for to long we have tolerated religions that teach hate. this must stop. the consequences for ignoring this problem are severe.

where ever hate is the language of the day the results are always the same. warlords. terriorists. democrats. republicans. it matters not. stop the hate one mind at a time. your mind can be the first. take the walk of faith the only way it can be taken...without hate.

As long as MSNBC is willing to print my comments and the emails I receive from my Lebanese friends and, most recently from Israelis who are as distressed over what their leaders are doing, I will continue to send them. Thank you Ann, and MSNBC for giving people like me a voice.

There was a time when we Americans could hold our heads high and be proud of who we were and what we represented; when most of the world loved us and greeted us with smiles and open arms when we visited foreign countries. It used to be that truth and justice were the American way, our bywords. Words that every American could be proud to know that we stood for as a nation. We went to war first for our freedom, and for justice against an oppressive reign. We fought for principals: all men are created equal, no people should be taxed without a say in the matter, every man was entitled to liberty, security and a crack at happiness, to live in peace, have a chance at prosperity, and to expect that his children would have a better life. That is no longer the case. It seems that we have more foes than we can boast friends around the world these days. We are no longer seen as the post World War II saviors of the free world. We are no longer seen so much as the generous, good-natured and benevolent citizen of the greatest country the world has ever known, ever. We are now viewed as invaders, torturers and worse, we are steadfast supporters of a country that is heaping injustice on neighboring peoples. Yes, I’m referring to Israel, and what it is doing in Gaza, on the West Bank, and most recently and egregiously, in Lebanon. Can anyone be so naive as to believe that the current invasion of Lebanon was really precipitated by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers?

What is wrong with a country whose policies and actions force its neighbors and their people to hate it? The Lebanese people do not want to hate Israel, but Israel is totally, and wantonly destroying the entire country of Lebanon and killing countless Lebanese men, women, children, entire families being wiped out by Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of the whole of Lebanon. And why does the United States, my country, so illogically, immorally, and stupidly – yes stupidly and steadfastly support Israel’s actions. I am not just referring to Lebanon and the terrible and unjust destruction of a neighboring country. What we have allowed Israel to do in the West Bank and Gaza is also beyond my comprehension.

When will I be able to again hold my head high as an American?

By Gideon Levy:
This miserable war in Lebanon, which is just getting more and more complicated for no reason at all, was born in Israel's greed for land. Not that Israel is fighting this time to conquer more land, not at all, but ending the occupation could have prevented this unnecessary war. If Israel had returned the Golan Heights and signed a peace treaty with Syria in a timely fashion, presumably this war would not have broken out.

Peace with Syria would have guaranteed peace with Lebanon and peace with both would have prevented Hezbollah from fortifying on Israel's northern border. Peace with Syria would have also isolated Iran, Israel's true, dangerous enemy, and cut off Hezbollah from one of the two sources of its weapons and funding. It's so simple, and so removed from conventional Israeli thinking, which is subject to brainwashing.

For years, Israel has waged war against the Palestinians with the main motive of insistence on keeping the occupied territories. If not for the settlement enterprise, Israel would have long since retreated from the occupied territories and the struggle's engine would have been significant neutralized. Not that a non-occupying Israel would have turned into the darling of the Arab world, but the destructive fire aimed at Israel would have significantly lessened, and those who continued to fight Israel would have found themselves isolated.

Advertisement

The war against the Palestinians is therefore unequivocally a territorial war, a war for the settlements. In other words, in the West Bank and Gaza, people were killed and are getting killed because of our greed for land. From Golda Meir to Ehud Olmert, the lie has held that the war with the Palestinians is an existential one for survival imposed on Israel when it is actually a war for real estate, one dunam after another, that does not belong to us.

The situation is different with Syria. For 33 years, the Syrians gave up the military effort to reinstate their occupied lands. Israel can pass a dozen Golan Heights laws to annex it, but occupied territory remains occupied territory. During those three decades, the prevailing view in Israel was that there was no need for peace with Syria: The Syrians sat quietly anyway, so why give them back the Golan?

This is the same dangerously foolish thinking that characterized the first 20 years of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians sat quietly, surrendered under the Israeli occupation boot, and it did not occur to anyone to return their territory. Instead, Israel established the settlements. Only when the Palestinians woke up and realized they were going to lose their lands forever did they begin a violent campaign; and only after blood was spilled, did Israel wake up from its dreams and realize that it could not hold onto all of the territories forever. Thus, with regrettable delay and years of bloodshed, the recognition of the PLO, the Oslo accords, the disengagement and the convergence were born - all partial and fake solutions meant to postpone the end of the occupation.

We did not need all of that with the Syrians - after all, they sat quietly all of these years. Now comes the war in Lebanon and proves that this was a mistake. Although the Syrians sat on the sidelines, the danger from that direction was not removed and the delusion that the Golan would forever remain in Israeli hands, without our being asked to pay for its occupation, is now slapping us in the face.

But the current war could yet turn out to be only an appetizer for the coming wars, which will be far more dangerous. The saying that time is on our side is another delusion. The Arab and Muslim world has armed, in all of this time, and the danger of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles is already hovering over our heads. The only response to that is maximum neutralization of the flashpoints, before the bomb arrives. But Israel has chosen to close its eyes and build its future on a horrifyingly temporary quiet, or on more and more war operations.

Just when territory is losing its military importance because of the development of new fighting technology, Israel is using security excuses to stay in the territories. Former-prime minister Ehud Barak criminally missed the opportunity to sign a peace treaty with Syria after he got "cold feet," as witnesses said, and retreated at the last minute. That's how it works with us. When the other side is quiet, why return territories? And when they do go to war, "there's nobody to talk to," and certainly not while we are "under fire."

While we are ready to jump on any war bandwagon, as in this time, we endlessly procrastinate when it comes to peace negotiations. Now, too, when Syria, pushed around by the U.S., desperately wants to return to the "family of nations," is an excellent time to try to make peace with it - but there are those who say now is not the time. What will the Americans say? They, after all, are against any deals with Bashar Assad of "the axis of evil."

So, there it is, another excuse to miss a golden opportunity, another mendacious excuse. As in the case of the peace with Egypt, the move that has guaranteed Israel's security for years far more than any war, and which was put together behind the America's back, America would not be able to oppose a peace agreement with Syria. Now, after we've hit Hezbollah and ruined Lebanon, the prime minister of Israel should declare: the Golan for peace. That could contribute a lot more to our security than a thousand useless daring operations in Baalbek, but it would take a lot more courage than going off to fight another unnecessary and useless war

How sad it is that The Arabs and Muslims hide in populated areas to make Israel look bad. That is shameful and immorral. if they would just let Israel alone and worry about their own people lives, they would be in much better shape. The hatred of Jews or any group is unacceptable in a Civilized society. But are they civilized? not really. So sad. They have diverted their people from looking at their leadership and at themselves. I call that cowardice and its just like Hitler. Stop balming Israel and learn to take responsibilty for your people. What have any of u done for the Palestinins? Fanned hatred. I pity u all and hope that some how u see the light.