>Whats happening now is very much about the past.
>
>Yes it is, The Arab world has a long history of wanting to wipe the Jews off the map. Come to think of it, isn't that how the state of Israel came about? From another attempt to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth - or at least to kill all of them in Europe.

I have to say this is an adult conversation. We may not all agree but we are talking to each other with a modicum of respect.

I do not happen to be personally involved with either the Israelis or the Palestinians. That said, some of my best friends are Jewish. Tamar is the obvious example here. She stuck with me, calling me every Tuesday, when many had already given up on me. I have lived in heavily Jewish neighborhoods twice in my life. While in high school I lived in a well to do part of Bangor called Little City -- short for Little Jerusalem, back in the un-PC day. The first house I owned (after a condo) was in West Rogers Park, which was the enclave of Jewish people in Chicago. My best friend in the neighborhood was a guy named Ted Kirchberg, who ran an auto repair business out of his garage before opening his own shop. My favorite neighbor was Sam, a guy who lived across the alley. His favorite saying was "It was the most amazing thing." It was only when I read his obituary that I knew he was 95. The most he would concede was "I'm in my 90s." In his 90s and still vain! His interment was at the old Jewish cemetery way over at the Jewish cemetery on the west side. It was in the daytime and I think I was the only gentile there. There weren't many people altogether, which was sad. He had outlived them all.

Sam was a captain in WWII. Once, after going to see "Saving Private Ryan" at a theater that is now closed, I asked him about his memories of being there. He said I can't really talk about it and probably never will be. He said the only reason I was a captain was because I was 29, older than the others. When he could no longer shovel the alley behind his house, which he habitually did at ridiculous hours before 5 a.m., before shoveling out his equally aged relatives in the neighborhood, I knew the end was near.