'Now the time has come to fight'

It continues to amaze me, even though it's been going on since history has been recorded, how the facts can be interpreted in so many ways. The inevitable outcome, as always: more death and war. Ahhh, the mighty human race.

     Well we could start with Jordan and Syria and have them return Palestinian land they now occupy and crate a State for them. What has Hamas and Hezbulla or any other radical terrorist group done for the citizens they control to make life better for them. Moving to Peace with your neighbors does not start by firing rockets into civilian populated areas. Wher were the crys for them to stop that. Sooner or later you strike back and the only people who are to blame for the attacks against Hamas is Hamas.

Israel certainly has a right to defend herself.  Three years ago Israel gave up Gush Katif in exchange for peace.  This meant leaving their homes, synagogues, and businesses in the hopes that they could live free from constant bombings.  It was only days before the Palestinians began bombing again and has continued.  Last week I heard an Israeli official almost begging them to stop or they would retaliate.  Well, the bombings didn't stop and Israel made good her word to retaliate.  Why, then is the liberal media siding with Palestinians???  No one has it so good as to live under Israeli rule, and all they want is to life in peace and contribute to making this a better world to live in.  Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.  Ps. 122:6. 

True American, thats another type of propaganda the world doesnt need, the Jordanians who live in Gaza and in the West bank, tried to take away Israel in 1948, why dont you get your facts straight.

True american;  You need to review your history , from the fact that the formation of Israael was opposed by the arab states and that THEY attacked Israel initially. The fact that Siria and Jordan have both taken land from the Palestininan and have made no effort to return it but place the palestenian in regugee camps. Israel is not totally right either but even when peace has been offered the palestenian groups like Hamas have chosen violence. No side holds the whole truth, but your blind hatred of Israel and the United States only points at your ignorance. Please go back and read. You will  be surprised and by the way there were Jews in Palestine prior to the creation of Israel.

Jay Leno   All Israel has done is protect herself.  Hitler hated anybody that wasn't a pure blooded Aryan.  He used the Muslims to kill the Jews.  He planed to kill all the Polish people so that he could use Poland and the land to kill the Jews. 

How in the would you could say Hitler was an Angel is beyond me.  I quess you just don't know your history.   Palestine was the name given to Israel by the Roman Empire. And, it was meant as an insult.  The Jews started coming back to Israel in the droves to get away from Hitler & Stalin.  

Bob  Every American president, including Bush, has done something stupid.  This "Land for Peace", is absurd.  Israel just has a speck of land. 

Why don't the Palestinians move someplace else?  NOBODY wanted them.  If you remember how Arafat messed up Lebanon.  What a beautiful place & he turned in into chaos.  Nobody wanted them.

About Obama.  I'm just not sure either.  The Jews aren't sure.  They were thinking about taking out Iran while they could too.  Iran now has long range missiles that could take them out. 

This skirmish goes all the way back to Issac & Ismahel.  Thanks Abraham!!! 

Israel learned nothing from the 1940's.  They deplored the Warsaw ghetto, yet they have created one themselves.  They use the same tactics they say were so terrible used against them. 

The Palestinians did not give Israel its land.  Countries that did not own the land gave it away - Britain and the United States.  Israelis have been colonizing increasing amounts of land in the West Bank, starving the folks in Gaza, and buit a wall that exceeded the boudaries of their actual country. 

The United States has supported the criminal acts of Israel - arming them to the teeth, and excusing all their murderous acts.  If we condemn violence from the Palestinians, why do we not condemn it from the Israelis? 

We have no moral ground to stand on on this topic.  We support Israel no matter what they do - even when they are dead wrong. 

Oh - don't call those who disagree with you "anti-Semitic".  The Palestinians are Semites too.  I disagree with my government when it is wrong, and am free to do so when Israel is wrong too.  I'm tired of everyone having to support them just because they were wronged 70 years ago.  So were the Poles.  The Russians.  The Belgians.  The Greeks.  The Armenians.  The Czecks.  etc.  etc........  We cannot live in the present with a paranoid nuclear government in the Middle East.

It's interesting that so many that favor one side or the other have their own version of "History" to support their claims. It's obvious that the land was taken from the Palestinians and no compensation was ever paid. Either Israel makes reasonable accommodation with the Palestinians or there will never be peace. Their current attitude will just perpetuate the terror on both sides. I hope Obama has a more balanced approach.

Dee too  I'm trying to understand from you post what the Poles did?  What the Armenians did?  The Greeks did?

DaughterRevWar "True American   You need to study Islam, & google how the Muslim's killed all the Armenian Christians that held Turkey in 1915-1918"

True the Muslims did kill the Turkish Christians during that time, however, you forgot to mention that the Jews were there ready and willing to buy the things of the condemned people at below basement prices. So they Jews profited on people's death as well. All people have done evil and continue to do evil towards their fellow man. Jews are no different.

At this point, in my opinion, the question whether palestinians have a right to live is questionable.

I think their lack of common sense is to the point of out of control.

Worse things have happened to other people in the world. Allah would be ashamed of them. This little strip of land is worth the lives of your women and children? That is ignorance, stupidity and selfishness. If Allah told me that this strip of land was worth more than my family and children, you know what, I would say to hell with Allah. Let's see - you don't re-sign a ceasefire and than start launching mortars into another country. What do you think is going to happen?

At this point, I don't know why people are arguing over god, indians, honor and all that stuff. Their own lack of common sense is getting themselves killed.

Dulcita   I did not know that.  But, I think that is one of the Jewish people down points.  They love to buy cheap & make a profit.  God has warned them about the Love of money.  Jesus warned them about standing out in public & praying just to make them selves look holy.  Jesus, warned them about throwing the money into the coffers.  The coins would make a loud clanging sound.  So, everyone would think how pious they were.

Thanks for the history    

Jew Boy-345660

"It seems all the Nazi anti-semites on this site are either ignorant of the facts of the Middle East".

I guess you consider anyone that has a different viewpoint a "Nazi anti-semite", but you might be interested in knowing that the Palestinians are Semites as well. Labeling people who disagree with you as Nazis is hardly conducive to intelligent discussion. Your version of "history" may seem right to you, but that doesn't make it right with everyone.

so ur saying that hamas is right? and this is the solution to this problem? wipe israel off the map? since israel isnt cooperating..the only way now is to attack civilians with suicide bombs and rockets into the area? hamas knows that israel would retaliate. they were counting on it. they want as much ppl dead as possible, to fuel their own agenda. hate for jews. its obvious. if someone hated u, and there was no way to get them to stop it, wouldnt u fight back if they started attacking? its a tragic situation, and there is no human fix for this. Israel will always be a target, till the end of this age.

Yes, the Palenstians have the right. They don't seem to have common sense. They simply choose not to build a foundation in Gaza. They continue the indiscriminate shelling of Israel. I'm am not pro-Israeli, however, Israel warned Hamas dozens of time to knock it off. Hamas simply refuses to build the foundation for a Palenstinian state. Instead their choice to try to inflict public opinion damage to Israel by showing the grotesque results against their own people. Doesn't common sense dictate ..if you're a little dog don't pick a fight with a big dog. What is strategic with the Hamas plan ?

Yes, it is a tragedy, again. Yes, it was a retalitory strike, again. Yes, Israel is the aggressor, again.

Want it to stop ? get a real Palenstinian governement who has the best interest of the people , not the terrorist group who uses blood of their people for publicity

I found this on-line..

 Because of the Holocaust, "anti-Semitism" is such a powerful instrument of emotional blackmail that it effectively pre-empts rational discussion of Israel and its conduct. It is for this reason that many good people can witness daily evidence of Israeli inhumanity toward the "Palestinians' collective punishment," destruction of olive groves, routine harassment, judicial prejudice, denial of medical services, assassinations, torture, apartheid-based segregation, etc. -- yet not denounce it for fear of being branded "anti-Semitic." To be free to acknowledge Zionism's racist nature, therefore, one must debunk the calumny of "anti-Semitism." 

Palestinians are using the same old story of them being attacked when it was the Palestinians who starting attacking the Isrealis...

...The Isrealis should finally come to terms with the fact that Arabs are behind the attacks and just @!$%#ing wail on them -- for a L-O-N-G time this time...to make a point. Enough bool@!$%#, let the Palestinians fry.

Joseph

Israel is a recognized country, Palestine is not.  In the worlds eyes Israel formed a legal country.  America took the Southwest should it be given up?  The greeks took from the Romans uadda yadda yadda.

The Palenstinians do not want to get bombed I would start by not sending rockets into Israel.

All I know is if you throw rocks into my yard I am gonna retaliate with more.

TrueAmerican? I think I will agree with you (since I am 1/4 Cherokee)! I would like for you to give me 1/4 of all your belongings! After you give me your possessions; please give the rest to other Native Americans and leave this country and never come back! I heard France is looking for a few more loser's! I here the Dixie Chicks need a little cash; so please move in with them! You are a POS!

After 9/11 who was celebrateing the attack on the US? Palenstinians thats who and me I wont forget that ever.

But if you need to assign blame..then blame Abraham!

You cannot blame Israel for this, if the Naitive American terriotories in america would start to launch rockets and suicide attacks into america, be completly resistant to negotiations until american was theirs, would america act in the same way? If france launched rockets attacks into England(or the other way around) without any sort of will to negotiate or give up till the other is dead, would  england act differently? I don't think so. these are the things that Israel faces today. (sorry about my spelling)

   I for one agree the Palestinians have the right to live but only if they want to live in peace with their neighbors.

I have a great idea for those that do not know and want things both ways.

Those that believe in Islam, lets abide by Sharia Law or you are a HERETIC.

from another article and what I observed:

"tarred their faces with oil and threw them in jail"

"The people of the villages are not going to the government courts. The Taliban are warning them that no one can go there."

"A 10 percent "tax" — a forced payment at gunpoint, on rich families, or donations by poorer families of food and shelter for fighters."

"A military draft that forces fighting-age males to join the Taliban for months-long rotations".

"A parallel judicial system run by religious scholars who impose such punishments as tarring, public humiliation and the chopping off hands".

"The closing of schools or the forcing of schools to replace science with more religious study."

"Manned Taliban or militant checkpoints to demand highway taxes and search vehicles for government employees or foreigners."

"They ordered barbers with TV sets to throw them away and kicked the satellite dishes on some houses to the ground."

IMELDOCTOR, TrueAmerican, hungrrrry, Bob M-330186, Traylor-291146, VENDETTA-568589, Jay Leno, DeeToo, and all those that believe that Hamas is right; OK, no computer is allowed by Sharia Law. 

And those that are female do not get caught without your black burqa, burkha, burka or burqua, oh my you said something that contridicted a man - public stoning, whipping or beating, or you will have Sharia Law passed on you by Islamic Court (publicly stoned to death).

Talk to an American, have a red hot iron put on your tongue.  Or tongue cut off.

I'll bet that the Red Cross workers that are taken out and murdered as "American Spies" here at Afghanistan are really happy, just because the emergency medical supplies were marked with a Red Cross and not a Red Crescent.

Before you say that is Afghanistan not Palestine, they believe in the same things.  And yes, we have caught Taliban from all Islamic Nations.

You don't believe it then come over here to Afghanistan.  You can volunteer in the US Military or Red Cross.  Bring some flea collars with you, I ran out.

Hamas is just another name for the murdering Taliban that we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Except that Israel doesn't give a rats azz about world opinion when it is defending itself. As the United States should. War is not pretty nor clean. People die. Even the innocent ones. If Hamas and the Taliban are worried about civilian causulties, then stop hiding among them, cowards!

God put them all on earth and gave them free will. I say it is time to stand back and let this divided ethnic group slaughter each other.

America get out of other peoples affairs. Get out of the Middle east. Come home and sharpen your swords, we will need them for a real enemy in the not so distant future.

But No America squanders it's might to satisfy what, Fear are we afraid of the boogie man. Since time began men have killed in the name of God. Get out of these mad mens way and be done with it.

Peter B., there were no palestinians in GAZA either, they were back in JORDAN, neither Israel nor the so called Palestinians have no claim to GAZA, so your facts are not true.

TrueAmerican said:

"Don't the Palestinians have a right to live as well?  There is an Israel but there is no Palestine -- it was taken away in 1948 and there have been bad decisions made on both sides since then -- with some supporting the Israeli people and others supporting the Palestinians.  All are children of God == all have a right to live == but blind hatred from the leaders on both sides have prevented that and it's is the people, always the people, who suffer.   If an outside country came to the U.S. and said half the country has to go back to the native American Indians, forcing half of today's Americans to move east and live as refugees - do you think we'd accept it with open arms or would we fight to get our land back too.  Giving the current crime rate in this country, and our own love for violence, bigotry and hatred, and the fact that we forcefully took the land from the Indians in the first place, you know we'd be aggressively fighting for our land back too.  So how can we tell the Palestinians to behave peacefully, we didn't get this land peacefully either and don't live peacefully with each other and we're all so-called Americans"

I say:

The Israelis have a right to live in peace also. Anybody shooting rockets at you while you are trying to be friendly with them? I don't think so...

