We will build you a city for a billion dollars.

You just can't get in or out and there is no water.

Brilliant.

1 BILLION dollars is NOT GOING TO FIX the Hamas agenda.

Money cannot buy everything.....including Peace.

Guess there will be some NEW sites for rocket launchers.

They sure can stretch a buck. A whole city? with a sporting center, high rise buildings, mall and pools with no water. Not too shabby. A billion here doesn't even build one sporting center.

Well, this seems like a good start. The West Bank as the diplomatic State, with Ramallah or Bethlehem as Capitol.

Mideast problem solved.

Now, as long as the Good People of the West Bank don't attack Israel like the terrorist-led Gaza, then Israel won't bomb their rocket launching, storage and support positions like they have to do to Gaza.

Well, I know I would be happier.

Wonder if they will have a Target store in their new city?

Until you know the history of the occupation of Palestine you should probably withhold your opinions.

Watch "Occupation 101". It's a documentary featuring mostly Jewish people who have witnessed with horror the years of what borders on ethnic cleansing by the Likud.

At least some action and less talk. I'm glad, even if the West Bank development will be depending on Israeli utilities and police forces.

1 BILLION dollars is NOT GOING TO FIX the Hamas agenda.

@Ido,

You're obviously at the wrong side of the map. Last time I checked, the Hamas (with its own government) is at the other side of the country in the Gaza Strip.

Bilateral trade is the best way to establish peace. Israel will strengthen its own security by creating financial incentive for palestinians rather than forcing them to live in ghettos and become radicals. And israel doesn't have even have to start with palestinians ... start with jordan or lebanon who have been quite neutral over last 2-3 decades now.

I wonder how long before Israel bombs the hel# out of this place?

Brit In the Pit (#1.6): Until you know the Hamas agenda, you should probably withhold your opinion. View the following and then get back to us with you opinion.

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sdCsl98naqM#t=303s

Watch "Occupation 101". It's a documentary featuring mostly Jewish people who have witnessed with horror the years of what borders on ethnic cleansing by the Likud.

Spare me your revisionist drivel.

Here are the facts:

1. Prior to 1967, the West Bank belonged to Jordan.
2. Prior to 1967, Gaza belonged to Egypt.
3. There has never been a "Nation of Palestine".
4. This is the Jewish year 5773. Jerusalem has been the Eternal City of Jewish identity for centuries.

.

$75k - $140k, who can afford those prices? It's not going to solve any problems it's just going to give Palestinians a place to hide weapons and a shield to hide behind. It more than likely will become the Palestinians new slum.

Steven B

Watch "Occupation 101". It's a documentary featuring mostly Jewish people who have witnessed with horror the years of what borders on ethnic cleansing by the Likud.

Spare me your revisionist drivel.

Here are the facts:

1. Prior to 1967, the West Bank belonged to Jordan.
2. Prior to 1967, Gaza belonged to Egypt.
3. There has never been a "Nation of Palestine".
4. This is the Jewish year 5773. Jerusalem has been the Eternal City of Jewish identity for centuries.

So? That's just one way of looking at it.

That's the reality.

I hope this city works as an example to the Palestinians that there is a way out, and it's not terrorism. Of course, if this city does work, you can bet Hamas will go on another murderous rampage against its own people because they will not settle for anything other than war with Israel. And this is why peace can only be achieved when the Palestinians rid themsevles of Hamas.

lilirocks, you have to understand that facts mean nothing to Ido and his agenda, whatever it is.

Steven B, here are the facts :

a) Prior to 1948 the land on which Israel lies belonged to Great Britain

b) There hadn't been a state called Israel on that land for thousand of years

b) As of 2012, there is a state called Palestine

So? That's just one way of looking at it.

Yes culhealth, facts are just one way of looking at it. Very good.

Did you come to that conclusion all on your own?

If so, you deserve a cookie.

Hey Michael: Let's assume your facts are correct, and ignore the fact that the land belonged to the Israelites for as long as history can remember, and further ignore the fact that there has never been an indepednent Palestinian state for as long as history can remember. in 1948, Great Britain granted the land to the State of Israel.

Here's a little property lesson for you: If I own property, and I choose to give it to person A, person B doesn't have the right to claim the property simply because they want it. If person B decides to try to kill person A in order to steal person A's property, person A is allowed to defend himself, even if it means killing person B.

Just because person A is better at killing person B than person B is at killing person A, that doesn't mean person A is in the wrong.

Sometimes you just have to deviate from your incessant need to cheer for the underdog, especially when the underdog is evil. (I don't think all Palestinians are evil, by the way, but they are lead by Hamas who is evel, and who the Palestinians are unwilling to rid themselves of)

My facts ARE correct, you're unable to disprove a single one of them.

That land belonged to the Israelites for as far as history can remember ? Says who ? They have papers to prove it ? No. Why the Israelites ? Why not the people who were there BEFORE the Israelites ? Why not the dinosaurs also ?

The reality is that International law, which all countries must abide by in order to have a civilized world, says this land post-1967 borders does *NOT* belong to Israel, period. No 'if', no 'but', it does not belong to Israel, it belongs to the state of Palestine as recognized by the UN in November 2012, and there's nothing more than needs to be said about it. It's been judged and decided.

Mike, if only the UN had the authority to define the borders of each country throughout the world. Unfortunately the UN has proven to be the most useless, neutered, politically biased (anti-semetically I might add) organization in history. The only power the UN has is condemnation - condemnation ,which by the way, I'm sure has Iran quaking in its boots.

Nevertheless, once again taking your propaganda as facts... and ignoring the annuls of evidence that you conveniently choose to ignore because the facts are too inconvenient for your political beliefs to handle: By your logic, would you then also agree that we should give our land back to the American Indians because they were here first?

