Is Simpson a Jew ?

The Homer bit threw me !

Ah my old buddy Mcnamee, one of the Mcnamee (helpers), give it your best

No.

Are you for real? Jews have suffered for generations in Arab countries and were considered to have Dhimmi status (http://www.dhimmitude.org/), subject to higher taxes, no protection under the law, periodic pogroms. I would argue that the Muslims and Christians in Israel experience much more freedom and rights that Jews ever did in Arab countries. Why not go to Israel and see for yourself.

Your comment confuses me , first you start by telling of instances of inequality towards Jews in certain Arab countries and then you tell me to go to Israel to see for myself ?
Perhaps the reason you have the opinion you have is because when you went to Israel ( I prefer to call the place Palestine ) you hung out with people from Israel without going into any Palestinian area?

You might want to reread my comment… There was a middle bit as well. Israel is a place of multiculturalism and equality under the law which is what I was suggesting that you go and see. That is as opposed to the way Jews were treated when they were given Dhimmi status.

No need to get abusive & personal Diarmuid.
Lets all behave like adults here.

That’s rich coming from you. Can you just avoid my comments please as you think you’re being satiric I am sure but to be honest you’re just really annoying cause nothing you say makes any sense! Cheers!

Ok folks, let’s keep this on topic and not get too personal. No-one wins that way.

Apologies Christine, bit of an immature and off topic response by me.

No hassle. Threads about Israel/Palestinians can often get a bit heated so just trying to keep it on track as much as possible so there’s still a decent discussion. Fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon :)

Meddling in their affairs? Er, he’s the minister for foreign affairs!!!

My point is he’s also the head of labour and the tanaiste, both roles he sparsely represented of late. He did not even voice support for his own colleague and minister when they needed his support most recently. So he’s hardly the guy that should be given the authority to make representation on one of the worst modern conflicts we know! I thought that would be evident from what I said, I am happy to clarify, I obviously know his ministerial role!

Ironic really when you think about it; he’s pushing for the independence of one nation, yet the independence, freedoms and sovereignty of his own country are being eroded gradually. What a short sighted ass!!

Liam What does the Quran state that Muslims should do to Jews ? I’m really interested because if you knew your history you’d find that through history Jews have lived in peace for longer periods in predominantly Muslim countries. As an example during the Roman empires acceptance of Christianity no other religion was allowed. Jews were forced to convert or leave and many moved into middle east, the gulf and also then Muslim controlled Spain. In fact the Jewish religion and culture was most prosperous at the exact same time that Islam or Muslims were… peace and harmony for hundreds of years… but how is that possible if the Quran says otherwise ? How could large portions of Africa Asia and middle be Islam states for hundreds of years and yet Jews moved there ? surely this was the Muslims “chance” as you call it to do whatever it is your talkin about? Please use factual history in your reply I’m sick of people using random blogs and wikipedia when discussing this topic!

Qur’an (5:51) – “O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”

Qur’an (5:80) – “You will see many of them befriending those who disbelieve; certainly evil is that which their souls have sent before for them, that Allah became displeased with them and in chastisement shall they abide.” Those Muslims who befriend unbelievers will abide in hell.

He is Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Stupid comment

Credit where credit is due. It is possible for people you disagree with to do or say something worthy of support. If our gut response is to default always to criticise the person, regardless of the import of their speech or acts, we’ll never leave tribalism behind.

Yes creamy, a stupid comment. This is his job!!!

Did someone just say “tribalism” ?

Stupid foreign minister! who cares what he thinks on the ME issues! The biggest Irish-European problem is the an-stopped Islamic and black legal and illegal immigration into Europe. Why don’t mess with the big problem?

A Palestinian state will go a long way to solving the crisis. You are mistaken. The Palestinians only resorted to rocket attacks and the like after they had tried dialogue for decades. The Israelis just ignored them and continued to rob their land and rights. Palestinians weer justified in launching attacks against Israel as they are today. Israel is a warmonger

B Lowe you accuse a country of being a “warmonger” but also support the actions of war by the other side. Doesn’t that make you a war monger?

