  I post on a medical board for a digestive disorder. In addition to providing valuable information regarding the medical concerns of this disorder there is a general "meeting place" in which lots of different topics are discussed.
Frequent discussions take place in which people assert that the problems in the ME are all because of the problems between Israel and the Palestinians. I find the ignorance of many posters to be disturbing. You can find lots of reasons why the peace process is stagnated that are a direct reflection on Israel and the Pals.
But you cannot in good conscience blame Israel for all of the other problems. Israel is not preventing free elections and or the spread of democracy in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait etc. It is the dictators in these places. It is the totalitarian authorities that feed propaganda to the masses that are preventing the promotion of peace and democracy within these countries. The blame should stay at "home" where it belongs. 
