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Zionism, for those not acquainted with the history of the modern Middle East in any way, is a Jewish movement towards a return to Israel and reestablishment of a Jewish state, which previously has not existed for over a thousand years.

The modern state of Israel was created by this Zionist movement, and now it wishes to reclaim the boundaries of the kingdom as written in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible).

Is this right? It's undeniable that Israel did have control of these land boundaries, though at a later date than Joshua, David, or even Solomon.

I would say that I find myself siding with Zionism, though not to an extreme. The Arabic governments that have backed the Palestinians really don't want them, they have repeated rejected them moving into their countries. They simply want to fight Israel, and they'll use anything they can get a hold of. Also, the Israli government gives equal treatment of Jews and non-Jews in a democratic system, whereas the other Arab countries find democracy and equality to be horrible, revolting monstrosities.

Remember also that Christians are a TINY MINORITY ( ) in Israel, so they don't factor in at all.

Because it is a holy land for their people as well...
This sounds like its straying from a talk about simply Zionism. And I disagree with this statement, the reason that the middle east distastes the democracy brought to them by western civilizations, is that it has been rather forcibly imposed upon them to accept it. Nobody can agree with something until they accept it on their own terms.

Considering how that region is very important to all three major monotheistic religions, I don't think any one of them should be able to rule over it entirely. And that if the Zionists wish to regain control of the territory, then they should bargain something of equal value to the Arab leaders currently positioned, or the exchange in powers will not be recognized as being legitimate by the Arab members of society.

Well, I'm not sure about it. I mean, obviously someone has to have Israel, so the question is just who. It seems to me that it, like most of the rest of the world, should probably go into the hands of whatever government is the most responsible, insightful and moral.

However, there is a problem in that, no matter who has it, if either the jews or the muslims don't have it, they're going to try to get it, because it's very important to them. Taking this into account, what I'd suggest doing is installing a government there with powerful international backing to protect it and which allows both jews and muslims to visit the various holy cities there. Put it this way: The problem isn't that the jews and muslims both want it, the problem is those particular jews and muslims who want to keep those of the other religion out of it. They're the only ones that the other ones need protecting against. So yeah, I'm all for muslim-tolerant jews living there, along with jew-tolerant muslims- and any intolerant jews or muslims can go screw themselves.

Rantent, there's one problem with your statement, and that is that you fail to consider the intolerance that is actually inherent in some of the Muslim teachings (the Oral Laws and the additional material grouped with it).

Mohammed in his early life was excepting of Jews, but when they was actually recorded in the Qu'ran attacking Judaism, calling them worshippers of the prophet Ezra as well as God. Islam has not suddenly taken up repressing Judaism, to quote my book:

"There is a popular myth in the West that Jews lived as equals in the Muslim world until the rise of Zionism provoked anti-Jewish feelings from the Arabs. In truth, throughout almost all of their thousand-year sojourn in the orbit of Islam, Jews (and Christians too) lived as humiliated and second-class citizens." - "Jewish Literacy" Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Jews and Christians, as dhimmis, had to give up their seats if a Muslim wanted it (sound familiar, white America?), move to the left of a Muslim when walking (left is "evil" in Islam). They could pray, but their places of worship were hidden and obscure, and they could pray only in muted voices. Additionally, various additional restrictions were leveled on them during later centuries and under crueler leaders.

The fact is that a zealously religious government will be repressive, especially one that commands the conversion or destruction of nonadherents. The Arabic world may may have had democracy forced upon them, but their repression and humilation of Jews during various centuries was unneccesary and unjustified.

Additionally, I fail to see how a secular government is a practical solution, as a majority of people in the world, and especially in the Middle East, ARE religious, and hardline Orthodox Jews and Conservative Muslims intensely dislike secular government.

Even if they weren't tolerant, terrorism is just inhumane. I just think that Zionism is a well made idea, however it wasn't really implemented well into the situation.

Yes, and it's coming from both sides. The problem with any secular solution to the problem is that you CAN'T ignore the Ultra-Conservative Muslims or Jews, as they're the ones with the bombs.

If by this you mean tribal traditions, then I completely agree with you. But those are not the teachings of Islam, but simply things many outsiders have associated with it.

I have only seen it mentioned in the bibliography of Sirat Rasul Allah that he raided such jewish tribes.
In many cases he took tribal problems and established a means to resolve conflicts between groups.

At any rate, you have two cultures veiwing the same peice of land as their own, and if neither consider what the other wants, then neither will be able to get what they want.

So? Many religious people support separation of church and state.

These are the people who I said can go screw themselves.

Not really. Anyone can get bombs if they want to. The extremists are just the ones who are willing to use them.

Besides, what are we going to do? Give in to the extremists just because they threaten to blow us up? When's the last time anybody got rid of morons by giving in to them?