Anyhow, from the Eschatological perspective of the religious Right, Israel is key to many of the prophecies which are expected to precede the Rapture and Tribulations. These beliefs aren’t the only basis of their support for Israel, but political/social factors allow for change and compromise– this sort of thing is unyielding. Let’s take Ezekiel 38:11, for example, which predicts that Israel will become a land of ‘unwalled villages’. Before 1948, there was no Israel, let alone any significant walls of which to speak. The fact that the world has seen the return of the state of Israel (seen as something of a miracle itself), and that Israel now relies on massive concrete walls for its security, serves to convince these people that we are now living in the End Times and the Rapture will literally occur any day now. You can argue about America’s waning influence in the Middle East, Israel’s human rights abuses, the plight of the Palestinians, whatever: none of this is going to even minutely affect their support for a state whose existence directly ties into their imminent and inevitable ascension to Paradise.

On top of that, there are undoubtedly powerful Jewish American figures whose influence steer US Foreign Policy in a decidedly pro-Israel direction, there is a clear cultural affinity between Israel and the United States, and there is an instinctive American aversion to supporting a cause that is closely affiliated with violent terrorism in the public mind. Throw in the importance of the Jewish vote in certain battlefield states, and it’s no surprise the United States declares its support for Israel to be unconditional.

http://duaat.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/how-islam-will-dominate-the-world/

Sometimes, you just have to take these guys at their word.

Good for them I say, they have their right to worship Allah while pumping babies until they all starve. But lets stop being shocked when they kill their neighbors as their holy texts commands them.

Hope lives that his trip will be finished in print.
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Patrick-Leigh-Fermor-A-Memoir

Brilliant Kaplan piece.

There are many interesting points in your article, but the endnote caught my attention. It is very rare to hear the open opinion of women complaining in the GCC and the comment made by the Saudi man in the article really makes you realise how difficult it is to be a woman in any of the countries in the region.

He refers to the women as narrow-minded, now I wouldn’t say they are perfect, but one thing is for sure a great many of them are anything but narrow-minded. With women like Queen Rania joining the GCC alongside Sh Moza of Qatar, maybe it’s the men who should be worried?

One also wonders about Australia, with Gillard’s approval ratings in the toilet, Abbott finally pulling ahead and the Labor government’s precarious situation of depending on several disgruntled independents from rural areas for its survival…