Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

ITLOTB
Disliking the way that Israel behaves does not make anyone a Nazi. The repression in the West Bank is worse than what is going on in Egypt. If the Egyptian population decide to vote in a fundamental Isalmic governemnt then that's their choice. I think it is very unlikely though. Have you noticed how mant banners with pictures of Mubarak have stars of david on his forehead. The crowd frequently chant "Mubarak go back to Israel".

The peace deal with Egypt in 1979 was very unpopular and resulkted in Sadat being assassinated two years later. In the event of a new democratic government in Egypt that peace treay may be cancelled. There are already calls for a new Egyptian government to recognise Hamas. The PA in the West Bank are getting nervous since the Wikileaks revelations. They are planning elections soon but seem terrified as to the result.

Life for Israel may be quite different post Mubarak. Jordan may remain their only ally in the Arab world. Jordan, though, is also heading the democracy route.

The problem I see is finding the map to finding the route and then avoiding the boulders, which will be strewn on that route.

I think Mubarak has to go within the next few weeks and also the majority of his henchmen.

Also. any misappropriated funds frozen and then returned to the Egyptian state.

Also, it would like to see "free" elections throughout the ME with equality of rights in all of the populace of those countries. That includes Israel.

But i think the two state solution will provide more problems than it will resolve.

any misappropriated funds frozen and then returned to the Egyptian state ..... dream on; when did you ever know that to happen???

To-morrow's reality is made from to-day's dreams.

I can only see the Egypt situation being resolved if the protestors manage to call an extended general strike. Then the army may have to resolve the situation. The alternative is that it may drag on for weeks with more and more people returning to work.

"To-morrow's reality is made from to-day's dreams."


Who is this guy? Sounds like a copy writer for a 1950s deodorant ad

OMG the sheer lies on this thread -
"Also, it would like to see "free" elections throughout the ME with equality of rights in all of the populace of those countries. That includes Israel."

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East - so far. The implication that Arabs can't vote is a simple lie from an arch liar. Why does he think there are Arab Members of the Knesset (like our MPs)?

general strike about what? ..... and even if there were, why would the army intervene? ...... as far as i can determine, even the unrest is fairly localised, albeit it is in the key city of cairo, plus a few others about which nothing is reported.

my guess is that mubarak will disappear off the scene within say the next 4/8 weeks, and some sort of interim gov't will be put in place, no doubt under the "protection" of the army

ITLOB - tell me more, for i also thought the palestinians/arabs were disenfranchised in israel

ITLOTB
I think you will find that
"...with equality of rights in all of the populace of those countries. That includes Israel."

applies to the lack of rights of Arabs living in Israel and not the voting. Many Arab parties are banned in Israel. It is almost impossible for an Arab to buy land in Israel. Many Arab MPs in the Israeli parliament are banned from parliament for supporting the Palestinians. The UN human rights constantly criticises Israel for human rights abuse aginst Arab citizens.

This from the Jerusalem Post

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=170735

Fifty percent of Jewish Israeli high-schoolers believe that Arab Israelis should not be granted the same rights as their Jewish counterparts, according to a new Maagar Mohot poll of 536 15-to-18-year-olds.

Furthermore, Arabs should be prevented from running for Knesset, 56 percent of the Jewish children said.

Fifty percent of the Jewish youngsters who defined themselves as religious said the Death to Arabs slogan was legitimate.

Arabs who are Israeli citizens vote for parliamentary and municipal elections. Most define themselves as Israeli citizens of Palestinian nationality. If I remember correctly there are at least three Arab parties represented in the Knesset. About 30% of Israel's population is Arab or Druze, and mainly Muslim.
Many serve in the Israeli Defence Forces and they are represented throughout civic life.
One of the Supreme Court judges is a Palestinian Arab.

cynic
There are large demonstrations in all the Egyptian cities every day. There have been tens of thousand in Alexandria today. A genberal strike would nean the closing down of everything. It is interesting that yesterday the banks opened for a few hours and a lot of people were saying that they had withdrawn enugh money to buy food for 2 weeks. If all of business Egyptian life stops the army might get involved and tell the Pharaoh to leave. It is the army that has the real power and it has been that way since the early 1950s.

both curious and interesting ...... so from where does the bit about palestinians (arabs) being precluded from selling out to jews (israelis) emanate? ...... are palestinians (arabs) truly allowed to become israeli citizens with equal rights and all that that entails?

ITLOTB
Arab or Druze can serve in the army, but not Palestinian Arabs.

if the army has held the power since the early 50s, they have been remarkable quiescent and have actually remained pretty neutral in recent weeks

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what is the difference between an "arab" and a "palestinian arab" and how can you tell? ..... a yellow star perhaps?

cynic
The bit about Palestinians selling to Israelis is really to do with property oned by them in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. Is a law passed by the Palestinians in 'their' territory, but rarely enforced. I say 'their', because of course it is occupied by the IOF.

Some Arabs do own land in Israel. It is mainly land that was owned a long time ago. It is almost impossibe now.

Amazing.
No it isn't.
Some people won't let facts get in the way of their prejudices and hatreds.

Not all Arabs in the region call themselves Palestinian Arabs. If they live in Israel and call themselves that then they expect trouble.

interesting especially re jerusalem .... imo theroux is an honest observer, and the implication in his programme the other day was that the properties that had been bought might well have been effectively "compulsory purchases" or along those lines

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so a "palestinian arab" is only such because he chooses to call himself that and not because he has some distinguishing characteristic .... of course by doing so, he would indeed invite "trouble" just as would someone who openly chose to describe himself as a member of BNP in Golders Green

The compulsory purchase is based on the Israeli 'absentee property law'. If a Palestinian own a property and is not living there then the state can take it. This is frequently when the owner has been expelled from the West Bank and is living in Gaza or is a Palestinian refugee.

In 1950 Israel used the Absentee Property Law to expropriate property belonging to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes during the 1948-49 war. The Israeli law violates Article 46 of the Hague Convention, which prohibits confiscation of private property in occupied territory."

"In Israel, Arab villages were bulldozed over, citrus groves, lands, and property seized, and their owners and inhabitants prohibited from returning. Indeed, not only was the property of "absentee" Palestinians expropriated, but any Palestinians who moved from one place within Israel to another during the war were declared "present absentees" and their property expropriated as well.

"Of the 860,000 Arabs who had lived in areas of Palestine that became Israel, only 133,000 remained. Some 470,000 moved into refugee camps on the West Bank (controlled by Jordan) or the Gaza Strip (administered by Egypt). The rest dispersed to Lebanon, Syria, and other countries"