# Support Palestinian guerrillas. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 24, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413 "2002-11-24T00:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/61 "2002-11-27T18:24:37Z")
Kimtsu: The article you talk linked too (titled “The Palestinian Community of Israeli Citizens”) talks about the nonviolent protest of Arab (Palestinian) Israeli’s, not the Palestinian’s who live on the West Bank/Gaza Strip. Outside of Israel (ie West Bank/Gaza and surrounding countries) violence is the norm as your article states: _While Palestinian nonviolence is the norm within Israel, advocates of that approach suffer more difficulties elsewhere. For the small Palestinian communities in the repressive oil-rich dictatorships Libya, Syria and Iraq and in the Syrian-dominated parts of Lebanon, the only way to carry out such politics is to emigrate. In these repressive countries, security services have organized extreme Palestinian groups, who use terror against Israel and assassinate Palestinian peace advocates._ While the article later goes on to document Palestinian attempts at peaceful process, these peaceful protests have been few and far between and overshadowed by violence from terrorist groups such as Hamas/Hezbollah/Al-Aqsa and so on… ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/62 "2002-11-27T18:25:43Z")
urk… peceafull process = peaceful protest ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/63 "2002-11-27T20:03:35Z")
Right, **Skip** , my point is that many on both sides (Palestinian and Israeli alike) are trying to **suppress** Palestinian nonviolent resistance—even though most people think it would work better than the current situation, and a number of Palestinians and Israelis alike keep trying to implement it. As evinced by the Israeli legal ban on organizing such resistance, and the intimidation from Palestinian terrorist groups, extremists are more afraid of the peaceful-minded people on their own side than of their official enemies. Nobody’s trying to claim that peaceful responses haven’t been in the minority during the history of this conflict. We’re just pointing out that you were wrong to say that there has been “ **no** chance at peaceful protest being even seemingly **considered** ” right from “day one”. On the contrary, there **is** peaceful protest among Palestinians, and considering how many people on both sides have been trying to stomp on it and how thoroughly it’s been ignored in the mainstream media, I’m somewhat amazed that they’ve managed to produce even as much of it as they have. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/64 "2002-11-27T21:44:44Z")
Support the Palestinian People?..Yes. Support the Palestinian Guerillas?..No. ---
**Author:** ![Blivit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@Blivit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blivit)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/65 "2002-11-28T05:17:19Z")
> [@](#): > > The Palestinian struggle however has been marked with violence from day one with no chance at peaceful protest being even seemingly considered. > [@](#): > > Too bad there doesn’t appear to be any Palestinian leaders willing to show this level of self-sacrifice. Instead of a Mandella or Ghandi, the only thing the Palestinians get is Arafat Perhaps the problem is this: > [@](#): > > In 1972, Moshe Dayan was attempting to create a group of Quislings as an alternative leadership to the PLO. To confound this plan, and organise the people, the following year I was one of the founders of the Palestinian National Front in the occupied territories (PNF). Two months after our first meetings (advocating a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict), the Israeli military occupation authority exiled me for 20 years. Hundreds of community and professional leaders, the majority advocates of peace, were exiled without trial. Neither side wants peace. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/66 "2002-12-05T03:40:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Azael \* > \*\*I can’t help but feel that all this talk about “not targeting civilians” is somewhat duplicitous. Palestinians are targeted every day by being relagated to second class citizens in their own ancestral home. \*\* Ancestral home? Aren’t the Palestinians refugees? I love rhetoric! ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/67 "2002-12-05T06:51:16Z")
I may be mistaken, but, IIRC, Israel didn’t start this whole mess. A whole bunch of Arabs did, in the late 40s/early 50s. Someting about rubbing the newlyfounded Jewish state (created by the U.N., if I’m not mistaken?) off of the face of the Earth? Wait, didn’t the Arabs try again in in the 60s? Then again in the 70s? Large-scale direct attacks with massed armies? With tanks and jet fighters? Gee, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a sock puppet for the western media, buying into the pro-zionist propoganda spawned by the infidel Jews… :rolleyes: Then again, maybe the people and religion that launched three major wars of aggression against a recently devastated population attempting to create a country out of nothing in the middle of a desert should really, and I mean _really, think very, very **hard** _ about that whole “God’s Chosen