well, there you go. you try and make peace with the arabs, and look what you get. For them, every jew is suspicious.
how do you make peace with such a violent, still tribe based, hateful society?

This is the peace the Palestinians want. His mother was Jewish, so he was Jewish, so hee needed to be killed. Just like Hitler's Nuernberg laws of the pure race.

Pax Palestina!!!

So Palestinians are shocked and saddened at the death of a man born from a Jewish mother.

Palestinians admired and loved a man who was born from a mixed Palestinian/Jewish marriage.

Doesn't this blow wholes in the dishonest Zionist narrative that the middle east conflict is born out of a religious hate for Jews!!

The Palestinians have never in their pre-Israel history been know for a hate for Jews. But like all people on earth, they wont let foreign immigrants arrive on mass, so they can be kicked out of their own homes without a fight.

Another falsehood which has been peddled by the politically dishonest, is the idea that Jews always thought of Israel as their home land. In world war two, six million Jews died. However, in world war one those very same Jewish families in Germany were all fighting with the German army in its quest for world domination.

Between 1914 – 1918, the millions Jewish Germans were happy to ally themselves with the Muslim Ottomans and fight against Britain and America. In this time there was no Jewish claim for an Jewish state of Israel.

In 1914 the very idea of a Jewish state would have been seen as madness, as there had been no Jewish state for over two thousand years.

Even two thousand years ago, there was not truly a Jewish state. There was a Jewish tribe which invaded Jerusalem and held it for less than one hundred years. But as they never founded the city and as they have only controlled it for 100 years out of 5000 years history, the Jews have the weakest claim to Jerusalem.

Thats why in 1914 no Jew anywhere in the world would have been dumb enough to claim Israel belonged to Jews, as it clearly didn't. After world war two and the holocaust, their first choice for a Jewish state was Argentina, but this was refused so then they requested Israel.

Now all of a sudden, they claim Israel is the land of their blood. Its total nonsense. But oil was discovered early in the 1900's and America/Britain set up Israel in 1947, filled it with sympathetic European immigrants who would turn Palestine into Americas military base in the oil regions.

Shachar & proud zionist,

You are scumbag hypocrites. Who shot the Israeli president Yitzhak Rabin, when he wanted to make peace with Palestine?? A Zionist Jew called Yigal Amir.

Is that why you are proud of Zionism??

Great artist
Loved your movies
Love from Israel!

RIP

John A,

It is Palestinians in Jenin who are explaining that the Islamists who had been repeatedly threatening him were doing so because he was Jewish and his introduction of secular culture.

John, pre 1948, Arabs were murdering Jews because they were Jews and rejected Jewish nationalism that pre-dates Islam and Christianity because it was Jewish nationalism with an historical precedent.

You have previously admitted to having never read the Koran, well I suggest you do and the anti- Jewish sentiments expressed in it will be plain to see.

Jews have always been loyal subjects in whichever country they have been forced to live since their expulsion and exile from their own state. Jews have been conscripted to armies and fought for their countries whether in Europe, Africa, the ME or anywhere else. At the same times they have always prayed for their return to Jerusalem and the end of the diaspora even when the never-ending desire to return was beyond their capabilities whether due to war, dangers in travel or travel restrictions.

Denying the Jews history and the fact that even under the control of some of the various invading empires Jews were permitted to govern their lives and worship in their Temple in Jerusalem, does not change the truth that the Land of Israel has been at the centre of Jewish belief and nationalism for over 3000 years continually.

The fact is that your lies and myths are just a link in the chain of a number of similar ridiculous, dishonest libels that have been invented against the Jewish people for centuries all of which have been false but resulted in some of biggest crimes in history.

This article deals with the murder of someone who dedicated his life to helping others despite the enormous risks. One can only hope that the theatre will find the strength and organization to continue, bringing an alternative to the youth of Jenin to indoctrination and hatred towards the "other".

Hey Proud Zionist,

John A, gave you an opportunity to learn something about your beloved Israel. You should thank him for the enlightenment.

