I may not support all of their methods - but it's the only place worth living in the entire region!

I forgot Jordan as well, its only problem is dealing with the millions of refugees caused by America's foreign policy failures.

Kuwait's fine, as is Cyprus and Turkey.

With the exception of Israel, no country in the middle east, including Turkey, is a place where someone who is not a member of the state religion and tribe would want to live and raise a family. Per capita income means little if you're second or third class. Their so called democracy has always been one vote-one time, unless it is one vote for the appointed leader.

Never been to Jordan? Or Lebanon?

There are many Israeli Jews who do not practice Judaism.

That defeats the point of being a Jew

Not every Jew is an Orthodox Jew.

Not a case of practice makes perfect, but ethnicity.

I saw Palestinians and Israelis living and working side by side in perfect harmony bro. All sons of Abraham. Shalom Suka.

"RWT
I just came back from 4 weeks in Israel. I always felt safe in the Israeli controlled areas. I seldom felt safe in Palestinian territory (including the Arab quarter of Jerusalem) I don't always agree with everything that Israel does but I do agree that they have the right to defend their own borders and they should not have to wait until children and women are being stabbed with knives before acting. Shalom to all."

Indeed you did.

Abraham, that's the one who was to kill one son or the other?
The sins of the father/the more things change...

Both Ishmael and Isaac received a blessing from God. Isaac received the birthright. Neither son was killed but Abraham was tested by God in the offering of Isaac. It was not a sin but a test.

Yeah Dubai is a nightmare.

Qatar, The UAE, Oman and Kuwait function just fine and in the case of 3 of them have a higher GDP per capita than the US and way better infrastructure.

If you mean by functioning, guns that can kill men armed with rocks and tear gassing kids, then you are correct Israel is the one.

Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait without oil would be no better off than Syria or Jordan.

If by "functioning" you mean the ability to murder unarmed civilians, then sure, every country in the region functions just fine.

If you're referring to the riots at the Israeli-Gaza border, then Israel did drop leaflets warning the people of Gaza NOT to attack the border posts.

The Hamas then urged people to attack the border posts, getting Palestinians killed in the process - which was exactly what the Hamas planned.

The Hamas is now parading the bodies in front of the world press, "proving" that Israel is a bully and the Hamas are the legitimate government of a poor suppressed people. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Stop falling for the Hamas spin!

It's like saying Houston without oil would have been a backwater swap, filled with inbred hicks eating lizards.... hang on minute....

You hit the nail on the head, Israel is the bully. They have much superior weaponry and use it to maximum affect. I don't support Hamas, I think both sides are as bad as each other but if you get in a fight at school and another kid punches you, then you pull out a gun and shoot him dead is that a proportional response? (My bad, stupid question in America of course it is and you then shoot five of his friends as well in 'self defence')

Both Semites groups are so confusing!

If you question what the controlled media tell you, you could find the truth is very different.

https://cufpa.wordpress.com/2018/01/05/israelis-sniping-palestinian-children/

I guess my idea of "functioning" involves ethics and morality. How weird of me.

Oh yes. My judgement is every bit as "arbitrary and subjective" as everybody else's

As a non-Jew I would not mind living in Israel.

As a non-Turk, non-Arab and non-Muslim I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the region.

I lived in Turkey for a little while and loved it, as did a family friend who now lives there full-time as a pastor.

The infrastructure sucks in Israeli Arab neighborhoods, but I hear the Falafel is great!

unless a shortage of*

Don't forget the whole descendants of Judah vs practicing Jews, where some people have called for DNA testing to prove who is a "real Jew" and who isn't.

I just came back from 4 weeks in Israel. I always felt safe in the Israeli controlled areas. I seldom felt safe in Palestinian territory (including the Arab quarter of Jerusalem) I don't always agree with everything that Israel does but I do agree that they have the right to defend their own borders and they should not have to wait until children and women are being stabbed with knives before acting. Shalom to all.

I guess you could make the argument about rich white areas in america and poor black ones in the US and that white neigbourhoods in America has the right to fire on poor black people that threaten their borders.

I guess when you are marginalised, your economy squeezed to breaking point, you can't move freely and basically your desperate your areas are not as safe as the rich Israeli, heavily patrolled ones.

Inbred Jew rats

Just because they educate their women, let them drive, and even work, doesn't mean anything. Who needs all those educated people in the workforce anyway? ;-p