Bad government leads to bad decisions and a bad life for it's citizens. We are about to find this out for ourselves.

These peace comments of understanding and lets live together in harmony are crap.  At some point in time the Palastinians are going to accept that they have Jews in the neiborhood or die.  I have no love of religious fanatics on any branch and especially "Chosen People" but if they move the Palastinians to Saudi Arabia and buldozed Gaza flat, I would not blame them.  This constant hate on the boarder needs to go away.  History shows that you can not deal with fanatics and only when the survivors of war want to live in peace and reject the fanitics can there be peace.  I say total war until the rockets stop.

so they should have the right to live while at the same time they take the lives of others? how about this....quit trying to kill other people and they might quit retaliating. you can not claim that you are being persecuted when your shooting rockets at people particularly when you shoot first.

    Simple fact of the matter is that the Jews at one time were slaves to the Egyptians and thus they will never be seen as equals by the Arabs. Their religion and the religions of the west are hated by the followers of the Quran. We are all the infidels and you better take that to the bank. As long as the Muslims see us as such we will be at war with them. Sensible heads have been silenced by the radicals in that religion. Uprising against the radicals has been stopped by fear. If you do not support them you are just as much at risk for your life as an Israeli. Israel has been attacked by Jordan Syria and Egypt. They have endured bombers in their midst who have killed countless civilian targets. As soon as Israel responds they start whimpering and crying like babies about how unfair it is for Israel to do this to them. They try to be the offended while being the actual aggressor. The land was split and the Jews have the right to their own destiny. Arafat said so and so have Jordan Egypt and Syria. Whackos like Hamas and Hezbollah run and hide when it gets rough and leave their human shields, their own people, to suffer the consequences of their actions.

If you want to know who the land belongs to you need to go back a lot further than the 1948 - God gave this land to the Jews and it is theirs & the Israel people have been used & abused long enough and I don't believe in violence but enough is enough!  Israel has been attacked from all sides and other countries are supplying arms to these countries that keep attacking Israel - why doesn't the UN do something except talk about these countries that keep terrorists well armed.  The land belongs to Israel and they have a right to a peaceful life & I will not question God about who he gives land to because in time God will take care of any country or person that persecutes his people - it is time that the UN get off their buts and really do something to protect Israel & then maybe the rest of the world will stop attacking Israel - but all the UN does is talk! Like that works!  Actions speak louder than words - you may want to study your Bible if you want the real truth & yes I feel pity for anyone hurt on either side - but you are right about the leaders of the Palestinian people - let them lead their soldiers onto the battle field and they might change their minds about fighting as would all leaders in today's world!  But no the people who make the decisions are warm & comfortable & safe it will always be the innocents who get hurt because the leaders are cowards - all talk!

"We are about to find this out for ourselves."

We've already found that out these last eight years.  Where have you been?

As for Israel and Hamas:  Whoever thinks Hamas didn't bring this on themselves, has either not enough information on the subject, or a clear bias against Israel

Funny and convenient that you and everyone else forgets about the 100+ rockets a day launched by Hamas.  Funny how you and everyone else forgets about who is supplying those rockets...  Natural consequence of their own actions.

Lots of interesting thoughts.  Lots of Historical facts and lots of errors as well.  History is fantastic to study and learn from.  It also helps to predict the future.  In this case there are only two possible out comes, like it or not.  Sorry all you Israel and U.S. haters.  The radical Arabs, regardless of their faction, has no desire for pease.  Their intent is to continue to create havock for as long as it takes until they have integrated themselves into societies to the degree that they can control those societies.  It doesn't matter to them how long it takes.  100 years or a 1000.  As long as societies are tolerant and in some cases held hostage for fear of major  mass destruction attacks, the radicals will continue to integrate and grow in numbers.  Don't believe me, look at how many major population areas have growing Arab communities.  You think they are all nice people with no agenda?  What nice people with no agenda celebrate, as they do, when ever bad things happen to non Muslims?  Fact is, it doesn't matter what Israel does, the radicals will not stop.  The radicals see Israel as a way to justify any action they may take in the future.  Continue to harrass Israel and they will strike.  If they strike hard enough, the radicals will feel justified in any action they take, including mass destruction, to any country that has showed support.   This is war folks.  Again, don't believe me, ask them.  They will tell you.  They have been at war with non muslims for a long time, they just didn't really have the technollogy to be too dangerous.  They do now!  Fact is, so long as the radicals have the ability to advance their agenda (read the Kuran and you will know what it is) they will.  It wouldn't matter is we gift wrapped Israel and gave it to them.  They would celebrate the great victory and continue to advance their agenda.  Do we have an agenda?  Of course we do.  But it doesn't include stopping them from living and practicing Islam.  They do want you (if you are one) to stop living and practicing Christianity.

The 2 only outcomes-the radicals must be eliminated to the point that they can pose no threat, or you can start praying to Allah.

outright murder!!!! over KILL!!!! 17 Israelis have been killed (murdered) since the beginning of the year and 315 have been murdered in 3 days+ Shame on them. My reference is to the Government only.

I don't ever recall seeing Israel breaking a truce.  It's always been the Palestinians.  Choose the path you wish to walk, Palestine.  Israel SAID to them "Hey, don't mess with us, we don't mess with you", but for some stupid reason Hamas keeps poking a stick in their eye.  If you tease a pit bull enough, it's going to attack.  That's just common sense. 

Let's say if Israel was completely obliterated, the Palestinians would just fight somebody else.  It's their nature to fight. 

Get rid of Hamas internally, and problem(s) solved. You know where they are. Do it!

Why did the U.S. force elections in Palestine? By all accounts, the Bush administration pushed hard for the election day in Palestine. This election day brought Hamas to governmental power. The leaders of Hamas were not allowed to travel to the W. Bank. Not allowed to trade with the outside world. Not allowed to participate in UN activities. Now their headquarters are being bombed. Why did they have elections? Vote for Fatah, or be imprisoned and bombed into submission? Now that's what I call spreading democracy to the world.

Trueamerican's last posting was dead on right. The jewish folks just rolled into the Palastine, took their land, shoved them into camps, and yes, they want it back.period!Also exactly to the point, was that if the Native American Indians decided to take back ,say ,the Dakotas,the gringos wouldn't stand for it! But in my mind they have every right to do so, as do the palistinians.Lastly the unconditional backing of Isreal, by the US and allies, Is the thorn in the side of the world. I say split Isreal in half, fair's fair. 

Hamas is a barbaric terrorist organization, that taunts Israel into war. Israel has tried all it can do to live peacefully with them next door and Hamas and many Islamic extremists want Israel wiped off the face of the earth, nothing less. Israel is an established State and has been for many years now. The Palestinians need to get over it an except what they have and learn to live in peace with what they have left. If they will not stop, they should be bombed back to hell where they can live with people of similar interests.

So Snappa, I guess you have spent considerable time on the Indian reservations to observed firsthand their acceptance and prosperity.  How generous of you to speak for them based on your firsthand experience. 

Israel sponsors terrorism through their secret service and is a terrorist nation. US should end all diplomatic and support for this country of evil.

The only good that can come out of this is if the Israelis immediately negotiate with Abbas about closing more W. Bank settlements. It will send the message that Israel has no interest in killing Palestinians, but, rather, wants to dismantle Hamas.

Of course, I assume the Israeli government wants peace, which remains to be seen. The timing of this action suggests that Barack Obama is not going to give Israel a free-ride when it comes to aggression toward the Palestinian people. I think we can all be thankful for that.

First of all... grow up people... there has never been a "palestinian" people.. this was a term devised by Egypt, Syria et al to continue to try to force the Jewish people out of Israel which was a territory given (it also was their historic homeland) to the Jewish people who survived WWII. It was given by UN Mandate for the "holdings" of Britain ... the Arabs (muslims) hated this and immediately started a war to exterminate the Jews and to disband Israel.. they lost .. and then decided the way to keep this war alive was to NOT take in the Arab refugees who wanted to leave this Jewish state...

You can postulate all you want (and many do as I see in the following rants and raves) ... but those are the facts...  and this "war" has been going on since 1948 .. with periods of "peace" which is the same as a period that the Arabs said we will work on peace - as they re-armed to strike again.

I wonder how you would feel if true terrorists.. those who strap on bombs and go to public places hit our children, markets and restaurants - in the name of "jihad" .. we sure did not like it when the same mentality hijacked a bunch of planes and hit NY .. did we now?

Grow up people... you can't have it both ways ... peace is easy in the middle east.. just about as easy as the Sunni and Shia in Iraq achieved ... get it now?

Yes, idealistically, you make a great argument.

"An idealist is someone who makes others prosper." Henry Ford I.

Suggestion: Find some sort of solution that will make me prosper.

yeah people!! way to go!! keep googling and taking that crap for sure.. because we are not smart enough to think for our own..

i think it is pretty obvious what is going down.. people are being killed just for wanting to get a life like everyone else does!! how selfish of them!!

There have been arguments which include Israel's rights to their property 1948 and hitherto.

Let's extend this to the fact that Israel hoarded God "back in the day." Had this not taken place, PERHAPS the Muslim would not be a Muslim today but would be a Jew.

So, I can only concluded that there was not enough room as it was INSIDE, thus the promotion of the OUTSIDE.

 Don't the Palestinians have a right to live as well?

Sure, until they forfeit that right by ramdomly killing and maiming innocent people.  The terrorist Palestinians forfeited the right when they launched lethal force against Israel.  Bye-Bye Hamas thugs.  It is going to be a beautiful New Year despite Obama.  The fireworks have already started.

By the way, expect Obama to take the Hamas side.  He made the dumb statement about extending the nuclear umbrella over Israel, but he'll let it rain conventional warfare on Israel to the end.

The way I see it, if the Hamas group didn't want any retaliation, then perhaps they shouldn't have started this in the first place.  Israel has the right to defend itself.  It's time that Hamas and the other groups determined to bomb Israel remember that.  Duh.

Of those of you backing this latest Israeli attack, I search and search for even one that is not downright bigotted toward Arabs and Muslims as a whole. You refer to the "pedophile camel merchant," "muslim jihadists," etc. Yet, you fail to recognize that there are over 1 billion Muslims that live in peace with their neighbors.

This fight has nothing to do with Islam or Judaism. This has to do with an occupying power exerting its will on its subject, fully taxed and unrepresented in government. The U.S. had a solution for such a system. It was called revolution.

I cannot help but notice how many comments that are defending Israel are winding up "collasped by the community".  I guess some folks simply cannot accept an opposing opinion!  Most of these same comments were not offensive in any way!

HEEEYYYY YOU, DO SOME HISTORICAL READING.  Palestinians stem from JORDAN.  THEY have a homeland they left long ago due to internal strife.  Israel is positioned exactly where Israel was originally positioned prior to the jews being attacked, enslaved, and scattered about the world.  I don't care about the religious aspects of the fighting.  I'm just ready to quit having to hear of it.  Much like a Presidential race, I'll take the  lesser of two evils, an Israel that is settling land because a goofy book says it's theirs or a bunch of backwards and unevolving freaks who would disregard the rights of us all based on their religion (look at what they're doing in India and other places and what they do to their women and daughters).  So, I'm just going to root for Israel and hope that Egypt or someone gets into the fight and causes Israel to use some tactical nukes on Egypt, Iran, and Syria.  Israel's military and air superiority should not be underestimated.  There is a reason the "6 day war" with Egypt only lasted 6 days.  That region is a cancer.  So some cells need to die off as to reduce the risk to the rest of the body.  Israel will be the chemo and maybe even the radiation treatment. 

Oh, and it's a real shocker Palestinians left their homeland due to INTERNAL fighting.  Such a normally stable and progressive people, LOL. 

KW (2.84) -- a future oven stoker and skinner for lampshades.

I can't believe we Americans trust Bush or Olmert the  CONVICTED criminals as to the actions of people to genocide...I can't believe Israel is the good guys as they sell weapons to China against the arms Bann with our blessings. I eagerly await the smallpox laden blankets to get the next generation out of the way...Israel is nothing more than a mini-USA "Do as we SAY,NOT as we do" or we will shove a nuke up your backside...or send 15 Helios 60 SIDEWINDERS for one rocket, to take out one entire neighborhood and call it FAIR.....Arm the Hammas with the as we have Israel and let them sort it out.. American blood is not nessary for anyone in that region,peroid!!!

Nobody, you must have trained under Madeline Albright, who thought it unfair America was the only remaining superpower.  She was (and is) an idiot.  I suspect she'll have a pominent role in the Obama administration.

I know, if Israel would just unilaterally disarm, perhaps even give those weapons to Hamas, the Palestinians would see how good and friendly the Israelis are, and then gas them and throw them in ovens.

Nobody?  I think Nohead.

If the Palanstiians had not spent the year attacking Israel I doubt that Israel would have retaliated.

Did anyone think that Israel would let attacks against them to go on indefinitely without striking back?

Israel did what Irael had to do. 

