Why didn't you complain when we were given the olympics. After all we attacked a country under false pretenses for their oil. Murdered women and children too.

Why no outrage then?

With reference to Israel, why is it no one mentions the fact that people get up in the morning, say their prayers, brush their teeth, have breakfast, pick up rocket launchers and shoot rockets into Israel.

Are the Israeli's supposed to just take that? Would we if it happened to us?

Make no mistake, Hamas is a terrorist organisation, they do not want peace. So they have to deal with the consequences of their actions.

Israel doesn't want peace. Their efforts to stop Palestine being recognised as a state by the same organisation that gave them their own right to be a state is hypocritical. The fact they they have no stopped and increased settlements in the West Bank has gone on to show this.

Just hours before Israel assassinated Hamas commander Ahmed Jabari on Tuesday, he received the draft proposal of a permanent truce agreement with Israel. But Israel approved the airstrike anyways, choosing escalation over resolution.

MUDD you asked about how we would like it if we had rockets lobbed at us. Let me as you, how would you like it if someone can come in kick you out of your house, kill your family and steal your land. I think if that happened to you, you might decide to fight back. That is what the Palestinians have been doing.

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Sorry Mud but you're absolutely miles off and just got tore a new one by Poppin. The whole conflict between Palestine and Israel arose from Israel trying to take land that isn't theirs. Just because the Israelis aren't running around in rags with 40 year old AK's in their hands it doesn't mean they're not terrorists. It just means they're richer terrorists. Many more Palestinians have died at the hand of Israelis than vice versa and all because the Palestinians are defending their land? Like Poppin said, that would be the equivalent of me going into your house, endangering your wife and children and then when you shot me I'd be the victim. Get with the times brother, your miles off.

And the reason Israeli's ended up there in the first place was due to resettlement in the second world war - we rejected their immigrants and sent them to Palestine instead.

Let's get back on track.

Do you think Israel should host the UEFA U21 European Championship or not? And Why?

Absolutely not - it's not safe yet.

No they 100% shouldn't.

Number 1: it's not safe for the players.
Number 2:they've been committing atrocities for the last 50 years in the middle east.
Number 3: Israel is in the very middle of the middle east, how on earth is it European?

In the same way you wouldn't host a world cup in Iran, you shouldn't host an international sporting competition in Israel.

Who owned the land before the Egyptians, oops Palestinians took it and why did they abandon the land.

When the romans invaded Israel, who lived in that land?

Many thanks

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

The history of Israel encompasses the history of the modern State of Israel, as well as that of the Jews in the Land of Israel. The area of modern Israel is small, about the size of Wales or half the size of Costa Rica, and is located roughly on the site of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It is the birthplace of the Hebrew language spoken in Israel and of the Abrahamic religions, first as Judaism and later of Christianity. It contains sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druze and Bahá'í Faith.

Although coming under the sway of various empires and home to a variety of ethnicities, the area was predominantly Jewish until the Jewish–Roman wars after which Jews became a minority in most regions, except Galilee. The area became increasingly Christian after the 3rd century and then largely Muslim from the 7th century conquest up until the 20th century. Commonly referred to as the Holy Land or Palestine, the area became a focal point of conflict between Christianity and Islam between 1096 and 1291 and from the end of the Crusades until the British conquest in 1917 was part of the Syrian province of first the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and then (from 1517) the Ottoman Empire.

In the late-19th century, persecution of Jews in Europe followed by the creation of the Zionist movement led to international support for a Jewish-majority state on the site of the ancient kingdoms. Following the British conquest of Syria in the World War I and the formation of the Mandate of Palestine, Aliyah (Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) increased and gave rise to Arab–Jewish tensions and a collision of the Arab and Jewish nationalist movements.

Israeli independence in 1948 was marked by massive migration of Jews from both Europe and the Muslim countries to Israel, and of Arabs from Israel leading to the extensive Arab–Israeli conflict.[1] About 42% of the world's Jews live in Israel today.

Since about 1970, the United States has become the principal ally of Israel. In 1979 an uneasy Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty was signed, based on the Camp David Accords. In 1993 Israel signed Oslo I Accord with the Palestine Liberation Organization and in 1994 Israel–Jordan Treaty of Peace was signed. Despite efforts to establish peace between Israel and Palestinians, many of whom live in Israel or in Israeli-occupied territories, the conflict continues to play a major role in Israeli and international political, social and economic life.

And who lived in the land before the original Israelis?
See, I can play this game, too.

Now, lets give you an analogy. You go and buy a house, live there for a number of years. Your kids inherit the house, and then your grandchildren. So far you are with me. Then I, a decendant of a past owner (who owned the house 200(random number) years ago), can come into that house, kick your grandchildren out, and claim the house for myself.

I have asked a question, which you could respond to, but didn't.

Do you think Israel should host the UEFA U21 European Championship or not? And Why?

So according to your post, there was no Israel between the 3rd century and the 19th century? Thats a long time. I don't see how Israelis can use this claim for the land. Using such justification is bull5hit.

I do not think Israel should host it because Hamas would use the opportunity to murder people.

You also forgot my dear friend, when there is a war, to the victor go the spoils.