Israel, if it survives will have to give up all that stolen land and turn their focus inward to become better Jews. If not, they don’t have a prayer.

John, seems like neither history nor reasoning are your strong points...
The Jewish history in Israel is undeniable, and has numerous historical and archeological proofs, ranging from the Merneptah stele – an Egyptian record of c. 1209 BCE, via the Arch of Titus in Rome, to the acknowledgement of the holy land given to the Jews in the Quran.
Archeologists differ in their views of exact dates (+/- 200 years) and size of Israel, not its existence.
......

It’s also known that Judea ceased to exist as a Jewish entity in 135AD. Anecdotally, many of the Jews who fled at this time went to Yathrib and eventually controlled it; Yathrib is known today as Medina, Muhammad’s burial place…

......

The longing of the Jews to Israel is recorded in all their prayers and religious codex.
......

Jews fought in the armies of the countries they were citizens of: national first, ethnicity second. This is still the case today.
......

Zionism started in the 19th century, influenced by the global European movement for self determination; Arabs followed shortly after, with the first Palestinians identifying themselves as a distinct nation during the 1920s. So by 1914 the idea of a Jewish state was already on the agenda of many people and governments.
......

The Jews – and Arabs – were promised the land from the power of the time: Britain. That’s how things worked then. That’s how Jordan was created, Lebanon, India, Pakistan… Can you describe the difference in “legality” between Israel and Jordan? Please read some history before you answer…
......

America managed to get a military foothold in the ME thanks to its brokerage of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
......

Just a few historical facts; ignoring them is a sure recipe for generating hatred, not striving for a solution.

*The Hebron massacre 1929:
67 Jews were killed and Jewish homes and synagogues were ransacked.

*Arabs in Palestine dont hate the jews.
A lie told often enough becomes truth

comment: so they can be kicked out of their own homes without a fight

Reality:
*The secretary general of the Arab League, Azzam Pasha:
Advice given to the Arabs to:
LEAVE AND STAY IN NEIGHBORING STATES.
Later to RETURN AND OBTAIN JWEISH property

*Azm-Syrian prime minister memoirs::
Arab governments called to evacuate Israel
Leave for Arab countries.
WE MADE THEM LEAVE
Then we exploit them in executing crimes of murder in the service of political purposes

everyone is entitled to a state based on self-determination but the Jews.

Comment ; fighting with the German army in its quest for world domination.

Fighting with the Germans for worldwomination based on the Nazi racial theory:

1:Himmler SS head established Islamische Zentralinstitu to create Islamic leaders that would
USE ISLAM AS A CARRIER FOR NATZI IDEOLOGY IN THE 21 CENTURY.
2:Arabs volunteered to Nazi army-40000 in Balkan divisions formed by Palestinian Mufty.

The mirror tell you who you really are

"Mer-Khamis believed theatre and music could be used to empower Palestinian children to fight against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank." ?????
You are wrong and you are misleading. Get your facts right.
Mer-Khamis built his "freedom theatre" since he believed theatre and music could be used to empower Palestinian children to become free thinking people, to fight any kind of opression, including the Islamic opression that does not allow you to think for yourself or to become a free individual, the same opression that killed Juliano himself.

John A. please read more about the 1930 period. And you will notice that the Palestinians reject all the compromising suggestions for a two state solution. You will find that the Palestinian leader the Mufti was close to the NAZI ideology. While all European empires were using and manipulating the "locals" your so called "Zionists" fought not with weapons but they fought for working places with local Arabs. Read more and you will learn that the Arabs started the 48 war and 5 Arabs armies joined them but they lost. This is what I call fair fight. Yes there is a need in peace and two state solution but please stop using empty words such has "Zionist" Apartied " and some people now even call us "Nazis". John A please read more about Jerusalem please!!!!! you will find that Jewish were the majority in 1914. To conclude John A. please be more responsible for your words.

