Reply #18: There is an enormous difference [View All]

Iraqi expatriates who left Iraq because of Saddam Hussein or for greater economic opportunities can still be presumed to identify as Iraqis and to vote on the basis of what they think would be best for Iraq.

Israelis of Iraqi origin are not expatriates. They have been gone for decades with no expectation of ever returning. They have no reason to think kindly of Iraq and no reason to vote on any basis other than what might be advantageous to Israel.

I think that even the first case sets a bad precedent -- roughly equivalent to demanding that the Miami Cubans be allowed to vote for Castro's eventual successor. But the second case turns the whole thing into farce.