Umm.... if they are launching rockets from behind children, are you supposed to shoot your own rockets into the sea to make a statement? No, they won't stop. 1st world or 3rd world, they are inciting war and there are no real rules in war. There are only 2 actual solutions- 1. Israel goes full throttle and wipes out every corner of Hamas, civilians be damned 2. Middle Eastern countries agree to house Palestinians and create a new life/community for them, traditions of death and suffering be damned. HAVE TO ADJUST WITH THE TIMES
Aside from the many billions of our money sent to subsidize Israel they contribute nothing to our foreign policy and security and make us needlessly hated by hundreds of millions throughout the world. We have to be put continually in the position of being the only country in the world who supports these types of invasions by Israel. ********** Israel’s Gaza Campaign Endangers US Security: Why Obama & Kerry are Furious By Juan Cole | Jul. 28, 2014 | Printer Friendly 20 01062127 By Juan Cole The United States as a great Power is facing a large number of challenges in the Muslim world, and Israel’s Gaza campaign is endangering both American diplomacy there and the very security of the US. Given the series of setbacks for the US in the Middle East, in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt, Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu could scarcely have chosen a worst time to kill hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the full light of world media. The ability of an al-Qaeda offshoot, the so-called “Islamic State,” to take substantial territory in Syria and northern Iraq has alarmed Washington. The US embassy in Baghdad is in as much danger as the capital itself from IS violence. IS recruiting, and the radicalization of Muslim youth, is given enormous help by the scenes of Israeli munitions killing Palestinian As security deteriorates to unprecedented lows in Libya, the US has had to pull its ambassador and her staff from Tripoli. Fundamentalist radicals in Benghazi and elsewhere, already suspicious of the US, are seeing blood because of America’s statements in support of the Israeli military campaign. . more http://www.juancole.com/2014/07/campaign-endangers-security.html
Well both the residents of Gaza and the Warsaw ghetto were completely enclosed and fighting a nearly hopeless battle from tunnels against a modern army. Just a question. What are your principle reasons for supporting this type of behavior by Israel? Certainly Germany ,as well as every other country except the US, condemns this invasion. 1) An overreaction and perhaps guilt at what some of your grandparents did to the Jews? 2) Support for Israel as a right wing stalwart? 3) Obsessive hatred of Muslims? What?
The more apt analogy would be them using sling shots and you have guns. They are protected by the Iron Dome which the US paid for.
Interesting article about how Israel recruits young mercenary types to come to Israel and fight against the Palestinians. Sort of like the foreign Jihadis that to to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight. http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/soldiers-ideologues-contribute.html
Hamas has been firing rockets at Israel pretty much every day for the last years, and more than 2000 rockets in the last weeks. It is a disgrace that you would compare that to the situation of the Jewish victims in the Warsaw ghetto. 1) My grandparents did nothing to Jews. My grandmother was a housewife and my grandfather was a teacher who did not serve in the military. 2) From where you stand, Glenn Greenwald is "right wing". 3) No. And no, Germany does not condemn Israel's right to defend itself. Germany supports Israel's right to defend itself.
Yes, thankfully Israel has the Iron dome. However there is still danger as the debris that comes from rockets and missiles destroyed by the Iron Dome still falls in populated areas and can be dangerous. Too bad the Palestinians don't have something as effective to protect it's citizens. I wish they did.
Who cares. You have an incredibly small brain if you can't see the big picture. Israel doesn't give a cahoot about newspaper editorials or international pressure. The Jews will always have an answer for whatever pictures or Facebook sad posts the opposition puts out. It's time for you to direct your anger towards the Palestinians for not getting out, putting Hamas in power, and looking for sympathy. Childlike tactic of life and death.
This is such a naive statement. If Hamas had something like that, they would protect their weapons with it, not their citizens. They don't give a damn about the life of their citizens - because they hate Israel more than they love their children. In fact, they WANT their citizens to die, especially children, because they are cheaply replaced and pictures of dead children help to win the media war against Israel. It sounds cynical, but sadly, it's the truth - that is what they want, and they have said as much.
