Not-So-Primitive Israeli Gunship
Primitive Hamas Rocket
Israeli airstrikes against Hamas facilities in Gaza continued on Sunday and the death toll rose to more than 280 in Israel’s most severe campaign against Palestinian militants in decades. Link
Why such a "severe" attack? Because "shock and awe" works so well…
Israeli analyst Ron Ben-Yishai said the strike was "shock treatment … aimed at securing a long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel on terms that are favourable to Israel".
Worst Israeli attack in 60 years…
A five-day Israeli offensive in March killed more than 120 people, but Saturday's death toll was the highest for a single day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1948, when the Jewish state was established.
Hamas was elected to parliament in democratic elections, something unacceptable to the U.S. Not the elections, just the results.
The Islamist group, which won a 2006 parliamentary election but was shunned by Western powers over its refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel, said all of its security compounds in the Gaza Strip were destroyed or seriously damaged.
"The United States strongly condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and holds Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement. "The cease-fire should be restored immediately." Link
Overwhelming nature of the response from Israel….
Military officials said aircraft released more than 100 tons of bombs in the first nine hours of fighting,
But the United States, Israel's closest ally, blamed Hamas. "These people are nothing but thugs, so Israel is going to defend its people against terrorists like Hamas that indiscriminately kill their own people," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Palestinians said Israeli bombs destroyed a mosque early today. The military called it a "base for terrorist activities."
Another target early today was the Al Aqsa TV station used by Hamas. Its studio was destroyed, but the station remained on the air with a mobile unit. Palestinians counted about 20 airstrikes in the early hours today.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Hamas' political leaders could soon be targeted. "Hamas is a terrorist organization and nobody is immune," she said.
The campaign was launched six weeks before national elections. Livni and Barak hope to succeed Olmert as prime minister, and the outgoing government has faced pressure to take tough action. Link
Isolating and punishing all residents of Gaza has become the Judeo-Christian countries' response to democratically elected Hamas leaders in Gaza…..while the timing of Israel's renewed military aggression over the weekend can't be separated from their own upcoming elections….
…the elections have made it impossible for officials like Mr. Barak not to react, because the public has grown anxious and angry over the rocket fire, which while causing no recent deaths and few injuries is deeply disturbing for those living near Gaza.
Israel, backed by the United States, Europe, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, has sought to isolate Hamas by squeezing Gaza economically, a policy that human rights groups condemn as collective punishment. Israel and Egypt, which control routes into and out of Gaza, have blocked nearly all but humanitarian aid from going in.
The result has been the near death of the Gazan economy. While enough food has gone in to avoid starvation, the level of suffering is very high and getting worse each week, especially in recent weeks as Israel closed the routes entirely for about 10 days in reaction to daily rocket fire. Link
The Gazans held free and fair elections….Hamas won. Because Hamas won…the U.S and Israel decided to punish the entire population of Gaza by isolating them into misery. Hamas launches primitive rockets near Israeli border towns….eventually killing one Israeli. Israel responds by swooping down with their own version of "shock and awe"….killing 280 Palestinians thus far and wounding 700 using highly sophisticated helicopter warships.
So everything's about even, huh?
UPDATE: And right on schedule, American media elites rush to defend Israel….
"Frankly, I am up to my gullet with this reflex criticism of Israel as going beyond proportionality in its responses to war waged against its population with the undisguised intention of putting an end to the political expression of the Jewish nation. Within hours, Nicolas Sarkozy was already taking up the cudgel of French righteousness and pronouncing the actually quite sober Israeli response to the continuous war on its borders "disproportionate." Enough. Link
Also read Glennzilla's take-down of the completely corrupt American media's response to anything calling into question Israeli actions.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
If Hamas launched a couple primitive missiles into my neighborhood I'd hope we'd kill more than 280 in retaliation.
Kill them all….right? Remove the problem entirely, right?
You must have thoroughly enjoyed Waco. Just sayin'.
