US dusting off old Arab Peace Proposal, ignored for 11 years

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

And you really think Israel coming to an agreement with Palestinians would change Hezbollah's desire from wiping out Israel? Or Iran's desire to get the infidels out of the middle east?

?????????????????

You do know, don't you, that Iran has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel ?

[mota bhai 2,675]

rofl @ "in the middle east". down from 120K before the islamic revolution to 20K now.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

rofl @ "in the middle east". down from 120K before the islamic revolution to 20K now.

What Iran’s Jews Say

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23cohen.html?_r=0

[mota bhai 2,675]

What Iran’s Jews Say

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23cohen.html?_r=0

Your article agrees with my numbers.

... perhaps 25,000 Jews live on in Iran ... Over the decades since Israel’s creation in 1948, and the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the number of Iranian Jews has dwindled from about 100,000. But the exodus has been far less complete than from Arab countries...

Generally, you don't see a drop in population of over 75% if the country is a nice place to live. If that many Jews left Iran, there's a reason.

And that reason portends what will happen in Israel's future if they cut too many deals with a people who wish them all dead or gone.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Your article agrees with my numbers.

... perhaps 25,000 Jews live on in Iran ... Over the decades since Israel’s creation in 1948, and the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the number of Iranian Jews has dwindled from about 100,000. But the exodus has been far less complete than from Arab countries...

Generally, you don't see a drop in population of over 75% if the country is a nice place to live. If that many Jews left Iran, there's a reason.

And that reason portends what will happen in Israel's future if they cut too many deals with a people who wish them all dead or gone.

You've made a bunch of assumptions that are not based in fact.

Most Iranian Jews left Iran to move to Israel either for either economic reasons or for Zionist reasons. And the ones still there don't want to leave - if it's so bad, why are they still there ? There are no laws preventing them from moving to Israel; in fact, it's pretty easy - they're even being offered $10,000 each by Israeli foundations, on top of all the government assistance to new immigrants.

And the article doesn't support any of your claims about the government of Iran wishing Jews dead, or even wishing Israel dead.

[mota bhai 2,675]

Most Iranian Jews left Iran to move to Israel either for either economic reasons or for Zionist reasons.

Oh yeah, they're all evil Zionists.

When people leave countries in large numbers (100+ to 20 is a very large number), it's because living there sucked.

But no, let's call them all zionists... that's much easier.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Oh yeah, they're all evil Zionists.

When people leave countries in large numbers (100+ to 20 is a very large number), it's because living there sucked.

But no, let's call them all zionists... that's much easier.

LOL

They call themselves Zionists.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

And you really think Israel coming to an agreement with Palestinians would change Hezbollah's desire from wiping out Israel? Or Iran's desire to get the infidels out of the middle east?

Hezbollah may very well end up in control of Syria. That will severely limit Israel's options, especially if Syria is being backed by a nuclear Iran. That is more than enough incentive for Israel to play nice, and get back in the good graces of the UN and the rest of the world. Reestablishing good relations with Turkey, its former military partner, and with Egypt and Jordan, peace partners of the last century, would go a long way toward that. That path leads through Gaza, and the West Bank. Frankly, Israel is running out of options, short of starting another shooting war.

[JstaRebel 48]

Although I would like to be optimistic about some sort of agreement coming from this, I have to be realistic when it come to the current zionist goverment. Below is a short video of Netanyahu discussing how he sabotaged the Oslo accords and manipulated the US government.

[Caryh 5,206]

?????????????????

You do know, don't you, that Iran has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel ?

I know, they treat Jews better than a few other religions, such as the Bahá'ís. But you seem to imply they actually have religious freedom in Iran and are not excluded. Iran is hardly a bastion of religious freedom and getting worse at time goes on.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I know, they treat Jews better than a few other religions, such as the Bahá'ís. But you seem to imply they actually have religious freedom in Iran and are not excluded. Iran is hardly a bastion of religious freedom and getting worse at time goes on.