I think the fact is Israel exist today and so does Palestine. The fact is the british (and to some extent other europeans) didn't really want jews that were displaced due to WWII. Creation of Israel was their solution. Jews were helpless and needed anything to hold onto even if it meant claiming a land that never really belong to them for at least a 1000 years. Also it meant forgetting that Islam protected jews for centuries against anti-Semitics from Europe.

But hey not all of these facts are convenient. So lets pick and choose whats suitable for our agenda today.

It doesn't matter what Britain's motivation was for granting Israel back to the Jews. Just as it doesn't matter what my motivation is for transfering my car to you. The fact is I did, and you now own the car... just as the fact is that the British did, and the land again belongs to the Jews. That somebody else decides to lob bombs claiming the land is theirs doesn't make it theirs. It's never been theirs, and it isn't now. Certainly Jerusalem has never been theirs, even if you want to make the argument that land lost in a war is still yours.

Steven B

Here are the facts:

There has never been a "Nation of Palestine".

I found this interesting:

The Hebrew name Peleshet (פלשת Pəlésheth) – usually translated as Philistia in English, is used in the Bible more than 250 times. The Greek word Palaistinē (Παλαιστίνη, "Palaistine") is generally accepted to be a translation of the Semitic name for Philistia; however another term – land of the Philistieim (γῆ τῶν Φυλιστιεἰμ , transliteration from Hebrew) – was used in the Septuagint, the second century BCE Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, to refer to Philistia.^[26] In the Torah / Pentateuch, the term Philistia is used 10 times and its boundaries are undefined. The later Historical books (see Deuteronomistic history) include most of the biblical references, almost 200 of which are in the Book of Judges and the Books of Samuel, where the term is used to denote the southern coastal region to the west of the ancient Kingdom of Judah.^{[11][12][21][27]}

During the Byzantine period, the entire region (Syria Palestine, Samaria, and the Galilee) was named Palaestina, subdivided into provinces Palaestina I and II.^[28] The Byzantines also renamed an area of land including the Negev, Sinai, and the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula as Palaestina Salutaris, sometimes called Palaestina III.^[28] The Arabic word for Palestine is فلسطين (commonly transcribed in English as Filistin, Filastin, or Falastin)

The "name" Palestinian was "appropriated by Arafat in 1967 - muslim arabs have no connection to this name or to this people - in fact their religion is but 1000 years old - it began 1000 years after the diaspora - they are the johnny come lately people to the region. There have been Jews present in Israel on a constant basis for the past 3500 years - oh and if you want to see the title documents to the land - it is well described in the bible. There is no disputing that Jerusalem was the ancient city of David and was established by Jews in the land of Israel - there is no disputing the presence of jews in ancient times in coins and in all matter of historical fact and there is no doubt that the UN voted to re-establish the State of Israel in all legitimacy in 1948 - get over it Israel exists and it is not going anywhere.

Realist17: Fact is, Israel only exists because the UN said so. So you can, on your own, decide the UN is irrelevant, but that then means that Israel's existence is null and void.

As for the UN being irrelevant, frankly your personal opinion is totally worthless. Billions of other people think otherwise, so your opinion frankly, no one cares about it.

As for my "propaganda", truth is, you're totally unable to prove a single one of my facts wrong. Feel free to try though so we can all have a laugh.

You keep claiming the land belongs to the jews, but you have absolutely no justification for this. Why the jews ? Why not the other tribes that were there before the jews ? Or after ?

As for "lobing bombs" to make a claim, hey that's funny, it's exactly what the Jews did to the British !

At least it is not the US taxpayers money going down the drain.

For some odd reason, (Lol) every time an article about the Palestinians comes up, all emotions come afire. Especially those of the right-wing Israelis posting here with their orthodox views- views not shared anymore by the great majority of Israelis.

Lets try to keep the thread emotion-free, please folks.

@Steven B

1. Prior to 1967, the West Bank belonged to Jordan.

2. Prior to 1967, Gaza belonged to Egypt.

So by your own logic, Israelis DO NOT own these lands. These lands claimed by Israelis are not the ones given to them by U.N. (and NO, "war for conquest" ended way back in W.W.I. not our modern way of doing things).

@Realist17

Actually the Israeli Nation was formed by the U.N. Regardless of what G.B., the U.S. and other willing countries wanted, the United Kingdom never had any authority to form a new Nation, the U.N. did.

And to all others, please inform yourselves and Understand once and for all that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are (2) separate Regions with (2) separate governments. And Hamas (terrorists) has an independent government from Israel (at Gaza Strip). Is Geography a very difficult subject for Americans to comprehend?

ENOUGH about history, it won't solve problems of the future.

Current fact is Israelis and Palestinians need to learn to coexist, neither is going away.

Palestinians who are invested in property developments are more interested in building a future than destroying it, and are less likely to be hostile. More to lose, less to complain about.

This development is good for Palestinians AND Israelis.

I am a very hardline Israeli supporter, but I am very supportive of this initiative. For years I have said that it's time for Palestinians to take matters into their own hands and build their country, rather than teach hate to their children and live off handouts from the UN.

Likely, the owners of this project will ensure terrorist supplies won't come into the area, since they have some real skin in the game and will be scared of losing it to the IDF. They will stop throwing rocks also b/c good relations with their neighbours will matter. Suddenly, they have something to lose.

Israel should have annexed the West Bank after 1967. That was their biggest mistake. They conquered the land from Jordan in a war initiated by Arab states. Had they annexed the West Bank then, we wouldn't be in such a mess, and modern day Palestinians would be enjoying the most freedoms out of any Arab in the Middle East.

No one cared about this land before Israel was created. The "palestinians" were refugee Jordanians that squatted on the land. Only after Israeli made the land come to life did everyone become interested. Notice the new town has no water and one main road? The refugees created nothing in the time they were on that land. Now they just want what Israel created.

