# War in the Mid-East. Why should I care? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 13, 2001, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008 "2001-08-13T08:19:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/41 "2001-08-17T04:44:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Captain Amazing \* > \*\*There are Arabs in the knesset now, and Arabs have been in the government (I don’t think the current government has any Arab ministers). \*\* The Arabs have had Knesset members for a long time. In fact, they had representatives since the founding of the State: [http://www.knesset.gov.il/knesset/knes/eng\_hist1a.htm](http://www.knesset.gov.il/knesset/knes/eng_hist1a.htm) There have been a number of Arab deputy ministers in the past. The government of Ariel Sharon is the first in Israel’s history to appoint a Druse minister – Sallah Tarif. This is a point often overlooked - Arabs in Israel have more democratic freedoms than Arabs living in any Arab country. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/42 "2001-09-19T08:18:44Z")
do you care now? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/43 "2001-09-19T08:24:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ell \* > \*\*do you care now? \*\* oof. That hurt. A month ago I would have had some sympathy with the OP. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/44 "2001-09-19T17:42:08Z")
Two thoughts, somewhat pertinent to this thread: (a) Americans should care about violence in the middle east, if only because much of that violence has been fueled by American foreign policy over the years. (b) If the Israelis and the Palestinians are bickering like two kids over a toy, then wouldn’t the sensible thing to do would be to take the “toy” away? Wouldn’t be easy to implement, but the idea seems obvious… ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/45 "2001-09-19T19:13:57Z")
With all this talk of terrorist do not forget that 50 odd years ago the Jews were using the same tactics against the British in Palestine. This included setting off a bomb in the King David Hotel which killed several British soldiers and ( I think) civilians. It is ironic but I notice that the Israelis use this same hotel to give important news conferances. In several ex British colonies, including Cyprus and Kenya, ex “terrorists” went on to become respected leaders of their country. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/46 "2001-09-19T22:53:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ell \* > \*\*do you care now? \*\* Nope! It doesn’t bother me a bit if bombs are dropping in the mid-east. I’m looking forward to a few American made bombs going off over there. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008/47 "2001-09-20T00:24:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by curwin \* > As Foreign Minister Peres pointed out, if it is so brave to blow yourself up for the “cause”, then why don’t the imams and terrorist leaders themselves do it, instead of sending brainwashed young men, who are promised 70 virgins in the afterlife? > \*\* Probably for the same reason presidents, ministers and generals don’t fight on the front line but send 20 yo there instead… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-in-the-mid-east-why-should-i-care/76008.md?page=2)