Gaza: Civilians Under Siege
Snapshots of the evolving humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"I am deeply alarmed."
Statement by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Dec. 29:
I am deeply alarmed by the current escalation of violence in and around Gaza. This is unacceptable. I have been repeatedly condemning the rocket attacks by Hamas militants against Israel. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I have also condemned the excessive use of force by Israel in Gaza. The suffering caused to civilian populations as a result of the large-scale violence and destruction that have taken place over the past few days has saddened me profoundly. The frightening nature of what is happening on the ground, in particular its effects on children -- who are more than half of the population -- troubles me greatly. I have continuously stressed the need for strict observance of international humanitarian law... All this must stop. Both Israel and Hamas must halt their acts of violence and take all necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties. A ceasefire must be declared immediately.
“The army has bombed dozens of houses, public buildings, and other structures…”
Letter from B'tselem, Israeli human rights group, to Israeli government, Dec. 31:
Since the beginning of the military operation in the Gaza Strip, on 27 December 2008, the army has bombed dozens of houses, public buildings, and other structures throughout the Gaza Strip. The principle of distinction, one of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, states that all parties engaged in combat must distinguish between civilian objects and military targets, and are forbidden to intentionally attack civilians and civilian objects. The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions establishes two conditions that must be met for an object to be considered a legitimate military target: it must effectively contribute to military action and its total destruction or partial neutralization offers a clear military advantage. Despite this, other statements made by Israeli officials in recent days raise the suspicion that the army is not maintaining the requisite distinction in its attacks in Gaza... An examination of the sites that were bombed in recent days raises questions regarding the legality of targeting many of them. For example, the military bombed the main police building in Gaza and killed, according to reports, forty-two Palestinians who were in a training course and were standing in formation at the time of the bombing. Participants in the course study first-aid, handling of public disturbances, human rights, public-safety exercises, and so forth. Following the course, the police officers are assigned to various arms of the police force in Gaza responsible for maintaining public order.
“There are no ‘safe' places in Gaza for civilians.”
Statement by Amnesty International, Dec. 31:
Israeli forces must bear in mind that there are no "safe" places in Gaza for civilians to seek shelter. They know how densely populated the Jabalia Refugee Camp is and that the homes are mostly light structures with flimsy asbestos roofs and not able to withstand the effect of strikes. Strikes are virtually sure to kill and injure civilians. The Israeli army must not carry out attacks which pose a disproportionate risk to civilians. They must always choose means and methods of attack that are least likely to harm civilians. We urge all parties not to target civilians and not to carry out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks that put civilian lives in danger.
Examples:
On 27 December seven students from a school run by the United Nations were killed outside the school, just after lessons finished as they were trying to get home. The Israeli bombardment had first started at about 11.30 am on a Saturday, a day and time when the streets are very busy, particularly as children finish school just after midday, just as the initial bombardment was at its most intense. Seven students from a UNRWA school were killed outside the school just after lessons finished and they were trying to get home.
On 27 December Muhammad al-Awadi finished his exam and left the al Carmel School in the Rimal district of downtown Gaza City, a school located near the al-Abbas police station in a residential district, at about 11.30 am to return to the orphanage where he lived with his brother Ahmed. He was fatally wounded when a bomb was dropped on the Police station, just as he came out of the school. Muhammad was treated in the ICU unit of Gaza City Hospital but died in the evening of 30 December. This happened at the very beginning of the bombing campaign and was totally unexpected.
On 28 December five sisters from the Baalousha family aged four to 17, (Jawhir, 4; Dina, 8; Samar, 12; Ikram, 14; and Tahrir, 17) were killed in their home in Jabalia Refugee Camp, located north of Gaza city in Gaza's most densely populated area. Four other children siblings were injured when the mosque near their home was bombed, and theirs and several other homes were destroyed and damaged.
“20,000 people a day have been without food that they expect.”
Associated Press story, Jan. 1:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Gaza's 1.5 million residents are facing an "alarming" humanitarian situation under constant Israeli bombardment, with the main power plant shut down, overcrowded hospitals struggling to cope and very limited food supplies, U.N. officials said. The power plant shut down on Tuesday because Israel has blocked fuel delivery through the main pipeline since Dec. 26, U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said Wednesday. This has forced hospitals to use generators, which have limited fuel supplies, and left many of the 650,000 people in central and northern Gaza with power cuts of 16 hours a day or more, he said. "The situation remains alarming," Holmes said. "Hospitals are obviously still struggling very much to cope with the number of casualties. We have continued to get some medical supplies in and to help them cope, but this remains difficult and fragile." Karen Abu Zayd, commissioner of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which helps Palestinian refugees, told reporters by video link from Gaza that the agency has not distributed any food for two weeks because of the shortage of supplies and the Israeli bombardment. "I think that means that 20,000 people a day have been without food that they expect — and probably is the bulk of what they get," she said. "So people are doing pretty badly. Everyone we know is sharing whatever they have, not just with their families but with their neighbors."