The Arab nations have 8000 x more land than Israel and could easily provide a home for the squatters. Instead they want turmoil, so they back the squatters with weapons instead of working towards a peaceful solution.

Indeed, this is something we all can agree on.

Palestinians building settlements of their own is a good thing.

It's a case of them actually acting like a state. If they keep it up, and don't let Hamas steer up trouble in the area, this might actually become a road to peace.

Why is it human behavior not to study human behavior. Especially past human behavior. Until standards of living rises and employment reaches into the 90% history says there will not be peace.

"It is being built against the opposition of many Palestinians who see any peaceful project as a way of affirming the status quo with Israel, of denying the Palestinian struggle!"

That right there should be a big warning BANNER! In a culture now deep into resistance by death and destruction there is little to prevent them from using it inside their own boarders. How easy is it going to be for extremists against "the status quo" to launch missiles from the location until Israel has to return fire. Then they get to use the damage to the project as propaganda. What do they have to loose in that equation as long as there is no real danger of actual full scale war and defeat.

It is an awful thought, but sometimes I wonder if a big meteor will bring peace to the region before the people do.

Al-Masri, who as a teenager threw stones at Israeli soldiers.

sounds like he still has never grown up...you dont get peace by throwing stones!

If they spent as much time building a life for themselves as they do hating Israel, imagine what they would have!!

I would start with the basics of government......garbage pick up! You can tell their neighborhoods by the garbage piled past the roof tops!!

Palestinians throw rocks.

Israelis shoot missiles.

I guess one is equal to the other...

I support any development there that has PEACE in mind. Enough hate! Israelis and Palestinians need to learn how to be good neighbors.

The actual gamble is that after it is built and Israel bombs and destroys it how is the world going to treat Israel. On the other hand when Israel wants to expand again they already have a ready built area, just take it and move everybody out farther.

.you dont get peace by throwing stones!

Nor by killing the children that throw stones.

"Even the founder of Rawabi, the biggest construction project in the history of the Palestinian people, says nobody in his right mind would invest here."

As per their own admission, West Bank is a wrong place to invest.

This Palestinian settlement should come in Saudi Arabia.

Oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations are very rich.

They should all invest in the new settlements in Saudi Arabia to help their brothers, especially Hamas.

They should also permit Hamas to have Mecca as capital.

Then we can say that these Sunni rulers are "peace loving" and very generous to even their own Muslims in need.

It will be a major "revolutionary change" in their funding and helping pattern.

Till now, when Muslims badly needed help, these oil rich Sunni rulers and shiekhs simply vanished from the scenes and hid in their huge harems.

If this settlement effort succeeds, then Fatah should get Medina area.

FROM: http://ifamericansknew.com/history/origin.html

The standard Zionist position is that they showed up in Palestine in the late 19th century to reclaim their ancestral homeland. Jews bought land and started building up the Jewish community there. They were met with increasingly violent opposition from the Palestinian Arabs, presumably stemming from the Arabs’ inherent anti-Semitism. The Zionists were then forced to defend themselves and, in one form or another, this same situation continues up to today.

The problem with this explanation is that it is simply not true, as the documentary evidence in this booklet will show. What really happened was that the Zionist movement, from the beginning, looked forward to a practically complete dispossession of the indigenous Arab population so that Israel could be a wholly Jewish state, or as much as was possible. Land bought by the Jewish National Fund was held in the name of the Jewish people and could never be sold or even leased back to Arabs (a situation which continues to the present).

The Arab community, as it became increasingly aware of the Zionists’ intentions, strenuously opposed further Jewish immigration and land buying because it posed a real and imminent danger to the very existence of Arab society in Palestine. Because of this opposition, the entire Zionist project never could have been realized without the military backing of the British. The vast majority of the population of Palestine, by the way, had been Arabic since the seventh century A.D. (Over 1200 years)

In short, Zionism was based on a faulty, colonialist world view that the rights of the indigenous inhabitants didn’t matter. The Arabs’ opposition to Zionism wasn’t based on anti-Semitism but rather on a totally reasonable fear of the dispossession of their people.

One further point: being Jewish ourselves, the position we present here is critical of Zionism but is in no way anti-Semitic. We do not believe that the Jews acted worse than any other group might have acted in their situation. The Zionists (who were a distinct minority of the Jewish people until after WWII) had an understandable desire to establish a place where Jews could be masters of their own fate, given the bleak history of Jewish oppression. Especially as the danger to European Jewry crystalized in the late 1930’s and after, the actions of the Zionists were propelled by real desperation.

But so were the actions of the Arabs. The mythic “land without people for a people without land” was already home to 700,000 Palestinians in 1919. This is the root of the problem, as we shall see.

Got to love those anti-Israel essays that are always full of self-contradictions.

"The problem with this explanation is that it is simply not true" - they say, yet they don not deny anything in "this explanation":

They don't deny that Zionists were not driving people out of their homes by force, but purchasing land at triple value.

They don't deny that "They were met with increasingly violent opposition from the Palestinian Arabs".

They don't deny that Jews were not coming to the Middle East just to chill, but fleeing from pogroms in Eastern Europe.

They don't deny that Israel is in fact "their ancestral homeland." (merely slip a comment that "the indigenous inhabitants didn’t matter" and expect you to conclude that Jews are not indigenous to Israel, see as an one lie would not be as convincing as a little white hint.)

Their argument is that "Zionist movement, from the beginning, looked forward to a practically complete dispossession". Apparently, the author feel entitled to condemn others for wanting of thinking something and does not require them to actually do it. Isn't that nice.

Then "Land bought by the Jewish National Fund was held in the name of the Jewish people and could never be sold or even leased back to Arabs". - I thought once you buy something it's up to you whom you sell or rent it to. It's called "free market".