If Israel would unilaterally disarm, or if the U.S. would quit supplying replacement parts for their F-16s, missiles, etc., this would indeed stop. Of course there is another way that, frankly, I'm surprised our military industrial complex hasn't figured out. Why are the Palestinians using homemade weapons against the Israelis when they receive considerable funding from Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia? Couldn't U.S. military companies supply those weapons? Just think what Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon, and the rest could make in cash! There's money to be made off this conflict, people!

Another tactic that may work is supply Hamas with a nuke. Mutually assured destruction worked to keep the cold-war cold, and may be the only reason the Pakistanis and Indians are talking to each other at all. Since the Israelis already have U.S. supplied nukes, why don't we also supply Hamas with them?

Even if one side decides to use them, you have to think the other side would as well. Their countries disappear, America no longer has to support an oppressive nation with no rationale whatsoever. Several problems solved at once!

I'm surprised the Repubs didn't think to arm the Palestinians already. Making money on a war is kind of what they do best.

 Unfortunatley goverments and prime ministers are sitting on a too high of a seat to feel or experience what both sides are going through. also one side is recieving much more help then the other side. That is a fact so where is the fearnes in that

schwanhamas, we like killing terrorists even more than making money.  Goodbye Hamas.  You might want to keep a look over your own shoulder.

Democrats do best taking the side of the terrorists, as you have done.

What is a terrorist? Is being Muslim sufficient? Arab? Do you have to kill civilians?

Ok so we took the land from the Indians have YOU been to a reservation ? it's like a thrid world country
after all the paybacks ( healthcare schools water benifets etc ) But I don't see any one exit'g the country
and the bleeding hearts are not giving up their homes 'jobs 'etc to the poor Indians how about YOU
give up your house'apt job to help than return to Your homeland same with the African-Americans
the Staute of Liberty works both ways welcomes you into this country and says Good bye as you leave

We could say Hamas constitutes a terrorist organization, but I believe Hamas was elected into government of the occupied territories through free and fair elections that the Bush administration pushed for. So when Bush says he wants to spread democracy to the Muslim world, does he just mean American sanctioned parties will be accepted and the rest will be bombed by our surrogates? That sounds an awful lot like Iranian elections.

Egyptian elections and Pakistani elections.

Israel took land nobody cared about since it was mostly desolate.  They turned it into a garden of eden.  Palestinians could do the same if their government wanted to do it.

The Palastenians have received tons of aid, where do you suppose it has gone?

Iran is supporting hamas with funds, weapons and ammunition in order to get the arab states to come together to go to war with Israel.

As I see it land has been confiscated for centuries due to war and spoils goes to the victors.

Israel wants peace and wouldn't have retaliated unless provoked.  All Hamas has to do is stop trying to creat chaos and attempt to build their state like most counties have over these many centuries.  However, they don't want to do that and they don't have anything else to do but create war and that's what Iran wants them to do.

Look at what Japan and Germany have done and accomplished, you don't think Palenstine couldn't do the same thing?

Denissr

"Israel has a historic right to its homeland, it could claim much more land and may have to for its own security.... The first organized society on that land was the Jews"

Oh really. And who was it that the Jews drove out of their so-called "Promised Land"?

Seems to me that those who preceded the Jews have a longer historical claim to that land.

Actually it Palestine was raped 86 years ago. And it is still ongoing. So, when Israel plays innocent and that they just woke up to it, do not believe their lies.

But what do the Israelis want? The life they've lived since the second intifada started has been filled with violence, checkpoints, and fear. This is the Israelis! At some point the tactics that spurred the second intifada need to be stopped. Gazans need to be freed to trade, to travel, to live outside of the eye of oppression.

If the Palestinians knew what was in store for them when they elected Hamas to leadership, they certainly would have voted Fatah into government. Why didn't the U.S. and the Israelis just tell them? Why did we allow them to vote for a government that we knew would lead to more suffering? I wonder sometimes if the Israelis and the U.S. need Hamas as justification for the occupation. If the Palestinians acted more like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Tibetans, the apartheid perpetrated upon them would NEVER be accepted by the American public OR THE ISRAELI PUBLIC as it already is not accepted by the rest of the world.

I'm shocked by so many angry comments towards Israel, you hypocrite, ignorant fools! You have never lived the Israeli reality, you have never been bombed every single day 60-70 times(oops, sorry, it was 250 rockets in one day!), you have never experienced an inch of suffering, and you dare say "poor Palestinians?" Well, some of them are, some of them aren't. And some of you should go back to history lessons that you missed in high school. Once, they were offered more than half a territory of the modern Israel, but they refused to live side by side with Jews. But that's besides the point. The current attack is Hamas's fault, since they have no desire to make peace. They want blood. Until Palestinian people tolerate terrorists, they will suffer the consequences. I refuse to teach my kids hide under the table or in a bomb shelter just because some of you (definitely lack common sense) think that defense is inhumane. The leaders of your countries would defend you, and do defend you. You're just too ungrateful to acknowledge this bitter fact. I hope neither you, nor your children spend holidays in shelters, spiced by a fair share of sirens and rockets exploading near by. I sincerely hope you become better people, kinder people and don't repeat angry, poisonous words that you hear from racists, bigots and antisemites.

And sorry to disappoint those who think that their American blood is spilt in Israel - oh my God, you are really idiots. So far, our Israeli, Jewish soldiers, have been fighting our battles. Get your facts straight! You and your noble causes - should I start the list: Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and the list can go on forever. Look at yourself- the righteous ones. At least respect your own soldiers who are fighting far away from home with so many "nice" American people to defend, who have never smelled a battle field in their entire pathetic life. I have an idea - move to Palestine and support Hamas with "your" American money. Better yet, join the shahids, maybe you'll get 72 virgins in heaven, depends on how many Jews or Americans (us infidels) you manage to take with you.  9/11 haven't taught some of you anything - you've been through hell and back, and still have no idea that Islam can be dangerous and manipulative and disastrous.

May you all have Happy Holidays and Happy (Quiet) New Year. God bless you! And give some of you some wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong, justice and injustice.

Marianna,

After this little assault on Hamas (300+ dead in 3 days), how long until their attacks over the wall continue? Do you really think this is going to stop anything?

Israel desperately needs to be taught a lesson in "humanity", "conscience" and "peaceful coexistence".

Providing unconditional support by us in the USA has not taught her anything but to hate, torture, subjugate and sadly do what has been done to her own people by the likes of Hitler. Okay there are no gas chambers set up by Israel yet but the atrocities are just as abhorrent. Targeted assassinations, wanton killing of innocents, stealing of others property and subjecting a people to outrageous horrors remind us of Hitler doing to this very same people who are so callously demonizing and mistreating another.

We need to demand of our elected officials to "IMMEDIATELY CEASE ANY AND ALL AID TO ISRAEL" until she gives up stolen lands to her victims and goes back to pre-1967 borders and agrees to all UN resolutions levied against her.

Well, out of 300+ dead 80% are Hamas members, who kindly place their launching systems right in the middle of the residential areas. Why doesn't anyone mention that? They continiously use their children and civilians as human shields and they have been using Israel's unwillingness to hurt children and innocent. Why doesn't anyone ask Hamas where is the money given to the Palestinian people by Arab countries? They haven't seen a dollar - because the money has gone to perchasing more Grads, made in Russia, whose former PM has a nerve to criticise Israel after what his government did in Georgia! Common! My heart is with Palestinians who suffer because of their terrorist government, but my heart is even more bleeding for my people, and our children.

We are not thirsty for Muslim blood, we just want to be left alone. Live and let live! I truly hope that one day there'll be two states: the State of Israel and the State of Palestine and let them figure it out, and let their Muslim fellows support them. But you know what, the Egyptians shot their Muslims brothers yesterday why the latter were trying to storm the Egyptian border. Syria has no interest in Gaza, Lebanese, with all their smart talk, never wanted them - in 1948 they sent ships back to Gaza, King Hussein shot them because they caused riots in Jordan and so on. Kadaffi said that Hamas doesn't want peace. Their own Muslim countries denounce them. Common, you must be reasonable.

We do have the right to defend ourselves.

I believe that until Hamas holds Gaza as hostages, the situation won't change. I hope and I pray that they get so sick of Hamas that they will turn their hiding places to Israeli intelligence.

Anyway, I'm not here to preach you to love the State of Israel. But if I can make you see us differently, as people who don't want war (there is no school tomorrow, the shopping malls are closed, streets are empty - ghost cities - the south is silent and scary and sirens are heard all day long, accompanied by explosions). And one more thing - the difference between us and them is that we don't intend to hurt the civilians, not on purpose. Their rockets are directed at schools and kindergartens - soft spots, don't you think.

What Palastinians?

As best I know, a Palestinians would be someone who lives in Palestine. The area once called Palestine no longer exists, so those who once lived there, or maybe their descendants, then could be called Palestinian. Well who lived in Palestine? For one, Jews lived in "palestine", and have for thousands of years. The same Jewish people who formed a nation in the 1940's, on their traditional homeland. Who else lived in e? These I'm sure are the ones that everyone likes calling "palestinians", namely arabs, who originated from the surrounding "arab" nations.

I understand that the times we are living in, are fulfilling Bible prophecy. We live in a time where the nation of Israel came together again, to occupy it's traditional homeland, as prophesied by the Bible. The Bible also tells of a time when all nations will be against Israel. Up until now, basically all nations have been against Israel, and Jews for that matter, except the United States. The Bible tells us to pray for Israel, for this is the nation, and the people, where the world's only saviour, Jesus Christ, has his lineage.

I commend Israel for finally defending itself against islamic terrorists. When will people understand there are two giant enemies in this world. The first is liberalism, which is an ideology, and the second is islam, a so-called religion, which worships murder.  Of course, the real enemy is evil, which is Satan. He uses these two world enemies against all of us quite effectively.

We live in times when men call evil good, and good evil. That is biblical you know. When the United States withdraws its support of Israel, all nations will then be against that nation, and then whoa to the U.S., and it's people. After all, do you really think, the president elect, B. Hussain Obama, a former muslim (maybe), is going to do whats right by Israel and God? Who would have thought our once great nation would come to this, by the way, is it okay if we find out Obama was born in Kenya, and not a citizen, to still be president, even if the constitution says he's not qualified?

Bush and Olmert say they did not start the hostilities??? Do we trust either of these men with intell???

"If were possible to reason with Religious people there would be no Religious people" 

  There can be no winner in a war based on ideology.  War will only deepen the hate and may make it difficult to ever see the center or balance where each can accept the other as equals.  Unless some other Nation steps in Israel will eliminate the Palestinians in the area they now exist but they at the same time will only intensify the hate from others.

  What may be seen by some as the end may very well only be the beginning.  I hope we see this as none of our business.

I dont think theres an American Citizen that can justify using as an example how we committed TOTAL Genocide of the American Indian cultures from the east coast to the far west leaving only a few struggling prison camps they call reservations as basis for Americans being able to make a comment about who owns what after one group decides to wage war and take land.

For that matter, Humans have done that for 10,000 years that we know of, and it hasnt stopped yet.

The Israelis have every right to steal land in an invasion regardless of both them and the palestinians declaring their origins there as "we were here first".

They also have every right to take land when they were attacked by the arab states in the 67 war.

They also have the right to wage war when the opposing states continue to harbor the terrorist groups that keep peace from ever becoming real.

Israel is never at fault for responding to attacks of their people.  Period.  And its ALWAYS hamas or some other local terror group.

If it was ever true that IDF was out to target civilians, then they sure do a poor job of killing because its easy as can be to just launch a massive rolling wave of attacks and level every building on every street and anhilate every moving body, but thats never happened, and it pry never will.

That said, i dont see why they cannot use satellite imagery or some other technology to find where exactly they are launching these missles.  I believe the US intelligence should have the ability to do so.  Otherwise, collateral damage is a tragedy and harms everyone from the victims to every party involved. 

It would be nice if the Terror groups would quit hiding behind women and children though and fight out in the open instead.  But no one ever accused the J-holes of having integrity and decency

I would agree it was the UN who created the Palistinian / Isreal problem, however it is Hamas that is unreasonable in finding a solution to the problem. Isreal has tried many different approaches to help the Palistinain's have there own country only to have more rockets send into their territory. Hamas purposely puts its own people in harms way in an attempt to make Isreal look bad. Hamas does not care about its people it only cares about itself and holding power. While both sides share some level of blame Hamas has continued to be unwilling to comprimise to attain a solution. It is clear they don't want a solution and as such there will not be one until Hamas is eliminated. Isreal should not accept any further cease fires that does not remove Hamas from power and put in its place reasonable leaders who can work with Isreal. Isreal has showen good faith many times, the last time being when they pulled out of the Gaza strip I have seen no good faith from the Palistinians.

Palestinians have a right to live with peace and harmony, not send suicide bombers or launch rockets at innocent civilians in Israel, Any time there is a reesponse from the Israel to these murdering terrorists, Palestinians walk the streets with coffins of their dead. Why? Do the victims of the Islamic Terrorism display their dead?

More than 300 People in Israel have been killed in last 6months by these terrorists including Women and Children Jews do not march the streets in front of International Media to display their dead to be used as a propoganada tool.