Palestinian attacks on Jews long precede the establishment of an Israeli state such as in the 1920 Palestine pogrom and Palestinian support for Hitler’s final solution. As much as the conflict is portrayed as being about territory, its much more straighforward – Islamic bigotry and intolerance of a non-jewish state in that region. Look at what happened after a majority Jewish region that developed peacefully was labeled Israel in 1947; 5 arab countries declared war on it immediately and had their asses handed to them on a plate by the following week.

I dont defend the use of white phosphor or the other examples of overreaction by the Israelis, but Eamon Gilmore and indeed most of the Irish left are deluded if they think the foundation of a Palestinian state will end the conflict. What I find most repugnant about their support for a Palestinian state is the way they overlook the type of country Palestinians would go on to create; An Islamic tyranny enforcing Sharia law which would go on to deny its citizens (especially women, homosexuals and non muslims) all the basic human rights rently enjoy.

Do the people commenting here not realize that he is the minister for foreign affairs?!?!

If all of Ireland’s immigrants were handed control of Ireland tomorrow by the worlds super powers how do you think Ireland’s natives would react?
It’s taken the Palestinians 60 years of fighting to have what little say they have now. American and British unconditional support for Jews started this war from where I’m sitting.
Atrocities have been committed by both sides for sure but surely the foundation of the state of Israel and the bias against Palestinians started this whole mess???

Imagine if the British had expelled all the native Irish when they first invaded and started colonising Ireland. So that by today Ireland was a nation that was made up of people of British ancestry where the true native Irish population were scattered to the world.

Now imagine that these native Irish peoples (with a distinct religious identity that does not encourage expansion by conversion) had settled in Europe. That they faced discrimination left right and centre. Culminating in their attempted extermination by the Nazis.

I think it would be fair to expect the world’s super powers to commit themselves to returning the native Irish to their homeland and allowing them to establish a state (ALONG SIDE A SECOND STATE WHICH WOULD BE A HOME FOR THOSE OF BRITISH ANCESTRY – IE THE ORIGINAL INVADERS).

Lets not forget that the Palestinian’s were offered a two state solution in 1948 WHICH THEY REJECTED AND CONTINUE TO REJECT.

I firmly believe that the hardline the Israelis take is much more about the protection of the one place they feel they can call their own. Jerusalem is the holiest city in the Jewish religion, it is one of the holiest of the Christian faith. To the muslim community it is their 3rd holiest city.

Also, remember in the middle east Israel is the only country that has a free press and freedom of speech. The only country that was founded on true democratic values. It is the ONLY middle eastern country where gay people can live together and have equal rights with their straight counterparts (and probably the only one in which gay people can live free from discrimination and free from the threat of prison or decapitation).

What a load of crap, Palestinians have been calling for a peaceful and just, resolution to the conflict for decades. Israel is a nuclear armed super power, The onus is on them to make peace, but they have never shown any interest in living in peace with their neighbors , but only annexing their land and property and committing Palestinians to live as a people denied their basic human rights in an apartheid state supported by the EU and the US A

Well said Johnathon.

Jonathan is not like that at all.

The Romans only kicked out the Jewish portion of the population following Jewish revolt of 66AD. The Samaritans, early Christians and Canaanites remained (even a tiny population of Jews remained) The Palestinian Arabs are the original non-Jewish population of Israel who never left, most (not all) were subsequently absorbed into Arab culture (~20% were Christian Arabs, a very small number were Jewish Arabs).

So a better analogy would be the Brits kicked out only the Murphys, leaving behind the O’Tools, O’Neils and O’Connors. Then 2000 years later, the Murphys arrive back and want all of Ireland, they kick out the O’Tools, O’Neils and O’Connors, falsely claiming they were blow-ins who arrived from outside Ireland after the Murphys left.

Good post, Jonathan.

Very dull claims and assumptions. Is that what you know on the Arab-Israeli conflict?