So, "Arabs’ opposition to Zionism wasn’t based on anti-Semitism but rather on a totally reasonable fear of the dispossession of their people." because they just knew that "Zionist movement, from the beginning, looked forward to a practically complete dispossession of the indigenous Arab population so that Israel could be a wholly Jewish state" probably through power of telepathy.

But irrational beliefs used as an excuse for violence are not antisemitism, right?

Ironically, now in Israel 20% of the population is Arab, they serve in the army, they get elected into government, and while some extremists might dream of "a wholly Jewish state", they certainly have no power in the country.

That depends on when Israel next gets attacked from the West Bank.

Hasn't really happened lately, which is why that border with Israel is quiet.

Just like the Jordanian border with Israel.

And the Egyptian border with Israel.

Even the Syrian border.

And the (lately) Lebanon-Hesb'Allah border is peaceful..

In fact only Gaza gets hit by Israel.

This happens after Hamas rockets shut down entire communities daily with the wail of air-raid sirens.

Some lucky people actually have about 20 seconds or so to hide.

Why?

.

Because Hamas is sworn to destroy Israel, and kill every Jew they can find.

.

If they live peacefully there - if they don't use the buildings as places to house rocket launchers then all should be well. If they behave in the West Bank then maybe they can concentrate on building a school and a factory that makes something other than missiles - and who knows - maybe they won't idolize death - and worship terror - and maybe all will be quiet - maybe.

Hi Steven B: I posted links above (#1.10) in support of your statement re: Hamas. Have a good week.

I do believe that a majority of Palestinians in the West Bank want peace, and I appreciate Qatar's gesture. But building another fancy town for the Palestinians will not bring peace. They must first abrogate their covenant of Jewish genocide (see #1.10). People in Gaza live very well and look where that's gotten us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o37GHxeRqGA

It's really funny to see that not a single one of you here mentions the fact that Israel is building *illegal* settlements on Palestinians land in the west bank, and has done so for 30 years.

You all expect the Palestinians to stay quiet, not fight, not shoot, yet not a single one of you complains about the fact that Israel violates international law and the Palestinians human rights on a daily basis.

The UN, most NGOs including Israeli ones, Israel's own legal counsel (Theodor Meron), the International Court of Justice, the Red Cross, the Geneva Convention depositories, ... have all said that Israel's settlements are a violation of the 4th Geneva Convention and are illegal, yet all you focus on is the Palestinians violence.

Shame on you.

What a disgusting example of double standards you are dear commenters.

Palestine is not a country, they want to make it theirs but they lost the latest crusade, if a buch of mexicans immigrated to texas, or were already present does that mean they should be able to make it part of Mexico or form their own country, hell no!Even if they were granted their own state, they would not be happy until Isreal was completly erraticated. You bring up the U.N. like they are not guilty of any wrong doing or flat out hypocrosy. Also if the Muslims had shown some compassion for the Jewish people when they controled the Holyland maybe Isreal would be more willing to allow a Palestine! Talk about double standards!

If Palestine is not a country, and is part of Israel, when will the people there get to vote?

Modern democratic tradition indicates that everyone born in, and living in a country's borders are presumed to have the right to vote. When will all the citizens be allowed to vote?

I have a dream that the leader of Israel is called to the UN and handed a Sharpie marker and a map. He's asked to draw the borders of Israel. He can draw them as large or small as he wants. He grins, and begins to draw large. Then the Secretary General tells him that these borders are permanent, and that everyone living within those borders will be issued an identity card and have the same rights - voting, residency, etc.

Well, the people of West Bank and Gaza chose not to be a part of Israel, and to create their own country instead. That means they don't get to vote in Israel, and if they feel like shooting at Israel, Israel gets to shoot back.

Those new condos will go on the market for $75,000.00 to $140,000.00 each. What does this tell you? It's not a gift from Qatar & there is a market for those priced condo's. The news media well only show the poorest of the poor & not the ones who can afford those condo's and shopping in the new malls. It's an investment to make money. Many years ago Jordan offered the Palestinians assimilation, but they refused. If Palestinians truly wanted peace they would stop firing rockets into Israel. They don't want peace because they know the suckers of the world will fawn over them if they keep trouble stirred up.

It's really scary how far backward people will bend over to blame Palestine for its problems!

"If they live peacefully there - if they don't use the buildings as places to house rocket launchers then all should be well. If they behave in the West Bank then maybe they can concentrate on building a school and a factory that makes something other than missiles - and who knows - maybe they won't idolize death - and worship terror - and maybe all will be quiet - maybe."

You shouldn't be allowed to comment without reading the facts first. 1-you're thinking of Gaza. The West Bank is controlled by Fatah. It would be quite difficult for Fatah to work with Israel as much as it does if it were trying to destroy it. 2-Israel is building settlements of its own on the Palestinian Authority's lands. Believe it or not, you're not going to find little Palestinian shrines to terrorism set up along the road in the West Bank. By "behave" I assume you mean simply allowing the Israelis to move in and build on their lands? The Palestinians stay in Palestine (mostly because there is a giant fence keeping them in), why can't the Israelis stay in Israel?

#2.5; 2.7 & 2.10— MOre facts to support what you are saying: http://peacenow.org/map.php

Source: According to Americans for Peace Now's "Facts on the Ground" Map Project, there are 170 official Israeli settlements and 99 informal outposts on Palestinian land, including 24 neighborhoods in East Jerusalem de facto annexed to Israel. APN's interactive settlement map shows the name, location, and population for each settlement and outpost on Palestinian territory, all of which are considered illegal under international law

Guess how many Palestinian settlements are on Israeli land? "hint- it starts with a z and ends with an O"

Corolinian,

If you try to quote others, stick to what's actually said. I never said that Palestinians worship terror or idolize death. Nor do I ever think such things about them

Yes, I am perfectly aware that rockets were flying out of Gaza, and West Banks is controlled by Fatah, but I am also aware of that fact that Fatah used to follow the same charter as Hamas until not too long ago. I also know that while Hamas does not run West Bank, they still have influence there, enough to arrange occasional attack at a car on a highway, or a lynching mob with slings, or a couple crazies sneaking into somebody's house and slitting a few throats.