“There is no electricity at all in Gaza City.”
Statement of Maher Najjar, Deputy Director, Palestinian Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, Jan. 4:
Since the beginning of the military operation on December 27, 2008 and especially since the electricity and water systems were badly damaged in the start of the ground operation on January 3, 2008, we have been unable to provide water to well over 530,000 of Gaza's residents (approximately 400,000 people in Gaza City and the North, 100,000 people in Rafah, and 30,000 people in the Middle Area). In addition, because of the lack of fuel and electricity to sewage pumping stations, sewage is piling up in the streets and harming the health and safety of Gaza residents. There is an additional danger that the sewage lake in Beit Lahiya will overflow within a week, endangering the lives of 10,000 people living nearby...
As of last night, there is no electricity at all in Gaza City. All lines feeding Gaza City from Israel have been shut down due to damage from the shelling and bombing. The local power plant has been shut down since December 30, due to lack of industrial diesel. As of today, the entire water and sewage system in Gaza City and the Northern Area is entirely dependent on backup generators run by diesel. In addition, two of the lines feeding electricity to Rafah, one from Israel and one from Egypt, have been damaged. I have no additional diesel reserves, and I cannot obtain additional diesel right now. The water wells and sewage pumping stations that still have diesel will run out within a few days, others have none.
“An Israeli ground operation in Gaza will likely mean intense combat in densely populated areas.”
Statement by Human Rights Watch, Jan. 4:
As an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza gets underway, both Israeli and Palestinian forces must address heightened civilian protection concerns because of likely combat in densely populated urban areas, Human Rights Watch said today. Both sides must stringently abide by the laws of war, including taking all feasible measures to avoid harm to civilians and facilitating access for humanitarian workers and medical personnel. Human Rights Watch investigations of previous ground operations in Gaza and the West Bank by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) found evidence of unlawful killings by Israeli forces. In addition, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired rockets or conducted other military operations from densely populated areas, placing civilians at risk of serious harm. An Israeli ground operation in Gaza will likely mean intense combat in densely populated areas, where the threat to civilians is substantial. The IDF and Hamas must take concrete steps to minimize the fighting's impact on civilians or the results could be catastrophic.
The IDF's last major ground operation in Gaza, from February 27 to March 3, 2008, killed 107 Palestinians, more than half of whom were civilians, and wounded more than 200. Two Israeli soldiers died. Human Rights Watch's detailed field investigation of that operation found serious violations by the IDF, including the killing of a wounded man getting treatment in an ambulance, the shooting deaths of two civilians on donkey carts, and the shooting and wounding of two men in IDF custody. In two cases, tank crews opened fire on unarmed civilians. All of these incidents took place in an area that was firmly under the control of the IDF. Palestinian medics and ambulance drivers also faced restrictions on their ability to treat the wounded and dead - both civilians and combatants - and came under fire that killed one medic.
In February-March 2008, as on other occasions, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups placed civilians at risk by firing rockets and mortars from densely populated areas and storing weapons in civilian structures. Those acts, too, violate the laws of war. Human Rights Watch said that during past hostilities both sides have failed to take adequate steps to remove civilians from areas where there was fighting, putting them at unnecessary risk.
“Patients were lying everywhere.”
CNN report, Jan. 4:
GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Gaza's main hospital, already overloaded with Palestinians wounded in the week-long Israeli air assault, has reached critical mass, according to a Norwegian doctor volunteering at Shifa Hospital. Word of health facilities being pushed to the limit came as Israel announced on Monday it was opening up border crossings to allow the flow of humanitarian goods into the Palestinian territory. "The injured patients are mainly civilians, a lot of children with dreadful injuries," Dr. Erik Fosse told CNN on Monday, estimating that 20 percent of the more than 500 people dead were children. "This figure is rising, and I think it has to do with the development of the war as it moves into the city," he added. After a weeklong series of air strikes, Israel launched a ground assault Saturday night. "We've had a steady stream (of patients) every day, but the last 24 hours has (seen) about triple the number of cases," Fosse said late Sunday. Fosse said that he estimated that about 30 percent of the casualties at Shifa Hospital on Sunday were children, both among the dead and wounded. The increase in casualties at Shifa followed Israel's ground incursion into Gaza, which it launched on Saturday night. Fosse said 50 patients were "severely wounded" when an Israeli air strike hit a food market in Gaza City. "We were operating in the corridors, patients were lying everywhere, and people were dying before they got treatment," he said.
