So I hear from religious people that the war in Israel is not a religious war...?

Religions are nothing but political parties. The greatest crimes in history were committed in the name of religion.

In this particular case it is a fight among cousins which goes back all the way to the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Both sides are responsible but cannot admit it. Many Jews and Christians who support them claim they have an ancestral right to this land. If that were so, then, we all would have a right to something, somewhere. The palestinians argue in similar terms. Nothing has changed in 3500 years.

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The fight has boiled down to two groups: those who want peace and those who don´t, on both sides. The ones who want peace are still in the minority, obviously.

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I think you're confusing things. Of course there are some Jews who have a religious sense of the state of Israel, although the more usual highly religious view is that there shouldn't be a state until the messiah comes. There are some Christians who appear to think that Israel as a state has some religious significance. However - Israel is a political entity and is functioning as a state much the same way any other state functions - defending itself from attack. Not a very religious matter. Religious observance isn't actually all that big in Israel, even though some aspects are written in to the law.

As for the 'Palestinians', they do appear to claim some religious justification for what they do, but it's not hugely convincing to most of their co-religionists. The antagonism between the religions of Judaism and Islam is only a modern add-on to the political problems of the state of Israel and its Arab neighbours. This is really a political row.

The Israelis, who aren't all Jews in any sense and certainly not largely observant Jews, are trying to defend the place they live. There's a whole history here, as I'm sure you know. The 'Palestinians' are pawns in the game of the surrounding Arab states.

And although I have a level of agreement with your objections to reliance on faith, I think you are wrong in assuming that religion is different from the absolutist faith in capitalism, communism, the free market, or anything else. A conviction that one has the revealed truth - of any sort - is always problematic as logic and cool thought go out of the window.

Anyhow, the Israeli/'Palestinian' conflict really isn't a religious war. If it was, there would be an awful lot of conscientious objectors refusing to fight in the Israeli Defence Force.

can't see the connection; n reliance on faith is harmful and without reliance than what is there? if you and others like you do not believe that is your freedom of choice so that is that and those that believe in God is that but to continue your ideal/motive of attempting to discredit something you no longer believe only shows your hate for what is a "goal in life" if not a connection to faith.to have a goal/objective not having some degree of faith.

Hey cheese maker, now that atheism has been identified/labeled as a religion, does this mean that when atheists attack those of belief is now considered a war of religions?

There's no other reason for this conflict other than a stubborn attitude that can't let go of aversions to one group or another. Reliance on faith has little to do with it. It's constantly tossing anger back and forth like a hot potato, and some declaring that it has something to do with religion. Unfortunately peace will only come when people give up their overblown egos... and the suffering stops, especially among the Muslims.

Evidently because they either do not know what the Bible teaches or they do not care. As you mentioned, JWs do NOT go to war. JWs would rather die than go to war and disobey what is written in the Bible. The first Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses I ever went to was in Germany and many of the JWs there had been in the Nazi Concentration Camps because they refused to disobey Jesus, Jehovah and the Bible. Some of their relatives were murdered in the camps but they would rather die than disobey God. Someone said there are no scriptures against war. Well, here are some from both the Hebrew as well as the Greek scriptures. (Isaiah 2:4) 4 And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. (Micah 4:3) . . .And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. (Matthew 5:9) 9 “Happy are the peaceable, since they will be called ‘sons of God.’ Jesus said, (John 13:34, 35) 34 I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU, that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.”

"Aren't Palestinians defending it..."

actually that was what the war in Israel in the 1940s was about, and they lost... so bad in fact that Israel took some of their land, then their "allies" took what was left.

you are right that this war in Israel has a lot to do with religion... but that doesn't mean that religion isn't ever beneficial.... for instance, the majority of charity organizations are their because of religion and as such a lot of people get the help they need to survive that probably wouldn't if it wasn't for those organizations being founded by religious people...

The Allied formation of Israel did two things:

1) Destabilized the region (further) so oil prices would remain lower.

2) Gave the Islamists a closer target than Europe or the US.

I see no reason to believe those who are in power (generally) actually believe the Zionist rhetoric. It was just a useful tool.

Now, on the other side, there are virtually no Palestinian Christians blowing things up, which suggests the Muslim faith is involved with their attacks. there are also, of course, Israeli nuts who think the Tanakh somehow gives them historical right to the land.

Religion is used to unit the people to fight whatever course they have, usually for selfish gain. The person who is behind the scene is a religious person who never used his hands to till the land but used his head to think of ways how to get the people to contribute to his wealth.

What an absolutely silly question. If there was no god, there was still Jews living and owning and controlling the land that is now in question over 2000 years ago. That is simple fact.

There have been there since time was recorded. its theirs.

God or no god, they have a right to have their homeland.

that you can not understand that, is typical for your side.

i think religion plays a large role, but not the only role. culture, politics, history are all just as important.