When I say "behave" I don't mean "allowing the Israelis to move in and build on their lands", I would not object in any way if Palestinians build a few walls of their own to protect the land that they currently control (something they haven't been doing so far). Instead, they have been concentrating on reaching for the land they don't have, doing their best to sneak a few shahiid belts into Israel, and that is why the Israeli fence was built.

By "behave" I mean: don't shoot at cars on the highway, don't storm the fence with slings and Molotovs, don't sneak into houses to slit people's throats, and (that's right) don't shoot rockets over the fence. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Excuse me if I am worried that Hamas might try to arrange for some of those thing in the West Bank, and don't completely trust Fatah to keep it form happening.

But you do in fact hope for peace, and I do hope that you turn out to be right.

I appreciate your respectful, clear worded response. I want you to know, though, that I literally copied and pasted that part of my post. I did not change the words at all.

I do not think the Palestinian youths should throw rocks or shoot at cars. But I also do not think that the cars or rocks should even be there to begin with. This whole "throat-slitting" claim you have made is, to be honest, quite preposterous. Israel is looking out for its interests. That's to be expected. But there's no need to pretend that Israel is being humanitarian in any way at all.

You must realize that Israel has been given incredible leeway in its actions, even if you support them. No other country on the planet has done the things it has in the name of preserving peace. Before anyone makes any claim to the contrary, many of the world's countries DO experience the same instability and attacks that Israel does. But they do not all receive such generous foreign aid. Israel has learned every lesson that a state learns in history (and many of them are hard lessons), but the one lesson it has not learned is how to play nice.

They built a toilet in the jungle:

exerpt ;From King Rat by James Clavell:

The headman was old, nut-brown and withered. And hostile. The house, like all their houses, was one large room partitioned by atap screens into small sections.

In the center of the section devoted to eating, talking, and thinking was a porcelain toilet bowl, complete with a seat and lid. There were no water connections and the toilet sat in a place of honor on a woven carpet. In front of the toilet bowl on another mat the headman sat on his haunches. His eyes were piercing.

"What do you want? Tuan!" and the "Tuan" was an accusation.

"I just wanted some food and water, sir, and perhaps I could stay for a little while until I've caught up with myself."

"You call me sir, when three days ago you and the rest of the whites were calling us Wogs and were spitting upon us?"

"I never called you Wogs. I was sent here to try to protect your country from the Japanese."

"They have liberated us from the pestilential Dutch! As they will liberate the whole of the Far East from the white imperialists!"

"Perhaps. But I think you'll regret the day they came!"

"Get out of my village. Go with the rest of the imperialists. Go before I call the Japanese themselves."

"It is written, 'If a stranger comes to thee and asks for hospitality, give it to him that thou find favor in the sight of Allah.'"

The headman had looked at him aghast. Nut-brown skin, short baju coat, multicolored sarong and the decorating head cloth in the gathering darkness.

"What do you know of the Koran and the words of the Prophet?"

"On whose name be praise," Peter Marlowe said. "The Koran had been translated into English for many years by many men." He was fighting for his life. He knew that if he could stay in the village he might be able to get a boat to sail to Australia. Not that he knew how to sail a boat, but the risk was worthwhile. Captivity was death.

"Are you one of the Faithful?" the astonished headman asked.

Peter Marlowe hesitated. He could easily pretend to be a Mohammedan. Part of his training had been to study the Book of Islam. Officers of His Majesty's forces had to serve in many lands. Hereditary officers are trained in many things over and apart from formal schooling.

If he said yes, he knew he would be safe, for Java was mostly the domain of Mohammed.

"No. I am not one of the Faithful." He was tired and at the end of his run. "At least I don't know. I was taught to believe in God. My father used to tell us, my sisters and I, that God has many names. Even Christians say that there is a Holy Trinity — that there are parts of God.

"I don't think it matters what you call God. God won't mind if he is recognized as Jesus or Allah, or Buddha or Jehovah, or even You! — because if he is God, then he knows that we are only finite and don't know too much about anything."

"I believe Mohammed was a man of God, a Prophet of God. I think Jesus was of God, as Mohammed calls him in the Koran, the 'most blameless of the Prophets.' That Mohammed is the last of the Prophets as he claimed, I don't know. I don't think that we, humans, can be certain about anything to do with God."

"But I do not believe that God is an old man with a long white beard who sits on a golden throne far up in the sky. I do not believe, as Mohammed promised, that the Faithful will go to a paradise where they will lie on silken couches and drink wine and have many beautiful maids to serve them, or that Paradise will be a garden with an abundance of green foliage and pure streams and fruit trees. I do not believe that angels have wings growing from their backs."

Night swooped over the village. A baby cried and was gentled back to sleep.

"One day I will know for certain by what name to call God. The day I die." The silence gathered. "I think it would be very depressing to discover there was no God." The headman motioned for Peter Marlowe to sit.

"You may stay. But there are conditions. You will swear to obey our laws and be one of us. You will work in the paddy and work in the village, the work of a man. No more and no less than any man. You will learn our language and speak only our language and wear our dress and dye the color of your skin. Your height and the color of your eyes will shout that you are a white man, but perhaps color, dress and language may protect you for a time; perhaps it can be said that you are half Javanese, half white. You will touch no woman here without permission. And you will obey me without question."

"Agreed."