--By Scott MacLeod
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1
You know Scott, the idea that you're an Arabist polemicist is no longer a question. What is surprising is the fact that in pursuit of your propaganda position, you've decided to become a poor journalist, even if just a cutting and pasting one.
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In your haste to clip comments, you left out the most important one, the catalyst to this event. It's from December 19, 2008:
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From Euronews: "Rockets fired into Israel as Hamas ends truce"
Rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel this morning – just as a six-month truce between Hamas and Israel came to an end.Hamas declared the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire officially over at 4 a.m. GMT.
It also released a training video, and warned Israel that any attacks on Gaza would “open the doors of the battle wide”.
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From Ha'Aretz:...In light of the Hamas announcement, senior Israeli officials warned that a military offensive in the coastal territory would be "unavoidable" if the rocket fire continues.
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday reiterated his appeal to extend the truce, immediately halt rocket attacks against Israel and all acts of violence, UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said from the world body's New York headquarters.
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"A major escalation of violence would have grave consequences for the protection of civilians in Israel and Gaza, the welfare of the Gazan civilian population, and the sustainability of political efforts," Okabe said.
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.On Thursday, Gaza militants fired 11 rockets and six mortar shells toward Israel and Israel staged at least two air strikes against rocket squads.
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.The government in Jerusalem ordered the IDF to refrain from offensive operations for now, saying it wants to see how the situation develops.
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"We will not be the ones to violate the cease-fire," a senior defense official said Thursday night. "If Hamas wants to escalate, we will know how to act - and it will be clear to the international community who is behind the renewed fighting."
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But, a senior government official warned, "if Hamas doesn't come to its senses and calm the situation, there will be no choice other than an Israeli military response."
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Egypt, meanwhile, said Friday it had received no requests that it try to patch up the Gaza truce, which went into effect six months ago.
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"We have not so far been asked to exert [truce] efforts as we did in the past," said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki. -
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What makes your current breast beating so hypocritical is that during the past two months, neither you, Tim, or Andrew, felt it necessary to comment on the daily rocket fire launched by HAMAS from Gaza into Israeli cities. Nor was there any interest in commenting on HAMAS decision to end the ceasefire (not that rocket fire from Gaza ever ceased during the past six months).
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Rather, you opined on the views of your daughter and her high-school friends about Obama, and a snarkfest over the potential incoming cabinet selections. Oh yes, there was Tim's "12,000 year old Jewish Mother" skit. Truly an enlightening event.
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And amidst your wailing, we see the silence of the surrounding violence. The fact that in the past two weeks, we've seen three suicide bombings in Iraq, that has killed at least 88 civilians (including two attacks on pilgram's at a mosque) and another three bombings in Afghanistan that killed 20, included one killing 13 children.
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The issue here is not the severe deprivation faced by Gazan's but that up until now, you've not only seem quite fit to ignore the violence emenating from Gaza, but violence in the region in general as well.
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The fact that not one of you felt that it was worthwhile to take pen in hand over the assault on Mumbai shows just how blindsided your commentary has become.
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So while you offer up today's platter of woe from the various human rights groups, you can ask them, and yourself, where was everybody while HAMAS sent its rain of rockets on Sderot, Ashkolon, Ashdod, Beersheva, and others. Where were either the condemnations or warnings about the direction their decisions were taking them and the Palestinians of Gaza.
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Now, you're worse than a day late and a dollar short. -
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Jacob,
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Google the phrase "ad hominem". Your credibility diminishes when you call a Time Bureau Chief, especially one like Scott, who has a proven professional history of success, a bad journalist. Your insults show you have nothing of substance to say, and when you do, it's lies.
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You asked Scott to look at an article from December 19, 2008, which blamed Hamas for ending the ceasefire. I addressed that lie in the last blog (2nd comment down). Unbiased analysts have overwhelmingly agreed that the ceasefire ended on November 5, 2008, a month and a half earlier than the date you mentioned, when Israel invaded Gaza and killed 6 militants (causing collateral damage to many women and children in the process -- this includes the emotional trauma of actually having your brother or father killed for joining forces with the only group of people sworn to defend your right to live like a human being). Here is an article showing that:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/israelandthepalestinians ; and, additionally: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048368.html
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So, Israel ended the ceasefire on November 5, 2008 and you need to start attacking arguments instead of the person proffering them. -
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Sorry Nick, but your choice of reporters hardly shows a wide swath of analysts, much less unbiased ones. Try again. Meanwhile, try to realize that there were rockets raining down into Israel on a daily basis prior to the IDF removal of the hostage tunnel HAMAS was digging on November 5.
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That said, no matter how you slice it, HAMAS was the one that tore up the ceasefire a full day before it was to expire so you can argue with them about the meaning of their own statement.