People” thing the Jews have going on. I mean, consider: enslaved by the Romans, dispersed/displaced by force from their homelands, subjected to the kind of economic and cultural isolation that would obliterate lesser cultures, subjected to violent pogroms throught their scattered history, subjected to very real and fairly successfull attempts to exterminate them all permanently (if only in Europe), and then given a handfull of desert sand and told to make a home, a community and a country out of it. Jesus-Wept-On-The Cross! If anybody could tell some neo-Highlander historical revisionist to quit whining about The Clearances and grow a spine, it’s the Israelis. They may have had massive US military assistance in the last 50-60 years, but only to counterbalance the oil-rich, Soviet equipped genocidal Arab Muslims screaming “Jihad!” as they rolled the T-55s, T-62s and T-72s on Tel Aviv. I consider it tax dollars well spent. Fuck the Palestinians. They shouldn’t have ran; they shouldn’t have agreed with abd fought alongside of the Egyptians, the Syrians, or any other rag-head who picked up an AK-47 to cleanse the Earth of the “Unclean Jew Infidel.” They should’ve read their history instead, and made nice with their new neighbors. Reap the whirlwind, Palestine. It’s the bitter harvest of the poisonous hatred you have sowed. ---
**Author:** ![Chumpsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chumpsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chumpsky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/68 "2002-12-05T06:56:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ExTank \* > **I may be mistaken, …** This was the only true statement in your post. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/69 "2002-12-05T07:57:09Z")
Huh. Never figured you for a racist **ExTank** - I always had rather more respect for you than that. I’m sure you couldn’t care less, but you’ve dropped a couple of notches in my estimation. As it happens I don’t happen to agree with either your or **Chumpsky’s** black and white view of the events in that corner of the world, though you might be surprised just how much I do agree with in regards to certain specifics. But that’s neither here nor there. I get tired about arguing about those issues. But “rag-head”? Why not just stick to “sand-nigger” next time? It’s scarcely less offensive or any more inappropriate in GD, IMHO. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/70 "2002-12-05T08:13:29Z")
So, then, **Chumpsky.** Let me see if I understand your version of Israel’s actions: Israel, one day and out-of-the-blue, just started aggressively expanding it’s borders, yes? It looked upon Palestine and the Palestinians as just one of many speedbumps it was going to have to roll over on its way to world conquest? (If so, they should be reaching the shores of the USA in about 4,000 years.) Also: These statements are false, either directly or by implication? > [@](#): > > **A whole bunch of Arabs did, in the late 40s/early 50s. Someting about rubbing the newlyfounded Jewish state (created by the U.N., if I’m not mistaken?) off of the face of the Earth?** Hmmm…I seem to recall something in, oh, what was it? '47? '48? April 15, 1948? Does that ring a bell to anyone? Something about Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, a few others perhaps, launching a war the day after Israel officially came into existence? > [@](#): > > **Wait, didn’t the Arabs try again in in the 60s? Then again in the 70s? Large-scale direct attacks with massed armies? With tanks and jet fighters?** Whassup, **Chumpsky?** Never heard of the Six Day War? The Yom Kippur War? > [@](#): > > **Then again, maybe the people and religion that launched three major wars of aggression…** See Above. > [@](#): > > **…against a recently devastated population attempting to create a country out of nothing in the middle of a desert…** Created by agreement of the U.N. Assembly 29 November, 1947. Slightly over two years after the end of WW II. Where Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party planned and executed the slaughter of over 6,000,000 Jews, among others. > [@](#): > > **I mean, consider: enslaved by the Romans, …** You’re _seriously_ disputing this? > [@](#): > > **…dispersed/displaced by force from their homelands, …** And this, _too?!_ > [@](#): > > **…subjected to violent pogroms throught their scattered history, …** Apparently, you’ve never met and talked with a Russian Jew… Oh wait! Silly me. Just more Jew propoganda. > [@](#): > > **…subjected to very real and fairly successfull attempts to exterminate them all permanently (if only in Europe), and then given a handfull of desert sand and told to make a home, a community and a country out of it.** Again, answered above. > [@](#): > > **They may have had massive US military assistance in the last 50-60 years,…** We can agree on this, yes? Or am I still mistaken? Or lying? > [@](#): > > **…but only to counterbalance the oil-rich, Soviet equipped genocidal Arab Muslims screaming “Jihad!” as they rolled the T-55s, T-62s and T-72s on Tel Aviv.** So whose tanks were the Israelis firing upon from the Golan Heights? Did Syria independently design and manufacture their own tank that, amazingly enough, was identical to the Soviet’s T-72? **Chumpsky:** a more appropriate screen name could not have been devised for you by ten Dopers working together. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/71 "2002-12-05T08:45:53Z")
