Alex A: I have no horse in this race and am ignorant with regards to all the political maneuverings going on with regard to the Israeli/ Palestine conflict. However, from a historical point of view I can well understand why a Catholic would think negatively on the intentions of modern day Jews in politics. For centuries they have undermined Catholic culture and used Muslim military might to gain power over the Christians who stand in the way of world domination. The Jews of today have little or no connection to the Jews (Judeans) of Christ's time; they follow a completely new religion and even their ethnicity could be called into question given the major dispersions of the past. If we consider that historically Armenia was part of a greater Russia as a Christian nation, then one does have to wonder at Israeli's intent in helping a Muslim country gain ground. Certainly, - cui bono - it works -long term - in their own interests.

@Carol H The modern day Israeli genetically speaking, is no different to his/her forefathers, and we should not overlook that there have been Jews, in what has been commonly called Palestine for 3,000 years or more. Certainly there is a larger part of the population that identifies as Jewish that would genetically reveal cross race genetic breeding. However one needs to be careful not to fall into the thinking that the Nazi's adopted, of trying to identify sub-groupings of Jews. With respect to the Jewish religion, one would expect some organic or even more demonstrable changes over the course of its history. Is that not true of our own Catholic religion? For me, I can only stress that I find it difficult to reconcile the clear and obvious anti-Semitism currently sweeping western civilisations with Our Lord's commandments to love and forgive one's neighbour no matter the perceived injury. The longevity of our church's anti-Jew mantra should cease. It's time we all lived up to what Our Blessed Lord died on the cross for. One last important point. Israel was attacked by the terrorist group Hamas, they, meaning Israel, have every right to defend it's citizens, as would any other country faced with an overt aggressive neighbour. Yet there are those who would deny Israel that right. The current scenario facing Israel, is what has been termed, 'a ring of fire' meaning that Israel is faced with attack not only by Hamas, but by Hezbollah, Iran, Houthis, and a host of minor terrorist groups. Hamas has over 120 Jewish hostages, predominantly non-combatants, women, children, and men. If you have the courage, the terrorists filmed the atrocities they inflicted on those they killed, around 270 innocent Israelis- [look up YOUTUBE] The total number of missiles launched on Israel, since the war started [Oct 7-23] has exceeded 10,000. Fortunately, Israel's defence systems have averted major catastrophes, thus far. But for how long can they hold out given that the estimated arsenal at disposal of the terrorists is over 250,000 rockets and other projectiles. Pray for Israel, if for no better reason than the Lord's covenant with Israel, has never been rescinded.

Alex A: Ethnicity = The common characteristics of a group of people. My main point was to clarify that the modern Jews living in Israel today are not of the same ethnicity as the Holy Family. And this is where history steps in. Pre-Christ the zealots who called themselves Jews but were not Jews (to paraphrase Our Lord) infiltrated the temple and enforced their own man-made laws on the Jewish people invalidating the Old Covenant (symbolized by the splitting of the Temple veil from top to bottom like the tearing in half of a contract). It is for this reason that Christ came and via his death and resurrection, instituted a new divine covenant with the Jewish people and Gentile converts (who would have, from generations past, been part of the lost tribes). A New Israel: the Catholic Church, was born.

In 70AD, as foretold by Christ in Scripture, the great temple of Jerusalem itself was burnt to the ground and with it, the temple altar stone and priesthood. The Jewish religion of the Old Testament was no more. One particular zealot though - Jochanan ben Zakkai - survived the destruction, and founded a new religion based on his own made up laws behind a thin veneer of water downed Jewish practices. This new religion did not have a central temple. It did not have a priesthood. It did not have as its main central doctrine: the Holy Sacrifice for the atonement of sin. When the Romans wiped out the majority of the Jewish people in retribution for their revolutionary attacks (fueled by this new revolutionary religion), those who escaped fled outside of the Roman Empire to Babylon (modern day Iraq) and from there set up a new kind of "Jerusalem" in order to infiltrate and control all the remaining Jewish communities of the known world and imbibe in them the long term plan of exterminating the New Israel that had supplanted them: Christianity. It is this anti-Christian religion that has settled back in Israel, the country, today.

