Oct 11, 2004 3 min read

… The Palestinian uprising shows no signs of abating, despite being the target of an all-out Israeli war. Over 3,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in Israel’s ruthless clampdown. Thousands of others have been injured. Israeli bulldozers … have pulled down scores of Palestinians’ houses. … A key casualty of this open war is the hope for peace. which has been relentlessly crushed. … The Palestinians’ dream of an independent state is far from attainable. …

… Regional and international circumstances are stacked up against the Palestinians. … Washington’s woolly “war on terrorism” has proved a windfall to incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. … He tries to portray his atrocious crackdown on the Palestinians and their leaders as part of the global war on terrorism. …

The Palestinians are not blameless, however. They have abysmally failed to forge a uniform agenda in fighting their battle. … Palestinian authorities have not been immune to petty wrangles, occasionally developing into open struggles over power. … Militarizing the Intifada has been a contentious issue, with some believing taking up arms against Israeli civilians has done the Palestinian question more harm. …

On legalizing marriages for gay couples:

Considering the evident problems that the institution of marriage suffers in modern society, one could ask why homosexuals want to live under the rules of this type of contract. One could think that one of the benefits of being different would be living without the trappings of traditional institutions. But the interesting thing is that many homosexuals are specifically looking for the “bonds” of marriage. In many cases, this is because many homosexuals want to emphasize that they have a long-term commitment as a couple. …

It would be impossible, of course, to get those who promote gay marriage and those who oppose it to agree. But … the government should not involve itself in the moral decisions of individuals. … There are too many important services that the government should be responsible for and doesn’t fulfill to put it in charge of caring for the moral life of people.

On smoking bans:

Upholding its commitment to the fight against smoking, in September the National Ministry of Health established a National Registry of Tobacco Smoke-Free Businesses. The move brought a highly favorable response: in just three days, 100 companies signed the registry.

The ministry will bear the burden of certifying and accrediting the condition of every business, and the complete list will be available on the Internet. The certification could lower the cost of work-hazard insurance and deter lawsuits from people sickened by the effects of smoke in the workplace. …

Tobacco smoke in enclosed spaces, such as bars or restaurants, contains up to 50 times more cancerous particles than come from vehicles in rush-hour traffic. … Let us hope, then, that our social conscience grows with respect to the grave consequences caused by cigarettes and that the number of smoke-free businesses continues to rise.