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As for Scott, he has a voice of his own and I'm sure doesn't need you do defend him. Either way, given what went through the mid-east blog, certainly shows a large gap in either reporting much less analysis.
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That he wraps it up with today's headline screaming blurbs shows again how late he is with his stand on the violence. -
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The bottom line is the conflict in the Middle East is entirely rooted in the the illegal military occupation of the Palestinian land and people, clear and simple. The state of Israel was established on Palestine in 1948 as a national homeland for the Jewish people after Hitler killed millions of them unjustly. From 1948 till now, the Palestinians lived under an oppressive occupation because of no mistake of their own.
Currently, they live in the biggest open air prison in the world, almost completely isolated from access to work, food and other life necessities, by Israel. Gaza is one of the most populated areas in the world as more than 1.5 million people live in a 25 mile X 7 miles strip. Sixty per cent of the Gazan are unemployed. The per capita income for a Gazan is $1.71/day. For the past three years, people of Gaza have been living under siege by Israel. To bring world attention to their plight, Hamas and some Palestinian factions fire ineffective scrap metal rockets on southern Israel. An unacceptable choice, but damages have been minimal. The collective punishment inflicted by Israel with a massive attack on Gaza from air, land and sea is not only disporprtionate but also deplorable. End the occupation, now!
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Go Israel!
Kick some terrorist ass!
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Obama can gauge his supporters wishes on his forthcoming decisions by amount he'll be getting through his web site from average Joe's as the disappointed Republican party found out in a last election, I have no illusions about Israel forthcoming and begging for money to replenish her treasury and war expenses from US tax payer later on, we're still paying for Israelis previous peace and wars choices by stupidity, lets see if a new US administration give them my tax money or a finger for change, the sure way to bring Israelis in to peace process is by cutting her US treasury money, US treasury meant to support US citizens well being only and certainly not to export misery to others, it's a time for a beggar childs to grow up and taking up responsibilities!
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The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a prime issue at this time. Israel is not ready to accept a cease fire and a humanitarian corridor is a long way off.
Diplomatic efforts at this time will not solve the problem.
Why not airdrop at least food for the children and badly needed medical supplies?
Israel can do it, the IDF controls the air. Alternatively, the US and Europe have the necessary capabilities nearby.
Of course this is not a solution, but it would provide immediate help, while the diplomatic process continues.
A UN initiative in this direction, could be achieved within a short period of time.
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Anybody that disagrees with Jacob's point of view must, by his oft-asserted definition, be a 'bad journalist'.
Time, The Guardian and Haaretz are offered up to him and Jacob merely carries on shrieking: a monkey tied to a stick, pelted with the stones of the ignorant rabble that provoke him.
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Try again Alex,
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Nick's claim was that there was a 'sweeping consensus' by objective analysts about the end of the cease fire.
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Unfortunately for our resident table pounder, the best he could come up with is a single article in the Guardian, hardly an independent source of analysis, and even then, the article hardly provides a solid ground to support Nick's claim. And Gideon Levy, who, while writing for Ha'Aretz, has laid claims to left wing polemics that make Nick seem moderate by comparison.
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But keep trying, and let me know when you find some of those objective analysts Nick was touting.
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While you're at it, you should take a real look at my criticism of Scott's commentary, or lack thereof. It deals with more than an opposing point of view. Unfortunately the monkeys appear to be the amen corner of TIME's bloggers who can't stand the thought of legitimate criticism. So be it. -
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[...] and destruction that have taken place over the past few days has saddened me profoundly.” > more. picture: [...]
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MY EMAIL TO:
...Dear President Bush, President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abraham Dicter Minister of Internal Security, Ariel Atias Minister of Communications, Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer - Minister of National Infrastructure, Eli Aflalo - Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Eliyahu Yishai - Deputy Prime Minister , Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labor, Gideon Ezra - Minister of Environmental, Isaac Herzog Minister of Welfare and Social Services, Minister of the Diaspora, Society, and Fight Against Antisemitism, Jacob Edery - Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galil, Meir Sheetrit - Minister of Internal Affairs, Raleb Majadele - Minister of Science, Culture, and Sport, Ruhama Avraham Balila - Minister of Tourism, Shalom Simhon - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Shaul Mofaz - Deputy Prime Minister , Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, Ze'ev Boim - Minister of Housing and Construction, Haim Ramon - Vice Prime Minister, Rafi Eitan - Minister of Pensioner Affairs, Ronnie Bar-On - Minister of Finance, Yacov Ben Yizri - Minister of Health, Yitzhak Cohen - Minister of Religious Services, Yuli Tamir - Minister of Education, Majalli Whbee - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Matan Vilnai - Deputy Minister of Defense, Meshulam Nahari - Minister Without Portfolio, Benjamin Netanyahu, Raanan Dinur - Director General Of the Prime Minister,
...Doctor Decries Israeli Attacks...