Now, that said, I totally deplore the attacks on Israel by the Hamas terrorists and yes, they have every right to defend themselves. However, I equally deplore the over-kill attacks on the innocent Palestinian schools and hospitals by the Israelis in retribution. And if Israel now faces a ring of fire, one only has to look back at its historical treatment of its neighbours to understand why. That is why I do not take sides. Both are to blame for this terrible conflict - I simply pray for the innocent hurt in the cross-fire and for Our Lady of Fatima to bring peace to that troubled region. And of course for the Jewish people themselves :)

You really do not have any idea what is going on with the Israel/Hamas conflict. That being the case, why do you feel the need to make any comment about it? Surely, someone with your obvious intelligence. would, without bias, research the topic first before making any comment. Anyway, it is what it is. For the record, Hamas are notorious for the following: (a) They are a terrorist group, Thus by definition cannot be trusted to report the truth, regardless of topic. (b) Most of the western media, totally rely on Hamas for news of the conflict. (c) Israel has been attacked by a variety of Arab entities since the foundation of modern Israel in 1948. The current conflict is what has 'broken the camel's back' for Israel. Thus their mantra, understandably so, [I repeat here, watch the terrorists own video footage regarding the atrocities inflicted on innocent Israelis] 'Never Again!' (d) Current enemies of Israel have sworn to rid 'Palestine', from the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean), of all Israelis. The genocidal notion is even written into Hamas's constitution. (e) Israel is not only surrounded by those who desire its demise but the main instigator, Iran, is feverishly working towards acquiring a nuclear bomb. Who do you suppose it is meant for? (f) In 1947, Both Israel and Palestine were offered division of the area , then known as Palestine, so each could have a recognised state of their own. Only Israel took up the offer of the UN. Since that time, the Palestinian Arabs have declined similar concessions by Israel and other negotiating parties, on seven other occasions. Hamas is the duly elected governing body of the area known as Gaza. Israel had abdicated responsibility for the area [1965] in an effort to appease the majority of Arabs living in Gaza. Thus the Gazans had complete autonomy from Israel, and what did they do with their freedom? They built the most extensive tunnel network across the whole of Gaza in which various levels of tunnels housed thousands of rockets. drones. anti-tank missiles, land mines etc, etc, etc. It has been described as 'The Largest Terrorist Stronghold' in the world, perhaps, only rivaled by Hezbollah (Lebanon). And who paid for it, albeit, unwittingly? Why of course every taxpayer in the western-world, either directly country to Gaza (HAMAS) or through various UN agencies. BILLIONS of dollars under the guise of aid poured yearly into the Hamas coffers. Who supplied the armoury housed in the underground tunnels? Principally, Iran! What is recorded here is only a capsule picture of what Israel is up against, yet, insult is added to injury by no less a country than Ireland, which I'm sure you must be aware of. What on earth has Ireland to do with Israel is any one's guess. Or could it be, the Muslims in your country are already flexing their muscles?

I agree with you - I stated from the outset that I did not have a breeze on the current crisis (in terms of every day politics) and as such I do not question your information. However your closing statement in your original post is what promoted me to comment from a historical point of view: "As though Israel consciously had that intent to arm a Muslim country so they could kill Christians. It beggars belief, that a fellow Catholic's 'hatred' of Jews leads them to think in those terms. God only knows what Heaven makes of Catholic bigotry towards His Son's, His Mother's, His Step-Father's, ethnicity?" When presenting an argument, especially one involving such a complex spectrum, it only muddys the water when the erroneous and subjective view that the Jews in Israel are like our "older brothers" (so to speak) is applied. They are far from it and history has shown that yes, the Jews have used Muslims to attack Christians countries. Therefore it is quite conceivable that Israel's motives have an alternative agenda with regards to Armenia. As for Ireland's stance - well, like the rest of the world they have been drawn in by the media and - as you correctly said - the resident Muslim immigrants. From where I stand, the whole thing is being orchestrated to make us "take sides" - and yes, if we all shout for Palestine, the Muslims get a stronger foothold; there I totally agree with you. But where we part on this subject, I think, lies in the bigger picture: Who is orchestrating it?

Let this be the last exchange on the subject. Reading carefully to what you have said thus far. It is most revealing that you start with, "Israel bad, non-Israeli's good" with a proviso, "I agree that particular instance was wrong." Again, your rationale includes, "It is quite conceivable that Israel had /has an alternative motive." Not once was the same verbal gymnastics applied to a non Jewish entity. History itself, is full of negative behaviours by even entities we as Catholics hold up as 'brave soldiers' of Christ. For example, the history of the Crusades. In the process of regaining countries back to Christianity, a noble venture to be sure, 'innocent' peoples were slaughtered in the cause. One could ask of the victorious Crusaders; What happened to the Jews of France, Spain and Portugal? My point being, it is so easy to 'justify' ones position by examples of history without accounting for the nuances of its setting. Anti Semitism, in all its forms, has been explicitly condemned by Saint Pope John Paul 2. who said;

"The Church feels more indebted to liberate its heart with regards to the wounds inflicted on the same people from which Jesus Christ came from, very often from members of the Christian people who declared themselves of Christ." ~ I rest my case.