I do not believe you are reading the comments properly or trying to understand the rational behind them. For you it seems, it is just an exercise of ” Cut & Paste” and deflect the discussion we are having here to marginal issues that are totally disconnected from the barbarity of what everybody knows is a war crime. I am not talking only about Hassidism; it is Classical Judaism in its entirety that needs to be seriously scrutinised under the microscope. It is the torah and Talmudic teaching themselves and the way they are interpreted by rabbinical authorities who meddle and have an immense influence on Israeli politics. Maybe this time you will read it:
“I am talking about the religious parties represented by nearly the quarter of the total seats in the Knesset. I am talking about those who see the concept of membership to the state of Israel as ethnic not civic, with a Jewish self Identity not an Israeli one, with a biblical spatial identity (not the green line). I am talking about those who believe that they are the “chosen people”, and embrace a messianic and fundamentalist political culture, simply the political manifestation of Gush Emunim not Yesh Gvul. I am talking about those roaming the west bank confiscating land and advocating a final solution for the Palestinian question. People like Rabbi Yousef Falay and followers of Kahane. Do you see who I am talking about?
…….. and believe they are not mother Teresa .”

Wherever I look, I see no contry in the Arab world that is democratic, where the rights of even its citizens are respected, forget about having a minority scapegoat, because of brunt of the citizens frustration will fall of this minority. Now however, the marginalized uneducated citizenry have learned to be transnational when it comes to look for who to blame. Of course the educated apoligists would always use the colonization argument for the lack of democratic values, widespread despotism, and backwardness. Even after more that 50 years of independence, the delusional bubble of blaming something else is still alive and well.

What is strucking the most is the widespread use in Arab academic circles of the now obscurantist European Anti-semetic rhetorics of world demination and economic control epitomized by the forgery of the protocol of the elders of Zion. While the mass of illeterate revert to the religious slander of jews as described in the Koran.

I must add that Israel is not immune to criticism. No country make the exemption. In fact many Israelis can at time be very critical of their country’s leaders and policies. In the Arab world the criticisms take a different tones with slanderous religio-spychological and political overtones. Like the example above of Lubavitch hassidic movement. One wonders how these Hassidic movements refer too as satanic have come to play a role in the desaster befalling in Gaza.

Satan has always find its use in modern political discourse.

You are just wasting your energy. Peter is a hardcore Neo-Zionist with a very good Talmudic indoctrination. Jewish chauvinism does not even classify non-Jews as fellow human beings.
To give you an idea this extract from a book written by an eminent Israeli scholar who was incarcerated in Belson. (“Jewish History, Jewish Religion. The weight of three thousand years” by Israel Shahak). This is a must read book to understand why peace is impossible and unfeasible in Israel.

“What, then, are the views of this movement concerning non- Jews? As an example, let us take the famous Hatanya, fundamental book of the Habbad movement, one of the most important branches of Hassidism. According to this book, all non- Jews are totally satanic creatures “in whom there is absolutely nothing good.” Even a non- Jewish embryo is qualitatively different from a Jewish one. The very existence of a non-Jew is “inessential,” whereas all of creation was created solely for the
sake of the Jews. This book is circulated in countless editions, and its ideas are further
propagated in the numerous “discourses” of the present hereditary Fuehrer of Habbad, the so- called Lubavitcher rabbi, M.M. Schneurssohn, who leads this powerful world- wide organization from his New York headquar ter s. In Israel these ideas are widely disseminated among the public at large, in the schools and in the army. (According to the testimony of Shulamit Aloni, Member of the Knesset, this Habbad propaganda was particularly stepped up before Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in March 1978, in order to induce military doctors and nurses to withhold medical help from “Gentile wounded.” This Nazi – like advice did not refer specifically to Arabs or Palestinians, but simply to “Gentiles,” goyim.) A former Israeli President, Shazar, was an ardent
adherent of Habbad, and many top Israeli and American politiciansheaded by Prime Minister Beginpublicly courted and supported it. This, in spite of the considerable unpopularity of the Lubavitcher rabbiin Israel he is widely criticized because he refuses to come to the Holy Land even for a visit and keeps himself in New York
for obscure messianic reasons, while in New York his anti – Black attitude is notorious.

The killing of innocent civilians it’s wrong on both sides, however the use of “self defense” as an excusse for the crimes that have been made against this people is patetic and childish not only that what about the blockage of the borders many died because they couldn’t get the proper medicine, no food, no water, no electricity, come on you guys have been babied by the USA and thats the only reason why “Israel” had been getting away with soo much, what can u say about using illegal weapons? or bombing U.N school and changing the first story of there were responding two missiles that were shoot from the U.N school to a more sutable well we missed the target which was the second patetic excusse, terrorising a group of people, killing children, woman, elderly and ofcourse men in general it’s called genocide, a massacre and a act of TERRORISM so just shut up peter knopfler! if people only new what really goes on with the people of PALESTINE and the humiliations, deprivations that this people have to go thru you guys wouldn’t have any power that what you guys do backstave the people that over 6o years ago welcomed you and gave you a place of your own.