Israel is NOT a democracy (at least if you take democracy to be that form of government, which allows people to govern themselves (directly or via elected representatives)) because the palestinians living in gaza and the westbank have no right to elect what is when we ignore all bullshit their government, namely the israeli government. It is quite simple.
According to this logic either there is no Palestine and the Palestinians should be allowed to join Israel and the Knesset, or (I suspect you’ll like this one more) America is not a democracy because it never allowed Japan to vote in its elections. Or France. Or Germany. Or South Korea, etc…
Really, why should the Palestinians get a vote in Israeli elections? They are at war with Israel, and the occupied territories are just that: occupied territories. Israel is a democracy, and it has nothing to do with whether or not the Palestinians can vote in Israeli elections. You’re just making idealistic pronouncements.
The Palestinians should set up their own democracy – then I’d be very supportive.
The true reason that Israel gets more criticism than other oppressive forms of government is that
Israel is state, not a “form of government”, oppressive or otherwise.
No other conflict in the world has so much media presence as that one. And humans care more about things they see all the time than those they don't, just consider the divergence in emotional response between Diana's death and that of others. We see the suffering of Palestinians on TV everyday. We don't see that of North Koreans very often. It's a normal emotional response to be more concerned about those who are (assumed to be) closer to us.
Quite – it has little to with anything apart from the fact that it’s on TV a lot. It’s not because Israel is an “apartheid state” or a “fascist state”. It’s not because they have mistreated the Palestinians. Regardless of the truth of either of those statements, it’s because we get spoon fed ideas and lap them up until they’re coming out of our ears and mouths. Just like Princess bloody Di – absolutely.
Nobody offends people's intelligence as much as israel apologists: Everybody knows that israel is an oppressive apartheit regime, not a democracy, and that the Palesinians are the victims. Everybody, including yourself. Condi Rice know, Blair know, you know it, everyone. Humans have no problem ignoring the suffering of others, but as a group, we don't like to be considered fools.
How marvellous – we don’t mind being fools, just as long as nobody considers us fools. (I’m still assuming this is satirical – am I right)? We don’t care about mass murder and oppression, we don’t care about human rights or self-determination, just as long as we’re not being lied to about them. We know that the Palestinians have no reasonable or achievable goals (if I’m wrong, tell me what they are), but since they are admirably and consistently open about their hatred of Israelis and desire for revenge and destruction, we don’t mind that either. We don’t mind that the Palestinian terrorists target Israeli women and children without a moments thought, because they have never pretended to do otherwise.
If Israel were not a democracy, there would be no pro-Palestinian groups in Israel. There are. If Israel were not a democracy, there would be no press freedom in Israel. There quite clearly is, and that’s one of the things you’re complaining about. (Or are you? I can’t tell).
Humans by and large like to sympathise with the underdogs (as long as they are not part of the conflict themselves, if they are, humans prefer to side with the powerful). Secretly we rejoice when the big bad bully gets a kick against the shins.
I agree with this. Van Creveld says it best: “The strong who fight the weak become weak.” But what does this mean when our perception of asymmetry is conditioned, as you suggest, by the media’s presentation of it?