Isreal has no moral high ground to stand on for the recklessness they've displayed in Gaza, but i sincerely hope that people in this thread are throwing their support behind the palestinian people and not hamas. really, now.
700 Israelis arrested for protesting against war
January 13, 2009
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"700 Israelis have been arrested since this war began, because they protested this war. This has not made it to an international media, and it’s an act of intimidation by the state against those who protest the war," [Neve] Gordon, chair of the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, told Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!.
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"Disproportionality is a term from international law. Israel has been defying international law and international agreements and international decisions from 1967, or probably from before. One of these decisions is that Israel must return these (Palestinian) territories. And by maintaining and holding onto these territories through violent means," said Gordon.
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"The right to self-defense is a right to self-defense from violence. We have to understand that the occupation itself is violence. It’s an act of violence. Putting people in a prison, in a prison of one million and a half million people and keeping them there for years on end without basic foodstuff, without allowing them to enter and exit when they will, is an act of violence. Without electricity, without clean water, it’s all an act of violence. And these people are resisting. I am against the way they’re [Hamas is] resisting, but we have to look at their violence versus our violence," said Gordon.
"Gaza is still under occupation, because Israel controls all of its borders, and the West Bank is under occupation, and East Jerusalem is under occupation. And the act—the first, the initial, the primordial act of violence is the occupation. The rockets are a reaction to that act of violence. And so, we have to keep in mind that within—it’s not between a state and another state. It’s been between an occupier and an occupied," he noted.
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Gordon noted that "although Hamas did launch an incredible amount of rockets at the end of the ceasefire," it was Israel which broke the ceasefire on November 4th "when it attacked in the Gaza Strip."
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Gordon cited two reasons behind Israel's offensive against Gaza.
"I think the actual reasons have to do—the two major reasons—with rebuilding the reputation of the Israeli military after its humiliation in 2006 in Lebanon and the upcoming Israeli elections."
But the Israeli author believes that there is a way to solve the conflict.
"Hamas is the elected government of the Palestinian people. We don’t need to like them. I don’t like them. But they are the elected government, and we need to sit down and talk with them and not bomb them," he noted.
^ Thank you Cesar for that excellent article. Israel has been surrounding itself with this circle of lies and ******** for 60 years now. And I'm glad the world's eyes are finally opening to the TRUTH behind this illegal state. Also, the US will forever support Israel blindly because of the ultimately powerful Jewish lobby.
Quote:
Why is the U.S. the only remaining bastion of support for Israel?
Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who was awarded the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, has candidly identified the reason: "The Israeli government is placed on a pedestal [in the US], and to criticize it is to be immediately dubbed anti-Semitic," he said. "People are scared in this country, to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful -- very powerful."
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's 19-day war in Gaza, Palestinian medical officials have said, as clashes continue throughout the Strip.
Civilians make up about 40 per cent of casualities with children accounting for a third of the dead, aid agencies and Palestinian medics said.
At least 4,630 people have been injured, Hasanein Myawaya, the head of Palestinian emergency services, said.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said while fewer Palestinians had been killed on Wednesday than during previous days, the situation for Gazans remained one of "complete fear and terror".
"For those who venture out [for food]... they know that anytime they leave their house it could be the last time.
"More than 80,000 Palestinians have now fled their homes because of the fighting around them ... there is a sense of overcrowding ... UN schools have taken in 35,000 refugees.
'Desperation and fear'
"There is real desperation and fear among the people," he said.
Mohyeldin also said that the so-called "humanitarian corridor" - the Israeli three-hour daily lull in fighting to allow food and medical supplies into Gaza - is "simply not producing a cessation of hostilities".
Shelling could still be heard in parts of Gaza City during the three-hour armistice, he reported.
Mads Gilbert, a surgeon with the Norwegian Aid Committee, told Al Jazeera: "This is a man-made situation that affects mainly the civilian population of Gaza who are without protection."