I really do think that a shift is happening in how the Arab world deals with the Palestinians. Its very obvious that Hamas has pretty much lost all support in the Arab world, they're hanging by a thread to a Turkish regime hell bent on being the voice of the Muslim world (and thus will support anything Palestinian to boost their street cred) and Qatar, who I don't quite understand how they benefit from dealing with Hamas. But the two biggest players in the Arab World - Egypt & Saudi Arabia, are absolutely done with Hamas and see them more as a threat to regional stability. Egypt after going through 2 coups, and now with an anti-Muslim Brotherhood/ anti-Hamas agenda, probably see's Hamas as a serious threat to their ability to rule Egypt. I do not think its totally out of left field that Egypt at some point annexes Gaza, for the sole purpose that they can no longer afford to have this lawless state operating on its borders that threatens every few years, internal Egyptian politics. Five years ago I'd say its impossible for them to annex Gaza, but now, the government can't afford Muslim Brotherhood to strengthen in Egypt, which it does each time Hamas disrupts regional stability. Plus, Egypt absolutely HATES that Turkey and Iran, two rivals over influence in the Muslim world, interfere with something that is on their borders. If Egypt annexes Gaza once and for all, Hamas no longer gives them problems. Israel will live with it, Saudi Arabia will live with it, and the West will live with it. I'm telling all of you, 10 years and Gaza will be apart of Egypt. The idea of a West Bank-Gaza two state solution is absolutely dead at this point. I do think West Bank independence will be given another shot once Abbas dies and a younger, stronger leader emerges in Fatah who can actually implement a peace deal (honestly I think Israel is waiting out Abbas' death, why make peace with a guy who could drop dead at any moment?). And I do think that the Arab World will be the ones to crush the Gaza-West Bank fantasy, not Israel or the West. Egypt and Saudi Arabia see the bigger picture, Islamic Fundamentalism and Shi'ite superiority complex are the true threats to their regimes, not Israel. The ongoing Palestinian threat destabilizes the region further, and pushes their enemies closer to their borders.
The only way to end the violence and demilitarize Gaza is to have a proposed economic and political solution that gives Palestinians a viable state and its citizens the opportunity to work.
pretending you know what Hamas would or would not do is ridiculous. You have no idea what they would do. As I've said before they absolutely do hide their weapons in civilian areas, and they definitely exploit civilian deaths. That's different than actually wanting their civilians to die. Israelis exploit their civilian deaths, Americans do as well. That's the norm. Palestinian civilian casualties are exponentially more than than Israeli civilian casualties. So wishing they could have protection isn't naive at all. If Palestinians actually had a sustainable area and resources to take care of themselves, and didn't face discriminatory laws because they are Palestinian, I think, first of all, they wouldn't vote in Hamas, and secondly the people governing the area would definitely use technology to protect the civilians. What is naive is to pretend like either side carrying out the same tactics they've tried time and time again will change things this time around. That includes Israel. What they are doing will not work, and it has never worked. Certainly an argument can be made that they have some kind of right or justification in doing it, but in the end it is stupid because it doesn't work. It doesn't protect their nation, or their citizens. What it does do is sate their anger and need for revenge, and that's all it does. That's all terrorism and indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel does as well. Sadly that appears to be the top priority of the Israeli govt. and Hamas at this point.
I agree that would be the best thing to attempt at this point. It would be great to try that, and even if it didn't work it would be cool to have done the right thing.
Thats a nice thought but not realistic. Hamas' goals are not a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but the total destruction of Israel. They will not accept demilitarized Gaza. Gaza is a lost cause on planet earth for the next several generations. To end the fighting in Gaza, an Egyptian annexation should become a serious option. If the international community even gives a s**t about the Palestinians, push West Bank statehood, push for Egyptian annexation to end the hell hole that is Gaza, make them naturalized Egyptian citizens, and provide the Egyptians with international aid $$ to compensate for the naturalization of 1.7 million people. They controlled Gaza once before and they can control it once again. Nobody said a word when Egypt just took over control of Gaza in 1948. At the very least, Egypt should take control of Gaza while the international community and Israel pushes for West Bank independence. Once they're independent and at peace with Israel, a truly demilitarized Gaza (through Egyptian demilitarization) can be explored as being apart of the West Bank for a Palestinian state. But there is no way Israel can lift the blockade and allow itself to be exposed to more violence. Hamas has shown nothing that proves they won't increase their weaponry and continue their violent ways moving forward.
I doubt Egypt would want Gaza. Even with money. 1.9 million people??? You know how much money it will take to take that on? Not an amount anyone is going to be willing to pay. Hamas has a stated goal of the destruction of Israel but that's mostly rhetorical. In reality they want power. And you have to look through the rhetoric to understand that. It's a leverage point too. They don't want to yield and look weak and risk losing support. But in reality, they would gladly accept conditions that enabled them to remain in power over a much more prosperous state. It's a nice thought and not realistic because Israel has no desire to create a Palestinian state - if they did, they wouldn't be building settlements.