Such a loss... such a waste of a wonderful mind. How long does this ridiculous conflict have to go on, and how many more innocent lovers of peace on both sides have to perish?

Shachar, "proud zionist" (hear that? That's Herzl rolling in his grave!), as well as John A – shame on all three of you! How dare you twist the sacrifice of such a noble soul to your match your cynical, partisan worldviews. It's this pointless squabbling and irresponsible name-calling that only makes peace seem even more difficult to achieve than before. Already, you are stomping on the life and death of Mr. Mer-Khamis! Must it be this way?

sudinnu,

You are correct. The death of this man should not be turned into a political argument. I apologize, if that's how you interpreted my blog. But I thought it was worth noting that the vast majority of Palestinians are sorry that this man of half Jewish origin has died. And you must appreciate the crazy Zionists jumped onto this blog to make a twisted political story even though it was a Zionist who murdered Israeli president Yitzhak Rabin in an attempt to prevent peace.

Meanwhile Miriam and co write their usual rubbish and distortions, such as Arabs were murdering Jews before 1948. When in truth Eastern European Jews were encouraged by the British to settle in Palestine on mass from the the turn of the 1900s. This plan by the British was to change the demographics of the area, without concern to the inhabitants. This was a crime made legal by super power status. ie a crime which could not be challenged because then Britain had more guns.

So the Palestinians get forced out of their home and land in the most immoral way and when they fight back what happens. Well big sacks of $hit like Miriam will call them terrorists.

Alon,

You also write typical pro Israeli rubbish and distortions, such as Arabs were murdering Jews before 1930s. When in truth Eastern European Jews were encouraged by the British to settle in Palestine on mass from the the turn of the 1900s. This plan by the British was to change the demographics of the area, without concern to the inhabitants. This was a crime made legal by super power status. ie a crime which could not be challenged because then Britain had more guns.

So the Palestinians get forced out of their home and land in the most immoral way and when they fight back what happens. Well big sacks of $hit like Alon & Miriam will call them terrorists.

Max,

Or should I say maximum idiot. In 1914 Palestine was under the firm grip of the Ottoman Empire. Nobody dreamed of removing the Ottomans to create a state of Israel.

When Britain fought the Ottomans in World War I, Laurence of Arabia rallied the local Arabs on the British side. They were promised by the British Arab independence from the Ottomans, this promise was never fulfilled and Britain later betrayed the Arabs.

One thing is for sure. Laurence of Arabia didn't have one gutless Jew fighting with him to help defeat the Ottomans and gain a home land for Jews.

Max the maximum idiot, your version of pro Israeli history is non existent. What planet are you from?

A brave man was murdered by – according to the PA – Palestinians fanatics, and the story (short lived, not much to write since it wasn't done by Jewish settlers?) gets twisted here – how typical – into a bashing of Jews.
The immorality of ignorance.
The perpetuation of hate.

John A,

Once again it all comes back to Western powers and their disastrous influence on the world.

Give us all a break.

Zionism, as in the centrality of Zion in Judaism, pre-dates all the Western empires as well as Islam and Christianity.

If the West is responsible for anything it is the creation of Arab states with imported leaders, on sliced up land, which reflected very little of the local peoples desires and is now proving to have been a questionable enterprise.

John antisemitic nitwit nazi A

Your stupid theories that you sucked out of your organ do not hold water.

your peaceloving friends from Hamas fired an Iranian made anti-tank missile at an israeli school bus this afternoon, in addition to 2 gard missiles and 45 kassam missiles.

if this is how your bosom buddies want peace, we will give it to them

Johnny baby, you are so full of it, it stinks even through the computer

"Meanwhile Miriam and co write their usual rubbish and distortions, such as Arabs were murdering Jews before 1948"

and you know very well, nitwit, that Jews lived in Hebron for hundreds of years, and the Hebron massacre did take place

i wish you would be in one too, hehehehe

Dear John,

Scumbags come in all walks of life. Both Jewish and Islamists. (referring to Igal Amir)

and you have put up here a very good narrative of modern Israel
but you forgot a few very important points:

1) German Jews were anti-zionist because they wanted above all to be germans and were some of the best integrated Jews in europe

2) Modern Israel started officially in 1882... way before WWI

3) Israel will eventually have Judae and Samaria (West Bank)
simply because there is nothing really to force it to relinquish its claim.
Israel's fertility rate is sky high, it's economy one of the best in the world and most importantly, it's a great country(ranked 15th best place to live in the world) and it will be able to offer west bank palestinians a much better life than under the rule of another corrupt middle eastern government.

Whoever "JOHN" is,he thinks all coins have only one side! Why not check your history about the Jewish Kingdom from the days of Joshuah until 93AD, around 1750 years of history.That is longer than Moslem history.Its longer than USA history & most nations.Don't we all know by looking at historical maps( for example) what was once historically "Kurdistahn" is now in north Iraq,North Syria,North Iran & South Turkey?Britain was conquered by Celts,Anglos,Saxons,French.America the great is 51 conquered territories of other peoples which became states.Its all over the world the same.Khamis was killed by Arabs,not Jews,how do you explain that?
Israel is threatened in public by Iran,all the Arab states & we are not going to move until forced off which might not happen.Johnny,take your toys & go home.Tell us what country you are from & I'll list the many nations yours has conquered,raped,sold into slavery & stole their riches.Britain?Germany?Holland?France?Spain?Portugaul?USA?Russia name your country & I'll tell you how your economy runs on what you've murdered on a large scale & stolen!

This is a truly sad story, this guy was an embodiment of the ideals needed if there's ever going to a sustainable peace between Israel and the Palestinians. If it's radical islamists that murdered Mer-Khamis it's not too surprising as he embodied everything they hate – A self-identifying Palestinian of both Christian and Jewish origin, a lover and proponent of the arts and a promoter of coexistence and tolerance. Of course, I can't imagine Jewish or Christian fundamentalists would've been his biggest fans either, fanatics always hate peacemakers. Rest in peace Juliano!

Two sided coin,

Lets test your logic, a Jewish kingdom existed until 93 AD (you conveniently forget to say it started to exist a few short years before 93 AD) and so you conclude the area has been Israeli for 2000 years.

Okay. Try this. England won the soccer world cup in 1966. By your logic that means England have been world champions for half a century. After all they were world champions way back then, so they must have been champions before and since.

That's how utterly dumb your logic is two side coin. But I guess your too dumb to understand the analogy.

Your coin wasn't minted by Bernie Madoff was it? I mean two heads , no tails and a complete con.

Oh proud Zionist, It seems nobody has ever explained to you what a Nazi is.

The Nazi party was the name of a political party in Germany. This political party had fascist ideology.

The definition of Fascism is when a Government serves business and not the people. You know, like bank bailouts and tax payers money being given to the military industrial complex, to build bombs and profit from non defensive war.

A country which places the wishes of banks and industry ahead of the wishes of its people is a fascist country.

Thats right, America now exhibits fascist policies. Bail out wall street and to hell with main street. Who is Israels only ally? America.

You see proud Zionist, your only global ally is fascist. You are in bed with fascists. Jews who died in the holocaust would spit in your face as a Zionist traitor to Judaism.

John A – Unfortunately you have demonstated your total ignorance about Jews, Israel and the MENA (Middle East – North Africa). Israel's population comes predominately from the Middle East. Sixty percent plus of the Jews of Israel are of MENA origin, not having come from Europe. Today our nation is a total mixture of Jews from all over the world. A suggestion to you, give the naitive Americans back the land that your desendents took from them.

John, regretfully I must remind you of the massacre of the Yeshiva in Hebron and the burning of the yeshiva in Jerusalem , the grand Mufti was the honored guest of Adolph hitler throughout the war.

the notion that we all got along here in the middle east prior to the state of israel flies in the face of history and Jews from the middle east were not treated kindly while living in arab nations.

