Mood Is Dark as Israel Marks 62nd Year as a Nation

[Liberal_in_LA]

“There is a confluence of two very worrying events,” said Michael Freund, a rightist columnist for The Jerusalem Post in a telephone interview. “One is the Iranian threat, an existential threat. Add to that the fact that for the first time in recent memory there is a president in the White House who is not overly sensitive to the Jewish state and its interests. You put the two together and it will affect anyone’s mood, even an optimist like me.”

Haaretz, the newspaper that serves as the voice of the shrinking political left in this country, is in a truly depressed mood. Its editorial on Monday contended that Israel “is isolated globally and embroiled in a conflict with the superpower whose friendship and support are vital to its very existence.”

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A new BBC poll of how people around the world regard other countries puts Israel among those least favorably viewed, including Iran, North Korea and Pakistan.

Israelis are profoundly worried — and profoundly divided — about their isolation. The left blames the government for a failure to withdraw from the West Bank, remove Jewish settlements and agree to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians. The right blames Palestinian and Arab intransigence and Western gutlessness, and says Jews have always been resented, so concessions will change nothing.




http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/world/middleeast/20israel.html?ref=world

[Me.]

1. You Wouldn't Know We Are Vital To Their Existence

By the way they behave towards us and speak about our president.

[MattBaggins]

2. Eretz Israel... That is the question

Do they intend to take over the last bits of land or not. What is their long term solution to the fact that claiming these territories means they now have a predominately Muslim population and makes it difficult to claim to be a Jewish State.

No one will press Israel on the question of Eretz Israel. What their actual intentions in Jerusalem are is kinda of the 800 pound gorilla. But it's all our fault if we don't either capitulate or turn a blind eye.

[defendandprotect]

3. Warmongering by Israel has to end -- the left has pretty much been knocked out there --

[TexasObserver]

4. Their conduct is often an embarrassment to the US.

If one looks at their abuse of minorities as we would any other nation, one realizes how truly reprehensible their behavior has become. I blame the right wingers there. They control policy, and override the more sane citizens of the country.