Sorry to offend your oh-so-delicate sensibilities, **Tamerlane.** If I had seen your post before I had responded to **Chumpsky,** I would have been all-too-happy to oblige you. I am sick and tired of Arab apologists laying the blame for the current situation in the middle east on Israel’s doorstep. For God’s sake, the Jews just wanted a place to live where no one could stuff them into incinerators and gymnasium-sized gas chambers in job lots, but that’s not good enough for the freakin’ towel headed fucks. _They_ have to launch not one, not two, but _three_ outright wars of agression against Israel, the first one the _day_ after they were officially recognized by the United Nations. Talk about your fucking brass balls! Why didn’t the Arabs just whip out their dicks and write “Fuck You!” on the side of the U.N. Headquarters in their own piss? And these same people have the nerve to accuse the United States of unilateralism? _And people around the world actually buy it?!_ But NOOOOOOOOOO! That’s not good enough. After getting their asses handed to them not once, not twice, but three times in a row, and having been saved from the Israeli’s completely annihilating their armed forces by U.N. intervention, they have to start machinegunning and blowing up grocery shoppers and children’s school busses. Could the Israeli’s have handled the situation better? Well, sure, in some absolute, perfect world that exists in think-tanks, the minds of news commentators, talk-show hosts and hindsight. But I’ll be damned if anyone could figure out how to better handle being surrounded by hostile peoples armed to the teeth and determined to scrub your nation and people out of existence, at least in that little corner of the world. I seriously doubt that there’s a people on this planet more sensitive to the horrors of genocide than the Israelis. And yet: if the Israelis decided that the only way to have peace was to start stuffing Arabs into incinerators and gymnasium-sized gas chambers…well, I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) condone it. But I certainly could appreciate and understand the motivation behind it. So, **Tamerlane,** if I am less-than-PC where the Arabs/Muslims are concerned (that is, those advocating the destruction of Israel, Western Civilization and all non-Muslims in general), then boo-fucking-hoo. I have no respect for religious fundamentalists of any type to begin with; those who resort to violence even less. But I have a very special, dark place in my heart and soul for those who feel the need to export it beyond the borders of their own country in the name of God, Allah, Yahwey, Shiva, Buddha, Murphy, or the Great Pumpkin, by randomly attacking civillians. “Evil White Man.” Brother, they have _no_ idea. ---
**Author:** ![Chumpsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chumpsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chumpsky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/72 "2002-12-05T08:52:30Z")
Just to pick one point out of your racist, ignorant screed: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ExTank \* > \*\*_They_ have to launch not one, not two, but _three_ outright wars of agression against Israel, the first one the _day_ after they were officially recognized by the United Nations. > \*\* Actually, Israel proper has never been attacked since 1948. On the other hand, Israel has launched several wars of aggression, including the Six Day War and its various adventures in Lebanon. Furthermore, the “rag heads” and “towel-headed fucks” did not leave their lands voluntarily in 1948, as is often claimed by Israeli apologists. Rather, they were kicked out in an extensive ethnic cleansing campaign in which some 700,000 Palestinians were kicked off of land that their ancestors had been living on for hundreds of years. Also, it is kind of amusing to watch blatant racists appeal to the Nazi Holocaust as justification for the monstrous crimes committed against the Palestinians. Few things arouse more disgust than when people use a great tragedy to push their own highly oppressive political agendas. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/73 "2002-12-05T09:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry to offend your oh-so-delicate sensibilities, **Tamerlane**. Not offended, exactly. I’m not Arab, for one thing. Just surprised that you would use such a term in GD. Do you honestly think it is any more PC than somebody being surprised when someone starts railing about “niggers” committing crimes in some neighborhood? I agree the PC movement can get out hand, but casual use of racial slurs is not acceptable IMO, even hardcore conservatives like Dinesh D’Souza seem to agree with that. Not that I am calling you a racist, necessarily. But you do give me cause to wonder if you feel no compunction slurring folks like that. I’m hoping you’re just worked up and aren’t in the habit of tossing around “Those damn towel-heads this…” and “Those stupid wetbacks that…” as a matter of course. > [@](#): > > I would have been all-too-happy to oblige you. In what? I wasn’t looking for a fight. In truth, I’m not even