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's 19-day war in Gaza, Palestinian medical officials have said, as clashes continue throughout the Strip.
Civilians make up about 40 per cent of casualities with children accounting for a third of the dead, aid agencies and Palestinian medics said.
At least 4,630 people have been injured, Hasanein Myawaya, the head of Palestinian emergency services, said.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said while fewer Palestinians had been killed on Wednesday than during previous days, the situation for Gazans remained one of "complete fear and terror".
"For those who venture out [for food]... they know that anytime they leave their house it could be the last time.
"More than 80,000 Palestinians have now fled their homes because of the fighting around them ... there is a sense of overcrowding ... UN schools have taken in 35,000 refugees.
'Desperation and fear'
"There is real desperation and fear among the people," he said.
Mohyeldin also said that the so-called "humanitarian corridor" - the Israeli three-hour daily lull in fighting to allow food and medical supplies into Gaza - is "simply not producing a cessation of hostilities".
Shelling could still be heard in parts of Gaza City during the three-hour armistice, he reported.
Mads Gilbert, a surgeon with the Norwegian Aid Committee, told Al Jazeera: "This is a man-made situation that affects mainly the civilian population of Gaza who are without protection."
I sincerely hope that people in this thread are throwing their support behind the palestinian people and not hamas. really, now.
Thank you.
Today at 1pm till 4pm Israeli army did not fire so humanitarian support could get into the bank.
[Through land, so it could be checked, that's why they aren't allowing any ships go from the sea, obviously they won't let them in, the army can't tell what's on the ship, it won't be the first time that a, so called, humanitarian support ship will have hidden weapons and stuff on it]
Oh, and guess what the Hamas was doing while our army hold his fire, they increased the missiles fire..
Not to mention that the're are reports that the Hamas is using the humanitarian support that comes in to the bank for itself and it's own people and leaving the rest of the palestinian to deal with it.
Before this war, way before, a gas terminal was bulid in Gaza to increase their life level, well, Hamas has been using it for it's own needs, moreover, our army uncovered a tunnel underneath it.
They use those tunnels to smuggle terrorist to Israel area to make all kind of things, from kidnapping soldiers to killing people and bombing themselfs in buses.
Not to mention that they are using schools to hide explosive and missiles.
They really care about the palestinian in the bank, you know.
This is the main reason I defended Israel in this thread, everyone is bashing this country, and trust me, I agree with alot, but almost 90% of the post here [that weren't made by me obvious] did not say anything on Hamas...
I hate it when people show something in only one way, and not cuz' I'm from Israel, I'm talking in general right now.
The palestinian might deserve to have this land, but it shouldn't be in the way the Hamas is trying to get it.
Israel itself is a terrorist state. Did people even bother to read the article I posted? The self-defense argument is beyond ridiculous, the Palestine territories have been occupied by Israel for the past 41 years! The rockets are a reaction to the illegal occupation. Israel violated the cease-fire, not Hamas.
Quote:
Putting people in a prison, in a prison of one million and a half million people and keeping them there for years on end without basic foodstuff, without allowing them to enter and exit when they will, is an act of violence. Without electricity, without clean water, it’s all an act of violence. And these people are resisting. I am against the way they’re [Hamas] resisting, but we have to look at their violence versus our violence.
People who don't want to read they just won't read, Cesar. Don't waste your time. I had the same reaction as yours when I read his post (whom I believe is Jewish, too!) but I choose to ignore ignorant posts from now on. The facts have been posted all over this thread and it's up to everyone to use to their brains and distinguish between people with rights and people who take them and play the victims.
Hamas is an armed resistance movement defending Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The US and the western countries call them a terrorist organization because it's the only power in the world that could stand against the ILLEGAL state of Israel. If you defend your own land, you're considered a terrorist.
Hamas is an armed resistance movement defending Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The US and the western countries call them a terrorist organization because it's the only power in the world that could stand against the ILLEGAL state of Israel. If you defend your own land, you're considered a terrorist.