I did have a little chuckle when Berni said

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

"The holocaust must keep you on your toes" to Monty about being jewish.

You can be living in a modern, wealthy civilised nation; the land of Beethoven, Brecht, Nietsche and Einstein to name a few and along comes one shouty charismatic and suddenly your shops and houses are being burned and vandalised and you're being bantered off into gas chambers with six million of your cousins.

I guess it would make you a little pensive.

[Burney]

"The holocaust must keep you on your toes" to Monty about being jewish.

You can be living in a modern, wealthy civilised nation; the land of Beethoven, Brecht, Nietsche and Einstein to name a few and along comes one shouty charismatic and suddenly your shops and houses are being burned and vandalised and you're being bantered off into gas chambers with six million of your cousins.

I guess it would make you a little pensive.

The weirdest thing is how ready people are to forget that context. If you point out that one of the most advanced nations on earth deciding it would be a good idea to wipe out their entire race within living memory might possibly have an effect on how Jews see the world, you can almost see people rolling their eyes as if to say 'Ugh! Not that again! It was ages ago. Can't they bloody well let it go, ffs?"

Oh, and it's 'Nietzsche', btw. No need to thank me.

[Ash]

The weirdest thing is how ready people are to forget that context. If you point out that one of the most advanced nations on earth deciding it would be a good idea to wipe out their entire race within living memory might possibly have an effect on how Jews see the world, you can almost see people rolling their eyes as if to say 'Ugh! Not that again! It was ages ago. Can't they bloody well let it go, ffs?"

Oh, and it's 'Nietzsche', btw. No need to thank me.

I think it helps to understand why Israel has such a ... robust approach to it's perceived security interests, whether its actions are fair or not.

[Burney]

I think it helps to understand why Israel has such a ... robust approach to it's perceived security interests, whether its actions are fair or not.

Quite. 'Fair' doesn't really enter into it if you quite justifiably believe that the successful defence of your nation is an existential matter for your entire race.

[Monty92]

Yes, but it would be misleading to claim that israel's defence policy is dictated entirely by its justified paranoia. There's votes to be won by being ****s to Palestinians just for the giggles, after all.

Saying that, I've always found it hard to get my head around quite how secular Israelis tend to be. They are often at pains to point this out, in my experience.

Quite. 'Fair' doesn't really enter into it if you quite justifiably believe that the successful defence of your nation is an existential matter for your entire race.

[eastgermanautos]

"The holocaust must keep you on your toes" to Monty about being jewish.

You can be living in a modern, wealthy civilised nation; the land of Beethoven, Brecht, Nietsche and Einstein to name a few and along comes one shouty charismatic and suddenly your shops and houses are being burned and vandalised and you're being bantered off into gas chambers with six million of your cousins.

I guess it would make you a little pensive.

Spell Nietzsche right you non-alcoholic punk!

[eastgermanautos]

Yes, but it would be misleading to claim that israel's defence policy is dictated entirely by its justified paranoia. There's votes to be won by being ****s to Palestinians just for the giggles, after all.

Saying that, I've always found it hard to get my head around quite how secular Israelis tend to be. They are often at pains to point this out, in my experience.

I kind of liked Israel when I visited. This was down to several factors. The (a) hot chicks; (b) good quality falafel stands; and (c) the fact that they spoke my language (approximately). Damn Greece is depressing, because a lot of them don't speak English, and because they're generally a bunch of illiterate peasants, bearing no relation to their illustrious forefathers.

[Ash]

I kind of liked Israel when I visited. This was down to several factors. The (a) hot chicks; (b) good quality falafel stands; and (c) the fact that they spoke my language (approximately). Damn Greece is depressing, because a lot of them don't speak English, and because they're generally a bunch of illiterate peasants, bearing no relation to their illustrious forefathers.

Just say "Endaxi" a lot. You'll be fine.

[Donald]

"The holocaust must keep you on your toes" to Monty about being jewish.

with six million.

Six million? LOL

[World's End Stella]

I kind of liked Israel when I visited. This was down to several factors. The (a) hot chicks; (b) good quality falafel stands; and (c) the fact that they spoke my language (approximately). Damn Greece is depressing, because a lot of them don't speak English, and because they're generally a bunch of illiterate peasants, bearing no relation to their illustrious forefathers.

Greece is the worst of the civilized European nations. Awful, boring food served by miserable, unhappy people in a crumbling, backdated setting.

Greece is sh1t.