looking for a debate ( though I suppose I might end up there ). Just wanted to express my opinion. > [@](#): > > I am sick and tired of Arab apologists laying the blame for the current situation in the middle east on Israel’s doorstep. I don’t necessarily disagree with your sentiment. It’s your expresion of it that I think could use some work. > [@](#): > > _They_ have to launch… > > … they have to start machinegunning and blowing up grocery shoppers and children’s school busses. My problem is lumping all Arabs into _they_. You may have just disavowed such a generalization when you say… > [@](#): > > that is, those advocating the destruction of Israel, Western Civilization and all non-Muslims in general), …But the tenor of your post seems to _me_ to be accusatory towards all Arabs ( i.e. the Palestinians deserve what they get, because _they_ lost - even though quite a few of _them_ never bombed anyone, nor had a say in any of this ). > [@](#): > > I have no respect for religious fundamentalists of any type to begin with; those who resort to violence even less. I couldn’t agree more. Though I’ll note that all three ( but especially the last two ) of those wars were launched by secular nationalists, not religious fundamentalists ( said fundamentalists actually despised those folks and eventually managed to assassinate one of them, Anwar Sadat ). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/74 "2002-12-05T09:23:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, Israel proper has never been attacked since 1948. On the other hand, Israel has launched several wars of aggression, including the Six Day War and its various adventures in Lebanon. Furthermore, the “rag heads” and “towel-headed fucks” did not leave their lands voluntarily in 1948, as is often claimed by Israeli apologists. Rather, they were kicked out in an extensive ethnic cleansing campaign in which some 700,000 Palestinians were kicked off of land that their ancestors had been living on for hundreds of years. I’ve discussed this with you before, but it is really not that clear-cut. I am simply not in the mood to do this yet again in the umpteenth thread, but you are seriously splitting hairs and being disingenuous in your claims that “Israel has never been attacked since 1948” or that “Six-Day War was a war of aggression”. Even Lebanon is equivocal ( though in truth you have a stronger case there ). Nor is _anybody_ exactly clear on who is responsible for most of the Arab clearances in Israel. _Some_ of it was undoubtedly voluntary, some was not. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/75 "2002-12-05T10:05:17Z")
**ExTank** , basically your post is correct but you leave out some facts that would confuse your clean cut view. Beginning with the Romans, they _occupied_ Judea, the Hebrews then started terrorist attacks. Does the word zealot ring a bell? This grew into a full rebellion, which got defeated. Fuck the Hebrews that left, they should have stayed and fought to the death, right? Btw, wouldn’t the Palestinians be the descendants of those who stayed? As to the early beginnings. After WWII the new state wasn’t created in an empty desert, as you suggest. People were living there. Oh and you conveniently start with the creation of the state. Let’s just forget about the Irgun and their terrorist attacks, like the blowing up of the King David Hotel. Reap the whirlwind Israel. Not so clear cut, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/76 "2002-12-05T12:53:19Z")
Chumpsky: _Actually, Israel proper has never been attacked since 1948. On the other hand, Israel has launched several wars of aggression, including the Six Day War and its various adventures in Lebanon._ Eh? Perhaps you missed the massive Arab troop buildup on the Israeli border in 1967 or missed these words uttered by Nasser before the 1967 war > [@](#): > > As of today, **there no longer exists an international emergency force to protect Israel** (he’d just thrown the UN out of the Sinai, who were previously a buffer between Egypt and Israel). We shall exercise patience no more. We shall not complain any more to the UN about Israel. **The sole method we shall apply against Israel is total war, which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence**. Or how about these said by Syria’s Minister of Defence at the time: > [@](#): > > Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, **but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland**. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united…I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation. The bolding is mine. Added to this Egypt closing the Straits of Tiran on May 22. So we have a massive troop buildup, basically a call for war by the Arab states and a blockade of Israel’s oil supply. And yet these aren’t somehow warlike acts? When Iraq joined the coalition and sent it’s troops to the borders, Iraqi President Abdur Rahman Aref had this to say > [@](#): > > **The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified**. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. **Our goal is clear – to wipe Israel off the map.** Gotta love that peace talk… And to somehow classify the 1973 Yom Kippur suprise attack as somehow really not an attack on Israel is borderline delusional. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/77 "2002-12-05T16:21:33Z")