More than 2000 people have been in Killed in India by Islamic Terrorists mostly Hindoo in this year alone, do we see Hindoo in India marching with their dead?

Why do Muslims use their dead as a propoganda tool? Tey have no shame or respect for their dead, they do not want peace they want to incite more violence.

Israel and the U.S. media use the rocket attacks on Israel to justify Israel's killing by rocketing and bombing of (many more) people in Gaza but Israel has made regular deadly attacks for years in the West Bank too and there have been no missiles coming from the there.

Once again, I think the timing of the escalation of violence by the Israelis is important; I think it's likely Israel is trying to create a situation where Obama will find it impossible to put forth any "peace proposals", should he even be inclined to do so. The Isreali leadership are deathly afraid of anything remotely resembling a "just peace" because violence and aggression have been so successful for them, in taking more land from the Palestinians. 

I don't think Israel cares much about what the world thinks (but it does care what the U.S. thinks). It will take the U.S. telling them: start obeying international law or no more financial/military AID. 

Here is a record of U.N. resolutions Israel has ignored/violated from 1955-1992:

• 1955-1992:
• * Resolution 106: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for Gaza raid". [Yes, back then too]
• * Resolution 111: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people".
• * Resolution 127: " . . . 'recommends' Israel suspends it's 'no-man's zone' in Jerusalem".
• * Resolution 162: " . . . 'urges' Israel to comply with UN decisions".
• * Resolution 171: " . . . determines flagrant violations' by Israel in its attack on Syria".
• * Resolution 228: " . . . 'censures' Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control".
• * Resolution 237: " . . . 'urges' Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees".
• * Resolution 248: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan".
• * Resolution 250: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem".
• * Resolution 251: " . . . 'deeply deplores' Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250".
• * Resolution 252: " . . . 'declares invalid' Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital".
• * Resolution 256: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation".
• * Resolution 259: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation".
• * Resolution 262: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for attack on Beirut airport".
• * Resolution 265: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan".
• * Resolution 267: " . . . 'censures' Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem".
• *Resolution 270: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon".
• * Resolution 271: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem".
• * Resolution 279: " . . . 'demands' withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon".
• * Resolution 280: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli's attacks against Lebanon".
• * Resolution 285: " . . . 'demands' immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon".
• * Resolution 298: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's changing of the status of Jerusalem".
• * Resolution 313: " . . . 'demands' that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon".
• * Resolution 316: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon".
• * Resolution 317: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon".
• * Resolution 332: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon".
• * Resolution 337: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty".
• * Resolution 347: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli attacks on Lebanon".
• * Resolution 425: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon".
• * Resolution 427: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon.
• * Resolution 444: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces".
• * Resolution 446: " . . . 'determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious
• obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention".
• * Resolution 450: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon".
• * Resolution 452: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories".
• * Resolution 465: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member
• states not to assist Israel's settlements program".
• * Resolution 467: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's military intervention in Lebanon".
• * Resolution 468: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of
• two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return".
• * Resolution 469: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's failure to observe the
• council's order not to deport Palestinians".
• * Resolution 471: " . . . 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide
• by the Fourth Geneva Convention".
• * Resolution 476: " . . . 'reiterates' that Israel's claim to Jerusalem are 'null and void'".
• * Resolution 478: " . . . 'censures (Israel) in the strongest terms' for its
• claim to Jerusalem in its 'Basic Law'".
• * Resolution 484: " . . . 'declares it imperative' that Israel re-admit two deported
• Palestinian mayors".
• * Resolution 487: " . . . 'strongly condemns' Israel for its attack on Iraq's
• nuclear facility".
• * Resolution 497: " . . . 'decides' that Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan
• Heights is 'null and void' and demands that Israel rescinds its decision forthwith".
• * Resolution 498: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon".
• * Resolution 501: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops".
• * Resolution 509: " . . . 'demands' that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon".
• * Resolution 515: " . . . 'demands' that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and
• allow food supplies to be brought in".
• * Resolution 517: " . . . 'censures' Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions
• and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon".
• * Resolution 518: " . . . 'demands' that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon".
• * Resolution 520: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's attack into West Beirut".
• * Resolution 573: " . . . 'condemns' Israel 'vigorously' for bombing Tunisia
• in attack on PLO headquarters.
• * Resolution 587: " . . . 'takes note' of previous calls on Israel to withdraw
• its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw".
• * Resolution 592: " . . . 'strongly deplores' the killing of Palestinian students
• at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops".
• * Resolution 605: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's policies and practices
• denying the human rights of Palestinians.
• * Resolution 607: " . . . 'calls' on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly
• requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.
• * Resolution 608: " . . . 'deeply regrets' that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians".
• * Resolution 636: " . . . 'deeply regrets' Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians.
• * Resolution 641: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's continuing deportation of Palestinians.
• * Resolution 672: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for violence against Palestinians
• at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.
• * Resolution 673: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to cooperate with the United
• Nations.
• * Resolution 681: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's resumption of the deportation of
• Palestinians.
• * Resolution 694: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's deportation of Palestinians and
• calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return.
• * Resolution 726: " . . . 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of Palestinians.
• * Resolution 799: ". . . 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of 413 Palestinians
• and calls for their immediate return.

...and keep in mind that in 2003 the U.S. bombed and invaded Iraq, an arab country, for violating one or two U.N. resolutions. Not only does the U.S. say nothing about Israel's serial violations but we give them 4-5 billion dollars in aid a year. So, I ask, you, if violating U.N. resolutions and international law paid off like that for you, would you stop doing it? 

Hamas is a rabid dog.  Shoot it in the head.  

Hamas-Hezbollah.  Infectiously rabid, foaming at the mouth animals.  They are too sick to betrated or  quarrantined.  Must be put down.  

You talk about how you took the Native American's land but, they certainly have stopped fighting back.  The Palestinians have had adequate time to build their economy up. The fact is, they depend on Israel for all basic needs.  In 1948, people like Ben Gurion helped build the Negev Desert into a perfect place to live.  Cities like Be'er Sheva are a prime example of this.  The Palestinians waste all resources on weapons and anti-Israel propoganda.  It really wouldn't matter if Israel was fighting back against them, the rockets would be coming either way.  Just because the rest of the world is realizing it now makes me sick.  The huge protests worldwide just proves how many Terrorist supporters there are.  A large portion of the Islamic community have shown their true suicide bomber faces.

You need to study your history a bit better. Nothing was taken away in 1948... The plan was to split the British protectorate into two lands, one arab, one jewish... Jordan and Israel. The "palestinians"... who almost to a man had moved into the newly developed jewish settlements to find jobs... were not historic residents of the area, in fact most of them emigrated after the jews that supposedly usurped them.

I'm impressed that out of 364 casualties, only 60-some civilians are being reported by the UN. That's amazing, considering how Hamas loves to surround themselves with human camouflage. Of course, there's no outrage over the constant rockets, all aimed at civilians intentionally... instead we're told they're "defiant".

When one side takes official military photos in ski masks... is it that hard to figure this out?

I think that since I'm one of your so called Americans I have the right to say @!$%# YOU and remember, the British landed on OUR land, not the other way around @!$%#head.

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region that includes contemporary Israel and the Palestinian territories, parts of Jordan, and parts of Lebanon and Syria.

So what parts do you want to give back to them? Israel was Isreal well before the Romans divided it up and called Palestine.

You have to remember in this..there was a cease fire...peace for all could have been worked out but Hamas started using rockets again. How can peace come from that. ?Plus, I have not heard a lot coming from the other Arab countries calling on Hamas to work toward peace. Muslims in general seem to want all Jews gone...Peace in that land can be had but only if all the Arab countries are willing to want it also. So far they have not. They all seem to back one terriorist group or another .

The thing that bothers me about this is that the USA politicans condone it because of oil.

does this logic apply to the formation of pakistan? or is that not a fair comparsion since, after all, isreal is full of jewish people?

See. Regardless of why the Palestinians were, once again, motivated to outright attack Israel. Does anyone realize, that the Palastinians will never, NEVER stop attacking Israel, if they get the whole Gaza strip back, it wont stop, if they get to own half of Israel, it wont stop, if Israel remains as a country next to them, IT WONT STOP - they have a primary intention, that being to destroy the Israeli's, it will never matter what they dont have or do have. All this - oohh, we should give them another chance and all that, dude, they are a terrorist funding country, they hate us for the most part, I could go on.

 And, what if America actually sat where Israel is today, and they fired some rockets at us, at US... What would we do, would we just do a few air strikes like they did, try to target those launchers? If it was us, we would have layed the whole country out in a weeks worth of bombing, that is the truth. But instead of recognizing this, all the poloticians act like a bunch of hippocytes, and say that their reaction to the rocket attacks was too severe.. WOW - And again, if someone attacked us, with likely just one rocket, we would bomb their whole country back to the stone age. Heck, we just recently started a war against a country that didnt fire one rocket at us at all, and how many thousands of innocent civilians have died in the process of the war?

 Imo, this whole thing, is ridiculous, as usual, its just everyone trying to keep everything quiet in the world, and even if it means pointing a finger at the good guys. But of course all of that changes when its us getting attacked...

Some of the people here sound just like Newsman Joe and that is lack of knowledge or should I say they get their knowledge from the newspapers and that's a huge mistake.  The news is always bias in their reporting to trigger emotions instead of facts.  We don't know what the hell this is really all about and we know it.  All we're doing is making artificial intelligent information to one another based on biased feelings caused by dumb azz reportings.

freedom,

You can call it Jordan, or Papua New Guinea, but who lived on the land ? 

And actually Gaza was under Egyptian control before 1967.

Bill Carson

If Hamas was a member of the UN, I'm sure that list you made would be just as long, if not longer. 

Sorry, you didn't get the point.  But it was very funny, anyways.

The Palestinians brought this on themselves by allowing terrorists to take control of their land and continue to fire rockets into southern Israel. THEY are the aggressors. I have no pity for terrorists and no pity for those who take life at random. Hamas took power through violence and are nothing but terrorists. This has been shown to be true once again as instead of working for peace for their people they are obsessed only with violence and death. Israel is not completely without fault, but this campaign was brought on by the Palestinians, no one else. Would America allow Mexico to fire rockets into our border towns? No, People would be outraged and demand action just like 9/11.

Too bad the Palestinians are not smart enough to know they should have protesteded against Hamas & thrown stones at them while they were aiming their rockets at Israel.  If they had maybe this would not be happening now.  Israel asked them over & over again to cease.  They didn't & now Hamas & the Palestinian people have to pay for it.  They should have known it was coming.  Israel has every right to do what they are doing.   And just think if all of the American aid money given to the Palestinians over the years hadn't went into Yassar Arafat's pockets, Palestine could have had an Army comparable to Israel.  Israel's military is only second to the United States.

If the Palestinians want peace then Hamas has to go.  How can they have peace and allow Hamas to continue to fire rockets into Israel? peace can only be had when both sides are willing to do so.  I agree that the Palestinians need their own land...but to get that they have to stop Hamas from ending the chance for peace.

Unfortunately, the Palestinian people ELECTED Hamas (overwhelmingly at that) and that is the voice of their people. It really is such a shame for the Palestinians that didn't buy into all of that hate. 

I am apalled by Israeli action in Gaza. The vast majority of casualties are innocent civililans, who are already living in terrible conditions, due to the economic blockade. Israel purports to be giving Gazans independence, which they declared three years ago. How ridculous, when they still  have total control of Gaza from the land,air and sea. They have wiped out businesses as well as many educational and cultural facililties. They also control food supplies, along with water and electricity.  How the oppressed became the oppressors. The USA will hopefully one day have the moral turpitude to withdraw its economic and military backing for Israel. I wonder then, how long the anti-Palestinian regime will last. Not very long is my guess. 

You are naive. You can give these people everything they ask for and they would still want conflict. That's all they are taught and know. Besides oil, what has this whole region contributed to civilization over the last 1000 years? They're still fighting the Crusades.

"They have wiped out businesses as well as many educational and cultural facililties."

The bottom line is that Hamas shouldn't be building their military bases near these civilian institutions. Most sensible world powers don't.  They are using the innocent Palestinian civilians as shields, just as the Iraqi and Taliban insurgent fighters hid in Mosques and schools during the Iraq/Afghan wars.  They know that their opposition is sensitive to human life and is held to a higher ethical standard in the world than they are and they exploit that to their advantage, even to the detriment of their own people.

How can you possibly reconcile Hamas firing rockets at Israel during a CEASE FIRE TRUCE? How can you act all surprised when the truce expires and the Israelis retaliate?

Hamas WANTS some of their civilians to die by Israeli hands.  Their intention is to make the blood on Israel's hands sour international support for Israel and it is working to some degree. We are talking about a culture that is closely affiliated with the people that invented suicide bombing (Hezbollah).  Obviously, preserving the lives of their people is trumped by their desire to inflict damage on their enemies and further their agenda.

Trueamerican, give me a break, Iaraelhasbeen persecuted,hated,attacked. Israel gave Palestine their land back,but when u give they usually are ungratefl and want more and more and more.Also, since they hate Israel, they don't care about allowing a group of lunatic terrorists run their country.

