Up to a point...
It's pretty difficult to have a democracy when offically your country doesn't even exist. And the main problem facing Palestinians is trying not to get shot or have their houses bulldozed on a day-to-day basis.
The Israelis, being under the protective wing on America, have the luxury of being a progressive, liberal (if you're Israeli!) democracy.

The Palestinian cause really is something worth supporting, whatever you think about Iraq, Afghanistan etc.
( Mr. Tea 'ulmmm'/'mmneurgh', Thu 7 Jul 2005, 14:58, archived)

There could be a huge flame war about this
but Palestine is a trendy left-wing pet project made of a very complicated, intractable problem. Tibet's maybe a more clear-cut case.
( Flapjack I spay a little mare for you, Thu 7 Jul 2005, 15:02, archived)

I agree the Palestinian problem is complicated,
but I fail to see how any reasonably well-informed person, who is not him/herself a shameless Zionist, could not support Palestinian claims to independence, or at the very least the righ to not be treated like dogshit by the Israelis.
( Mr. Tea 'ulmmm'/'mmneurgh', Thu 7 Jul 2005, 15:09, archived)

It's also hard to see why
the Israelis would possibly want to co-operate, given that every single one of the neighbouring countries has sworn to destroy them and are quite happy to use Palestine as a springboard to do so.
( Flapjack I spay a little mare for you, Thu 7 Jul 2005, 15:21, archived)

Well, look at it this way...
Palestine has existed for hundreds of years, yet had progressed little.

Israel has existed for 50 years, and despite frequent wars and continual terrorist attacks, has democracy, equality and large cities.

Sure, Israel is backed by the USA, but Palestine is backed by Egypt, Lebanon etc. both of whom have attempted to invade Israel in the past 50 years.
(R-T-C Got arbitrage profits?, Thu 7 Jul 2005, 15:09, archived)

OR, look at it this way...
Palestine had existed for hundreds of years, America turns up after WW2 and says "We'll have this country, thankyou", allows thousands of Jews whose ancestors hadn't lived in the region for 1,800 years to pour in, displacing an entire nation. Who now live in either refugee camps, or in impoverished towns that are constantly under fire from one of the most modern, well-equiped armies in the world.

We have cities, equality, democracy etc - does that give us the right to invade, oh, I don't know, Iraq? Try telling a Palestinian living in Israel they have 'equality'!
( Mr. Tea 'ulmmm'/'mmneurgh', Thu 7 Jul 2005, 15:16, archived)