Thank you for a very balanced view on the troubles between the Palestinians and the Israelis. I have lived in Israel and also the West Bank and Gaza Strip and have experienced the outright, shall I say "disgust" on both sides. Being neither of Jewish or Palestinian descent it is a more dis-attached feeling towards the people and the area. But it is definitely a more human feeling to feel compassion for both sides and try to understand what has happened and is happening from this view point. Thank you for doing this, Desmond Dillon

This is from a credible news source. "Palestinian officials were extremely annoyed at the Israeli cabinet's decision to leave the synagogues in the settlements intact, seeing this as a trap intended to embarrass the Palestinians by having them be seen destroying Jewish holy places. The issue was an embarrassment for the Israeli Government as well, which initially decided to have the army destroy the synagogues before the pullback. But rabbis and others protested at the idea of the Jewish state destroying its synagogues and said if they were to be destroyed it should be done by the Palestinians. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and most of his ministers finally agreed. " You are an idiot. Trying to stir up controversy without even doing your homework. If I were you I would look for a new job. Go to hell you hate monger.

you are dumb

You speak of living by higher standards; of not throwing stones while in a glass house. I was aghast when I read of the identification mark the Arabs must wear to identify them as non-Jews. Are the Jewish Israeli's that forgetful of what happened ot them in Germany? When they were forced to do the same by the Nazi's? It seems to me that Israel has become a nation built of glass. When someone expresses displeasure of the Jewish people, they are deemed to be anti-semetic. When the Jewish people express the same towards Arabs, they are not seen as anti-Arab, but pro-Jew. Now, instead of glass walls, the Israeli's are constructing cement ones to segregate the Arabs from Israel. I cannot help but think that if the shoe was on the other foot, the Israeli's would cry foul louder than the Arabs are, and people would be rallying to their aid.

It is very interesting how Mr. Hanania feels ashamed for the Palestinians burning the Synagogues. But the question Mr. Hanania eluded (while being busy feeling ashamed) is why the Israelis left those synagogues standing? The answer Ray is very simple. The Palestinians will either tear them down , or they will (to Israels content) desecrate them and show the "barbaric" face of the Palestinians who "do not deserve a state". In any case, I suggest Ray, you go to qisarya or to any chosen village of those you said were demolished by the Israelis after 1948, and you will get a good Beer there in this hot weather, may I suggest the Aladdin Bar in Jaffa "this is no ad"?? If you are more lucky, you will bump into one of those mosques which were turned into whorehouses (you know, with a taste of Orientalism). It is distasteful when the thief preaches about how important it is not to steal, but when a Palestinian (as you called yourself) wants to be more royal than the king, I suggest you go spend a couple of months in a refugee camp in Gaza to know what Apartheid, racism and being cast away does to your Harvard personality. Palestinians hating Jews for being jews? Well if burning the synagogues proves that? then what does turning mosques into Bars and whorehouses say about the Zionists? I guess they didn't mean any harm by doing that.

At least TRY to tell the truth. Settlers are not vicious and violent. And it was the PA that wanted the settlers houses destroyed. They insisted on it. And if life is so bad for Israel's Arab citizens - please, feel free to go an live in an Arab state - there is a whole slew of these tyrannies for you to choose from.

Ray, you are wrong about us, we are not the most violent segment of Israeli society. Sixty people were arrested for murder in Israel last year - and not one was a settler. Of a total of three Jewish terrorists, two lived in Yehuda and Shomron. Two is less than sixty, the last time I noticed. Stop believing everything you read in the left-wing press.

what hanania doesn't seem to understand -- is that the palestinians are not saints and no one ever said they were. they are human beings and if you step on a human beings' throat for 40 years what do you think he or she is going to do when you raise your foot? give you a big kiss? no -- that person's going to kill you if they can! holding the palestinians to such a ridiculously high standard is a kind of racism. this is not antisemitism -- its' the natural human response to violent opression!

Wow. Very well done, very well spoken. It seems our views here are somewhat tainted towards the Isreali side of the fence. I like how you told the truth and, heaven forbid, held everyone to the same standard of both sides. It's sad that in today's world we have too many people who won't tell the truth. Thank you for your unbiased reporting.

After four years of brutal suicide bombing attacks on innocent civilians in cafe's, discos, and their own homes, Ray Hanania has the chutzpah to ask if now, finally, after destroying Synagogues, the Palestinians have stooped to a level below the Jews? Are you kidding me? The lynching in Ramallah, the Pesach massacres, the stoning to death of teenagers in Tekoa, and the brutal murder of the Hatuel girls weren't the tipping point? Where is the immoral equivelancy of such brutal, wanton murder on the Israeli side? Hanania states: "The settlers are Israel’s more extremist and violent segment of society...". Define violent. When is the last time a settler shot a two year old at point blank range? If they are the "most violent", then why did they allow themselves to be pried from their homes, businesses, and communities without so much as a gunshot? This is not the act of a violent people, but the act of the ideologically committed. The settlers proved themselves to be honorable, moral, passionate people. The same has not been true of the Palestinians in this conflict. No better than the Israelis? Newsflash: they never were.

Hi Hanania, -with supposedly normal people like hanania who has the freedom to bad mouth Israel who needs muslim enemies? No muslim can bad mouth their country and live. I think you are a sicko masquerading as an objective journalist.