Source: http://www.youtube.com...
Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor in Gaza, tells Sky News that the number of civilians injured and killed in Gaza proves that Israel is deliberately attacking the population....
"This is all out war on a civilian population".........."If you shut up the truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way."- Emile Zola..........
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." -Article 19-UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS..........
In March 2006, just a few weeks after the beginning of his freedom of speech trial, Vanunu sent Senator Clinton and USA Christians the following message:
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Most sincerely yours;
A member of the New Fourth Estate in solidarity with Micah 6:8,Eileen Fleming, Author, Founder WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu" -
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You're pounding the table as much as anyone, Jacob. You regurgitate the Israeli position nearly 100% of the time without the slightest bit of critical thought and you have the gall to call Scott an "Arabist polemicist"? I don't know about you but most of us like to take some time to formulate our own opinions instead of jumping on the bandwagon.
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Are you suggesting that since you don't see in depth analysis about Hamas rocket fire that Scott somehow agrees with Hamas that Israel should be destroyed, or that he somehow enjoys seeing Qassams land on Israeli roofs, or that he somehow secretly smiles every time an Israeli soldier dies? What does being an "Arabist polemicist" even entail? You seriously believe that Israeli positions are beyond reproach?
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You're the blinded one, Jacob. You keep demanding that we all talk about Hamas rockets even though we've all talked about it. How many times do we have to say that constant rocket fire from a neighbor is not something to disregard? And yet you still pound on the table whenever anyone talks about Palestinian suffering: "But what about the rocket fire?! THE ROCKET FIRE!!!"
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Let's face it. You're not mad because of the post about Gaza. You're mad because you're not getting equal posts about Hamas rockets. Well, I'm sorry. Perhaps you can start your own blog and just rail on Hamas and their rockets all day. I bet that will certainly be informative reading.
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As for wanting equal time: the situations are not equal, both in the magnitude of suffering and the degree of complexity. They aren't even close to being equal. I don't know what else you can post about Hamas rocket fire other than "they fired another one today". You think they're equal and you're mad because the writers here don't agree with you. You think that the civilian suffering is their fault and they deserve it because they elected Hamas. You think Israel's conduct during this latest Gaza incursion is completely justified.
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And now so I don't get hounded by you to give my token repeat about Hamas rocket fire: Hamas rocket fire needs to stop. Hamas has plenty of blame here for the violation of the ceasefire, just as Israel does for their attacks on Nov 5th (which did violate the cease fire, whether you agree with the preemptive action or not). I personally believe that Israel is making a big mistake by invading Gaza and I think it will be overall detrimental to the situation. Moreover, I sympathize with Israel's desire to defend its territory and stop the rocket attacks.
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However, I am deeply concerned that Israel is treating the greater Gazan populace as complicit in war against Israel and is thus not showing restraint and indiscriminately targeting whatever building they believe is being used by Hamas, regardless of the cost to innocent Gaza civilians. THAT is what Scott's post is about. Would you feel better if every post on this blog was preceded by a disclaimer that denounced Hamas rocket fire?
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And just to clear things up: this is a blog about the Middle East; India is not in the Middle East and Pakistan is only included in Middle East discussions when talking about Afghanistan. -
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Jacob:
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You seem concerned that no one cares about rocket attacks on Israel. So, which of the organizations that Scott quoted above have yet to criticize Hamas for it's rocket attacks and management of Gaza? Lets see, we have: the AP, CNN, the UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B'tselem, and a guy from the Palestinian Water Municipalities. If I had to guess it would probably be the Municipalities guy, although I bet he doesn't like Hamas either. -
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Interesting point Nathan. Here's the rub though. Scott, supposedly, is a journalist, and part of a news organzation. If, he's going to cling to that idea, then as part of the job, one would expect a healthy dose of rationality and objectivity.
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Unfortunately, we've seen that TIME's bloggers prefer the polemic route.
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I'll reiterate my point. I have no problem with op-ed columnists or even polemicists provided they hang out their shingle as such. What TIME has here essentially soils the water between the two. That's been my beef since the beginning with the blog.
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Scott wants to hang out an Arabist shingle, fine by me. But he wants to come across as some wise man offering up supposed insights, then let him do it as a declared opinionist.
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As for myself, I've never stated that I'm anything other than an advocate and my opinions are just that, my opinions. I do disagree with your claim that I don't take any critical thought into these stands, I do, but my stand is based on where I sit, and given that, are quite different than those who wave the pro-Palestinian banners.