God Bless Israel and Palestine with PEACE and tolerance for each other.

Also, I am a 4th Generation Christian- American from New Jersey.

Where I live I "used" to be able to see the Twin Towers.

If Mexico was sending riockets into San Diego we would not have shown the restraint that Israel has shown.  I say go Israel, kick the bastards hard ion the teeth and maybe the geniuses leading Hammis will decide to quit listening to Iran and try living like a civilized group of humans.  But, until then kick the @!$%# out of them, the people there need to see their leaders as idiots and rebel against those who are causing the israelies to attack...

Why has not the God obama spoken on this? Why is the Press not hounding him daily for a response to this? 

  What, live to fight another day ? They need to be stopped for good, once and for all... They just recoup and go at it again... Look at History, they just keep sending more rockets into Israel... They are doing the Devils work... The Jews were there long before the Palestinian's... According to the old text's...

Hamas must die. Those foolish Pals voted that terrorist government in and now they must depose it.

The Palestinians have never had a country.  The land that was given to them, wrongfully, was land that belongs to Israel.  These are Arabs that are trying to steal land.  God gave Israel this land thousands of years ago.  It belongs to them and I pray that they will be sucessful in their attempts to defeat Hamas(which is a terrorist organization).  The Palestinians descend from the Philistines and have always been an enemy to the Jews.  The Jewish people have tried to live peacebly with these people for years and what has it gotten them, nothing but bombings and terrorist attacks.  God's blessing to Israel.

It seems to be interesting that the outrage over Hamas sending rockets into Israel and killing people or in their sending human bombs into Israel does not draw the same response from the media or you responders on here as it does if Israel defends itself. Everyone gets hyper if Israel does anything..but not if Hamas or one of the other terrorist outfits does the same or worse. 

Look- I don't know alot about that middle east situation but I see Hamas as the perpetrators and preventors of any peace possiblity at all. They're not fighting for land, they're fighting to kill Jews. Israel is fed up with their @!$%# and wants  them gone once and for all....I agree.

Shame on Israel - they want no peace. 

This is all about their election, our new administration, and their desire to take more away form the Palestinians.  They goad and goad the Pallestinians, then  receive a few terrorist explosions resulting in eight dead.  Then the Israelis respond by killing hundreds, injuring thousands, cutting off food and supplies for an entire region, bombing and destroying homes-schools-government buildings-roads-power-etc. 

In Britain and Spain there have been terrorist attacks - but they did not invade another country and bomb civilians as reprisals. 

Who is the terrorist now?

P.S.

You can vilify Hamas all you like.  They are there, democratically elected, and their power comes from Israel's constant attacks on its neighbors - like the attack on Lebanon dropping cluster bombs on civilians - many still lying around today.  It also comes from constant new settlements in the West Bank when that area was supposed to be the Palestinian homeland.  Hah!  It also comes from a huge fence built dividing Palestinian land and taking additional land for Israel.   

The Israeli state was founded by terrorist acts against the British.  This country too!How conveniently everyone forgets that this is usually how new countries are born!

Palestine as a state will eventually be established.  Israel can lengthen the process, or get on with it.     

Where the problem started -- this time -- was in 1948. The U.N. wanted the Jews to have a homeland after the atrocities of World War II, so they chose to put them in their Holy Land. Problem is, it's not just the Jewish holy land, but that of the Christians and Muslims as well. By far the main indigenous population at the time were Muslims. Most of the initial residents of 1948 Israel were from Europe, displaced by the war and with their former homes destroyed.

This is the point at which the error was made. Why move them to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holy lands? They had to know it would create strife, as it did almost immediately upon relocating Jews there. Why didn't they create a Jewish homeland in, say, Madagascar, or Crete, or Sardinia...someplace where they weren't destined to start fighting, exactly like what's going on now? In the Middle East, chances are that fighting of this nature will be going on long after we're gone, and all you need to do is look back sixty years to the fledgling U.N.'s decision to put the Jews into the caldron. 

There WAS no Palestine in 1948.  Those Arabs who occupied Isreal at that time were made citizens of Israel and they co-exist with the Israelites. 

Why is there no cry for humanity when Hamas is bombing Israel or when Arab sucide bombers are murdering Israeli children on buses?  We only hear about  desire for peace and the unfairness of this taking of land when Israel fights back.  The so called Palestinians are arabs not accepted in their own homelands who came to Israel AFTER Israel developed the land and made it habitable.  No one used this land before 1948, and no one truly cared until it became a thriving country.  Jealousy motivates this war, and terrorists run Palestine.  Do the things necessary to make Palestine a thriving country without trying to steal what has already been developed.  Stop trying to take what isn't yours and co-exist with a neighbor who would be more than willing to help if you stop bombing and start acting like human beings. 

The only people to take away a Palestinian State was the Arabs when they refused to allow one to be formed in 1948. The Jews founded Israel on the part of Palestine allocated to them by the UN Partition Declaration of 1947 which, by the way, gave 2/3 of the arable land to the Arabs, and 2/3 of the desert to the Jews. The Arabs refused to found a Palestinian State, preferring instead to make war on the Jews and drive them into the sea.

That didn't quite work out for them and they've been pissed about it ever since. So pissed in fact, that 60 years later they still haven't been able to form a state.

Dorfy, you are quite correct in stating that Palestine as a state will eventually be established. Where you are most likely quite wrong is that it will take a lot longer as long as there are naive, hatefull sounding, and possibly racist individuals who insist on blaming it all on one side. You obviously have little grasp on historical reality. Neither sides hands are clean or lily white on this matter. The fact is that there are good and descent people on both sides who just want peace and security. The problem is that it is the governments and not the people who are creating a lot of the problems. Where do you get off saying Israel was founded by terrorist acts? All you do is show your ignorance by such statements. I am no great fan of Israeli policies, but at least I can admit to having some knowledge of world events. I suggest you return to reality and reason! 

It is the outright lies like this that perpetuate the Middle East hostilities.

1 Israel existed LONG before a Palistine existed.

2. Palestine was named by the Roman Emperior Hadrian as a slap in the face to Israel.

3. Palestine was NEVER a nation.  It was a geographic area of the Roman Empire prior to becoming an area of the Ottoman Empire.

4. The term Palestinian NEVER meant a particular race or nationality of people, but rather it described the people of the territory of Palestine    regardles of race.

5. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I Palestine became a British and French mandates under the League of Nations

6. The League of Nations partitioned the British and French areas of Palestine into sections or nations.

7. It provided a section of the former area of the Ottoman Empire for use by "Palestinians" and called it Trans-Jordan, now called Jordan.

8. The League of Nations carved out a portion of the British Mandate section of Palsetine  as a Home Land for the Jews.

9.  In 1948 that section of the British Mandate was granted National status by the United Nations.

10.  The Anti-Jewish nature of the Muslems would not accept that and went to war with the Jews.

11.  The Jews ever since have wanted to live in peace with its neighbors, have bent over backwards to accomodate them.  The ONLY time the Israelies have waged war has been as a defensive action  because of MUSLEM aggression.

12.  The area of GAZA was given to the "Palestinian" Muslems, BUT the MUSLEMS want to snipe, bomb, and otherwise be beligerent.

13. Hamas was voted in and Fatta was voted out by the populace of Gaza.

14. Hamas has not respected the cease fire they aggred to.

15.  The People of Gaza deserve every one of these reprisals by Israel.

16.  People of Gaza YOU directly caused this to befall you.

Facts don't lie. There have been 390 Palestinians killed as of the writing of the article that is the topic of this thread. There have been four Israelis killed. Four. So the casualty rate is nearly 100 to 1, and yet many here are screaming for blood. Now stop and think for a minute! The bloodthirsty here want Hamas to be wiped out. So if you kill every single member of Hamas, do you really think that would be the end of them? Or is there a chance that ten times their number would take their place?

Put yourself in their place. A foreign aggressor, let's say China, invades the U.S. and occupies part of our country. What would we do? Say they killed our leaders...don't you think someone else would step up and lead? Or would we passively let them do as they please...they killed our leaders (Hamas), so what would we do, let them dictate to us, or fight?

Those who think that killing every member of Hamas is the answer are out of their minds. That would accomplish nothing except to make the Palestinians -- and ultimately all Arab and Muslim nations -- mad as hell. Sooner or later you're having to fight (and kill) nearly everyone in those countries. That's way over a billion people. So you're going to wipe them all out. Welcome to World War III, which will have far more casualties than the last world war (estimates of WWII casualties vary from 50 to 70 million http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties). So sure...let's wipe out every member of Hamas, and why not destroy Hezbollah while we're at it. Yep, al Qaeda too, if we can find them.

Brilliant. Start a war that kills hundreds of millions...and I guarantee that the Muslims wouldn't be all the casualties. You guys who want to "wipe 'em out" would end up making Hitler and Stalin look like choir boys. Is that what you really want?

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This is what Americans need to know about Isreal and Palestine.

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First of all, that land that Israel lies on NEVER belonged to the Muslims.  Muslims lived there, as did Jews.  So what you're saying is that those four Israeli people who were killed have no value and their country should not attempt to stop what has been happening that resulted in their deaths?  That is exactly what happens in every circumstance.  The Isrealites have build bomb shelters to live in, they don't go to school or to work now, because they don't know what to expect.  The Hamas has been firing their bombs into residential areas.  So what you want is more Jewish blood spent BEFORE they are allowed to defend themselves?  How does that make sense?

We lost 3,000 or better on 9/11...and we're hearing the same thing from the world.  Not enough American blood was shed to justify us defending our nation because the poor muslim people don't care how many of their own people that they murder.  I'm sorry, I've never heard of the Jews attacking first.  They DEFEND themselves.  The land belonged to many different races long before a Muslim ever set foot on it, and the Jews were there the longest.  It was awarded to them and whether or not it once belonged to the Arabs, it now belongs to the Jews.  Stop the violence and stop murdering your own children for the world's sympathy.

You can tell from the number of comments that this is obviously a hot button issue.

There is obviously fault on both sides, with the Palestinians claing that their land was stolen and the Israelis claiming that they're just defending themselves. What we need is a balanced perspective and attempts by both sides to resolve the conflict, since this has become a lose-lose situation because neither side is willing to make compromises - it's all or nothing thinking on both sides.

The displaced Palestinians deserve a homeland, and the Israelis need to have peace. A reasonable division of the lands, with reasonable compensation, would seem to be the only logical solution. The US has tried with every President in recent history to accomplish this, with no results. Perhaps it's time for an international approach, with stringent sanctions for any side that drags its feet. All else has failed.

 your ignorance is classic American. The Palestinians have been offered their own state many times including in 1948. Each time they have rejected  the offer because it did not include all of Israel. President Clinton had a deal all set up just before he left that would have included giving part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians but Arafat rejected it. It's time to stop playing pity the poor Palestinians. They need better leadership who'll except a two state solution. Even now Hamas would rather its own civilians be blown to smithereens that accept a cease-fire which they broke in the first place. Pity pity

Imagine if Canada was launching rockets at the United States. Would we just sit here and allow them to do so, or would we blow them to kingdom come. You know the answer.

For over 60 years, the Israelis have been terrorized by the Palestinian extremists--first as the PLO and now the Hamas.  I can't believe the Israelis have been so patient!  The Palestinian extremists need to learn that sending suicide bombers in to blow up innocent people is not the answer.  I say let Israel take out ALL of Hamas, then maybe the real Palestinian people will be able to come to some sort of understanding with Israel.  Hamas hides behind innocent people, including children, and they don't even care what happens to them.  Hamas thinks the world will make Israel back off, but the Hamas are the ones who need to back off.  They're as bad as al Qaeda.

US President brokered the best possible Israeli - Palestinian peace accord, and Arafat walked away.  What more can the world do?  Israel is damned for trying, and ridiculed for not working with the Palestinians.  The Israel patients has run out.  Rocket attacks on a civilian population?  Get real, no sovereign nation would tolerate it.  If this happened on any US border, the US military would evaporate the launch sites.  Israel can and will do the same. 

Jan. 1, 2009  Top Hammas Leader killed.  This guy had 4 wives.  How do you make enough money as a terrorist to have 4 wives and a nest of little rats?  No wonder they breed like rats.  That is their whole life....is to have more little rats to go and be a pestilence. 

When you have an infestation of rats, you kill them and sweep up their rat droppings.

Does the palestinians have the right to liveis the question ,there are rules to co-existance and Hamas has broken their humanitarian rights the people chose there leaders !!???? Israel is doing what is necessary to get rid of the attacks from the Hamas ,I say get rid of the thorn in the Israel country , If there could even be Peace with The Terrosist that monopoly Gaza Stip I say NO !THEY are evil and do not respect the living anywhere in the world ,I am so Sick they the Palestinians are crying for the Americans to help out NO! It is there War Israel will take care of it ,the Americans have enough on there agenda so, the people who are here to be citizens do not demand the government to intervene it is not our business DID the MiddleEast do anything when our country went under attack HELL No ! Those who are in the states if they feel  so passionate  go back and defend your country ! our soldiers are dying for what !? Americans did everything to help out the Middle East :Let it Be FOR once let Israel take charge and the rest of the Middle East let it be !!!! 

