Btw, leauki - yes. I do believe that, once you take in everything about the Palestinian V. Israel problem - Israel COULD be completely innocent as a sheep with good intentions. But, honestly, the probability of that, given so many reasons - I just have a very hard time swallowing that. It smacks way too much of propaganda. (Btw, I've never said I believe all of what I read on Israel)
Why is that probability so low?
It wouldn't be the first time that the "Death to the Jews" crowd turns out to be evil and the Jews turn out to be innocent.
(And don't give me this "Israel" is not "the Jews" crap. Israel represents six million middle-eastern Jews just like "the Jews" that perished in Europe represented six million European Jews. Not saying that you would make that point. But I thought it bears mentioning that middle-eastern Jews are just as six million as European Jews were.)
With israel, it comes down to various factors. A few:
1. They're a government.
2. People are biased.
3. Governments waging battle desperately need to regulate flow of information. Look at hitler, stalin, mao, the north during the civil war, vietnam, et al. Whether they're aggressive or defensive wars - information is key.
Israel appears to fail completely in this regard since anti-Israel news is easy to come by. I doubt there is a single border incident in Israel that goes unreported IF Israel can be blamed for it.
In contrast the constant attacks on Israel are rarely specifically mentioned and the Sudanese refugees breaking through the Egyptian-Israeli border are hardly ever mentioned.
4. Pseudospeciation - often, reason and intellect get trumped by nationalism, ethnic cohesion (cant think of the right word), etc.
Etc. Etc.
Many arguments are made about Israel based on some idea of ethnicity which many claim Jews are very eagerly focused on.
The truth is that Israel is a melting pot. Israel has white and black (and a few Indians). Her citizens are Jews and Arabs (and Circassians). There is no ethnicity for Israelis or Israeli policies to focus on. There is nationality, but Jewish nationality has little to do with ethnicity. A black Aethiopian Jew is as much a Jew as a white Iraqi Jew.
Hebrew nationalism (or Zionism) was a purely intellectual creation. It did not grow organically, it was created as a response to anti-Jewish sentiments in Europe and the Middle-East in the 19th century. It was, ironically, reason and intellect that led to the creation of the Hebrew culture and ethnicity came only into it when it was forced on the construct by outsiders.
This is why Israel's nationality law is indeed based on other people's definitions of what a "Jew" is. It was to make it possible to absorb anyone, religiously Jewish or not, who was being persecuted for being "Jewish".
It isn't that I hate Israeli's or the country - I find the country to be fascinating, and the people to be amazing.
Thank you.
Plus, my priority in life has been, and will always be - helping truly innocent people (i.e. those in need, those caught in the middle of conflict, etc.). That's a major reason why, as I've said, I support (more so) the palestinian people who merely try to live. (NOT the politicians and not those who help the politicians fight)
Who are those "Palestinian" people who merely try to live?
Aren't they the same who vote for the PLO and Hamas? Why do they remain innocent no matter how often they vote "Death to the Jews"? Would Israelis be innocent, in your view, if a great majority for them voted for a party that advocates the extermination of all Arabs (or all Muslims)?
(There is no such party to vote for. The closest there is the Kach party. But they are more moderate than the PLO and have been declared illegal in Israel anyway. Not that they ever had many votes.)
If you want "truly innocent people" you can help, why choose a people of whom 80% vote for continued war and genocide and who actually have enough food and water (and cars and television sets and Internet access etc.)? It doesn't make sense to me.
Note that the next Palestinian elections, IF won by parties that do not have a Nazi past or currently shout "Death to the Jews", will totally convince me that "Palestinians" are now innocent; just like Israelis voting for parties that do not shout "Death to the Arabs" convinces me that Israelis are innocent.
Anyway, you still owe me, I think an explanation of what exactly it is you don't like about Israeli tactics. Give me an example and explain how the tactic is evil/bad/whatever and what should be done instead (and who does it).