"There is one other thing. To hide an enemy of the Japanese is dangerous. You must know that when the time comes for me to choose between you and my people to protect my village, I will choose my village."

"I understand. Thank you, sir."

"Swear by your God —" a nicker of a smile swept the features of the old man, "swear by God that you will obey and agree to these conditions."

"I swear by God I agree and will obey. And I'll do nothing to harm you while I'm here."

"You harm us by your very presence, my son," the old man replied.

After Peter Marlowe had had the food and drink, the headman said, "Now you will speak no more English. Only Malay. From this moment on. It is the only way for you to learn quickly."

"All right. But first may I ask you one thing?"

"Yes."

"What is the significance of the toilet bowl? I mean, it hasn't any pipes attached to it."

"It has no significance, other than that it pleases me to watch the faces of my guests and hear them thinking, 'What a ridiculous thing to have an as ornament in a house.'"

We also pay Qatar. So this is probably American Tax Dollars.

Pay both sides to build then sell them the bombs to blow it all up.

Imagine that: Jews building homes in Judea.

Will their crimes against humanity and other arabs never cease?

So this is probably American Tax petro-Dollars.

.

We pay Qatar? Oh really! Lets see your source for that little gem. America doesn't have billions to spend around the world on aid to countries who are doing well. Oh wait, we have been sending billions to Israel every year for decades. Here we are, our politicians ready willing and able to cut funds to the needy in America and never a mention by even one Congressman, of cutting one dime from Israel.

Israel's economy is
thriving in a global economic meltdown. The Jewish state's 2009-12 economic
growth of 14.7 percent leads all the advanced countries of the world, followed
by Australia with 10.7; Canada 4.8; United States 3.2; Germany 2.7; France 0.3;
European Union minus 1.5 percent.

RalphH: And Israel's thriving economy no doubt reinforces your neo-nazi views on Jews. Glad to disappoint you - never again means never again.

What are you saying? Please expain. I pointed out that Israel is doing quite well and hasn no need of America aid and you mention "never again".

Israel is sucking our country dry, in a time of economic disaster for America and the Jews want to keep the money to keep pouring in to Israel from America. Please point out any errors in my thinking. As a gentile, should I be supporting the deadbeat parasites in Israel?

Hey RalphH"

"...As a gentile, should I be supporting the deadbeat parasites in Israel?"

Please inform us on any missed interest or prinicipal payments these "deadbeat parasites in Israel" (don't you mean "blood sucking Jews?") have been responsible for.

Oh wait, we have been sending billions to Israel every year for decades. Here we are, our politicians ready willing and able to cut funds to the needy in America and never a mention by even one Congressman, of cutting one dime from Israel.

RalphH, Do you feel as strongly about cutting funds to every sharia @!$%#hole we fund as well? Funny your type never seems to include that when it comes to talking about what the US funds.

When we give aid Knightarm, there is no payback from Israel. When we loan money to Israel, they have never missed paying the money back, because our politicians have forgiven every loan to Israel we have ever made. In other words they have never paid back one dime of any loan we made to them. They are deadbeat parasites, who bribe our Congressmen and women to make exceptions for Israel.

In addition, monies donated to Israel from rich Jews in America, are tax deductible to those Jews. If I donate money to Scotland or Poland, I would get no deduction. This loophole for Jews costs America billions. Both the Scots and the Poles are far better allies than Israel. Israelis sit on their asses when America fights in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Korea.

Jews have rigged the system in America. During the Bush administration, Jews with Israeli citizenship, occupied almost all the top positions in the Pentagon. They hired each other and conspired to start the war in Iraq.

ralph - You have proven to be a fanatical radical muslim supporting your theocratic dictatorship of Iran who in fact support Assad mudering its own citizens. So, why do we expect an unbiased word out of you? go back to your hole. I, for one, am sick of your lies and stupid rhetorics.

By the way, are you advocating that "jews" should have fought with US in Iraq and Afghanistan? Muslims countries? with US blessing? or your remark is just meant to inflame opinions?

Is there a shortage of psychotic drugs in Iran?

This is where Ralph gets his information:

"Jew as world parasite

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/weltparasit.htm

I see you use the word "parasites" in many of your postings. Where did you get your terminology?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eternal_Jew_(1940_film)

Jews as an uncivilized and parasitic people

http://brainz.org/10-most-evil-propaganda-techniques-used-nazis/

The Nazi Party accused them of being a parasitic race that attached itself to capitalist nations to destabilize the economy and culture of their ‘host’ nation"

Someone else posted this awhile back, it might have been KPR37.

Hi Farideh (#4.11): "Is there a shortage of psychotic drugs in Iran?" He's psychotic enough. What he needs is anti-psychotic drugs.

Steve, NOBODY is THAT crazy!

Yeah, now there's an idea. Maybe we can get Qatar to build settlements in Detroit.

tex, the laundry just called. your white sheets have been delayed...won't be ready for the kkk meeting tonight. sorry.

Israel is usually pretty happy to support anything that doesn't involve them getting shot at. Part of the planning for Rawabi was a "greening project," and the Jewish National Fund contributed 3000 saplings to the construction of a new forest next to the city. They're not torpedoing this thing.

"Israel is usually pretty happy to support anything that doesn't involve them getting shot at."

Very well stated.

tex, you make a great nazi.

Im sure you're proud of that.

Funny, because Israel is pretty happy to limit the Palestinians water to a fraction of the settler's water, they're happy to block Palestinians taxes for purely political reasons rather than defensive reasons, slow down Palestinian exports, cut down Palestinian farm land with settlements, etc...

Israel is an apartheid state, the facts, the judgments have proven it.

Michael - As soon as your paycheck allows you to save some money, take a trip to Israel so you can really support and verify what you are saying. Then come back and we will talk some more.