That's the way the world rolls, we do it, the americans do it, so who are we to judge? We do it too and it's hypocritical to suggest otherwise.

You also haven't answered my simple question. We've murdered Iraqis for no reason but we hosted the olympics.

Why do we always like to point fingers at others but not ourselves.

Look at Libya, one minute Gaddafi's a terrorist, he lets us have more oil, he becomes our friend, next minute he's a brutal dictator. Then we help overthrow him but do nothing when the Syrian government is murdering it's people.

I find the hypocrisy annoying and the mock outrage naive and misdirected.

The funny thing is the Palestinians are almost completely dependent on Israel for their survival but continue to attack them and expect to be treated well.

Give me a break.

As regards peace, do you remember when Clinton tried to broker a peace deal with Arafat? Israel offered them just about everything but he turned it down because that isn't the plan. They do not want peace, they want war.

They've forgotten what happened the last time when their arab brothers helped them.

I never said Hamas are harmless. Do they want peace? Maybe, maybe not. But they have done more towards peace than Israel have done.

Ballacks, read up Hamas' manifesto. The PLO appeared to want peace but Hamas do not.

They want Jihad and the Israeli's are more than willing to help them.

This isn't the way to handle the issue. There's blame on both sides but if you think it's acceptable for people to shoot rockets into another person's territory without people responding, you are a lot more tolerant than most of the world

Can I use another analogy? The whole of North Africa (the good bits) was forcefully taken from Africans by Arabs but do you see the Africans fighting back with rockets or acts of terrorism.

Some people cannot have the monopoly of rascality

The victors the spoils... yet when can see atrocities and voice out against it.

You talked about Iraq. Nice try there. The fact that this country saw its biggest demonstration against the war and the government went towards it against the population's wishes shows we are not like the Israelis, who not only dehumanise the Palestinians but constantly make their lives difficult. Can you show me large demonstrations by Israelis against war? No. There are some brave enough to actually voice out against what Israel does and they get shouted down as traitors or self-hating jews.

Libya and Syria are two conflicts that should have been left for the nation to decide. the West were wrong in both (they may not be helping openly, but they are arming the 'opposition' in Syria, just as they did in Libya).

An Israeli soldier can murder Palestinians and 99% of the time nothing will happen to him. This happens quite often, while Palestinians are out working, they could be killed, such as the fishermen fishing in Gaza waters, getting shot and killed. No warning. But you won't hear about those in the news, but if an Israeli happen to have a bomb land 3 miles from his house, it makes the news.

Now, you said "Palestinians are almost completely dependent on Israel for their survival" - You are right. Israel can withold money that the Palestinian government gets by taxes at will, Israel has constantly blocked or destroyed crops or prevented exports of Palestinian goods. I am sure, if you were in the Palestinians shoes, you would be greatful that Israel does this.

"As regards peace, do you remember when Clinton tried to broker a peace deal with Arafat? Israel offered them just about everything but he turned it down because that isn't the plan." - Did you actually read what was on offer? Israel didn't offer everything. This lie has been perpuated but have you actually read what Israel actually offered?

Wiki:
"The Palestinian negotiators indicated they wanted full Palestinian sovereignty over the entire West Bank and the Gaza Strip, although they would consider a one-to-one land swap with Israel. They maintained that Resolution 242 calls for full Israeli withdrawal from these territories, which were captured in the Six-Day War, as part of a final peace settlement, although Israel disputes this interpretation of Resolution 242. In the 1993 Oslo Accords the Palestinian negotiators accepted the Green Line borders for the West Bank but the Israelis rejected this proposal. They wanted to annex the numerous settlement blocks on the Palestinian side of the Green Line, and were concerned that a complete return to the 1967 borders was dangerous to Israel's security.[citation needed]
Barak offered to form a Palestinian State initially on 73% of the West Bank (that is, 27% less than the Green Line borders) and 100% of the Gaza Strip. In 10–25 years, the Palestinian state would expand to a maximum of 92%[3] of the West Bank (94% excluding greater Jerusalem).[4][5][6] As a result, Israel would have withdrawn from 63 settlements.[7] Israel would only keep the settlements with large populations. All others would be dismantled, with the exception of Kiryat Arba (adjacent to the holy city of Hebron), which would be an Israeli enclave inside the Palestinian state, and would be linked to Israel by a bypass road. The West Bank would be split in the middle by an Israeli-controlled road from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, with free passage for Palestinians, although Israel reserved the right to close the road to passage in case of emergency. In return, Israel would allow the Palestinians to use a highway in the Negev to connect the West Bank with Gaza. In the Israeli proposal, the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be linked by an elevated highway and an elevated railroad running through the Negev, ensuring safe and free passage for Palestinians. This highway would be under the sovereignty of Israel, and Israel reserved the right to close the highway to passage in case of emergency.[8]
However, Israel would retain around 9% of Palestinian lands in exchange for 1% of Israeli land. The land that would be conceded included symbolic and cultural territories such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque, whereas the Israeli land conceded was unspecified. Additional to territorial concessions, Palestinian airspace would be controlled by Israel under Barak's offer.[8]
Additional grounds of rejection was that the Israeli proposal planned to annex areas which would lead to a cantonization of the West Bank into three blocs. Settlement blocs, bypassed roads and annexed lands would create barriers between Nablus and Jenin with Ramallah. The Ramallah bloc would in turn be divided from Bethlehem and Hebron. A separate and smaller bloc would contain Jericho. Further, the border between West Bank and Jordan would additionally be under Israeli control. The Palestinian Authority would receive pockets of East Jerusalem which would be surrounded entirely by annexed lands in the West Bank.[9]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Camp_David_Summit#Territory

I can't believe how deluded you are. Israel didn't offer everything. In fact what they offered would have allowed them to do what they are doing now, legally.