Drink Some More Kool-Aid, Bro!

I have no pity... These are the same as**s who were dancing the the streets when the World Trade Center was blown up.

here's the way i see it...the land belonged to israel first & belongs to them now. those arab countries need to allow the palestinians back to their own countries. my question is this...bush pushed for the election that brought hamas to power so when is the next election?

Here's some excerpts from an interview and an article about the U.S. and Israel's "special relationship":

Interview with Senator Ron Paul: No such thing as an independent Israel 

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:03:57 GMT 

By Jihan Hafiz, Press TV, Washington

Press TV: There has been a lot of speculation that Israel may act on its own and conduct an independent air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Do you think that's possible? 

Paul: I don't think there is such a thing as an independent Israel doing anything, because I think no matter what they do its our money, its our weapons, and their not going to do it without us approving it and if they get into trouble we're going to bail them out, so there is no separation between the two.

From article by Peter Goodspeed, National Post 

Published: Friday, May 02, 2008

Today, Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in the world, having received nearly US$140-billion in direct military and economic assistance since 1973.

This year's U.S. budget alone calls for $2.42-billion in U.S. aid to Israel, including $2.38-billion in military aid and $39.6-million in assistance for the resettlement of refugees.

Israel receives that aid on better terms than any other nation in the world.

For example, Israel can use up to 25% of its U.S. military assistance for purchases from Israeli manufacturers and it gets most of its foreign assistance from Washington in one lump sum early in the year, instead of in instalments, like all other aid recipients.

Yuval Levin, of the Jerusalem-based Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies, has argued that U.S. aid to Israel has slowed economic growth by bloating government spending. With 70% of Israel's GDP coming from government spending and a third of the Israeli workforce on the public payroll, Mr. Yuval says Israelis are living beyond their means and can only do so because of American aid.

In the United States, political scientists John Mearsheimer, of the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, of Harvard, created a political storm when they argued that the United States has set aside its own security interests to advance those of Israel.

Israel is a liability in the war on terror, they argued in The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, saying unwavering U.S. support for Israel has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion against Washington.

When their arguments were widely attacked and criticized, the two authors replied: "Anyone who criticizes Israel's actions or argues that pro-Israel groups have significant influence over U.S. Middle East policy stands a good chance of being labelled an anti-Semite."

to DaughterRevWar

Amazing language you demonstrate-little rats. How many little rats do you have. As a religious woman you should have a lot. By the way, the same with religious jews in Israel and elsewhere. They have a lot of offsprings. So, nothing is wrong with that guy having 12 children. As for 4 wives, it's their religion that allowes that and, frankly, among other religions there are followers of polygamy in US, for example, mormons and others, in Israel some ultraorthodox jews.

I have strictly negative attitude to terroristic activities but terror should not be used by both sides in that conflict.

Israel belongs to the jews, from abraham until now, they were booted out by the romans in 70 a.d. but now they took it back. Abraham bought a piece of land for a burial place in israel, this is the only known written record of a land transfer thousands of years ago. And if someone wants to take it from them then let them try, who are you to judge who should have the land, let them fight there own battles.

If you live in the U.S. then why don't find an indian and give him your pad to live in.

Of course the Palestinians have a right to live. They dont have the right to shoot rockets at innocent people and not expect retribution because the Israelis have a right to live also. F.Y.I. the Palestinians are exactly where they were left by the Arab countries that wouldnt except them into their countries. They were abandoned by other Arabs and the Israelis have had to deal with them since. If the Israelis have to kill some to protect their own lives then the Palestinians may want to reconsider who represents them.

http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/israelpeacegroups.html

To answer your question, no, they don't have a right to live.   These people are perverted and have no respect for human life.  Why is that Israel must sacrifice, where are Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt in their offers for a slice of land?

Hamas are a terrorists they only care about the total destruction of Israel, and until they understand that Jews have a right to live too, then they should suffer for their acts.  Even some of their own leader ship are critizing the actions of Hamas.

If Palestenians don't want to die, then they should stop f@#*ng with Israel, pure and simple.  

Palestinians have the right to live, Hamas DOES NOT!  Jordan is a Palestinian state.  Does it have to be called Palestine?  Ever since Israel was created the Arab world, especially the Palestinianss have tried to destroy it.

My understanding is that before 1948 there was an area that was not a country, but had been previously in the Ottoman empire.  No one had decided what to do with this after the collapse of this empire.

In 1948 it was divided into two parts, with Israel as one of them.  Israel was not carved out of an existing country.  Immediately after this, the Israeli part was attacked by the other part, with their allies, who lost the war. After this it was not possible to go back, Israel cannot trust them because of what they did and continue to do.

Some of the criticized actions of Israel, moves, such as the settlements are a defensive move to prevent the emergence of a strong neighbor who has vowed to attack them again if they get the chance.

Happy F-ing New Year!

Hamas deserves what it gets.  They could have had peace and a land of their own many years ago, but they chose instead to terrorize the Israelis.  The Palestinians need to understand that letting Hamas run their government is not the way to having a land of their own.  They need to kick Hamas out now!

Bill Carson - regarding post 2.115.  Unfortunely, all of those UN "Resolutions" were instigated by the Arab League of Nations, while they were getting their butts kicked by the Israelis.

Most of those actions were instigated by "Actionable Intelligence", later proven (based on Arab Testimony from those involved), and now places considerable doubt on the Crediability of the Arab League of Nations.

Most believe that the Israelis are indiscriminately dropping bombs in Gaza, they are using what is known as "smart bombs" based on "actionable intelligence".  It cannot be understated the the Hamas has acknowledged hidding in compounds, bunkers with Women and Children as exampled by the fat guy (no lack of food) in the Hamas terrorist organization that recently was killed while others in Gaza starve.  And they are NOT a government, since they are deciding to starve their people, so that they can continue to buy weapons from Iran and China (but of course you are not supposed to know that human intelligence, HUMIT)(also found to be true in Iraq, captured AK-47s, AKMs, RPGs, RKGs, Motars, Motar Ammunitions, SKSs, etc.).

As far as WMDs, the Israelis, were smart enough to build their own (especially since the escape of many from Nazi Germany, physics graduates of the Berlin Polytechnic Institute).  The US was also considering a tactical strike against the Israelis during this time (1960s) to prevent "the spread of nuclear devices" (now known as "nuclear proliferation").  Also unbeknowst to you is that the Arab Countries during the Six Day War were convertly shown what Israel was going to do to them if they started to lose, with a above ground nuclear test in the United States, the Arab League of Nations, immediately stopped all hostilies and conceeded to Israel all those lands won by the Israel Defense Forces, acknowledged by the United Nations.

Also many believe that the Israelis are using US Military weapons, wrong, for the past few decades the Israelis have built their own weapons, some considerably superior to US Military weapons.  Noteably, the "Smart Bomb", "Cluster Bombs", "Terminally Guided Munitions", "Intelligence Drones", "Gali", "Uzi", "Merkava", and many of the spare Aircraft parts being made in Israel (to higher specifications),  most of which were only, repeat only used when they were attacked.

Also based on internal intelligence, Gaza, the Hamas, has chosen, starvation against their people as a weapon to instigate more violence, while like the picture indicates the Hamas leadership is living high on the hog.  They have also chosen Offensive Weapons over food or Medical Supplies for the people as a priority.  Also noted in the article the Hamas "invaded" Gaza.

Hmm. Instigated is an interesting word. It's something that sounds quite convincing, but has the added quality of being completely unprovable and therefore NEVER requiring any evidence. A simple assertion will do. NICE WORK DAVID! Are you the David? You know, David of Bethlehem?

When the Israelis attack and kill during the holiest and most meaningful of Christian holidays, you start to wonder if they are the chosen people afterall. Some day (hopefully in my lifetime) they will not have the United States umbrella of military might, technological advantage, and economic support. When that day comes, I hope the Palestinians show them the same mercy they are showing the imprisoned and suffering Gazans right now. 

Peace on earth and good will toward men? NOT FROM ISRAEL!

If they want to live peacefully then so should'nt the Israelis also have aright to live peacefully s well?!

I bet our muslim, the majority of muslims Hate he Jewish and Chrisitans, and anyone who is'nt muslim!!

I hate what the muslim terrorists did the Twin Towers and then you saw on the news in every sngle muslim nation the muslis were cheering and laughing and celebration when they found out that the Twin Towers had been destroyed!!

First of all ! the whole world should know that the war on Gaza is ( NOT war on Hamas) it's war on all Palestinians.. If it was a war on Hamas..Then Why the hell are they killing women and kids??? what did a one month baby do ?? well maybe he built a bomb!!! or killed an Isrealy?
Isreal's excuse is that Hamas bombed one of their their colonies.. In a matter of fact Isreal was the one who broke the truce from the beggining, and Isreal recorded more than 117 truce broken in less than 8 months and the whole world knows it and another thing only one woman died in the boming and 5 got injured! is that worth more than 400 soals?? and more than 1700 blood?? Well I dont think so !
And the tuce that Isreal claims that Hamas broke.. wasn't really a truce, how was that a truce when Isreal had Seige on Gaza, banned medicine, food, gaz, and every littlle requirement that a human needed to survive from entering Gaza through the border. There was NO electricity, no water , no nothing! How the hell would any one expect people in Gaza to survive.. would any one imagine his life for only a day without electricity or without anything he wanted.. how about that people in Gaza suffered from that for weeks...

There is nothing !! I say NOTHING in the whole universe... and logically there is nothing that can justify killing an innocent new born, a kid , or even a woman or an old man??

If a dog got killed.. the Animal Rights would speak up .. and turn the country over head.. But hundreds of people are being killed in Gaza.. HOW COME THAT HUMANS ARE TREATED WORSE THAN ANIMALS?!!!!Can anybody justify that to me?? I don't think any one can!and even before 4 days.. new borns were dying every single day from lack of medication and electricity..How would YOU feel if you new born died.. your child?? or your mother?? OR EVEN YOUR OLD FATHER?! if you were human you would feel ! We should all pray for Gaza..but if not.. then you will commit a crime towards your self and your humanity!And youy will be a partner with Isreal in their crime..!

 What is happening in Gaza is a massacre! and Nothing rational can justify it!   

God help the people in Gazza...

Proud to be Palestinian...

العودة حق .. و فلسطـــين عربية

I am the David currently in Afghanistan, that has been "dealing with" the "Middle East" since 1981.  And protecting your rights weither you deserve them or not.  I have studied the Quran, as part of my College Degree, and speak conversational Farsi.

I have also observed (captured by my soldiers) export fighters from Palestine.  Specifically, exported fighters by Hamas to Afghanistan in exchange for weapons through the Taliban.

Also stated to bry33,  loius, Yu ai hua, Jethro-788134, docroc, HumanOnTheNonPeacefullEarth, IMELDOCTOR, Bill Carson, Traylor-291146, TrueAmerican, hungrrrry, VENDETTA-568589, Jay Leno, DeeToo, Objective Observer-789854, giffordo, Arthur-379160, schwannomin, Nobody-87413, Khannez, Dorfy, DG_W,  and all those that believe that Hamas is right; OK, no computer is allowed by Sharia Law.   The penalty in Afghanistan, Iran, under Sharai Law is boiling hot oil (immersion of hands) or the removal of the offending hands of the violator's use of the "infidel western tool" (computer).  Going to a school, not Mosque, means public stoning, beating or whipping.  Talking to Americans means red hot iron to tongue, or tongue removal.

Like mentioned before come over here and see it for yourself.

Of course I did not mention details the massacres of the Red Cross workers due to the medical supplies being marked with Red Crosses instead of Red Crescent because they were too gruesome.  But since you insist.  They were found naked with the word "pig" craved with a knife into their foreheads and chests.  Based on forensics, they were alive while this was being done.  They were slow strangled from behind.  In other words a series of loops of rope were placed around their necks and a stick inserted into the loops from behind and slowly tightened and loosened over a period of hours and eventually completely tightened like a tourniquet crushing their windpipes or breaking their spinal column.  At the same time that the slow strangulation was being done, various limbs and extremities were being amputated.  The ones that survive the amputations are set on fire using cooking oil (the belief is that they will "burn in hell" if not properly buried).  In instances after being here at Afghanistan for so long, I believed that this was propaganda, until I witnessed this being done by the Taliban.  This is also done to Afghanistanis by the Taliban after trial at a Mosque by an Islamic Counsel.

The irony of these massacres was that the majority of the Red Cross workers were actually Red Crescent and from Islamic Nations.

The word "pig" that was craved into their foreheads and chests was in farsi (very long word).

We are ordered not to interfere with Islamic Counsel Trials for Capital Crimes committed by Afghanistanis.

At one time the Islamic Counsels of various towns, villages wanted us to smear pigs blood on various offenders of Sharia Law.  We have refused as a matter of non interferance.  The Islamic Counsel as part of Law refuse to handle pigs blood themselves, which will make them "unclean".

