I’m the only one in my family who did not go to University and beyond… so no hope for me then… 
(on the other hand… I’m the only one who is living in France… yippee… so I reckon I have the last laugh on my siblings…
)
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I apologise Paul for my intemperate réponse. I understood your comment to mean that you believed Iran to be accelerating its development of nuclear weapons, and I was evidently mistaken. A foolish and rash error on my part. Your comments are always measured and courteous, as was your last.
I find this whole business dreadfully upsetting.
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Thanks Mandy that has temporarily lifted my gloom, Have I Got News For You is always a tonic 
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Here’s something to take your mind off of your gloom. It’s a picture of sand multiplied 250 times. Nature is wonderful isn’t it?
I know this is completely random and several miles off topic but it really is a great picture.
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Fantastic, Mandy! Thanks! 
Perhaps James Higginson could use his remarkable skills to turn it into a polished sand-based worktop? Admittedly it would have to be miniaturised, but it would be a wow with the ant community in their ant-hill kitchens or bathrooms.
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I think it was Einstein that said: 'World war four would be fought with sticks and stones".
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Its israel who once again wants a war, the zianista in America support them, they claim to bave evidence but where us it?
They take over palestinion land on a daily bases, commit war crimes, and shoot people who throw stones at them, but nobody speaks out as they always come back to the second world. war and how they suffered
Iran aticks up for their interests , and its a beautifull and educated country. Unlike saudi Arabia who give little respect for women and the west, but stand by them as they buy our weapons and bring in billions if revenue to uk, ysa, france and others.
The israelies have appartide again other religions, persecute the arabs, even paying black jews (just last month) and forcing them onto planes to relocate in Africa.
The worlds in a mess, but the west sticking up for Israel and saudi Arabia does not help the cause one bit,
Everyone is looking after number one. And diesnt care who suffers,
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You are so very correct…sadly. Trump is dangerous. More so because he is a rather ill educated, ignorant and very vain man.
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What the mainstream media won’t tell you about Iran…
Posting this as it features an interview in the first half with my friend Robert who was recently in Palestine… noticed that killary Clinton is in New Zealand and has got the NZ taxpayers to fork up 5.8 million…Is it that all roads now lead to China and not Rome…???
The ‘received wisdom’ on bitter confrontations like this one between Israel and the Palestinians seems to be that both sides must be able to state their position and particularly their anxieties, and must be heard and acknowledged.
What is the Israeli case, objectively stated, and who can put it out there for us to reflect on? I know there to be some very balanced, reasonable and articulate commentators ‘out there’ on SFN, they know who they are, but do they have the time and inclination, or are they vachement estivants ? 
I personally do not see a case in israels favour.
After ww2 the state of israel was set up, and since then they have continued to steal land, the 3 day war, and taking the goland heights,
Palistinians have lost 90% of their land in damascus, and will soon be over thrown, the original lands where the palistinions lived and grew crops to live have slowly been raken by throwing familys out and resettling israelies
When the palistinions throw stones it us going into their lands but which are under occupation by israel,
They have friends in America, also nucular weapons,
I have nothing against the jews but only the country, and their land grab, and holyier than thou attitude while ignoring UN laws,
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I can see your point of view, @anon20824123, and I share it broadly speaking. But the Israelis are not going to give up what they see as their entitlement, after centuries of persecution across large swathes of the globe. If peace and reconciliation are to prevail, the Israeli case will have to heard by people that resist it, without being aware of what it is, and what it’s proponents believe justifies it. Are you open to that proposition? I see you as a sensitive and intelligent agent for change. Am I right?
You can belive a area or lands are rightfully yours and believe they are the only religion , so they should be a peace loving nation, and be better than others and not kill indiscriminately.
Could we claim normandy belongs to the uk as we ruled it for centurys, or even the Norwegians as it was taken over by the vikngs ( norman rule) they hated the french. No we coukdn’t so i dont see why israel can as it was never their lands.
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The Jews see themselves as a people who have been displaced from their ancestral homeland, and as a reviled and despised race who have been ill-treated across Christendom for centuries because of their supposed betrayal of Christ. The Church has almost always colluded in their persecution even unto death. There is an enormous weight of historical evidence in support of these claims.
Zionist claim à right to à safe homeland to put an end to their forced dispersal, and a right to human dignity for their distinct ethnicity and belief system. This was granted by international agreement in 1948, following the Holocaust. The state of Israel is geographically small as Middle Eastern countries go, but historical précédents indicate that the Jewish people have a legitimate claim on its occupancy and its use. There are many précédents for the acquisition of land by treaty and/or force majeure, and there us no real case for challenging the rights of the Jewish people to the land occupied, albeit not the occupied territoires follong the 7 days war.
They should be allowed the area which was granted to them in 1948.
And sanctions placed on them untill they give up the lands that they have occupied, its ok saying they took lands in the 7 day war but they continually take lands every tear.
Not to mention the killing of british soldiers who were peacekeeping in 1948/9
I boycot everything from israil in the shops, most of their fruit is grown on occupied land.
If they want a peacefull situation they must return to the borders of 1848,
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I find it difficult to make a case for Israel…nothing to do with religion or race…fact is that Gaza Strip constitutes a war crime…Israel is in breach of article 33 of the 4th Geneva convention no ifs no buts…Gaza is 25 miles long and 4 and a half miles wide…the average age of the population is 17…it has no military defence and is up against one of the most powerful military forces on earth…Gaza Strip is the tiny sliver of green backing onto the sea to the left of this picture…
Palestinian loss of land…
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I follow and accept the validity of your arguments, Helen. My approach is at right angles to the usual adversarial lining up with one position or another, and proposes seeing as clearly as possible the arguments and the concerns advanced by the ‘other side’. This is not to agree with them, nor to challenge their validity, but to see them with clear eyes, as seen by those who believe in them. This is to share their truth, as opposed to one’s own. The fact that it is intellectually and emotionaly difficult seems to me to underline its importance if war is to be avoided. This will never be solved by force, or so I believe.
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