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As for in depth analysis, no, I haven't. But if you look at my original point, its not that there's a lack of in-depth analysis, but any commentary whatsoever about the rockets, nor has there been in prior columns. If you've seen such from either Scott, Tim, or Andrew, then please point it out. As far as I've seen, there's been nothing discussed about this. I'm sorry that you seem to believe that my raising the issue is out of proportion when the scale is empty on the other side.
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The idea of equality of suffering is nice in theory, but honestly, not a key argument. You don't like hearing this, but in truth, its HAMAS own actions that have led not just to the previous blockade, but to the current fight. Are the Palestinians suffering? Yes, there's no other way to describe it, but the fact is, three years ago Israel marched out of Gaza, lock stock and barrel. Ever since then, HAMAS has looked for ways to continue the fight.
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As for complexity? I guess it depends on how complex you want to try to view HAMAS. The organization's core philosophy is built on violent jihad (their words), with an ultimate goal of removing every last Jew from all of Palestine.
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Your blithe comments about the rocket fire show exactly how little it concerns you. "I don't know what else you can post about Hamas rocket fire other than "they fired another one today".
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That, unfortunatley sums up your stand, because as you've said to Yoni, you don't sit in the line of fire. And as such, you offer up a "token" comment. Big whoop. Obviously, you don't care or you would manage to make your comments without being so condescending.
That's fine, but don't sit there and complain when those who are concerned about the people in the line of fire stand up and say, we do care, and it is a big deal.
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"But keep trying, and let me know when you find some of those objective analysts Nick was touting."
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Okay, Jacob, you asked for it!
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Here are many sources agreeing unanimously that Israel broke the ceasefire first between Hamas and Israel on November 5, 2008, and not in Decemeber by Hamas as reported by you, resident blog troll, and certain parts of the main stream media manipulated by a lying Israeli lobby:
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The Independent (who first broke the story that Israel killed 6 inside Gaza in an invasive air bombing, breaking the ceasefire): http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/massive-rocket-attack-launched-on-israel-992978.html
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NY TIMES: (1) On November 12 the paper's Jerusalem reporter, Isabel Kershner, wrote: “At least six Palestinian militants were killed in a clash and an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 4 after an Israeli force entered Gaza for the first time in five months” - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/world/middleeast/13gaza.html?scp=8&sq=truce%20six%20killed&st=cse - The facts in the article makes it evident that the rockets into Israeli territory after nearly six months of cease-fire followed –- rather than preceded –- the Israeli invasion into, and the killings of Palestinians inside, the occupied Gaza Strip.
(2) Two day's later, this piece followed: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/world/middleeast/15gaza.html?scp=17&sq=truce%20six%20killed&st=cse - "The confrontations, following five months of relative calm, began to spike this month when the Israeli military destroyed a tunnel being dug toward Israel ... The Israelis said it was an isolated operation, not a violation of the cease-fire agreed to in June, and asked Egypt to pass that message to Hamas in advance. But six Hamas militants were killed during the tunnel's destruction, leading Hamas to retaliate with rockets, which led to more closings and operations and then more rockets."
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Haaretz: November 5, 2008 - “Israel Defense Forces troops yesterday killed a Hamas gunman and wounded two others in the first armed clash in the Gaza Strip since a cease-fire was declared there in June. […] An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops had entered the territory.” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1034307
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Israel's Yediot Ahronot (aka ynetnews.com): November 5, 2008 - “For the first time since the ceasefire took effect in June, IDF forces operated deep in the Gaza Strip Tuesday night.” http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3617798,00.html
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CNN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4
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Times (UK): November 5, 2008 - “A five-month truce between Israel and the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip was foundering yesterday after Israeli special forces entered the besieged territory and fought.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5089940.ece
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Amnesty International: November 10, 2008 - “A spate of Israeli and Palestinian attacks and counter-attacks in the past 24 hours could spell the end of a five-and-a-half-month ceasefire. […] The killing of six Palestinian militants in Gaza by Israeli forces in a ground incursion and air strikes on 4 November was followed by a barrage of dozens of Palestinian rockets.”
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Good enough for you, Jacob? Was for me and the rest of us. -
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Being a descendant of one of Wise Men which pope was praising today (the one carrying golds:D), it seems to me I have to sing a lullaby story to new babies again, WAR IS WRONG.
