we finally got some thoughtful although inaccurate and incomplete comments from her. With respect to Palestinian refugees, the official count from Israeli sources was about 550,000, from the UN, 750,000and from Arab sources, 850,000. Reasons for the dispersal of Arabs living in (what is now) the state of Israel include the Arab Mufti (spent the war years in Nazi Germany) telling "his people" to leave and to return after the Arab nations destroyed the Jews, fear on the part of Arab residents and strategic manipulation of the Arab population on the part of Jewish forces in order to win the war. Many Arabs did return after the War of Independence while most others left and remained in other Arab countries. To this day, sixty years later, these Arab countries (Lebanon, Syria, etc.) refuse to alleviate the problems within the Palestinian camps and help them integrate in spite of the great empty tracts of land within their domains. They'd rather allow the Arab population suffer and, as a result, continue to point out the inequities of the Nakbar. It appears to be to their advantage. Reasons also given for this is the Arab concept of "honour". Jews, on the other hand, with their concept of "Chai" (life) integrated all 850,000 of their North African and mideastern Jewish population forced to leave Arab countries with none of their belongings and their properties confiscated by the state. Golda Meir said that in a sense we (Israel) were "too successful" in our attempts to integrate for otherwise we could have also pointed out the graceless inequities of the Arab world. To this day, these refugees from the many Arab lands have not received one durham from the governments of their former countries. Did you realize any of this, Jane? Or is it non-important since it was Jewish suffering, not your favoured Arabs?

Bibi has stopped the these laws from going forward by bringing it back to the cabinet instead of to a vote by the full knesset. Bibi can't control every MP from proposing a stupid law. All these people blaming Bibi when he has done nothing wrong and calling for the fall of the government so that traitorous kadima party can be in power.

stop blaming bibi when he has done nothing wrong. One of these laws was about to move forward and he brought it back to the cabinet so it wouldn't move forward. netanyahu can't control every mp for proposing law. So you want bibi to fail when he did nothing wrong but you stood by olmert and livni when they lost the first war israel has ever lost. That wretched Kadima party who did incredible damage to our security and the idf and you want bibi to fall so Livni can be in power with that horrific weak kadima party.

Israel is split and just has to work through this with spirited debate and an adherence to it's founding values, even as it seeks to adapt to the changing environment of the world. This is Democracy at work.

It sounds as if Israel's new leaders expected John McCain and Sarah to be the leaders in America so as to have the same "consciousness and attitudes." Surprise! What's happening in Israel - sounds a lot like what happened over here during the Bush/Cheney regime. I hope I'm wrong but it seems we'll never have peace with men like these .... Peace

Read the Balfour Declaration and get back to us. It happens to be a valid document that was not honoured by the Brits and encompasses what is today's Kingdom of Jordan. The Jews have conceded enough! But not for you. The Jews were attacked by Arab armies in 1948 for declaring independence. Palestinian Arabs... were told to leave and come back after the ' the Jews were driven into the sea' You are at best naive with tripe you write. Nonetheless, I suspect you are jealous of us....so few and yet so successful...relatively..... How can that be?

Israel was attacked by 7 Arab armies and militias in 1948. An estimated 650,000 Arabs left on their own while an estimated 160,000 Arabs elected to remain in Israel. The Arabs caused the refugee problem and don't want any responsibility. As you pointed out, refugee camps exist in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan where Palestinians have been abandoned by their Arab brothers. Only Jordan has offered them citizenship. Settlements are not illegal and per the UN, the territory is disputed, not occupied. The Palestinians had the right to remain in Israel offered to them in 1948 but they left on their own. Israel has no obligation to take them back now. There are no "settler only" roads. There are roads for Israeli citizens which includes Arab Israelis to protect them from Palestinian terrorists who ambushed drivers on the roads. The security fence protects Israeli lives and it's a non-violent form of self-defense necessitated by terror attacks. Palestinians have their travel restricted for well documented security reasons. When was the last house demolition? This is typically reserved for the homes of terrorists. I think you meant to say Israelis are continually under attack or did you miss the 9000 kassams, bombs, knife attacks, tractor terror etc. The Palestinians are active participants in this conflict and have worked overtime to provoke conflict with Israel. The Israeli Arabs have their own representatives who complain, protest and undermine the government. They do not serve their people. If life is so bad for them in Israel, they should leave. They can openly celebrate Nakba day in Gaza.