Great men who strived for peace were killed for their efforts, Sadat, Rabin and many others. The fact is here in Israel you may practice your faith without fear and for the most part that is not true in other parts of the middle east.
If you are different by faith , or born a woman , or sexual preference there is only one country here that protects your rights. That country is Israel.
With all of our faults there is no need for a "Jasmine" revolution here .

Habib Seliman says, "Israel's population comes predominately from the Middle East. Sixty percent plus of the Jews of Israel are of MENA origin"
---------

Habib are you trying to tell the world that Jews are mostly albino. So you're middle east Jews just happen to have blond hair, blue eyes and speak Hebrew in Russian/Polish accents.

Habib a more transparent liar you could not be. Did you write this blog in a strategic attempt to undermine the Israeli state. You didn't have to bother, Israel already lacks credibility all around the world. Only the red neck hillbilly's in America believe your nonsense.

John Nazi A

it is clear that your lies know no limit "Jews just happen to have blond hair, blue eyes and speak Hebrew in Russian/Polish accents"
When were you in Israel last? Never? So how can you claim such BS? Over 60% of Israelis were born there. The last time I saw somebody who was blond with blue eyes was when I was in Munich last.

But let me not confuse you with facts, antisemitic nazi.

And as the son of a graduate of Auschwitz and Dachau I know exactly what a Nazi is: you are a perfect example of one, nitwit

murryz says "ohn, regretfully I must remind you of the massacre of the Yeshiva in Hebron"

------–
murryz, regretfully I must remind you that every example you and your Zionist mates try to offer, is an example given after the British helped ship millions of European Jews into a country that belonged to others.
You constantly fail to cover the fact that the initial sin was Jewish theft of Palestinian land. All you can do is harp on about the consequence i.e. you act like thieves and nobody wants you.

Murryz if I knock on your door, kick you out of your house and send your family into a refugee center will you just accept it, or will you fight back. If you accept it, you are doomed to be destroyed. If you wont accept it, you must join the Palestinian freedom fighters and be labelled a terrorist by Zionist liars.

Proud Zionist, I have visited Israel. I work in the IT business and travel a lot. But you know this from previous posts. So why do you cling to your proven lies and hysteria? You know you don't have any credible answers to defend Israels crimes. But keep clinging onto your delusions, it is easier for you than facing facts and truth.

Well said John A and don't worry about the wacko Israelis here.

As soon as America admits it is completely bankrupt, it will stop funding Israel and that will be the end of this murderous religious experiment.

Zionism is fraud and not only the Palestinians have paid a price for their many crimes.

John A,

Large-scale immigration of Jews to the Holy Land started over 70 years before British control. Jewish development of the land resulted in widespread Arab immigration as well, many the ancestors of the same Arabs who today have ancestral claims to the land despite names proving their real origins.

Records provide proof of frequent attacks on Jews during this period and before.
In 1840 there were "unrelenting" attacks on Jews reported by European Consuls and in the 1930s a popular game among Christian Arabs in Jaffa was "Burn the Jews".
The Jewish community of Safed was destroyed or attacked in 1800, 1799, 1660, 1576....
Communities in Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberius were repeatedly attacked and the Jewish population was severely oppressed under crippling dhimmitude.

Many of these attacks were provoked by the ruling Muslim Ottomans, the actual Arab population being fairly small preceding their immigration following the Zionist development of the land.

The Arab initiated war of 1948 resulted in more Jewish refugees than Arabs, Jews who were kicked out of their homes, but rather than being kept in permanent camps by the UN and Arab leaders in a deliberate attempt to eventually destroy the Jewish state, they were relocated or absorbed into Israel and very quickly rejected the demeaning label and consequently any desire for revenge.

Mr Proud Zionist did you come to this blog page by mistake?

This blog page is called "Inside the middle east", I think you were looking for a blog called, "The insane ramblings of a hermit"

Mr Zionist, there's a one eyed green troll who claims to be a Nazi and an anti semite. He lives under a bridge near your home. You should hide under your bed until your mummy comes back!