Love how the article pretty much bashed Israel as this terrible country and the Israelis are these aggressive evil men and women who shoots them for a flag.

The liberal media is vehemently anti-Israel. Well, I guess those editors at NBC just can't resist that old tradition that has come down through the centuries in the press: Jew-baiting.

Here's the policy in a few easy directives:

1. Don't publish very much whenever there are periods of daily rocket attacks into Israel, or difficulties with border attacks.

2. Wait for Israel to hit back first before blaring the headlines, set to minimize Israeli perspective and become the mouthpiece for the anti-Israel factions.

3. Studiously ignore the massive aid and employment that Israel provides to the peaceful ones in the West Bank and Gaza.

.

.

The liberal media ? Funny because it's media all over the world, including "right-wing" media in Europe that sees Israel as a war criminal.

What next ? You're going to tell me the whole world is anti-Semitic and the only people who see the truth are Israel and the US conservative Christians ?

Michael - I have noticed from your various posts right here on this article that you don't like the UN when it comes to Israel's creation "because UN said so", but you like the UN when it comes to vote for Palestinian sate. So which is it? you like the UN only when it suits your views? what about their creation of Pakistan in....1948?

I absolutely do not *like* the UN's vote regarding Israel's creation, however I accept it and respect it. It is what it is, the decision must be respected.

Same with the vote on Palestine.

Give the Palestinians something to be proud of besides firing rockets into the Israel

Waaa?

What are you proud of winsettz ... being a racist?

I think it is called the racism of diminished standards...a heartbeat away from honest assessment.

Congratulations! Apparently you have the luxury of living outside a virtual prison, not having been tossed out of your homeland and living without a zionist's boot on your neck. That's an honest assessment of the Palestinian holocaust.

Indeed, the correct assessment of Palestinian situation is that they are not living in any prisons that are not of their own making and haven't been subjected to any Holocaust.

True Believers of the Tribe of Israel don't mix with the goyim ... ever.

True Believers of the Tribe of Israel don't mix with the goyim ... ever.

Boy, my wife is going to be surprised to hear this news!

.

If she's married to goyim then she's not a true believer.

You have it backwards.

It's the "impacable patriots" of European and Arab states who tend to think that they must not allow any Jews within their eyesight, and some of those still have power to enforce that kind of view in Arab states.

lol!

Nice try Implacable.

Anything intelligent to say?

@ eli & doret

Intelligent? Sure ... you're both idiots & liars.

Behold insults, the only argument pro-Palestinians ever had in their favor.

Behold "The Status Quo"- the only argument Pro Israeli Americans ever have in their favor.

AIPAC has won the battle for the hearts and minds of most Americans. Most of whom know absolutely nothing about the I-P situation, but blindly follow the story we get told from the sanitized version of "history" which gets taught in American schools.

Look up the Irgun and Menachim Begin to dsicover who the first "terrorists" actually were.

Yes, I have heard of Irgun and Begin, I have also heard of Shas and Haganah.

Those organizations appeared to fight those who were grabbing Jewish refugees running for their lives and tossing them back under the sabers of Russian cassacs, or into the nazi death camps.

Irgun was the loose cannon among them, and they committed a few unnecessary acts of violence, such as the massacre of Der Yassin, for which other zionists condemned them.

Jewish terrorism was caused by desperate situation, it was either kill or die, no third option on the table.

So, it's too far-fetched to use it as an excuse for Arab terrorism, caused by prejudice. No one is exterminating Arabs, no one would have any excuse to expel them either, if they had not started the war.

Right now, they are welcome to stop the war at any time, and nothing terrible will happen to them, except that they will have to keep living next door to Jews, which some of them seem to consider th fate worse than death.

Jordan offered them Jodanian citizenship many years ago and they refused. As they say in America, you can take the criminal out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the criminal.

I have heard the same words spoken from a number of my Arab acquaintances regarding the Palestinians.They tell me,they are known as the "shyt" arabs or people because no one wants them.This issue could have been resolved decades ago had the Arabs in the area been more humanitarian towards their fellow Arabs.But it seems,no one would accept them into their countries.Instead they give money to them to avoid any conflict with the Koran and Allah!

God shirley didn't promise sheiss to sheiss.

I really wish God didn't promise the same land to two different groups who take this promise very seriously.

I really wish the two different groups of people weren't so @!$%#ing stupid as to believe God promised them @!$%#.

And don't call me Shirley!

Only if Israel is fired on first. The Palestinians are dumb enough to do it because it fits their agenda, which, they don't even know what their agenda is.

What the Palestinians are building in Palestine is not a settlement, it is their home.

"Palestine" = Oz.

.

Steven B = Tin Man

Fatah settlers (aka terrorists) build illegal "settlements" in Judea.

What Jews build in Judea is not a God Damned Fatah Settlement, it is homes for their people in their homeland.

Eli100 : You can keep living in your illusion, but the UN and most countries on this planet have spoken, that land is part of the state of Palestine.

Steve B = Scarecrow.

Sorry to bust the bubble boys, it seems a lot like what Americans did with the Indigenous people here is the States, looks like a reservations to me, only worse. How many Palestinians can afford $75,000 and $140,000 ? I see it as a move to get the Gaza Strip, much better land.. water front property, kind of like Manhattan..

Michael,

You can keep living your illusion, but what UN has discredited itself the day they allowed Jordan to grab Jerusalem. What UN says or "most countries on this planet" say is now irrelevant.

Boromir,

You might be surprised "How many Palestinians can afford $75,000 and $140,000" you might want to google "water parks of Gaza".

@eli100

You speak like a true apartheid loving zionist/racist. Is it any wonder humanity hates your ilk?

Implacable,

You speak like an idiot. You invented yourself some horror story about apartheid and you cling to it by the skin of your teeth. Fortunately you don't speak for humanity, at most, you speak for a petty mod of fanatics.

