Oh, sh!t, the PR campaign. It's unbelievable how slick it is, makes you wonder how things would have gone if Milosevic had hired Hill and Knowlton... ("now let's brainstrorm the ideas we can reframe this so-called 'ethnic cleansing' hmmm?") A public relations effort to whitewash war crimes ... the mind reels.
Its funny... people say how horrible Israel is for destroying areas uilized by Hamas to plan and/or commit terrorist acts against Israel.. but no one says how horrible it is about Hamas using coward tactics like shooting from schools and mosques while also using women and children as protection from gunfire. This is a war on terror and unwanted missle strikes on Israel.. not about Palestine. If you think it is... consider reading about the war going on in the West Bank. You can't? Because there isn't one. The people of Gaza elected Hamas into power knowing full wel how they operate and now they are mad because Israel is fighting back? Gaza is getting what it deserves.. if the people and the powers they elected are going to act they dogs.. they should expect to be treated as such.
There is no war in the West Bank because the settlement infrastructure would be compromised by an all out bombardment. Instead the war is more psychological relying on arbitrary checkpoints, arbitrary curfews and the bulldozing of homes.
Palestinians in the West Bank have been forced into bantustans that are supposed to be the "viable state" in all the peace talks.
The IDF has been documented using civilians as human shields as well so their moral high horse looks like a nule to me.
It figures a zionist would call elected leaders of a resistance dogs. The dehumanization of Palestinians is one of the key facets of the occupations. Force your opponent into a corner to rely on base survival instincts and they will do terrible things to survive. When they lash out, which is inevitable (don't believe me...look up Jewish resistance in British Palestine) the occupier then justifies the occupation by saying "look how uncivil they are". It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
The people of Gaza elected Hamas because of severe, abject poverty. Hamas provided civil infrastructure like schools, health care and food services.
State sponsored terrorism by another name is still terrorism.
The resistance will continue to exist until base cause of the resistance is dealt with. The right of return for the Palestinian refugees. FREE FREE PALESTINE!
Please provide some sort of supporting documentation provding proof that IDF uses human shields that isn't some sort jihad inspiring propaghanda, but a legitimate source. Otherwise, I can just assume that this is some sort of hardline Islamic mindless rant which is typical for fanatics who operate on emotions and not on intellect.
I'm not a Zionist, because I think Judaism is just as inane as Islam, but I do appreciate Israel because they are able to back up threats with acts of force and don't rely on cowardly acts, unlike Hamas which talks a big game, but seems to not be able to protect itself from military action, and cry out to the rest of the world to save them from a destiny they choose for their people. Israel seems to be handling their own.. how about Hamas?
Also... why is Hamas preventing humanitarian aid to getting to the people who need it? If this caring central party loves the people... why aid in their suffering by preventing food and water? They want control.. they want power.. and they take it from weak people because they can. Like the filthy swine they are... soon they will be slaughtered. If not by Israel.. by thier own people.
Human shield proof:
http://www.btselem.org/english/
H..._Beit_Hanun.asp
Yay. Might makes right. What a noble mantra for mankind to strive for.
This has little to do with Judaism or Islam. More so an occupation of an imperial colonial settler state. Hamas did not choose the occupation, Israel did. Because Israel refuses to abide by the Geneva convention and grant Palestinians their fundamental human rights, they will constantly live under a security threat.
On one hand you commend Israel for a strong show of force yet on the other you condemn Hamas for taking power. Hypocrisy or Islamaphobia? Israel controls their own because of fear. Keep people afraid and you keep them in control. Orwellian 101.
From the UN General Assembly on Human Rights in OPT:
"Terrorism is a scourge, a serious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. No attempt is made in the reports to minimize the pain and suffering it causes to victims, their families and the broader community. Palestinians are guilty of terrorizing innocent Israeli civilians by means of suicide bombs and Qassam rockets. Likewise... Read more the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are guilty of terrorizing innocent Palestinian civilians by military incursions, targeted killings and sonic booms that fail to distinguish between military targets and civilians. All these acts must be condemned and have been condemned.3 Common sense, however, dictates that a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by Al Qaeda, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation. While such acts cannot be justified, they must be understood as being a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism,"
"Israel remains the occupying Power in Gaza despite its claim that Gaza is a "hostile territory". This means that its actions must be measured against the standards of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
STATEMENT BY PROF. RICHARD FALK, UNITED
NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
xxxxxxxxxx
27 December 2008
The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent s evere and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the requirements of the laws of war.
Those violations include:
Collective punishment – the entire 1.5 million people who live in the crowded Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants.
Targeting civilians – the airstrikes were aimed at civilian areas in one of the most crowded stretches of land in the world, certainly the most densely populated area of the Middle East.
