# Ask the "crazy" settler **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889 "2010-09-15T21:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/141 "2010-09-18T04:07:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@PlainJain](#): > > > > _“If the UN, the EU, and the International Court of Justice would worry about the worries, ills, and troubles of the entire world as much as they worried about Israel, the world would be a much better place.”_ > > I think that’s a pretty good answer. 🙂 No it isn’t. It’s no answer at all. It’s weaselly and evasive hand waving grounded in a false premise. And not for nothing, but Israel IS one of the world’s most serious problems. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/142 "2010-09-18T04:17:34Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > > > We could have learned something. We could have seen inside a little bit of the mess in this region. Instead we run off the poster. Wonderful. > > > > I can recall when the SDMB was better than most parts of the internet. > > Bologna. The OP made it clear he knew what he was doing by moving where he moved. He acknowledged that he was making a “political statement” by living there and as to the dangers of living there, he reports: _“there are constant reports of rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at cars on an almost daily basis. By rocks, I mean projectiles that do serious damage; rocks that weigh several pounds”._ > > And yet you think a few taunts on a trivia message board ran him off? That’s some pretty funny stuff, that is. > > Look, I don’t care what color his drapes are or how the dog walking goes. The OP openly admits his choice goes against world opinion. It’s inconceivable he didn’t expect the questions he has gotten. He started this thread with no restrictions on the questions. When asked by **Blake** : > _“How do you feel about the fact that, legalities aside, you are living on land taken by miliary force from innocent people who are now forced to live as refugees or second class citizens?”_ > The OP responded: > _“If the UN, the EU, and the International Court of Justice would worry about the worries, ills, and troubles of the entire world as much as they worried about Israel, the world would be a much better place.”_ > C’mon OP, it’s a few taps on the keyboard. Just answer the damn questions you invited. It’s Yom Kippur and he’s an orthodox Jew. You won’t be hearing from him for at least a day. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/143 "2010-09-18T04:19:44Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > [@LurkMeister](#): > > > > Ah, so your real question was “I disagree with how the US is choosing to spend my tax dollars, and because you (the OP) indirectly benefit from this how you justify it?” > > No, my real question was why does the OP believe that I should have to subsidize actions I view as illegal and unethical. Maybe he doesn’t. He has no control over U.S. tax policy. Or U.S. foreign policy, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/144 "2010-09-18T04:22:52Z")
Then when she comes back we’ll find out if she supports Israel rejecting all aid from the US. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/145 "2010-09-18T04:23:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@PlainJain](#): > > > > _“If the UN, the EU, and the International Court of Justice would worry about the worries, ills, and troubles of the entire world as much as they worried about Israel, the world would be a much better place.”_ > > I think that’s a pretty good answer. 🙂 It’s not an answer – it’s a dodge. The OP wasn’t asked about the UN, the EU, or the ICJ – she was asked about how SHE felt. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/146 "2010-09-18T11:53:00Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I am moving this thread back to **MPSIMS**. > > The point of the thread is to permit questions of the OP regarding the OP’s perception of life in the settlements. > > **Questions are welcome, but it is not a thread for debate and if the OP chooses to declare an opinion with which one disagrees, the appropriate response is to open a separate thread in GD or The BBQ Pit challenging that opinion. Deliberate insults and accusations are not appropriate in MPSIMS and rather than moving the thread, the next time the OP is attackesd as a person, the attacker will simply be given a Warning for violating board rules.** > > Further discussion of the overall issue will be conducted in the [**ATMB** thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=578606) already noted, above. Do not further hijack this thread with more off-topic comments or complaints. > > [/Moderating] emphasis added > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > [@LurkMeister](#): > > > > I freely admit my ignorance of many aspects of the political issues that have hijacked this thread, but my curiosity has been piqued: in what way are you, as an American, paying the OP to live where he is? > > The US gives Israel billions of dollars a year in aid. I want to know why I should give up a dime to subsidize apartheid and protect illegal squatters. **Dio** , the word “apartheid” was obviously chosen with polemical intent. I have issued a warning for ignoring moderator instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/147 "2010-09-18T12:51:04Z")
I’m also curious about the risks of buying and developing land that could end up ceded by treaty, but if the OP won’t be back until after sundown in Israel (~1 p.m. EDT), I’ll check back later. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/148 "2010-09-18T13:49:33Z")
Yom Kippur? It wasn’t mentioned in the local papers. I simply forgot. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/149 "2010-09-18T20:44:52Z")
