Originally Posted by Leah-Ann
It is unfortunate, though certainly not uncommon, that a bad experience with a single individual has colored your perception of an entire group

No, not at all. I merely mentioned that as an aside. You're right that at a personal level I have a big problem with Zionists, but then I do with fanatics of all persuasions. My assessment of the situation is based on what I read and what I've seen on numerous visits to the region. I don't dislike Jews any more than I dislike the French, or Americans or anyone else, but I do dislike much about the Israeli state. My brother was once an official celebrity visitor to Jerusalem, but said afterwards he could never go back as he would probably be arrested for attempting to cause civil unrest. What he saw there appalled him.

Your analysis of the racial/ethnic origins of the people there are interesting but don't really change anything. You would expect a society that has cut itself off from its peers for hundreds or thousands of years to acquire distinct traits. There are other similar examples. But even if true (I'm not saying it isn't, just that it's irrelevant whether it is or not) it has no bearing on their right to occupy that area of land, which I think is spurious. More to the point, so do the Arabs.