In the recent conflict I thought the contrast in the actions of the two sides was very interesting. There were rockets being fired into Israel whereas Israel relaliated by launching missiles into Palestine. Scores of Israeli people were injured from the rockets whereas hundreds of Palestinians were killed from the missiles.

Thanks to the "war on terror" we've all been indoctrinated to believe that any middle eastern fighters must be terrorists and get what they deserve. Also thanks to the support of the US, Israel seems to always be reported as the victim, I think there are a lot of right minded people who feel otherwise though.

Israel should be charged with war crimes, The UN stated that the Syrian regime had commited a war crime by firing high explosives into a highly populated area, Mmmm Gaza strip comes to mind, so whats the difference.

I'm not deluded my friend, I am a very simple man. You come at me with a knife, if I have a gun I will blow your head off.

When Hamas are ready to stop wishing death on Israel, carrying out suicide bomb attacks and stop shooting rockets into Israel, then I will support them.

I do not entirely agree with Israel's approach to the problem but so far as Hamas continues to do what they do, they should expect more reprisals from the Israeli's.

The soldier story is not dissimilar to what ours are doing as well. The soldiers have to be on guard because of suicide bombers, so they employ the shoot first, ask questions later approach. Again, I do not agree with it, but I understand where they are coming from.

We also did it in Northern Ireland and did it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'm still wondering why the Africans in North Africa aren't chanting death to Arabia and murdering the arabs who have stolen their land and enslaved them as well.

I'm off. I got to teach some classes.

MUDD hasn't answered whether or not the U21 championship should be hosted in Israel. Taking politics out of this and only speaking through footballing eyes the Israelis constantly interfere with the granting of exit visas for Palestinian players who will play in the Asian qualifying groups of championships.

This is one major reason why the UEFA fraternity shouldn't have considered Israel to hold the Championships there.

Lets not forget the recent chapter where the Palestinians were granted observer state status by the VAST majority of the entire planet. As Poppin says, the same body that gave Israel a state in the first place. Is that body (UN) wrong?

Israel said the vote wouldn't make any difference but opposed it anyway. Why oppose it if it makes no difference?
Israel tried to coerce the Palestinians into NOT applying for membership of the international criminal court.. This is outrageous. The ICC and its predefining bodies were created in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The Jewish state of Israel (as it is defined by its leaders) should be WELCOMING anyone who decides to join an international body that aims to being perpetrators of war crimes to justice.

Everyone seems to have forgotten about Tom Hurndall. The perpetrators of his murder (more than one person had to be involved) haven't all been brought to justice and an 8 year sentence is derogatory to Toms family.

MUDD, you say you are a simple man, then the conflict in the ME should be simple enough. A group of people not from the area move in and start killing people so they can take the land. The people who live in that land fight back, with whatever means possible. The palestinians have but 'Knives" against the occupiers of their nation, who have 'Guns'. They have no choice but to use what they have.

"When Hamas are ready to stop wishing death on Israel, carrying out suicide bomb attacks and stop shooting rockets into Israel, then I will support them." - I can say the same about Israel. When Israel really wants peace, and not just pay lip service, then Israel can be supported. Right now, nations like the US and the UK and organisations like UEFA reward Israel, where if it was another nation from that region, they would be isolated and punished.

"The soldier story is not dissimilar to what ours are doing as well. The soldiers have to be on guard because of suicide bombers, so they employ the shoot first, ask questions later approach. Again, I do not agree with it, but I understand where they are coming from." - People fishing, which they do every day, in the same area...I think you are actually deluded if you think these soliders believe these are suicide bombers. The Soldiers know exactly what they are doing. They see the people fish in the same area every day and when they bored start shooting because they think of Palestinians as anything as human. You can try to cover up the facts, but quite a lot of the killings have been random, no warning and no threat posed. I remember an image i saw of a palestinian man, first he is arrested, stripped and then shot dead. Was that a shoot first ask question sort of situation? And before you say We do it as well, when we do such actions on civilians, we try to bring them to justice. Israel doesn't.

"I'm still wondering why the Africans in North Africa aren't chanting death to Arabia and murdering the Arabs who have stolen their land and enslaved them as well." - Maybe because they didn't completely subjegate them, maybe because they weren't trying to wipe them out and push them all out of their homeland, maybe because it has happened so long ago, and there is now a mix of Arab and African blood in North Africa. If you really are trying to figure it out, you are more 'Simple' than your posts suggests.