The Arab League has always  rebuffed any peaceful solution to peace.   The Palestinians upon hearing the General Assembly of the UN was interested in solving the situation attempted to, and did turn down A State of their own.

It not only goes back to the Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917, approved on July, 24, 1922. The U.S. Congress adopted this Declaration on Sept. 21, 1922, which states

"The United States favors the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which will prejudice the civil and religious rights of Christian and all other non- Jewish communities in Palestine, and that the holy places and religious buildings and sites in Palestine shall be adequately protected." 

The Palestinians rejected the Peel Commission of 1937. The Jewish negotiated with the Commission and out of their great desire for a State and land  to live peacefully in, were willing to accept 5,000 square kilometers of land out of 26,700 square kilometers of land.  It wasn't anything other than a mere ghetto. Sixty percent of the land that the Jews would accept was arid hot and dry land. And had never been tilled or farmed on. That same dry land bears some of the best fruit in the world.

Once again in 1939, The British White Paper called for establishment of an Arab State in Palestine within 10 years and for limiting Jewish immigration to no more than 75,000 over the following five years. Afterward, no one would be allowed in without the consent of the Arab population. The Arab community was granted  a concession on Jewish immigration, and offered Arab independence, "the goal of Arab Nationalist's",  "the Arab League"  repudiated the White Paper of 1939.

Unbeknowenest to the world at that time were the meetings between top Arab officials and the top echelon of Hitlers Nazi New Germany. Documents of these meetings are housed in the National British Archives in London. They prove beyond any doubt, Hitler was aware of the inspiration of the Jewish people. He therefore sent agents to meet with and successfully boost Arab aggression against any future formation of  Jewish and Arab Independent States.

Hitlers goal was to eradicate all Jews from the face of the earth. To that end, he used  top Palestinian officials atdepriving the Jews of a homeland. If they could not entirely be eradicated, the second best thing, keep them scarttered across the earth. His Final Solution ended much sooner that he'd ever expected. Like Napoleon, he also marched to late and minus 30 degree temps defeated his military machine that had wiped out the Soviet Unions Air Force and killed millions.

Te United Nations stepped in on Feb. 1947 in an attempt to resolve the issue still at hand. It established a Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) to devise a solution. Delegates from eleven nations went and found what they expected. The national aspirations of Jews and Arabs could not be reconciled. At a meeting with a group of Arabs in Beirut, a member told his audience, "I have listened to your demands and it seems that in your view, the compromise is:"

"We want our demands met completely, the rest can be divided among those left". The implacability of the Arabs was evident when Representatives met with Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha on Sept. 16TH 1947. Pasha told them bluntly, "The Arab world is not in a compromising mood. It's likely that your partition plan is rational and logical, but the fate of nations isn't decided by rational logic. Nations never concede, they fight. You won't get anything by peaceful means or compromise.

You can perhaps get something, but only by the force of your arms. We shall try to defeat you. I am not sure we'll succeed, but we'll try. We were able to drive out the crusaders, but on the other hand, we lost Spain and Persia. It may be that we shall lose Palestine. It's too late to talk of peaceful solutions".

The ad hoc committee of the UN General Assembly rejected the Arab demand for a unitary Arab state. The map was drawn.   UN Resolution 181 calling for an Arab State and a separate Jewish State was accepted by the Jews led by David Ben Gurion. The Arabs led by the Arab High Command and five Arab nations flatly rejected the plan for an Arab State and a solution to peaceful living.

The Declaration of the State of Israel was being read by David Ben Gurion as five countries were surrounding Israel. Ben Gurion reading said, "WE, Appeal in the very midst of the onslaght launched against us now for months, to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permament institutions.

"WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of co-operation and mutal help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East."

Less than 24 hours afterward, 5 Arab nations attacked the tiny new State of Israel. A nation with barely a fighting force defeated 5 heavily armed armies. As a result, Israel had captured land and was a larger State than before.  Years  followed  and tears were once again shed. Shed on both sides by both cultures because of Arab aggression. 

Peace talks have taken place on many occasion's.  I won't even mention them. And many Resolutions have been voted on. The most important Resolution to have ever been voted on was flatly objected to by the Arab Palestinian Government in 1948.  Palestinian Government's have essentially placed there very own people under oppression. History is replete with these facts.

Collective punishmentis brought on by collective aggression. Energy and food supplies are a part of forcing the enemy to wave the flag of surrender. It's necessary during war. Depriving food and supplies send the message to governments, "If you truly represent and care for your peoples, you will not bear arms against another".

"You, the government of your people will allow your people to live in peace and give them the liberty they must have for an orderly and safe life. "You controll the destiney and the greater, yet, sufficient good for the people you govern". "People whom rely upon the goodness, and honor of their government need the goodness of that government".

During the final days of the second world war, the Empire of Japan was working fervently on perfecting the Atomic bomb. It was very close to bringing it off the line. America had beat our enemies to this devastating and horrible instrument. It was either unleash devastation on Japan or allow Japan to unleash devastation on America. It was a decision Harry Truman was forced to make.

America can be thankful that Truman had the wisdom to unleash the bomb. Collective punishment was the only reason Japan surrendered. In all of its ugliness, war can't be avoided in certain instances. Dictators will destroy countries and Democracies will cease to flourish unless dictators are firstly destroyed. Terriosts shall kill people unless terrorists are firstly killed.

It's about survival and the lack of civility among certain leaders of certain peoples. People are indeed innocent but certain leaders choose to bring harm on their own people. People also play a role in how their government approaches a matter. People that voted Hamas in office should be willing to vote them from office. 

As badly as other people are harmed on the other side, Israel can't be asked to allow terrorists to fire rockets upon them on an all-most daily basis. It would be extremely silly for anyone to believe such philosphy or that such actions should be allowed. Extremely silly.

It would be very easy to bring all fighting to an end. Sit down at the tables of peace, negotiate in good spirit, respect each culture, acknowledge that each have the right to exist, and abide by the treaty of peace once the appropriate signature's were affixed upon treaty or treaties.

don't the Palestinians have a right to live too....the goal of the Palestinians is to eliminate the Jews in Israel. Terminate them. It's not about right to live from a Palestinian viewpoint. It's not about negotiation...it's about termination.

That is the worst argument you could make! Comparing the Gaza situation to the American Indians and the US gov. Yes...the government made some bad decisions regarding the indians but by far and away the Native Americans were Far, far , far MORE violent than the American settlers that took their places. The Native Americans were involved with genocide, salvery, ethnic cleansing, battles between tribes that often erased an entire tribe...now who's being backward here? Israel expelled its OWN people out of Gaza for the Palestinians to get a new start. What they got in return is most likely the biggest travesty in exchange for that concession, terrorism at Large against their own country. I'm not in agreement with everything Israel has done but surely they do have the right to exist. Obviously the Arabic and Muslim people just can't seem to let the past go, they just keep dwelling on how "your grandfather killed my grandfather". Until that idiocy stops, there will be continued justification of invasions and airstrikes into Gaza.

And as for the Palestinians right to live...I might ask, HOW?...by continually lobbing Rockets over into Israel? So much for diplomacy, if that's their way of "persuading" it can only be met with resistance and force on the part of the Israelis.

Um, "true American", if America was being bombed endlessly by terrorists based in Mexico or Canada, and those governments supported and protected them, don't you think Americans would act the same way Israel is acting.  You'd better believe it.

No, I do not think Palestinians "deserve" to be an independent state.  No one in the Arab world thought they should have one MANY years ago and had a chance to give them one in fairly recent history.  These were pawns of nomads dumped and propped up by rich families and the Islamic leadership to keep constant war footing to the Jews and now against the "evil" western world.  There is no peace sought or there to take.  Take the necessary actions to get rid of the Gaza problem and cut the Islamic backing of it off at the knees.  Then perhaps they could have a Palestine  Statee on the West Bank or in Syria, Jordan where they most likely belong.  As for the whining of the Islamic Arab spokespeople in the US, what is your end game?  Most likely the Deasth of Isreal and the West.  Oh I am neither Jew or Arab.

Yes, both have a right to live. And live in peace. However, Hamas has for years refused that notion, instead lobbing rockets into Israel.

As for the notion of Palestine, there never was a nation known as Palestine. That concept is only as old as Israel itself.

Understand, I am no fan of Israel. I believe they are sneeky bastards themselves, but they gave Hamas every chance to stop and they didn't. Even after the air campaign started, Hamas continued. So at this point, to defend their citizens from terrorist attacks I wish Israel the best in their operation.

Does it matter anymore?  Google Niburu and you answer that question!

You allege that there was a palestine  before 1948. Really?  who was the president or leader of this Country?  What was the capital or the form of government?  Your premise is false.  there has never been a country of Palestine.  There has however been a Jewish state in what is now Isreal for nearly three thousand years. The rest of the world formally recognized the government of Isreal in 1948 but it only took that long because of global anti-semitism. When the romans took Palestine (region not country) in the first centruy B.C they were fighting and enslaving jews not muslims or arabs.  The arabs did not enter the region for another 900 years.  They traveled into the region from what is now Iraq.  What is sad about this article is that a mere 260 deaths constitutes the bloodiest fighting is sixty years.  That is the problem.  To end this conflict requires complete victory.  Complete victory will require Isreal to kill 260,000 or more and to dismantle the entire anti-semetic structure.  Just as the USA had to bomb Germany and Japan into near extinction in order to achieve copitulation and ultimate peace so must Isreal bomb Hamas and its supporting civilians into copitulation. Only then can both sides begin to build a lasting peace.  Those who are calling for a cease fire now are only bringing more suffering upon the palestinians in the future.

there never was a Palestine.....where'd you get that from ?

No one has gotten their land peacefully on this planet in the last 10,000 years.  Before that, we drove our competitors to extinction.  That's life.  We conquered the Native-Americans and gave them 1% of their land back.  Hitler took over the middle-east, and we took it back.  We gave the Arabs 99% of their land back and kept 1% for Isreal.  We've made a lot of progress in the last 10,000 years. 

The Native-American's have excepted it, and now they are slowly winning it back in their casinos.  They wont put it back the way it was, but I'll bet they will come out ahead in the long run.  And I applaud that. 

The Palestinians need to make the best of the situation, Israel isn't going away anytime soon. While Palestine continues to be a boil on the rest of humanity, the world on average is becoming a much more peacefull place.   Hey, Hitler and Stalin are gone, and the U.S. and Russia aren't poised to destroy all of it on a moment's notice any more.  As long as they survive, they will always have a chance to come back. 

But they need to find a different way.  A substantial portion of them still support resistance.  Perhaps they are the majority, perhaps they are just louder than the majority, but they elected Hamas to represent them.  Just as we have had to with Bush, they need to accept the consequences of the world's opinion of their choice. 

Yes, all the killing, and pain and suffering are horrible and the goal should be to end it.  Hopefully they will see that too.

Well said bro

When someone keeps smacking you, sooner or later you are going to smack them back.

israel has been attacked for over a year, by hamas military targets hidden within civilian locations (EU president last week). 

for the joker who said israel needs to start abiding by un law...um, the un doesn't have legal authority over sovereign nations. however israel does recognize the right of the pali's to have a homeland, something the arabs have never agreed to. the un partition of british palestine was to create 2 homelands: 1 for the jews(israel), and 1 for the palis. 

what was to be the pali homeland (now jordan) was usurped by a prince from the house of saud. thus, to give the palis the homeland they were promised, the house of saud would have to vacate the nation of jordan. 

what would be a good start though is the arab nations recognizing the right of israel to exist and have secure borders.

You hit the nail on the head.

Wake up. Israel has bent over backwards to try to achieve a peacefull coexistance and what do they get? Rockets! Hamas and their cohorts are a bunch of uncivilized savages who should be wiped off the face of the earth.

NavySeal has it right!!  The US support has been lopsided.  We should be supporting Jews than Palestinians.  In fact we need to be giving more to the Palestinians who have most recently been thrown out of their homeland by Israel.  If I were Palestinian, I would be lobbing rockets into Israel at they stole my land.  There is no moral justification for the existence of the state of Israel, especially by displacing others.  The US must stop its support of Israel unless it gives equal support to the Palestinians!  All people of the world are God's Chosen.  No one group can claim this!

