Comments on: Sad

by: Adin

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:30:12 +0000

When you say Israel’s interest in war is receiving economic benefits. It is like saying that someone that went to eat after fasting for 2 days did it because he likes sitting down. Maybe he is hungry?
For the past 8 years Hamas has been firing missiles into Israel, so finally Israel reacts. Maybe it is reacting to the missiles? No! it must be so it can get more arms from America!

by: Stefan

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:07:43 +0000

Both Palestinians and Israelis will have peace when they will genuinely want it and agree without the help of US, UE, Russia, God etc etc.. So far, looks like THEY DON’T, they like the misery they’re in. It’s like a bad movie in rerun.

So, like the old testament has taught them, they keep poking their eyes. Human intelligence at its best.

by: yelamdenu

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:37:06 +0000

Agreed with Sultan Qasim Khan.
Also Ggle for Norman Finkelstein.

by: Sultan Qasim Khan

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:20:32 +0000

I’m surprised none of you have pointed out how disproportionate the Israeli response is and how desperate Gaza is.

1. Israel (and Egypt) have been illegally blockading Gaza for well over an year now. They blocked food, medicine and other supplies, forcing the Gazans to “smuggle” what little food & medicine they can into the area.

2. If your family’s land was stolen by the UN & Israel (in 1947-1967) and your people were terribly persecuted for 60 years, including having many family members die directly or indirectly due to Israel, wouldn’t you be frustrated? Especially if 60 years of your (and your ancestors’) cries have been totally ignored?

3. If the only way to get someone to pay attention to your situation is to fire (primitive) rockets that occasionally kill a person, in the hope that someone will try to solve your problem? (*not that I advocate such action. I do not approve of terrorism by anyone.)

4. If someone attacks your people, killing hundreds and wounding thousands, don’t you have the right to self defence and to kill one in retaliation? If you go by Bible, it permits “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” so it permits them to kill an equal number of Israelis (about 350 as of what I last read).

5. Israel violated the truce by continuing to blockade Gaza. Do you expect that the Gazans would just sit quiet and smile (renew the ceasefire) while they are starving and dying?

Also, Hamas is not a “terrorist organization.” It is a democratic political party whose military wing is effectively Palestine’s (weak) army.

Now as to what I think would be a fair solution to the situation, it is a permanent ceasefire from both sides, renouncing of violence by Hamas, an end to the blockade, sufficient aid for a few years, and sufficient compensation for all the Gazans (double the size of Gaza to give some breathing space to the overcrowded people, and provide the equivalent of $1000 to every Gazan). This solution would easily be feasible if the two sides both act reasonably but unfortunately they don’t seem to. I hope some day they will come to their senses and end this madness and Holocaust in the making.

by: Jason King

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:17:03 +0000

Thom,
Indeed, Hamas is pretty much the way you’ve described it, but no government subject to genuine elections would allow its cities to be routinely subjected to rocket attacks and their people to have to live under what’s damn near martial law even for the Jewish citizens for some foreign aid money. I disagree with your assessment of GWB but even if it were true the “privations” associated with the US war on terrorism are miniscule compared with the disruptions to normal life that Israelis go through so that could be a feasible plan.
For forty years I’ve heard the Palestinians saying “leave Gaza and the West Bank and peace will happen”. The Israelis have done that and Hamas has used the opportunity to move its rocket launchers closer to Israel’s largest cities.

by: Administrator

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:09:47 +0000

I should’ve been more specific. Obviously, the Israeli people don’t like war, and want peace (well, most of them, anyway). I’m talking about people higher up the stack - as is always the case. It is always a small few who reap the benefits of war, and in Israel, this is no different. Obviously, not everyone in the Israeli government thinks like this. But there are those that do.

It’s not a secret that if America hadn’t been attacked/at war during the re-election of Bush Jr., he probably wouldn’t have made it.

In every country, there are politicians and other influential figures who benefit from war and the general misery of the people. In some countries, these people are in power (Israel), and in some, they are not.

Currently, we have a few politicians here who would benefit greatly if Muslim terrorists attacked The Netherlands.

by: Adam S

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:19:11 +0000

Are you honestly suggesting that Israelis would prefer to be at war because it benefits their economy at the expense of their citizens’ lives? And you say this with arrogance that presumes that others are too daft to “see” this alleged “truth”?

Ugh… sometimes I wish you’d just stick to your Fiona pining.