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The Happiest People in the World

(National Post-Canada) Brian Henry - Canada and Israel have much in common. We're also tied for eighth place among the happiest people on Earth. Gallup conducted their polls from 2005 to 2009, and during that time, Israel fought two wars. Shouldn't all those wars make Israelis miserable? Not really. The country was absolutely behind the war against Hizbullah. Overseas, people may have been confused over what the war was about, but Israelis all knew they'd been attacked without provocation. Standing together in the face of aggression doesn't make people miserable; quite the contrary. It puts fire in the belly and the warmth of fellow feeling in the heart. Similarly, while people overseas may have been confused by the media coverage, Israelis know that their operation against Hamas in Gaza was one of the most justified wars in history - that it was an answer to naked terrorism after all other solutions had been tried and failed. For years, Hamas had tormented the townsfolk of Sderot with daily rocket and mortar attacks that struck schools, homes and health clinics. The whole country supported the cause. The status of Jerusalem is one of the major stumbling blocks to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Why not hold a referendum? Ask Jerusalem's Arabs if they want the continuing happiness of being part of a compassionate and caring liberal democracy or if they prefer the abject misery of living under the infinitely corrupt Palestinian Authority. The Israeli Arab weekly Kul Al-Arab polled the Arabs of Um al Fahm to ask what they thought of their city joining a Palestinian state. Only 11% were in favor; 83% said they preferred to remain Israeli. A referendum among Arab Jerusalemites would have a similarly lopsided result.
2010-08-20 08:55:18
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