down and half a dozen strong cross border projects to push up employment and get investment in the region.

But that's just me.

Of course neither side would accept it without a big stick/carrot. The US and the Russians would have to work together to provide that.