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Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I think you spend too much time attributing views to people that they don't have. I don't feel that this incident will mitigate the level of support that the US provides to Israel. I don't think I've said anything either (again, you're free to find where I wrote that and I'll retract it).

As for the concept of it being openly discussed, please allow me to make the distinction between voiced and discussed. These views are voiced in America; I certainly don't dispute that. However, at the political level, they are not discussed. Discussion would almost assuredly end in decisions that sometimes favour one side and sometimes the other. In the US, discussions of Israel - Palestine unanimously end with US support of the Israeli position (to my knowledge and please correct if necessary) .

Anti-Israel sentiment is most certainly discussed. It often ends as soon as people realize there is no way for the US to impose many restrictions on Israel without impossing restrictions on themselves. The US government looks at the situation from a nation also trying to protect their own security. As opposed to randomly applying international law against Israel as convenient, but ignoring infractions by the other side.

Obama himself has criticized Israel openly on many many occassions.

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

Heck, in this last incident, a US citizen was killed and Obama hasn't said a peep! That hardly sounds like discussion to me.

As previously stated, Obama has criticized Israel openly on many occasions. Did it ever occur to you that he is not criticizing Israel in this instance, because his own government would have acted in the exact same manner.

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

And they're "terrorists" because... they were on a boat in international waters? They had blankets? Used wheelchairs?

I fear you're making my point about the term terrorist being trivialized and tossed about without due consideration.

They are terrorists because they are card carrying member of the IHH. A recognized terrorist organization. An organization that has been caught red handed on several occasions supplying weapons and money to Hamas, Hezobollah, and Al Queda.

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

No, I do not. I've not said that speech against Israeli policy is curtailed in any way.

You've insinuated several times that pro-Israeli groups control the media and America to the extent that all voice and discussion on the topic is not heard.

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I'm sure some people of muslim faith believe they can give you a run for that crowd.

I don't disagree. Islamophobia is most certainly a problem in our society.