**Ex Tank** > [@](#): > > They may have had massive US military assistance in the last 50-60 years IIRC, the newly-formed State of Israel was armed by the Czechs, with Uncle Joe’s blessing. “Massive US military assistance” only began during Nixon’s tenure, after the 1967 war. ---
**Author:** ![nswgru1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c4cdca/32.png) [@nswgru1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nswgru1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/78 "2002-12-05T16:36:40Z")
**AMEN BROTHER ExTank!!!** **Tamerlane** I really respect your knowlege and views on the Israel/palestine issue but let me hopefully explain something. Now I don’t want to put words into **ExTank’s** mouth but I have stayed away from the I/p threads for some time because even though you and I could go on for literally days debating the finer points of what happened when and our opinions of how it effected future events when someone as obviously ignorant as **Chump** sky comes along and starts spewing his crap it really gets old. Add to that our dearly departed \*\*Collunsbury \*\* and maybe you will get an idea of why I have stayed away from these threads lately. **ExTank** I agree with every single word you said and personally would have said it probably exactly the same way but for the love of G\_d please don’t follow down the road of **Collunsbury** the dark side and banishiment that path leads. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/79 "2002-12-05T17:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > Speaking for myself: > > Terrorism is when you target civilians. > War is when you target the armed forces. So you believe the Germans, the British and the US were acting like terrorists during WWII? Myself I can **understand** what leads to terrorism. People who have been marginalized in **their** opinion are dangerous animals. Look at terrorists from around the world and behind them all will be some form of oppression. People will do horrible things when they are angry. I see a lot of bullshit here about how can anyone support terrorism? Most of the time nobody is supporting anything just trying to put the terrorists POV forward. Terrorism is real, hatred is real. Terrorists reasons for fighting are real(These reason may be bullshit from your POV but that doesn’t change the fact that the terrorist is willing to die for these reasons). My basic point is that if you just turn your back on terrorist and dismiss their grievances by default then it will never end. Beyond this I don’t really want to get into it here as there are far too many polorised views for any worthwhile debate. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413/80 "2002-12-05T19:37:53Z")
**yojimbo:** as ever, the Voice of Reason. **Tamerlane** pretty much nailed it; **Chumpsky** just really pushed my buttons, and _hard._ I have nothing racially against people of any ethnic makeup; I also _generally_ have nothing against people based upon their religion (I kind of draw the line against things like the Thugee Murder Cult). I personally hold few, if any, strong religious beliefs. I will denounce violent Christian Fundamentalists in the same breath that I will denounce Islamic (or even Jewish) militant fundamentalists. **Latro:** the ancient Hebrews may have committed terrorist attacks against their Roman “occupiers,” but they did so with muscle powered weapons; knives, swords, spears, and bows. For their troubles, the Romans rounded them up and _expelled_ them. Every last one that they could identify, round up and transport. Given the nature of the Roman Empire, I’m really surprised that they didn’t just kill them all. But for the same reasons, committing genocide with muscle powered weaponry is a tiresome, time consuming endeavor. You can hardly compare the “uprising” or “revolt” of an agrarian-based, muscle-powered Hebrew society against Roman soldiers 2,000 years ago to the industrial-based and armed attacks (with machineguns and bombs) against Israeli civillians in the modern age. You also conveniently overlook the fact that the King David Hotel was the Headquarters of the British _Military_ Command in Palestine, and that they had been warned, in advance, of the explosives, and refused to acknowledge the threat in classic Anglo-Saxon myopia. If **Tamerlane** submits that **X** quantity of Palestinians left voluntarily and **Y** number were forcibly expelled by the Israelis, fine. I’ll not argue the point. My sympathies are with the **Ys** , and my condemnation upon the Israelis who concieved, executed, and condoned such forcible relocations. But I 'd like to see some credible numbers (not claims from former belligerents holding Palestinian refugees in their"camps" for political purposes). In any case, any human being with a shred of conscience who knows firsthand of terrorists and their activities and fails to report it somehow is tacitly complicit to the acts those terrorists commit. **bizzwire:** by “Uncle Joe,” are you are referring to Iosef Stalin? I had always been under the impression that Israel’s early military equipment was mainly of British and Belgium design and manufacture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/support-palestinian-guerrillas/138413.md?page=5)