Belated Thanks

Jews still live in Iran, probably the most comfortable place for Jews in the muslim world. It's perhaps counterintuitive and against conventional wisdom to be sure, but Iranians are the friendliest people on the planet, more tolerant than their neighbours (both arab and israeli) and have a general attitude of live and let live.

It's sad that their government does not reflect this but this should not take away from this basic fact.

Joe, thanks for bringing up Judaism / Muslim influences. But to ask the unanswerable (I tend to do that, alas), with these two religious groups sharing many traits – same God, similar dietary rules for both kosher and halal – why are they still fighting? Is that what God had in mind? Maybe Amy can look into this?

The ancient Philistines actually bear no relation to the modern Palestinian Arabs.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad constantly denies the holocaust to remain the spotlight-- otherwise his role as the "Talking head" for the "real powers" that be in Iran would be even more evident.

It always amazes me that holocaust denials even get a mention in the press. Most R-E-A-S-O-N-A-B-L-E folks know that it is an irrebuttable fact that millions of Jews were murdered in the most vicious and violent circumstances for no reason other than the fact that they were Jews.

Mention of this man, Ahmadinejad, irks me to no end. He is not a newsworthy subject and if discussed should be described in the worst manner possible-- “A Vile Lying Rat”.

http://theblindspotsofgod.wordpress.com/

Good point Joe. The next time my rent is due I'll point out that I've historically been in the place for years now, and therefore have a homeland claim to it.

I think this strategy was also highly effective when several Native American tribes sued California in an effort to get LA back.

Way to ruin an otherwise very good and interesting post.

(Also, would it have killed you to mention just how scared Riyadhd and other Sunni Arab capitals are of a US/Israel/Shiite power axis running through Washington, Tel-Aviv, Baghdad, and Tehran?)

I understand your larger point but you've got the bible wrong.

Cyrus is NOT "the only non-Jew mentioned favorably in the Old Testament" Off the top of my head, other non-Jews mentioned favorably in the Hebrew Bible include
Noah; Rahab (who sheltered the spies before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan); the Pharoah under whom Joseph served as Vizier; Eliezer, Abraham servant; Jethro, Moses' father-in-law; etc.

This is a nice post and I enjoyed reading it, but having to click through to "read more" is a stupid annoyance.

Joe Klein:

this bit of Biblical history also reminds us that the land of Israel was always home to both Jews

...even if they didn't actually live there for a couple of centuries or so?
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I'm not taking a position one way or another, but it seems a little strange to non-Jewish ears.

Though OT, another bit of Biblical lit that neocons seem to have forgotten entirely within the context of health care reform, and especially within the legislation to manage mortgage and credit card debt: the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Ahma-gilligan as front man for the real regime personifies Iran's apparently inherent contempt for Israel.

I've always been impressed with the intelligence of Iranians. And their women are pretty damned hot.

Oh good, some Tehranology combined with some Bible history.
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Who really gives a f--k.

(But then, we Jews have had a disastrous history of disdain for those who were not family--but that's another story.)

Joe, as one Jew to another, what the Hell are you talking about? This is not only not true, it is the stuff of a traditional antisemitic canard -- the trope that Jews consider themselves superior to non-Jews. Again, not true, and irresponsible to suggest.

If anyone is guilty of a "disastrous history of disdain" for those who do not share their religion or culture, I would suggest that it is the Christians of Europe, who for centuries imposed legal restrictions on Jews, exiled them from their countries, and generally disdained them, with disastrous consequences in the century that just ended. And while there Muslim opponents of Israel who insist that the mistreatment of Jews in their lands began only with the establishment of Israel, that is simply not true, either -- read George Orwell's essay on his visit to Morocco for a sketch of how Jews were treated in one Arab country before the war. There is a long history of "disdain" there as well, albeit less disastrous than in Europe.

Oh, and Dennis is right -- you've got your Old Testament wrong, too. And disturbingly, you got it wrong in a way that reinforces the lie that Jews are historically "disdainful" of non-Jews. To his list of non-Jews who are mentioned favorably, I'd add Ruth -- she has her own book, so you may have heard of her. Perhaps you meant your comment as a throw-away, a joke (and that's why you put it in parentheses), but it was a bad one.

[...] Joe Klein thanks Ahmadinejad for having enlightened ancestors such as Cyrus, king of Persia who allowed the [...]

Holocaust deniers, no matter how odious their claims seem to us should always be seen within their context. They do not necessarily deny the holocaust for historical reasons, it is merely the response to the fact that the holocaust is the primary reason that Israel's international support is as wide as it is. So while it is a horrible thing do deny the holocaust we should also be aware of the political situations in which these claims are made.

Suspect election in Iran? Solution;
have results verified by old pal Jimmy Carter... ;^)
-- found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

Author of this article: Joe Klein- Member of the CFR (council on foreign relations) research it!