Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
The one thing Israel has going for it, and why I think a lot of people in the West sympathize with them is because they are a relatively free country (relative to the ME in general). Even the Arab population in Israel proper (ie. not the WB or Gaza), despite not being legal "equals", have a higher standard of living than most Arabs in the Levant.
Some of Israel's harshest critics are Israelis themselves. Their government allows for dissent and while their government might not always act as moderates, many of the people take introspective approaches on what is going on. Contrast that with many of the surrounding countries where the approach has been more outward. Their governments and organizations like Hamas and Hezboullah, don't allow a lot of freedom and never use introspection to see what their role has been.
I'm not at all defending some of the harsh military tactics used by Israel, or their questionable negotiation tactics, but I can see why they are more likable to a lot of Westerners.
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Agree with you there. Jordan is another country with somewhat of a democracy in the region though no where near Israel. Most of the other countries in the region are living in another century with inequality between men/women, no religious freedom and no freedom of speech.