I never seek to justify Hamas attacks. They are unjustifiable. At the same time….Israel's overwhelming use of force against a people they hold under a controlled apartheid condition is equally unjustifiable.
American media will do what they typically do…..justify the unjustifiable Israeli killing spree, while condemning the oversized firecracker attacks by Hamas. 280-1……the life of one Israeli is worth 280 dead Palestinians.
Not an eye for an eye….as the oh-so-ethical-and-moral laws of Moses prescribe…..but 560 eyes for 2 eyes. Modern moral relativity, I suppose.
Why doesn't Hamas leave them alone. "Live and let live." "Treat others as you would have them treat you." This is one of the positives of liberating Iraq and proves it was the right thing to do. First we unseated a murderous tyrant that was a serious and aggressive threat to the entire region. US occupation of Iraq gives Isreal stability. They are the ones to be afraid of there, not Iran or Iraq or Syria or the like. They have a 1st strike policy and they have no qualms using a nuke, especially if their home land is going to be threatened, they said that. With the US there they probably won't release a nuke. If we pull out of Iraq you will see 100M eyes for an eye and a glassed over middle east. They will always be very aggressive. Remember the "6 Day War". They are like a junk yard dog or GWB or the United States. Leave them alone and they won't bother you they will even help you a little bit. F**k with them a little bit and be prepared for the wrath of God. Is it right? Maybe, maybe not. Does the dog or the US(George Bush) care if he is liked? Nope, tis better to be feared. Also this would happen even if it happened to a secular country, Judaisim and Christianity are just religions to blame and an ongoing theme that has little to do with protecting ones property or home. Go f with Russia or China or Iran and see what happens. If killing them all is what it is going to take they will all be killed. It isn't right, it's just reality.
It is so easy to demonize Israel and beleive if they would just negoitate in good faith a solution could be found. There can be no peace with all of those that claim to represent the Palestinians unless Israel accepts THE RIGHT OF RETURN. Israel cannot agree to that unless they are willing to accept the end of Israel and leave their land and find other countries to accept them or believe that the UN or other world bodies would quarentee their rights and safety in a country dominated and governed by Palestinians. I am sure they are not stupid enough to believe empty promises. All they have to do is look at the French brokered UN agreement that lead to their withdrawal from Lebanon.
There is one possible solution but that is a total pipedream. The Arab countries and the various movements could provide the money,expertise and other tools to create a functioning Palesitinian state. But we all know that wont happen. The Arab world has used the Palestinians for their own purposes for over 60 years and there is no reason to expect any change.
I agree 100% with the above comment.
I would certainly hope that if Canadian terrorists were firing rockets across Niagara Falls into Buffalo and the Canadian government couldn't or wouldn't stop them, that the US government would make the rocket attacks stop by using all available means. Your arguments are only half right, Rev. Hamas was elected to control Parliment, however Fatah still holds the Presidency and the security forces. Hamas used an armed insurrection in the Gaza Strip to seize power from Fatah. Their control of Gaza is illegitimate. Also Hamas ended the cease fire and increased the rocket attacks. Why don't you talk about the genocide taking place in Congo if you want to get indignant over something. Oh, becuase you can't blame Bush for that. I forgot that is a requirement.
What I find interesting in comments supporting Israel's apartheid system is how similar they are to justifications of American torture, rendition and wars of choice.
Nationalistic exceptionalism justifies all behaviour, no matter how savage, cruel or inhumane. America, the thinking goes, is exceptional….not like other nations….and therefore, whatever we do, by definition, is good, righteous and completely justified.
Now, many Americans think the same way about Israel. No matter how savage and brutal Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories becomes….Israel is completely justified, apparently because they too are exceptional.
Anglo nations were responsible for removing Arabs and Muslims from the "holy lands" and handing those lands over to Jewish people, who had no right to them. Sixty years later, Palestinian victims of that displacement are still being treated with disdain for wanting to protect whatever crumbs they have.
