Syria talks about human rights, what about the rights of those quickly squashed in Hama several years ago? Is there any precedent at all like that in Israel? Second, yes, we are talking about 1 prisoner. The 10,000 Palestinians in our jails have something to do with blowing up innocent children and families on buses and supermarkets, and even they get letters and pictures from their families and vice versa. Even their plight is public; Gilad Shalit could have disappeared into Iran for all we know. Apartheid? Are there any Jews at all in Syria? Do people even have the most basic rights there?

Ynet shouldn't pay any attention to what Syrian media publishes, or at least it's hardly any news, is it? I lived in the USSR where everyday Pravda would publish an editiorial about American imperialism, arms race, capitalism, unemployment etc., to take this rubbish for an honest analysis of Soviet position would be stupid, by the same token the situation is mirror-like with Syria. Tishrin is a mouthpiece of unelected despotical, totalitarian Assad regime, a Syrian answer to Pravda and Volkischer Beobachter, why reprint this rubbish? Syria as a country is known as a catasrpohe, with dismal state of economy, non-existenet scientific or medical research sector, an brutal monarchy-like system of governing. Does Assad speak for his people or his clique and Iranian bosses? Haaretz today goes even further - they devote an article to Hamas's response to Netanyahu's speech. You don't need to read the article to know that the word "occupation", "racism" will appear there in every line, why bother?

Responsibility for defending Andorra rests with Spain and France. Andorra currently has very limited nominal military force, used for ceremonial purposes only. Israel and Jordan/Egypt could replace Spain and France in this equation. Palestine could join the other dozen countries without any armed forces.

Who cares what Asshad says, It is he who wants Lebanon as his Canton.. Israel keeps its Golan

There are a few Jews in Syria, but look into this human rights report on Jews in Syria from the US department: "The government cited national security as the reason for barring Jewish citizens from government employment, serving in the armed forces, and maintaining contact with Israel. Jews also were the only religious minority group whose passports and identity cards noted their religion. Jewish citizens had to obtain permission from the security services before traveling abroad and faced excessive government scrutiny when applying for licenses, deeds, or other official documents. The government enforced a law against exporting historical and cultural treasures to prohibit the Jewish community from sending historical Torahs abroad."

"Drivel" is silly nonsense.

apartheid can only apply to one country, the Israel / Pal problem is a two state problem... there is no apartheid. Moreover, the fact that Jews are not allowed in many middle eastern countries is racist. the fact that Jews in sattelments in Pal proper are a problem shows that these Jews can not be part of Pal because the Pal dont want Jews- that my friend is apartheid in the making. Islam does not condone outher, and as such a racist and un-democratic rule of law.

Syria? Jordan? Lebanon? Ramallah? Bethlehem? Jenin? Lybia? Quatar? Saudi Arabia? and the list is 57 states long How many Christians are there in these places? Put up or shut up Mr. eye Dr.

Don't call Israel an Apartheid state, when you want a Jew-free Palestine; You look stupid. Europe, Obama and Arabs should stop advocating an Arab-only country called Palestine. If the Arabs are entitled to a Jew-free state as part of the 2-state solution, Israel must also be entitled to an Arab-free state. But If this is not the case, shut up about expelling Jews from the future state of Palestine. The real test to peace and coexistance is how each county will treat its minorities. Arabs cannot even tolerate the thought of Jews in their country, but go on about how Israel is racist. They should be carefull, because if that is what they acheive in the end, they won't have any peace, because they will constantly be remined of their intolerance to having Jews in their country, and how they are a racist country, in contrast to Israel that has arab citizens.

IT IS THE ARABS IN THE WEST BANK WHO DEMANDS SEPARATISM/ APARTHEID, BY DEMANDING AN SEPARATE STATE. THIS DEMANDS ARE EVEN SUPPORTED BY SYRIA. Orao.

WHO'S CALLING ISRAEL APARTHEID, A JELLYFISH OF A MAN, WITH NO BACKBONE AND NO NEW IDEAS FOR PEACE, WHOS REMARKS ARE DESIGNED TO SCUTTLE ANY POSSIBILITY FOR COEEXISTANCE IN THE ME. HEY JELLYFISH, ISRAELI ARABS LIVING IN ISRAEL HAVE LESS TO FEAR THEN JEWS LIVING IN SYRIA.

Alawis are 10% of the Syrian population and they control the presidency, all important government ministries, the military, police, economy. If oppressing the majority powerless Sunnis is not Apartheid than I do not know what Apartheid is

Where is the Ophthalmology Doctor when it comes to realizing other peoples rightful aspirations in the region and in his own country to their national rights to separate from Syria?

He should get himself a pair of glasses so he can see what is really going on around him

Their laws REQUIRE their president to be a Muslim.

an american-installed hashemite rules the palestinian state. btw, thanks Tosefta for pointing out about Syrian Alawi minority rule

The problem is that Muslims have no objective standards. If a Westerner doesn't want his daughter or sister to marry a muslim, that's racism - but when Islamic law says Muslim women cannot marry outside the faith that's not racism. If Muslims feel they're discriminated against or don't have equal rights, then it's racism, apartheid, whatever - but Muslims themselves think they're suprerior to everyone else. Some schools of Islam even openly state that Arabs are the essence of Islam.