This is just not what the situation needs right now: Jewish settlers with assault rifles slung over their shoulders moved into two buildings in a crowded Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem on Wednesday, setting off clashes between Israeli troops and Arab residents . . . .

. . . . At daybreak Wednesday, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews lugged boxes, chairs, tables and potted plants into buildings in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem. A van packed with sofas and couches arrived, and settlers hauled a water tank onto the roof of one building and set up a generator.

Settlers said eight families are to move into the buildings — a seven-story apartment building and a smaller house — which investors bought for them. The Arab owner of the smaller house said his property was seized unlawfully . . . .

. . . . Police and soldiers commandeered three nearby buildings, stationing themselves on rooftops and firing tear gas at the demonstrators. Troops also entered four other Palestinian homes, pulling young men out. Police beat one Palestinian man with a baton and handcuffed six others, dragging them away.

Nine Palestinians were arrested for stone-throwing, and six police officers were hurt, police spokesman Shmulik Ben-Ruby said. At least three Palestinians were seen bleeding . . . .

. . . . Sharon adviser Roan Gissin said the Jewish group had the right to live where it wanted in the city.

"There are no Jerusalem settlements ... all of Jerusalem is under Israeli sovereignty since 1967," he said. "It is not so-called occupied land."

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat blamed Israel's government for supporting settlers.

"(The settlers) have taken the law into their own hands before; they are taking the law into their hands now with the assistance of the government," he said. (Associated Press)And it goes on. It's crazy. Out in a nowhere called Hazon David, Israeli troops clashed with 300 Jewish settlers over a tent and shack used as a synagogue, which were being dismantled as part of the Road Map.

The AP also discusses Ariel Sharon and his own role in the housing/settling politics.

But ... this just isn't going to be a good day for Israel. A bomb going off would be par for the course, even moreso than other days.
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• Associated Press. "Jewish Settlers Spark Clash in Arab Area." March 31, 2004. See http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians&cid=540&ncid=716

gun powder situation

The Palestinians and the Israelis alike are stuck in a positive-feedback loop of violence and "counterviolence", if there is such a word. The only ways to stop this I can think of.

1) Someone begins a peace process that actually works.

2) Some greater power threatens them both if they don't shut it.

3) Some greater power just nukes the area and kills everyone in it, thus making it quiet.

However entertaining 3) may be, somehow I don't think it'll happen in the near future. 2) seems vaguely viable, if the 'greater power' is a group of countries instead of the U.S. just making threats or ultimatums on its own. 1) is something that has been attempted numerous times, but was foiled by either the Israelis or the Palestinian bombers.

The thing is, both people feel entitled to all of the land and consider the others to be thieves. Each thinks the other is completely wrong.

Somehow I don't get the feeling this will be resolved before I grow old and die. :bugeye:

--Long Live the Female Messiah.
http://www.angelfire.com/fang/goategg01/Defiance.gif (http://www.pinkeye.se)

we should pay russia to try to invade Israel by way of the west bank. That way both groups would have something new to distract them, and maybe foster a little bit of common regional pride!

I think the wall idea is a good one. Everyones heard that saying "Good fences make good neighbors" but it needs to be extended to encircle both the Palestinians and the Jewish people, then we stop letting food in and starve them a little, maybe poke 'em with a really big stick for a while too. After the stick poking gets old, its not that fun anyways, we'll use the internet to connect every Karoke bar on the planet to large speakers in the fenced in zone so the Israeli/Palestinians can listen to poorly sung music. Everyone knows that saying "music calms the savage beast" or something like that. We can test it.
Eventually when they start to get that concentration camp look we'll give them pork. After both people's are forced to violate their religion's rules and stuff they'll be pissed at the rest of the world instead of each other. Then no more Israel/palestinian conflict.
OK, thats was just craziness honestly the rest of the world could force them to stop fighting but its probably not going to happen till the older generation of leaders dies off.

Heh. Actually, replacement of the living leaders might solve it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the greater part of the motivation for Israeli aggression comes from Sharon. If only he could be replaced ... ?

And if Palestine's leader were replaced (a leader that actually counts as one) with someone who would crack down on the bombers, that'd help things along.

Oh wait. Or have we already attempted this? :bugeye:

--Long Live the Female Messiah.
http://www.angelfire.com/fang/goategg01/Defiance.gif (http://www.pinkeye.se)