America refuses to learn. One of the primary causes of Islamic extremism today is the ongoing mistreatment and unfairness in dealing with Palestinians in the occupied territories. This latest brutal attack will only exacerbate the Islamic extremism problem.
Two years ago Israel tried the same brutal methods against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Not exactly a smashing success. This last weekend's Israeli brutality, no matter how many Americans and neo-cons cheer it on, won't be successful either.
Rev, Cut the sanctimonious rhetoric and tell me what the solution is that the Arabs would accept. If you really believe that the primary cause of Islamic
extremisim is the Palestinian stituation you must be wearing blinders. Yes it is part of the equation but only a part and the movement will continue even if you drive the Jews into the sea.
The Palestinian situation….and America's insistence on meddling, often militarily, inside of majority Muslim lands….both….have become recruitment bonanzas for extremism.
A two-state solution is the answer….if it can ever be accomplished.
The biggest problem, not only inside Israel, but also America….is that the majority wants peace…but radical minority leaders want their agenda, and only their agenda, advanced.
Israel has the Likud Party…..America has the neo-con-evangelical Republican Party. Both are extremist minorities.
I almost forgot…..Israel is having an election soon. It could be that Bebe will become Israel's new leader. Netanyahu rejects a two-state solution out of hand.
That ought to work out well.
Those who think that we can militarily win the "war on terror" would do well to examine the efficacy of Israel's methods. Despite their overwhelming military superiority, despite having the world's most daring intelligence service, despite being on a war footing for 60 years, and despite $billions in aid and military equipment, the Israelis are no safer, and no closer to peace than they ever were.
Exactly.
Overwhelming military superiority to who, frank? All the Arab nations combined? The fact that Israel hasn't bee overrun in the last 60 years is a great credit to their methods.
Frank, All they want is to be left alone. They are a peaceful people unless they are bothered. Don't think they can't cause great harm on any of their enemies. Remember the 6 day war in 1967. They are not to be played with. Also they have nukes and aren't afraid to strike first if provoked.
larry d. and averagejoe5,
You guys missed my point. No nation has marshalled its resources for defense better than Israel. Yet it hasn't made them safer.
They are still in existence which I'd call safer than not being in existence.
Anyone want to comment on the lands confiscated by Israel by force? Isn't there a U.N. resolution demanding that Israel return to it's pre-1967 borders?
Or…are U.N. resolutions, like pre-emptive war intelligence, simply to be cherry-picked?
Good one, Reverend. Even mary ought to get a chuckle off that.
Rev,
Here's my take on the situation. After WWII, the British controlled the are now known as Israel. It no longer had the resources to maintain a colony, and because of the guilt of not preventing the holocaust, the Western powers supported using the are as an Israeli state. Unfortunately, the population of the are was a mixture of Jewish and Palestinian people, and the Palestinians were driven out. The new state of Israel was then forced to defend itself against the Palestinians and their Arab brethren as the Arabs did not accept the UN's declaration of an Israeli state in the middle of their homelands. Instead of taking in and aiding the Palestinians, the surrounding Arab countries attacked Israel and ultimately were defeated as Israel, with the help of the US, developed into a national security state with one of the world's fiercest militaries. Since the Palestinians have no hope of ever defeating the Israelis militarily, they use terrorism in hopes of achieving an independent state. These naturally abhorrent actions are met with overkill by the Israelis who use their military to inflict its own terrorism. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will accept an independent state for the other. But it does seem that the Israelis, operating from a position of strength, are intent on achieving their security by eliminating the Palestinians through isolation, blockade, destruction of its infrastructure, etc.
Yes.
And, in America, we have a hawkish, 'defend Israel at all costs', group of evangelical Christians joining hands with neo-conservative military-industrial-complex maniacs to cheer on American bombs dropped by the Israeli air force onto the heads of Palestinian Muslims…who just happen to have a disagreement with the Jews over the "temple" site which evnagelicals say must be rebuilt before the, you know, rapture, happens.
Insane.