Disproportionate military response – the airstrikes have not only destroyed every police and security office of Gaza's elected government, but have killed and injured hundreds of civilians; at least one strike reportedly hit groups of students attempting to find transportation home from the university.
Earlier Israeli actions, specifically the complete sealing off of entry and exit to and from the Gaza Strip, have led to severe shortages of medicine and fuel (as well as food), resulting in the inability of ambulances to respond to the injured, the inability of hospitals to adequately provide medicine or necessary equipment for the injured, and the inability of Gaza's besieged doctors and other medical workers to sufficiently treat the victims.
Certainly the rocket attacks against civilian targets in Israel are unlawful. But that illegality does not give rise to any Israeli right, neither as the Occupying Power nor as a sovereign state, to violate international humanitarian law and commit war crimes or crimes against humanity in its response. I note that Israel's escalating military assaults have not made Israeli civilians safer; to the contrary, the one Israeli killed today after the upsurge of Israeli violence is the first in over a year.
Israel has also ignored recent Hamas' diplomatic initiatives to reestablish the truce or ceasefire since its expiration on 26 December.
The Israeli airstrikes today, and the catastrophic human toll that they caused, challenge those countries that have been and remain complicit, either directly or indirectly, in Israel's violations of international law. That complicity includes those countries knowingly providing the military equipment including warplanes and missiles used in these illegal attacks, as well as those countries who have supported and participated in the siege of Gaza that itself has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
I remind all member states of the United Nations that the UN continues to be bound to an independent obligation to protect any civilian population facing massive violations of international humanitarian law – regardless of what country may be responsible for those violations. I call on all Member States, a
I do suggest you visit the Levant to see for yourself why there is a resistance. This isnt blind hatred as much as the colonial powers will have you believe.
More human shield proof:
http://www.btselem.org/english/
h...s_in_nablus.asp
http://www.btselem.org/english/
H...e_of_Events.asp
http://www.btselem.org/English/H...ields/
Index.asp
Testimonies:
http://www.btselem.org/English/T...Index.asp?
TF=12
Thanks for all the info bloodred. Luke, your ignorance and lack of empathy is embarrassing. Learn some history before you celebrate the deaths of an occupied people.
You are right. I do celebrate the deaths and have little empathy. Simply put, Hamas refuses to acknowledge Israel as a nation and lauches attacks against it. They can't expect to be treated fairly if they are always on the offensive and threatening terror unless they get what they want.
Much like the Darfur conflict, this is social Darwinism at its finest. Yes, I do think the world would be a better place if all Judeo-Christian based faiths (Judiaism, Christianity, and Islam)were wiped off planet.. and then we could live in relative peace, but until such a genocide takes place... issues like this will always be present.
But I have to ask... if Hamas is this loving and caring organization... a group humanitarians... then where is all the other countries coming to thier aid? I hear alot of talk, but even Egypt is kind of keeping Hamas at arms distance right now.
Hamas lives by causing terror and because of that they have little respect in the world. Now, its showing.
As far as the btselem.org links.. I'm looking at them now, but have no comment until I finish reading.
The "right to exist" rhetoric is a tricky one. Hamas recognizes Israel's right to exist and has said many times a cease fire hinges on Israel obeying the 1967 borders as per the UN. It doesn't however recognize Israel's right to exist above international law and not allow the over 1 million refugees to return home. Israel continues on a rampant path of settlement construction and the creation of an apartheid wall to annex more and more land in the West Bank.
Hamas is as dynamic as any political affiliation. Within it are humanitarian advocates as well as nut job jihadists. Just like republicans and democrats can span the political spectrum and support programs the other advocates so can Hamas.
You must put this conflict into a geo-political context. Other countries haven't come to the aid of Gaza because Israel is essentially a client state of the USA. Israel is acting on behalf of Imperial interests. If this was a muslim, judaism thing, wouldn't Turkey be on Gaza's side? Jordan? Saudi Arabia? All of these countries support US imperial interests. And might I add are also supressing resistance movements in their own countries.
This conflict is about regional domination. Nothing more. Your comments do leave me wondering why someone of such limited depth and intelligence would be advocating social darwinism.
Im really curious as to where youre getting the information that Hamas is preventing aid from getting to the People? Last I checked Gaza was under an 18 month blockade. Hamas was democratically elected and Israel refuses to negotiate. Who refuse to acknowledge whos existance?
Fuck...Israel blew up a UN truck. If they cant tell by the sheer whiteness and big black UN letters that they shouldnt blow it up, how can they tell what are legitimate Hamas targets?
Commenting by HaloScan