Every few years Israel stab her neighbors with military assault and ask them to stop bleeding and twisting before talking about ceasefire and peace, today few UN administrated building were hit in Gaza among usual regular everyday civilian places, it happens every time when Israel is throwing a war party, they're going to say we're sorry and it's a war and accident do happens, no kidding, so they didn't know these are the results of using military machines in cities, Israelis don't like to hear it but by using tanks and warplanes in Gaza city is as a same as Nazi using tanks and warplanes in Warsaw during WWII to destroy resistance to occupation, even as Nazis were targeting terrorists only as they claimed, and every guilty Nazi was eventually hanged in Nuremberg and keep that in mind! -
18
Oh Joe, going with the Jews as Nazis argument again. Reality is, the Nazi's were tried at Nuremberg because they tried to liquidiate not just all the Jews they could get their hands on, but all those who also were interfering with the Master race, including the Roma, Homosexuals, Communists, etc. Of course if you ask Ahmadinejad, none of it happened, but that's just an aside.
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The unfortunate fact of the matter is that HAMAS is the one with the genocidal philosophy, and the organization who tout's jihad and martyrdom as a way of life however short it may be.
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To that end, not only does HAMAS launch rockets at Israeli civilians as SOP, but it embeds its military forces among a densly populated urban centers.
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That's its fighting plan. It wants to draw the Israeli army into these areas so the better to kill them. That's the goal, HAMAS hopes to turn the streets and alleyways of Gaza into a box that traps the IDF. And for defense, HAMAS offers up the civilians of Gaza as human shields; hence today's firing on a UN school, which according to Ha'Aretz was used by HAMAS to attack a group of IDF soldiers.
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Let's remember that before Israel went into Gaza, it asked repeatedly for HAMAS to stop shooting rockets. HAMAS refused and upped the launch figures. Perhaps next time your wisdom will be to sing a lullaby to HAMAS. -
19
J.B., Polish and Russian resistance fighters were embedding and fighting inside of Warsaw and Stalingrad because that are the only places you can fight and survive against superior armed adversary in flat lands, you're asking Gazan to do what Israelis didn't do against British army in Palestine, were not Israelis who were blowing up hotels and using guerilla tactics while they're embedding and hiding among civilians during 1930's and 1940's, you're just being hypocrites!
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20
Jacob wrote:
"The unfortunate fact of the matter is that HAMAS is the one with the genocidal philosophy, and the organization who tout's jihad and martyrdom as a way of life however short it may be."
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“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.” - David Ben-Gurion. This is exactly the philosophy Israel is using now on the Gazans. Look at the statistics: ifamericansknew.org ; btselem.org
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Also, Jacob, the Gaza Strip is the most densely populated area of the Earth. There is no where for the refugees to hide. Israel has recently struck two UN-run schools, killing 48 civilians. Now, they're talking about hitting hospitals. How about instead of this mass genocide, Israel just lifts the inhumane blockade so that Hamas has no justification to shoot rockets into Israel? That would have been the right solution. Instead, the moron association of Israel, aka Livni, Barak, and Olmert decided to use this invasion as a political ploy in the next election against Bibi.
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"Of course if you ask Ahmadinejad, none of it happened, but that's just an aside."
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Wrong, Jacob. Stop putting words into people's mouths. Ahmadinejad calls for a historical investigation into whether six million Jews actually died in World War II. He questions those statistics and believes the numbers were embellished for political purposes. Many share his view. I don't think it's a bad view at all. If it's true, there's no harm in investigating it, right? -
21
Another table bites the dust, eh Nick?
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David ben-Gurion is not the Prime Minister of Israel today. Indeed, ben-Gurion's comments were made during the middle of a fight between Israel and the five neighboring Arab states alongside the Palestinian Arabs, who's then goal was to push the Jews into the sea and ultimately resulted in a war which left 10% of Isarel's population dead.
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If you want to go down the path of political rhetoric I'm sure I could provide you with equally inflamatory comments. I was always partial to comments made by Yasser Arafat which went along the lines of calling for one million martyrs to march on Jerusalem to make its streets run red with rivers of blood and fire.
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But we're not talking about Ben Gurion of 48 or Even Arafat of 2002, we're talking about HAMAS. And HAMAS has, not had, a genocidal philosophy.
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Yes, Gaza holds a dense urban population with few places to hide. HAMAS makes it all the worse trying to turn these places into its fighting ground. Indeed, the schools that were attacked today were hit because HAMAS fired mortars from these locations at Israeli troops. Perhaps you could take that issue up with the HAMAS leadership. Of course what else would one expect from an organization that deliberately targets civilians.
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Ah yes, the blockade, HAMAS rationale for its rocket fire. Indeed, Israel's demands to end the blockade were onerous. HAMAS needed to stop shooting rockets (which it was doing prior to the blockade), it needed to promise to adhere to the previous agreements made by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and it needed to end the constant incitement of Gazan's to kill Jews. I can see how such terms are so extreme that rocket fire against Israeli civilians was really the only possible reaction of HAMAS.
