Israel and Palestine in a nutshell..

[pbphotography]

In a nutshell is not really possible.

The Jews were mainly removed from the Holyland by Roman general later Emperor Vespasion,

They were dispossessed all over Africa, Europe, and as far east as India.

Palestinians moved in around 700 CE (Common Era the same as AD)

Jews wanted land back started moving there in large numbers around 1800 CE. After WW2 they came in great numbers. Britain stupidly let them as opposed to sending them back to Germany. The Jews fought a brutal terrorist war, Britain ran away being worn out with WW2.

Jews fought the Palestinians and won.

Palestinians pissed that their lands had been stolen from then.

Thus unremitting war with the most modern weapons against Palestinian civilians and terrorist acts by suicide bombers against Israeli civilians.

[max_tranmere]

welkram, I think the differnce with Northern Ireland is that the IRA needed the support and finance from Irish America and they got it for 30 years. Then the IRA made a series of disasterous mistakes, such as helping the FARC rebels in Columbia (FARC were the biggest threat to America internationally, other than Al-Queda). The IRA getting involved with the FARC lot in Columbia pissed the Americans off something rotten, and it has always been said that the first round of IRA decommissioning that occured, which I think was in 2001, happened because the Americans demanded it. I remember reading an article at the time entitled "How America Had The IRA Over A Barrel".

Then we had 9/11, and the supporters of the IRA in New York knew for the first time what terrorism felt like. I recall reading another article just after 9/11 entitled: "The IRA Are A Busted Flush Thanks To Bin Laden". Then we had the Robert McCartney murder in Belfast which the IRA carried out and which got worldwide coverage, then the Northern Bank robbery (the biggest bank robbery in British or Irish history which the IRA carried out). By then the IRA were finished. The daddy of Irish America, senator Ted Kennedy, demanded in 2005 that the IRA completely disarmed and disbanded. They did.

I can not think of many other militia groups that are so reliant on the support of other people located such a long way away for them to be kept in business, nor can I think of an organisation that made quite as many errors as the IRA did - errors which they paid a very heavy price for. Most militia groups can continue doing what they do for as long as they like and do not rely on the support and blessing of other people quite as much as the IRA did. Support, and the blessing of, people who once that is taken away the organisation is finished.

[max_tranmere]

pbphotography, interesting. I have been reading up a bit more during recent times. I have particularly enjoyed 'The Promise' on Channel 4 - available on 'Channel 4 OD' for those who have not yet seen it. It is 4 episodes and is 8 hours long in total. Quite long, but very good.