You didn't read what The Jews of Iran have to say about that, did you ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23cohen.html?_r=0

[Caryh 5,206]

You didn't read what The Jews of Iran have to say about that, did you ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23cohen.html?_r=0

Actually I did, and a few people's comments does not explain away much more. You didn't read what they do to Bahá'ís did you. I've spoken with numerous Bahá'ís in person that would give a completely different story. BTW what happens to a Muslim in Iran who converts to another religion? Or will you go back to telling me to read about a couple of Iranian Jews who haven't felt persecuted in Iran?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Actually I did, and a few people's comments does not explain away much more. You didn't read what they do to Bahá'ís did you. I've spoken with numerous Bahá'ís in person that would give a completely different story. BTW what happens to a Muslim in Iran who converts to another religion? Or will you go back to telling me to read about a couple of Iranian Jews who haven't felt persecuted in Iran?

Before you attempt to change the parameters of what we are discussing, let me again quote what what you said, which is what I am responding to:

And you really think Israel coming to an agreement with Palestinians would change Hezbollah's desire from wiping out Israel? Or Iran's desire to get the infidels out of the middle east?

There is no evidence that Iran desires to "get the infidels out of the middle east" (I am going to assume that by "infidels" you mean "non-Muslims," although that is not the Islamic definition of "infidel.") If Iran wanted that, it could easily start right there in Iran, where there are thousands of Iranian Jews - who apparently don't threatened and don't feel any urgency to leave.

But faced with those facts, you have now shifted to entirely different arguments, as if I'm not even going to notice.

Edited April 10, 2013 by wife_of_mahmoud

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Back to the topic.

So Abbas is supposed to discuss the Arab Peace Initiative at the Arab League meeting.

As I highlighted in the text of the initiative, it specifically calls for the return of all occupied lands, including the Syrian Golan Heights.

Note that the Arab League, under pressure from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, has just given Syria’s vacant seat to the Syrian opposition.

For some time now, the zone between the Golan Heights and the rest of Syria has been under the control (or influence) of several different insurgent groups, who have been "fundraising" by kidnapping UN peacekeepers and holding them for ransom. Some of the countries that supply UN peacekeeping troops are having second thoughts about stationing their personnel there.

Israel has claimed that it's concerned that some of these insurgent groups may attack Israel.

But Obama and Kerry continue to say that Assad must go, and continue to help make sure weapons from Qatar and Saudi Arabia are delivered to the insurgents.

Abbas, on the other hand, has continued to say that Palestinians should not take sides in the Syrian conflict.

Will he get the support of Saudi and Qatar for renewing efforts on the Arab Peace Initiative, without taking sides on Syria ?

Or is Kerry trying to convince Abbas that if he renounces Assad, then the US will guarantee a Palestinian state ?

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion...

[Caryh 5,206]

Before you attempt to change the parameters of what we are discussing, let me again quote what what you said, which is what I am responding to:

There is no evidence that Iran desires to "get the infidels out of the middle east" (I am going to assume that by "infidels" you mean "non-Muslims," although that is not the Islamic definition of "infidel.") If Iran wanted that, it could easily start right there in Iran, where there are thousands of Iranian Jews - who apparently don't threatened and don't feel any urgency to leave.

But faced with those facts, you have now shifted to entirely different arguments, as if I'm not even going to notice.

I'm responding to your assertion that everything is a happy wonderland in Iran if you're not Muslim and claiming an op-ed piece in a paper that quotes a couple people tells an entire story. While you repeatedly ignore and dismiss evidence to the contrary. But since you want to focus on just one religion, and ignore what they're doing to others, before the Islamic revolution there were 80,000 Jews in Iran a census in August 2012 revealed that there were only 8,756 Jews still living in Iran. It appears they've done a darn good job making sure those Jews feel at home, since darn near 90 percent of them are now gone. And god forbid a Muslim happened to want to marry one and convert to Judaism.