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The fact that not only Israel, but Egypt made repeated attempts to get HAMAS to stand down in December, sending several warnings that the ongoing rocket attacks would result in an Israeli military operation, appears to have gone over your head. Better for you to stick with the conspiracy theories.
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Yes, conspiracy theories, kind of like your false genocide claim. I'm sure that a state that plans a genocide would not only provide humanitarian assistance, but take in wounded Palestinians to its own hospitals and now set up a corridor for further aid to get trucked in to Gaza. In fact, I'm sure I've seen the Sudanese government do the exact same thing in Darfur... um, no not really. Just another table pounding ploy Nick. Please let me know again when you're going to provide evidence rather than empty rhetoric.
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I'm still amazed at how you, a person who claims to stand with the Iranian people still stoop to trying to defend Ahmadinejad's most extreme foot in mouth instances.
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The idea of 'investigating' the number of Jews killed in WWII by the Nazi's is one that has been done through ad infinitum. In fact, it was one of the issues raised by British historian David Irving in his libel lawsuit against Deborah Lipstadt. Of course, Irving didn't fare so well, not only losing his case but was publically shamed by the judge and had what was left of his professional reputation left in tatters. That said, there are those who still believe Irving, they usually fall into the neo-Nazi, Skinhead, Aryan youth, and general Holocaust denier categories. You want to stand with this group, be my guest.
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22
Sorry Joe, but the Warsaw ghetto was set up prior to any resistance groups placement. Morevoer, the fight for the Warsaw ghetto took place after the Nazi's had already taken more than half of the Jews off to the death camps.
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As for Stalingrad, the Nazi's were intent on levelling the then Soviet Union, they killed everyone. The fight at Stalingrad was not because the Soviets wanted to wipe out the Germans, but that the Germans were intent on wiping out the Soviets.
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Contrast that with Gaza where HAMAS is looking to drag the IDF into the densely populated cities. If Israel were planning to act as the Nazi's did, they wouldn't be going in with limited strikes, they would have turned the entire strip into a parking lot.
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Now, if you're going to argue that the best way for HAMAS to fight the IDF is to draw it into the cities and camps of Gaza, then you don't get to complain when the fighting takes the lives of Gazan civilians.
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As for what the Israeli's did to the British, I'm looking for accounts of where the militias fought the British civilian population and targeted British cities. Oh wait, they didn't.
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23
On small note, there are lot of talk about Hamas importing this and that from I.... Logic states, if one want to import weapon to Gaza from Cairo or Tel Aviv airport or ship it through Haifa or Alexandria ports or send it with invisible submarine to Gaza, wouldn't they import portable anti-thank or anti-aircraft or high power sniper rifle to make some difference! may a divine entity give you a brain (instead that that give me cash:D) to use it!
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24
Joe,
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Who's to say that HAMAS doesn't have any of these weapon's in its underground bunkers?
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One would think that an organization that can smuggle in both livestock and Grad rockets could manage to smuggle in sniper rifles and anti-tank missiles.
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Unless of course you're telling us that you have better knowledge as to what HAMAS has in its arsonal. -
25
Jacob,
The problem is you have lost all sense of proportionality. If Israel had attacked rocket sites only, only HAMAS would have raised a stink. However Israel has used the rocket attack as an excuse to try and give HAMAS a bloody nose.
What was the purpose of the invasion? Surely the Israelis knew it would not stop the rocket fire. It did not work in Lebanon, and it surely will not work now.
While Israel's response in Lebanon was fully justified, even if it was a bit excessive, what is going on in Gaza is terrible.
As far as Scott's posting, he is a journalist, but he is a human being and any human being, who is not been brain-washed, would see that what is happening in Gaza is a serious tragedy. Even level-headed Israelis can see the excessiveness of the Gaza operation.
You keep going on about HAMAS being out to destroy Israel. Well during the late 1900's many Native Americans wanted to kill off the Whites. Guess what? It didn't happen. HAMAS controls a strip of land 25 miles long and 7 miles wide. It has no tanks, no airplanes and can only fire some amatuer rockets.
How many Israelis have been killed by HAMAS in the last 3 years? How many of FATAH have died at HAMAS hands? How many Israelis have died in traffic accidents during that same time? How many have died being struck by lightning? When was the last time HAMAS killed 30 Israelis in one strike? Is HAMAS a danger to individual Israelis? Yes. It is a threat to Israel? It is a bigger threat to FATAH than it is to Israel.
As far as Ahmadinejad, while he was crowing about whether the Holocaust happened or not, the most popular television program in Iran was a mini-series about an Iranian who was saving Jews in Vichy France (based I believe on a true story). The man is a clown and has no real power.
You have got to get over the persecution complex. As long as the Israelis and the Palestinians only see themselves as victims and not recognize the injustices each has suffered, there can never be peace in Palestine.
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