Ladies and Gentlemen, you did not run me off. As someone posted, last night and today was Yom Kippur (which coincided with Shabbat). Weekends in Israel are Friday and Saturday. Since Shabbat starts Friday night, we usually spend most of the day cleaning up from the week and running a few errands here and there. I don’t usually spend time on the computer, because my kids are home from school and want to use it. To answer another question, I am a male. “Shinna minna ma” are some nonsense syllables that my little cousin used to say all the time. “Shinna” is not a name. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/150 "2010-09-18T20:48:05Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > If a Jewish state had been established in Austria instead of Palestine, would you still have wanted to move to a Jewish state or would the fact that it wasn’t in the holy land make the move not worthwhile? We would not have moved there. I lived in a very Jewish area before we moved, but as Jewish as it is, it’s not Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/151 "2010-09-18T20:51:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m also curious about the risks of buying and developing land that could end up ceded by treaty, but if the OP won’t be back until after sundown in Israel (~1 p.m. EDT), I’ll check back later. We have not bought land, but there are no available lots in our area. People are still building houses. There’s always a risk, but it’s one that people have taken since the yishuv was established 30 years ago. The banks don’t have a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/152 "2010-09-18T21:39:33Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > > I’m also curious about the risks of buying and developing land that could end up ceded by treaty, but if the OP won’t be back until after sundown in Israel (~1 p.m. EDT), I’ll check back later. > > We have not bought land, but there are no available lots in our area. People are still building houses. There’s always a risk, but it’s one that people have taken since the yishuv was established 30 years ago. The banks don’t have a problem with it. **Shinna** , you are a brave man. I so wish the best for you and your family. Do you have any Palistinian friends or co-workers at all ? Do you think Palistinians in the territories and Israelis could ever live side by side peacefully? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/153 "2010-09-18T22:36:37Z")
I don’t believe this has been established yet: do you support the creation of a Palestinian state? If so, where? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/154 "2010-09-18T23:39:16Z")
my 40something year old stepsister has become a very Orthodox jew, going so far as to live in a certain area in L.A. with a jewish "community, withing walking distance of her temple, keeping kosher, teaching her kids Hebrew, etc. Like the OP I guess, but not quite to that extent (yet). Her husband (also Orthodox and an Israeli) has to drive about 90 minutes each way to work as a result of their choice of neighborhoods. As far as I can tell, it has little to do with “God” and more to do with living by a set of rules to be part of this particular group. I’m not even sure they believe in God. So, my question, **Shinna Minna Ma** , since you didn’t answer my last one, is whether you have moved to Israel to be to be a “good jew” and be around others who are also, or because you think it’s part of what God wants for you? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/155 "2010-09-19T00:38:26Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > To answer another question, I am a male. “Shinna minna ma” are some nonsense syllables that my little cousin used to say all the time. “Shinna” is not a name. Doh! :smack: Thanks for clarifying that. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/156 "2010-09-19T05:55:36Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Even given equal armament, I’m pretty sure the Palestinians couldn’t field a comparable amount of well-trained, well-motivated manpower. I was presupposing good training and I think the motivation is there (or do you think they strap bombs to their chests out of laziness?) > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Their claim of ownership is based on their ability to hold land by force not because they have any right to the land they took during the war. So aren’t you saying exactly what i said? > > Well, if you attack someone and lose territory as a result, I guess you’re just screwed, aren’t you? Sounds fair to me. In any case, why don’t Egypt and Jordan simply annex the disputed territories and try to draw up permanent borders with Israel? I dunno, maybe they have drawn up borders amongst themselves without Israel’s input. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/157 "2010-09-19T06:02:28Z")
Did you see my question in post #129? ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/158 "2010-09-22T16:04:33Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > How do you feel about the fact that. legalities aside, you are living on land taken by miliary force from innocent people who are now forced to live as refugees or second class citizens? This is from waaaay back in post #4. I am very interested in hearing the OP’s answer. A quip about how things would be better if the EU did this or that is in not in any way an answer to this question. It seems like slippery evasive rhetoric. Read: “How do you feel about…” Not: “What effect would it have if the EU…” I’m kind of amazed this got past everyone, and one poster even claimed (was it irony?!) that the “answer” was a “good” one. So- [ahem] as Blake asked back in post #4- How do you feel about the fact that. legalities aside, you are living on land taken by miliary force from innocent people who are now forced to live as refugees or second class citizens? If this was indeed answered and I missed it please direct me to the answer. This is the question I am most curious about in this thread. Eagerly awaiting an answer, BB ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/159 "2010-09-22T16:07:08Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > How do you feel about the fact that. legalities aside, you are living on land taken by miliary force from innocent people who are now forced to live as refugees or second class citizens? I’m not the OP, but I’m curious as to whether you’d ask the same question of all American citizens? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889/160 "2010-09-22T16:17:12Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > How do you feel about the fact that. legalities aside, you are living on land taken by miliary force from innocent people who are now forced to live as refugees or second class citizens? Hey, so do I. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-crazy-settler/553889.md?page=9)