Alternatively Mr Zionist, you could venture into the real world but it is nothing like you imagine.

How many other Zionists are out there? And are they all completely mad like Mr. Proud Zionist?

Oh yeah, Johnny Mr. IT business man

all you saw on your "visits" were blond blue eyed people who speak wityh a Russian accent.

Are you sure you don't confuse Israel with Russia?

and for your BS about "after the British helped ship millions of European Jews into a country that belonged to others", as you know the massacre in Hebron took place in 1929.

But again, let me not confuse you with facts, Mr. IT businessman, like how many civilians were killed during cast lead in Gaza (according to a Hamas minister, not me).

hehehehehehe.

In Linux this wouldn't have happened.

Proud Zionist, The British were shipping European Jews to Israel since the turn of the 19th Century. By 1929 the Palestinians could already see they were going to be squeezed out of their homes, by a British backed colony.

The Turkish Ottomans never had any problem with Jews arriving, as the Jews divided the local community and prevented the Palestinians from dreaming about their liberation from the Ottoman invaders.

When Britain and the Ottomans were fighting each other in world war I, it was the local Arabs who fought with the British to gain back their home land. After World War I, the British betrayed their Arabic allies and laid a plan to create a new imposing state called Israel. That's why the Palestinians started to resist Jewish immigrants in the 1920s, as you well know.

You also know of lawrence of Arabia? The British military officer who rallied the Arabs to fight for their independence from the Ottomans.

Do you know why he was called "lawrence of arabia" and not "Lawrence of Judea"???
Because in that time there were very few Jews in the middle east and non of them would fight for a Jewish home land.

Out of interest, when Laurence of Arabia learned of Britain's plan to betray the Arabs (Arabs he had learned to respect and admire), Lawrence was outraged. Conveniently for the British government Lawrence then died in a road accident, which many consider was an assassination to prevent Lawrence from rallying the British public against the ugly crime of imposing Israel on the Palestinian people.

God, That's a good call and thanks for adding a witty comment. A sense of humor in the middle east would also help ease the situation.

John A,

You've been watching too many movies.

The Ottoman Empire covered a region from modern-day Turkey to Iraq to Western Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and at times northern Africa and southern Europe.

Lawrence of Arabia fought with several Arab tribes seeking independence from the Ottomans.
In his proposed map for the division of the region, the area he designated as Palestine was to be a Jewish state.

During WW1 there were 20,000 Jewish men who wanted to volunteer to join the Palestine Jewish Legion. The British opposed having Jewish volunteers on the Palestine front so they were sent elsewhere but were eventually allowed to join the fight in the Holy Land.
The Zion Mule Corps, the 38th and 39th Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers were all Jewish battalions which fought alongside the British against the
Ottomans to free the "Land of Israel".
He was actually a Zionist who recognized the rights and the benefits of Jews ruling the territory.

Miriam, in case you don't know "Inglorious Bastards" is a Hollywood movie. It never happened, just like your pretense that the Jews fought with the British against the Ottomans.

Oh but then again you also claim the Jews were refused by the British to join in on the conflict. Miriam it seems your web of lies can't even make sense over a few short sentences. But I guess when you have promoted so many lies, it must be a challenge to fit them all together.

Until recently, you never even had to try to make sense. The Jewish owned American media could make up any story unchallenged. Those days are passing Miriam, you need to raise the level of your lies or you're just going to make yourself look as incompetent as Netanyahu and Obama.

lawrence of gay arabia?

who ever heard of him, except some movie goers

John A,

As far as you are concerned, unless a fact supports your anti-West, anti-Zionist, anti-Jewish agenda, it can't be a fact.

If you refuse to accept history and the honest representation of events, instead seizing any opportunity to propagate conspiracy and revisionism, then that is your loss and shame. But, do mankind a favor and save it from your deceit and dishonesty.