“…two Palestinian gunmen belonging to Hamas and a 44-year-old civilian were killed by Israeli ground and air forces during clashes in the north and the south of the territory, according to Palestinian medical officials. One Israeli soldier, a 34-year-old reservist, was killed and another was seriously wounded in the clashes, an army spokeswoman said.
Separately, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, urged Israel to “reconsider its actions� concerning the Gaza Strip, a day after Israel starting reducing fuel supplies to the territory in response to continuing rocket fire from Gaza.
Mr. Ban said the “punitive measuresâ€? taken by Israel were “unacceptable.â€? The Israeli government had also announced its intention to interrupt electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip, but late Monday, Israel’s attorney general ordered the defense establishment to re-examine that decision in the light of the harm it would cause to Gaza’s people.”
Israel was given the burden from God and Christ. It’s a burden that has to be shouldered. Faith in the word is the only thing that keeps them from being blown off of the map. That and the fear of God’s possible wrath on whoever takes on the task of attempting to destroy them.
Since the creation of the state of Israel by the U.N.at the end of WW2, whatever that poor little country has done has always met with international criticism.
I believe this situation would be quite different if the oil reserves werre in the Neguev desert and not in tha arab countries.
Elliot,
I couldn’t agree more. It is as if the UN has had second thoughts about the creation of Israel since the day of its announcement and has regretted it ever since (culminating with the resolution in the 1970s equating Zionism with racism).
As far as I am concerned, the UN long ago sacrificed any credibility it had with both the international community and here in the United States. The building should be bulldozed and the land should be used as a new stadium for the Jets.
I don’t like theocracies, and neither does the American budget. The BILLIONS of dollars that go to Israel EVERY YEAR are dollars spent to support this horrifyingly amoral state. I’d like to see Israel exist on faith alone. Screwing Palestinians hasn’t worked out well for anyone, now has it. Yes. ALL of the fault lies with Israelis.
Put into context what is happening, if in the US Canada periodically lobbed missles into Montana how long would the US put up with it? I North Korea lobbed missles into South Korea how long would they put up with it? yet the world expects Israel to be patient? also if Israel is to give up the West Bank (due to USA pressure) then the USA needs to give back Texas and California to Mexico.
Bill,
Your right, it’s all our fault. If we weren’t here, the Palestinians wouldn”t have to blow up buses, shopping malls, pizza parlours etc. They would undoubtably be able to live in peace and harmony with themselves and their Arab neighbors, as do all the other Arab countries in the middle east. There would be no moslem terrorists anywhere in the world. No 9/11, no airplane security would be needed, no bombing of public transport in London nor trains in Madrid, nor Discos in Bali, and no kidnapping of tourists in the Phillippines. All of this because Israel and Israelis insist of not committing suicide!! How unconsiderate of us, and how understandable of the poor arabs with only 22 sovereign states and a few hundred million citizens to be bullied by us!
Oh, by the way, if Israel didn’t exist, not only would peace reign in the Middle East, but pigs would be able to fly (oh sorry, that’s not Kosher!!) Theocracy my ***
Whoever touches Israel will be punished by Almighty God. Whoever is for Israel, God will bless, whoever is against Israel God will curse.Read it!
Bill,
What about the billions of dollars that go to Egypt, a country that has taken anti-democratic actions repeatedly while we purport to support free elections? Israel may not be perfect but it is no theocracy.
The bottom line is that if the Israelis put down their weapons, there would be no more Israel. If the Muslims (including Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, etc.) put down their weapons, there would be no more war.
Yes, how long would any other country put up with missiles being lobbed at them on a constant basis. Why do we not hear about that. Do you people really think Israelis enjoy living out their lives under siege?? The Un should put up or shut up. Do you want the state to exist or not.
Is it hypocrisy or pure ignorance or just old fashioned colonialism and enslavery that let “free and civilized people “ define what Israel is doing as “self defense�. Rome was a democracy for the Romans but they enslaved most of the old world including Jews. The native Americans were being wiped out and even the slightest resistance was described as “savage “ . The Anglo Saxons has literally wiped out the Britons although the first were in the thousands and later were about 3 millions. That’s what will happen to the Palestinians gradually squeezing them into smaller and smaller reserves and any resistance will only bring them more suffering . the only thing the white man want them to do is die silently . Is it the ten of thousands of Palestinian and Lebanese executed by the civilized F16 and “smart Bombs� less important then the innocent hundreds of Israeli civilians how were “savagely� killed by 18th century ballistics. The UN failed to condemn tens of mascaras by the Israel . this is the white man justice.
In its modern sense, Israel is a false nation to begin with. Created because, 80-odd years ago, some well-heeled Jewish men had friends in high places. Reparations for the Holocaust? No, that was just the final catalyst – the plans were already in place.
That being said, I don’t condone attempts to “wipe Israel off the map”. BUT, atrocities are by and large more often committed by Israel and her military. Tanks and gunships firing into crowds, killing 10 civilians for each supposed militant – and that’s a “surgical strike”?!?!
Israel, since inception post-WWII, has an established history of using “all means necessary” to protect (read: expand) her borders. So why should only Palestinians be accused of murder?
“An Israeli murderer is called a ‘commando’. A Palestinian commando is called a ‘terrorist’”. WHY?