Hate breeds hate for the sake of hate. You can not speak to a person who is irrational and has decided they hate an entire race or group of people. It has been passed down from generation to generation. And that folks is what causes all of the pain and misery on this planet. Only humans are capable of such horrors.

FROM; http://ifamericansknew.com/stats/usaid.html

“Since the October War in 1973, Washington has provided Israel with a level of support dwarfing the amounts provided to any other state. It has been the largest annual recipient of direct U.S. economic and military assistance since 1976 and the largest total recipient since World War ll. Total direct U.S. aid to Israel amounts to well over $140 billion in 2003 dollars. Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is roughly one-fifth of America's entire foreign aid budget. In per capita terms, the United States gives each Israeli a direct subsidy worth about $500 per year. This largesse is especially striking when one realizes that Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per capita income roughly equal to South Korea or Spain.”

@Eli100

Apparently you're another Nakba holocaust denier. I guess I can add fascist to your profile. The vast majority of the world is on to your crimes against humanity. The arc of justice is long ... you'll get yours in spades.

Eli100 : Actually no, the UN is totally relevant.

They're the reason not a single country on earth has its embassy in Jerusalem, it's the reason that will cause countries in the near future to apply sanctions on Israel once the newly formed state of Palestine joins the International Court of Justice and sues Israel.

As much as you might dislike the UN, it can break Israel's back economically through its decisions so it's totally relevant.

Implacable,

Nakba, is the time when Arabs started a pointless war, lost it and suffered the consequences. Coparing that to Holocaust is beyond idiotic. However, I see why you enjoy throwing the word "fascist" around, since you and your miss those guys so much and wish they were more successful in their project.

The arc of justice is indeed long, that's why the likes of you who once were able to run the show, now can do no more than post insults on the net.

You will just have to face it: never again.

Michael,

Thank you for giving me a good laugh. Your buddies from the Arab states offer to sanction Israel every month or so, and they always get vetoed, because any state that is not ran by crazy islamists has discovered that doing business with Israel pays off and they don't let go of a good deal.

If Palestine ever becomes a state, it will be just one more vote to get squashed by the veto.

There was one moment, when UN tried to take away American veto. Bush Sr. simply threatened to turn of the plumbing to UN building and they all immediately backed off, showing exactly how irrelevant they are.

A political move for whose benefit?

What a dork.

They will all march into a modern planned metropolis with WalMarts, swimming pool, theaters, and bars? YEA RIGHT? All courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers via Obozo's New Deal Plan.

Whaaa? Are you one of those people who make everything about Obama?

A friend of mine just came back from Israel on a tour of the "holy land" He said the Christians there built some new condos. They are all built, but guess what, the Israeli government will not permit them to be hooked up for water. If you are not Jewish, you are regarded as nothing but an obstacle to a full blooded Jewish state. That Jewish state has no borders, because they accept what is given to them, but do not give up their vision of a greater Israel , which will be on land which now belongs to Arab nations.

They are swine. They not only discriminate against Muslims, they discriminate against Christians. I am an atheist, but I at least care about others. The Zionist mindset is best exemplified with this comment from David Ben Gurion.

“The acceptance of partition does
not commit us to renounce Transjordan; one does not demand from anybody to give
up his vision. We shall accept a state in the boundaries fixed today. But the
boundaries of Zionist aspirations are the concern of the Jewish people and no
external factor will be able to limit them.” David Ben-Gurion, in 1936,
quoted in Noam Chomsky, “The Fateful Triangle.”

Zionists are pompous a$$es, who are takers, without an ounce of compassion for anyone but a fellow Jew.

Zionists are pompous a$$es, who are takers, without an ounce of compassion for anyone but a fellow Jew.

You can say the same thing about muslims. Well, other than the fact that muslims dont have a ounce of compassion for each other, either.

So, how bad can it be? The worst jews are at worst, just like muslims.

"...He said the Christians there built some new condos. They are all built, but guess what, the Israeli government will not permit them to be hooked up for water. If you are not Jewish, you are regarded as nothing but an obstacle to a full blooded Jewish state..."

What's the complete story Ralphy?

And here is where you reveal yourself to be the anti-semite that you are:

"...They are swine..."

Nuff said. Now put on your SS uniform, march down to the playground, and go play in the sand.

Hey Knightarm- If you act like swine, you are swine. I gave the whole story as it was told to me by a man of principle.

If you ask the Jewish woman and her children, who live across the street from me what knid of person I am, she would give a glowing report. My beef is with Zionists who use America as an ATM card, which is never repaid.

ralph - Your useless Iranian fanatical lies are getting so big that believing any of them has become synanymous with stupidity. "your friends" came back from Israel? ans we are going to believe your non sense? Palestininas, whom your theocratic murderous regime of Iran consider filthy and uses their name just for political games, have no civil rights in ANY arab/ muslim country, but they hold jobs, own businesses, homes, their kids go to school, and hold political offices in Israel. What a contrast with your lies. Reality hurts.

By the way ralph - In Israel they can speak their mind, there is freedom of speech, as in all democracies. (That bothers you doesn't it?). Try that in your backyard in Iran, and next you know your behind is dragged out at night and you will never be seen again. That would be nice.

RalphH

Hey Knightarm- If you act like swine, you are swine. I gave the whole story as it was told to me by a man of principle.

If you ask the Jewish woman and her children, who live across the street from me what knid of person I am, she would give a glowing report. My beef is with Zionists who use America as an ATM card, which is never repaid.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ralph, most of the world uses the USA as an ATM machine. America tries to purchase love with money just lie men purchase a prostitute. When the money stops, the love stops. America hasn't learned, you can purchase temporary love, but no amount of money can purchase respect.

They will get their roads & water, when they stop firing rockets into Israel.