Note to Mark T. from Vancouver: I don't understand your point. Are you suggesting that Israel is to blame for the destruction of the synagogues at the hands of Palestinians? Are you suggesting that the Palestinians are mere reactionaries that can be so easily manipulated by Israel? Are you suggesting that these were not acts of free-will but rather some grand puppeteering by Sharon? Your closing remark suggests that you are too emotionally distracted to weigh in on a subject that needs fresh and rational debate, not the same old hate-mongering that you so eschew.

How is this pullout going to work in the long run, who knows? There are still so many obstacles to overcome in the peace process. Which is extremely complicated. While unfortunate, and of course, undesirable, it is no surprise that the synagogues are getting razed to the ground. It is also very convinient and easy to simplisticly represent the symbolism of this act along religious zionist-islamic lines. But its more than that. They synagogues stand as a political symbol as much as a religious one, they are iconic of the 38 years of occupation in Gaza, part of the process by the Palestinan's would naturally be to raze them to the ground. To expect anything else from a people who have been subjugated so harshly seems naieve at the very best. Violence begets violence, and tp expect them to 'respect' some kind of higher moral order, when all they want to do is purge Gaza of any signs of Israel's occupation, is naieve at the very least.

"should have done more to protect those synagogues which were less symbols of the settler fanatics, but rather symbols of a religion that is a sibling to Islam and Arab Christianity" Sibling? Is this guy kidding me? Judaism was around for thousands of years before Muhammed cooked up Islam. If anything, Judaism is the parent. Typical Arab cooptation of others religion...they just backdate things and call Abraham a Muslim. Nice condescending attitude, Ray.

Israel gave the palestinians the land toward Peace.They promised Peace only if you give us a peace of land Gaza and the west bank.Since they got the land they only have prooved that they want war. If two people want to live in peace they should accept one the other in their own land. How many moslems live in Israel?over a million. How many jews live under palestinian authority? none. From that state of mind you have to make your conclusions.

Thats

It all is so interesting. I appreciated your point Stan. If you don't like it here then leave. But is that not impossible? Which selfish Arab out there would give an inch to their "brothers"? Having lived in many Arab countries I would be very surprised if any would have them. They are all brothers as long as these folks stay to give trouble to the Jews, but watch what happens if they would ever decide to move in on another Arab nation. The open door would shut rather quickly. It is written ... And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; And having lived amongst the Arabs for so many years I believe it with all my heart. I feel sorry that they just can't rise above this nature they have. But, when it was promised so many years ago, do they have any choice? They were destined. And so the struggle will go on until the end of time, each of us battering our comments back and forth. However, I do want to give credit where credit is due. Visit Oman. Lovely awesome Arab folks. You will love them! You can't help it.

This is just another case of the inability of different religions to come to any sort of agreement. It's always extremes never the mid road.

Jordan has killed many more PLOs that Israel, and excape world condemnation. When they contoled the western wall they built public tolets against it. Was that ok? I think not

The comment regarding the Palestinians and 1967; leaves out what happened in 1967. This is not the only article I have seen recently that makes it sound as if that year, Israel decided to 'take over' this land and just walked in and took it. For the sake of 'History'; could you mention what happened that year; in that area? Thank you.

Ray Hanania has made a very valid observation on the behaviour of the Palestinians by destroying synagogues. His viewpoint is balanced, fair and shows immense sensitivity towards the Palestinians as well as the Israelis. While understanding the Palestinians in their hate for the occupation and seeing the synagogues as a symbol of that, Ray has the insight to see and understand beyond the Palestinian gut reaction of hate. A well written article which should be read by all.

The human heart is the house of God, a building is just a collection of stones. The Israeli government should've destroyed the synagogues as they planned. No one expected the Palestinians to leave any trace of the occupation standing. The Israeli government's move to leave the buildings was a set up, another opportunity to portray themselves as good, and the Palestinians as bad.

After seeing how the Palestinians burned all the synagogues, I fear churches and other buildings of worship will be next. As this evil expands, will they try to burn our govt. institutions? I and my friends have a totally different view of Islam now and will no longer respect it in any way. The Palestinians have shown the world how the future is going to unfold. We will not go down without a fight. Islam has now become the world`s new enemy. The Palestinians have chosen and may they reap what they have sown.

Almost every day leftist Israelis take part in violent demonstrations against the security fence, but this doesn't seem to count as violence. The leftist media has never managed to invent the term "leftist extremists." Hanania's statement that "The settlers are Israel’s more extremist and violent segment of society" is an ugly piece of lying bigotry that would not be tolerated against any category of people except Jews living in areas that are supposed to be Judenrein.

you criticized both sides for doing wrongs. Now you expect both sides will attack you. Reading all that you have written, I know you are not afraid of the critics on either side. I don't believe the Israelis left the synagogues there as a "trap." I don't believe the Palestinians are anti-Semitic. I do believe both, my people and the Palestinians, are driven by a hatred born of anger born of frustration and born of injustice. I wish the Palestinians left the synagogues to show how good they can be.

For pointing out that the Palestinians wanted the houses razed. The reason is they preferred to build multiple-family dwellings on those sites to more adequately meet their needs. All well and good, but Ray, you should have known better than to make it appear as if Israel was tearing down those homes just so that the Palestinians couldn't make use of them. This was an arrangement that was agreed upon by both sides. While everybody is free to choose up sides in this conflict, playing fast and loose with the truth just shouldn't be acceptable.

What about all the arab countries that deny the palestinians right to existence??