Sous,
Seven years ago Yasir Arafat had a historic opportunity to create a longlasting peace with the Israelis at Camp David with President Clinton and Ehud Barak. Much to the chagrin of the Israelis, Barak offered approximately 95% of what Arafat was demanding and was still rejected. This demonstrates that the Palestinians are not seriously interested in reaching any type of settlement that allows Israel to exist and only desires more war, death and murder.
Barak effectively flushed his political career down the toilet as a result of that overly generous offer and thankfully Arafat is no longer around to incite violence and more hatred. He has Hamas to do that for him, popularly elected by a majority of Palestinians that allegedly want an end to the bloodshed.
JR,
Israel is the only country in history that has given back land it rightfully acquired in military battle. Can you imagine if we held the United States to this ridiculous standard? We would still be thirteen colonies speaking the Queen’s English.
The Palestinian national charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Hamas has made it clear they want every Jew out of the Middle East. Dead or alive, they could care less.
If Israel is wiped off the map, most of the Western world will not care.
Faced with these facts, we begin to understand why the Israelis react to each provocation with a stronger response. It’s a tough neighborhood and the slightest sign of weakness is seen as an opportunity by one’s adversaries.
After Oslo I thought we could reach a two state solution. But now I am convinced the Palestinians don’t want that. They don’t just want Gaza, they want Tel Aviv.
These are the facts and they cannot be disputed.
to Joshua Rosenstock
“Overly generous offer”
One Russian man comes to a French man home, kicks him out of his house , that was his pre-historic ancestors home, then kill the French man and his wife throw out the elder sons and generously offers the remaining small child to accept living in the basement locked from all the outside world . the white man logic says : the small child will be ungrateful if he refuses the overly generous offer to stay there and stop crying about what happened . Again it’s the white man justice. It is really a weird picture when you see white Russian – Israeli immigrant under the hard summer sun of the middle east claiming that’s is his home . the French tried it in Algeria for 100 year but its did not work.
why Isreal should be Jew ?the solution Binational state .
And by the way numbers don’t count in the play of nations , stop claiming the nuclear armed to the teeth country as if they are just helpless , they are forced to make massacre that will only create more hate.
Your analogy is fatally flawed. Israelis did not “kick anyone out” en route to their homeland’s creation; alternatively, it was a land grant from an international organization whose membership included many of the countries that are presently protesting its very existence.
Your “binational state” solution is being rejected mostly by the same Palestinians you view as the sole victims in this struggle.
Joshua, how do you explain Israel’s actions insofar as firing rockets at cars known to have civilians in them?
What about the Apartheid Wall, err, Israeli West Bank Barrier? It clearly encroaches on Palestinian land, and solidifies claims for illegal settlements within…
Heck, for that matter, what are your feelings on Ariel Sharon – a known instigator of genocide – being the face of Israeli world affairs for nearly 5 years?
Let’s put aside the fiction that the Jews are newcomers to this land and the Arabs were living peacefully for millenia until the Jews arrived. There are so many fallacies to that argument I don’t even know where to begin. You could argue for eternity who was there first and it won’t get you anywhere.
The bottom line is that they are both there and the only solution is a two state solution. There are extremists on both sides but most Israelis are willing to give up land for peace. Most Palestinians, on the other hand, want the whole pie. The Israelis withdrew from Gaza and look how well that has gone. How can you feel confident about giving up land when, as thanks, rockets are fired at your back?
Do you really think that if the Israelis left the entire West Bank tomorrow, peace would suddenly set in? Highly doubtful and when your very existence is at stake that’s not a decision made lightly. Guarantee peace and most Israelis would be OK with giving up the territories. But I don’t see the Palestinians making those kinds of promises. They want the Jews out. Period.
Dr Hohnbaum, I’ll gladly let Mexico take back Texas, if Israel gives up Golan Heights, Gaza, and the West Bank.
I must just give it back anyways.
What never ceases to amaze me in these to and fros is the pathetic lack of geopolitical perspective dating back over 2000 years which most detractors of American-Israeli foreign policy seem to lack.
This business did not begin in 1967 nor will it end anytime soon.
Tell your children to wake up and pay attention to their Western civilization education if they get any at all.
It’s about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad almost all of political history is the history of war.
I wonder how many of the people commenting here know what the Diaspora was. I would expect those who admonish us to read the Bible to be the least likely to know.
I’m becoming more apolitical everyday.
D__, all those exclamation points don’t lend your comments any more weight.;-)
Actually….they are exaspiration points.
Much of our history is that of conquest….even in biblical writings.
D__, thirty years ago I wrote an essay about conquest and seizure of territories by Native Americans– wars fought between tribes (including the times before Europeans invaded the Americas, of course).
It wasn’t politically correct to mention this in certain circles, so I lost my ‘alternative’ cred with the New Age types.
I considered it an honor.
Looking elsewhere, but close, examine the history of what we now know as the state of Hawaii beginning with the islands’ colonization by peoples believed to have orginated south of there, up to and including present times.
It is a struggle not unlike the subject of your essay.
A careful examination of the history of most indigenous peoples will find this thread woven therein.
Did not “Apocalypto” embrace this with respect to the pre-columbian peoples of Middle America?