I think that one of the things we need to consider is the possibility that it is impossible for ethnically-based countries to integrate immigrants.

He asked for the same from American Jews a few weeks ago. I don’t recall President Bush getting up in arms over the suggestion that Jews move to Israel.

Then again, nobody’s trying to force us out of here.

I agree with Knucklehead that the violence and hatred of the Palestinians is going to turn inward until it burns itself out. Only when the Palesitnians are tired of killing will there be a chance for peace.

Somehow, I don’t think Chirac has grasped Sharon’s point at all.

I agree. There are a number of Palestinians who need to die. Those who are too full of hatred, irredeemably so, are a menace. Those who have been involved in the murder of innocents need to die.

Unfortunately, in the chaos of Palestinians, mostly the wrong people will die.

You know something? After the 9/12/2001 footage of Palestinians celebrating in the streets, I can’t even be bother to do that much.

In most cases I would agree with your notion that Jews around the world need to fight where they are and not flee in the face of bullies.But I disagree when it comes to France.The action that triggered my change of heart was the Chirac proposal to eliminate religous headware in the public schools to counteract the rise in violent attacks against Jewish temples and Jews themselves.

On the face of it this act seems trivial when compared to the size of the problem. But I think it is a sign of the attitude that the Chirac government has towards the Jews in his country. By telling the victims of terror that they have to hide their identity the French are telling the Jews that they are partially responsible for the attacks against them. That is like telling a rape victim to stop wearing short dresses.Many crackers in the south in the fifties responded to the increase of lynching by telling Blacks that if they would just stay in their place and be quiet they wouldn’t be attacked.I see the same attitude in the response of the French. The French will say, “But we are banning Muslim headgear too”, but that is not the point.The point is that they are punishing people who were attacked by telling them that they have to hide their identity to be protected in France. What will they suggest next, that any french Jew with an obvious sounding Jewish name change it.

I don’t think the law has been implemented yet. When Jews and other groups complained that the law was not fair the French turned up their noses and said this is an internal French matter.When certain Arab groups hinted at possible terrorist attacks the French took notice and started to rethink their plans.

I do not hink that Chirac and the French government are all closet Jew haters. I do think they have made the cynical decision that for economic and internal political reasons they will only go so far in protecting the rights of French Jews to live in freedom in their country.Just as the French have told us they will do anything to curry the favor of any arab or muslim government and that they will oppose any American activity in the WOT, I believe that the French have signaled to the Jews that they are beginning to turn their heads and that they will never do anything to offend any Muslim country in regards to protecting the Jews from persecution.

“There are two issues here: Gaza and French Jewry.”

Point well taken. I would suggest that it isn’t really “French Jewry” but something closer to the re-emergence of comfortable and popular anti-Jew sentimentis in Europe – or at least “Old Europe”.

Minor point on my part but still…

“On the first, what exactly can the international community do (assuming Kerry doesn’t become president)? It has been uniformly hostile to Israel for years. It doesn’t have any military worth a damn – the IDF is exceeded in combat power only by the US and France.”

They cannot do anything, therefore they will package whatever “actions” they choose into diplospeak non-action. Even if they had the capability to do anything they would not act. They bought into the idea of destroying Israel to make everything right in the ME. It was a false premise but they will never admit that. Too much arrogant pride and false sense of sophistication.

“That the Palestinian young crazies are going to take over is obvious – either now or later. Look at how they have been raised: school where the maps don’t contain the state of Israel; TV full of antisemitism and anti-Israeli slander; the celebration of suicide bombers (often youngsters) who kill the innocent – the more children, the better; rabid antiAmericanism; death as excitement – look at the sick scenes when anyone is killed – their leaders or others whom they kill in their land – you have these youths running around in a state of ecstasy holding human body parts.”

They willfully built the Cult of Hate and now they will pay the price; the Hate Monster is turning inward. There isn’t anything anyone can do to help or stop them, IMO, until they become so exhausted with the violence that they just run out of gas and those left alive finally look for some other answer. Its all about hate. Until they get passed that they are hosed.

I see, too late, that we agree on this.

“As far as French Jews… Le Pen is antisemitic. Importantly, he is anti-immigration, tough on crime, and nationalistic in a transnational Europe. That Buchananite viewpoint could gain traction if crime by Muslim youths increase or the French people feel their national pride trampled by EU mandates.”

I’m afraid Europe in general and France in particular will try to satiate The Beast by feeding it the Jews before it finally tries to deal with The Beast.

“I would be nervous were I Jewish and in France.”

I’d be long gone. I’ve voted with my feet before – it leaves one with the capacity to reverse one’s vote at a later date

“I don’t see forces strong enough to repeat a Krystallnacht, unless Le Penn gets stronger. I doubt there will be restrictions on travel or emigation any time soon. But if enough Jews leave, the French (or EU) might apply confiscatory taxes to emigrants.:

I don’t know that disaster will require a Krystalnacht type event. I think they just need to avert their eyes and let the Islamists do their filthy work piecemeal.

“However, I suspect the EU will become authoritarian within 5-10 years, and after that, there is no telling what might happen.”

If the EU constitution gets put in place without MAJOR structural revisions that’s where it looks like its going from my seat up in nosebleed country. My contact with Euros suggests to me that they want a facade of democracy but don’t really want “choices”. They want it all layed out for them with only minor details to fret or argue about. Benevolent Authoritarianism is really what they are after. It will start that way almost certainly, but it won’t last that way. I give them more than 5-10 years, but I don’t think Europe will get through my lifetime without becoming yet another really nasty mess with way too many people being slaughtered. Maybe, but I’m not optimistic about it.