""
Your wrong the Palestinians in 1948 were given 78% of the land it is called Trans-Jordan. They just did not want to have 3/4 they wanted it all. Israel won after attacks in 48, 56, 67, 73 ... and they will win again.  Palestinians need to lean to make peace and build up what they have.

lets see if i get this right. Ok for starters, Israel said ok to the palest. in gaza, said ok keep the land, just enough with the bs of violence, pulled out, and said let the sleeping dog lie. Then there's this crap with bombs and suicide bomers going on in Israel. Israel says ok, enough o that every one of you...out. Then come the rockets ect, from where else, the hammas group. We will just for now be sticking with the hammas, ok? Good! Well eventually a cease fire is agreed upon, and the WHOLE TIME Hammas, everyones good ol' pal is blabbing how the Israelis have to right to even breath the same air as them, and should be exterminated, and as soon as the chance rises....who was launching rockets? That's right boys and girls, the Hammas. Well seems to me neither side wants to stop till the other is finished, so let them. Israel tried the peaceful approach, and they blew it. Let them back up the crap they were spewing, so everyone else in the world can go on with thier lives.  Bombing of innocent people? Well perhaps if they didnt use thier own people as shields, this wouldnt happen (putting military strike points in the middle of heavily populated civilian areas counts as this so no crap on it). Israel kicked the palestines out of Israel...well perhaps instead of blowing up bombs and themselves in mass populations in Irael, they might not have done so. Seriously!! some of you really need to keep up with what not is just going on, right now today, but look at what happend to bring it to what it is. Ya, who wouldn't side with Israel on this, that actually KNOWS what has made it come to this. Is war right, no not by any means outside of self preservation, and Hammas took it to that point and beyaond.

its a horrible situation. however, hamas has always used their own ppl as shields. so that when they get killed it fuels their cause. its a common tactic by terrorists around the world.  they will actually fire their weapons behind women and children. they dont care about anyone around them. their only goal is to destroy israel. thats it. period. they will say or do anything to make that happen. hamas leaders are enjoying this war. carnage, murder, innocent ppl getting killed, they love it. all terrorists like this type of situation. they were hoping for it.  but. no doubt about it, this is tragic for the normal person, that is trying to live in peace over there.

If someone was shooting fireworks non-stop at my house I would take them out...

   Hamas puts their people in harms way to protect themselves from harm. Any civilian losses fall on their heads. Plus it gets recruits to their cause. If you raise your voice in opposition you are murdered even if you are an Arab.

Good grief Daughter, your posts get more and more bizarre. Yasser Arafat's medical records from the French military hospital where he died reveal that he died of a stroke that resulted from a bleeding disorder caused by an unknown infection. Despite extensive testing, his doctors could not determine the underlying disease that killed him. The records dispel one significant and widespread rumor - that Arafat died of AIDS. What nut site did you get your ridiculous claim of pedophilia from? Oh wait, let me guess. You bought into the whole gay and AID nonsense, so because you thought he was gay, he therefore must be a pedophile, right?

Isabella   Ha ha ha    Unknow infection.  You bought that??? 

And which state is that, Amir?

You were not specific.

Hamas is bringing this down on the Palestines.  You throw rocks at me I am going to retaliate. 

Hamas & Israel do absolutely nothing to negotiate.  A cease fire without concessions is nothing.  It is time for both Israel and the Palestines to talk.  Unfortunately, neither side will.

So Israel is well within their rights to defend their borders and citizens.

I am very curious to understand what Hamas has to gain from all of this?  What they were able to sneak in through the tunnels are now exposed.  Palestine was the first to cast stone (rockets) into Israel.  Hamas party refused to extend the cease fire negotiated over 6 months ago by Egypt (I believe).  Palestine elected Hamas party to be their representatives of their own free will.

I completely fail to see what are the goals here?  I believe I am a humanitarian, but launching rocket and then cry wolf lets the World see the functioning Palestinian government in a different light.  How can you care about your people when you know your neighbor will kick your freakin rear after you initiate a fight.  Second, you are not even fighting, you are sacraficing or risking your civilians.  Don't you care about them?  Did you build schools and hospitals for them....  Now you're sacraficing them as a human shields or suicide bombers.  Is this your true color??  Buy the people's votes and then sacrafice them after you gain power??

I think you have much to answer to your people before you answer to your neighobors and the rest of the world.

The people of Gaza know that they are supporting terrorist .. They are not innocent..

Partly to blame.. Hell HAMAS is all the blame..

Cutting food, and services?!?!?! The Palestinian people want there own country. Israel gave Gaza back to them. They should provide THERE OWN FOOD, POWER, and other services!

Does the US provide power, food, etc etc to Cuba?

Maybe instead of building weapons and putting the peoples money into weapons, maybe they should invest into there country's infrastructure.

Heck, even the other Arab countries won't invest in the Palestinians (except for weapons) because they realize its a lost cause.

"I am very curious to understand what Hamas has to gain from all of this?"

The goal behind all of this is to weaken US and world support for Israel by painting them as the heartless bad guys.  They fire rockets during a cease fire to antagonize Israel and hide their military installations among civilians.  Once the inevitable military strike from Israel comes, they will have mountains of dead civilians to pin on Israel to garner world sympathy. 

Judging by some of the comments on this page from the bleeding hearts and historical revisionists, it is working quite nicely.  Support for Israel has been waning among the American public in the past few decades, despite the fact that Israel has taken a much more moderate approach with their neighbors than they did since the 70s. 

You must understand, the concept of a martyr is a real fixture in radical Islam.  They were HOPING as many innocent Palestinians were killed as possible to make Israel look bad on the world stage.  To them, it is not a wasted death, but a glorious self sacrifice in the name of Allah.

Otherwise, what is the point of firing rockets that cannot damage any major military installations and only hits civilians?  They WANTED Israel to strike back and they wanted a political backlash to arise from it. 

Granted, many (I can't say most because Hamas won a general election there) of the Palestinians do not support these terrorist acts and they are not to blame and they are the real victims of all of this. Do you think Hamas really cares about them though?  If they did, they wouldn't be antagonizing a militarily superior neighbor and guarantee a military strike against their own people. 

Jason; I think what you are saying is true, it seems that the Arabs(all of them) are using the Palestinian conflict to destroy Israel. From what little I have read about this it seems Jordon was the original state that should belong to the Palestinian people. They are Arabs too, why do they not welcome them into their country? In my opinion all of  the West Bank area should belong to Israel.

Amir..if Hamas is so brave then why do they hide behind their women or children?  Why do they terrorise their own people ?  If they want peace and land why do they not want to come to peaceful terms with Israel ?  They had the chance to extend the ceasefire with Israel but instead fired more rockets. Peace does not come from that type of behavior.

You speak as if Hamas does not contain the men and women of Palestine.  Have you not watched the television with the masked women swearing to murder Israeli's by suicide bombing?  When the Palestinian people stop joining and supporting Hamas, Hamas will leave.  When all human beings stand up against these kinds of terrorist groups, the fighting and the jealousy and  greed will end.  Until then, the Israeli's have an absolute right to fight back, and not to continue to bury their people with weekly bombs being thrust upon them. 

Amir! Please read my reply to Dorfy above. The same applies even more to you!

You're referring to the people in the Gaza strip which was in the control of the Palestinians.  Why was it Isreal's responsibility to provide power and food to the Gaza?  The problem is that they want their cake and to eat it too.  They wanted the homes that were built on the Gaza.  They wanted the food and the power that Israel provided to the Gaza as well.  That is the responsibility of their government...the ones who took control of the Gaza. 

amir - you must be an Islamic extremist. Only other extremists think Hamas are heroes!

Loius - Obviously, you have never read any of the history of that region.  If you had, you would know that Hamas is a terrorist organization and receives help from other extremists in Syria, Jordan, and Iran.  They are probably at least as well equipped as the Israeli army.  They have received billions of dollars in weapons in order to carry out their terrorist attacks on Israel.  Try doing a little reading and you'll see that.

Then let the good people turn in Hamas... We can kill them all and live happily ever after..

Hamas is at least as well equipped as the Israeli army??? That's the silliest most ridiculous thing i've heard so far. Their homade  rockets hadn't killed one Israeli for more than a year up until last Sat. when one Israeli man was killed.

http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/israelpeacegroups.html

Yeah because evil responds to sanity and civilized measures...grow up.

bry33 - Their homade  rockets

 loius - are traffic sign posts

 These are NOT home made rockets, the rockets are bought from China and Iran, and were smuggled through Egypt.  The Hamas Terrorist Organization chose Weapons, over Food or Medical Supplies for the people of Gaza.  While they stuffed their own faces as evidenced by photo of Nizar Rayan at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404637/ while the people of Gaza starve and lack medical supplies.

I am the David currently in Afghanistan, that has been "dealing with" the "Middle East" since 1981.  And protecting your rights weither you deserve them or not.  I have studied the Quran, as part of my College Degree, and speak conversational Farsi.

I have also observed (captured by my soldiers) export fighters from Palestine.  Specifically, exported fighters by Hamas to Afghanistan in exchange for weapons through the Taliban.

Also stated to bry33,  loius, Yu ai hua, Jethro-788134, docroc, HumanOnTheNonPeacefullEarth, IMELDOCTOR, Bill Carson, Traylor-291146, TrueAmerican, hungrrrry, VENDETTA-568589, Jay Leno, DeeToo, Objective Observer-789854, giffordo, Arthur-379160, schwannomin, Nobody-87413, Khannez, Dorfy, DG_W,  and all those that believe that Hamas is right; OK, no computer is allowed by Sharia Law.   The penalty in Afghanistan, Iran, under Sharai Law is boiling hot oil (immersion of hands) or the removal of the offending hands of the violator's use of the "infidel western tool" (computer).  Going to a school, not Mosque, means public stoning, beating or whipping.  Talking to Americans means red hot iron to tongue, or tongue removal.

Like mentioned before come over here and see it for yourself.

Of course I did not mention details the massacres of the Red Cross workers due to the medical supplies being marked with Red Crosses instead of Red Crescent because they were too gruesome.  But since you insist.  They were found naked with the word "pig" craved with a knife in farsi into their foreheads and chests.  Based on forensics, they were alive while this was being done.  They were slow strangled from behind.  In other words a series of loops of rope were placed around their necks and a stick inserted into the loops from behind and slowly tightened and loosened over a period of hours and eventually completely tightened like a tourniquet crushing their windpipes or breaking their spinal column.  At the same time that the slow strangulation was being done, various limbs and extremities were being amputated.  The ones that survive the amputations are set on fire using cooking oil (the belief is that they will "burn in hell" if not properly buried).  In instances after being here at Afghanistan for so long, I believed that this was propaganda, until I witnessed this being done by the Taliban.  This is also done to Afghanistanis by the Taliban after trial at a Mosque by an Islamic Counsel.

The irony was that the majority of the Red Cross workers that were massacred was that they were from the various Islamic Nations and were actually Red Crescent.

We have been ordered not to interfere with Islamic Counsel Trials of Afghanistanis.  During most of the trials it does not question the guilt of the party to a Capital Crime but weither the party believes in Allah, Mohammed the Prophet, and the Quran.

BS.... Humas has never wanted peace!

Deal with the Hamas in a "sane and civil mammer""??? Are we able to deal with  the devil in a sane and civil manner??????

It's amazing how people take the "terrorist" designation assigned by the media and government so seriously. If this were 40 years ago the same people who are foaming at the mouth about "terrorists" on this board would be ranting about "communists". That was the official E-vil in the world then and the media and government whipped everyone into hysterics about it, just as they are doing now with terrorism. Communism went down and lost it's "scare" appeal and effectiveness for controlling popular opinion so other "isms" had to be found. 

No I'm not forgetting about 9/11, I think there is such a thing as terrorism and it is criminal and destructive but like even some former U.S. officials say, it's a tactic not a person or thing. Many groups and governments have used it including our own. Back in the 1980's the Nicaraguan Contras were designated as "Terrorists" even by the U.S. State Dept. The Contras were being run out of the White House during Reagan's presidency by Oliver North (now on Fox News). The Contras usually always attacked "soft" targets, i.e., unarmed civilians and there are thousands of people in Nicaragua today missing legs, hands, and relatives from their land mines. They committed many gruesome tortures and killings as well as sabotage, too.

The ANC (African National Congress) who are now the legitimate and respected government of South Africa were, for many years, on the U.S. State Dept.s list of "Terrorists". And they did commit "terrorist" acts. Nelson Mandela was a leader in the ANC and spent years in prison in S. Africa. After the ANC won and Mandela was released from prison he became president of S. Africa and received many humanitarian honors and citations from around the world, including the United States.  

The Israeli state itself was started by "Terrorists". Two former premiers of Israel were in groups that were designated as "terrorist" back in the 1930's and '40's by the British imperial authority the governing power in what was then called Palestine. There are even wanted poster from that time on display in Israeli museums featuring the pictures of many former officials of Israel. 

All that being said, I think the worst terrorism is that waged by nations. Their bombs are much more powerful and delivered by high tech bombers, etc. One bomb kills more than most car bombs and they destroy whole countries and kill hundreds of thousands of civilians, plus infrastructure which destroys a countries chances for a good standard of living for a generation

Dear Rick. This is sent with ,as LBJ would say, a heavy heart. The reality is that these folks have been fighting for 3,000 years. Maybe it is time for the world to just let them all go. Kill eachother! we don't care! Might make some reality show for some sleaze yankee hollywood type that should (and will)fry in the hell that mankind has conveniently invented. God? PROVE IT! If not, just live ,and see what shakes out. Religious people, on this earth , seem to be pious @!$%#s. If you haven't been there and back, shut the hell up. No one has the wisdom to tell another how to live.

That is just the point. Nobody on "that" side of the fence IS dealing with it. If Israel has finally had enough, and has the physical parts to do what they have to do, so be it. Keep your head down.

  What did you expect them to do ? With kids and women being suicide bombers...  They are taught to hate from the day they are born... Watch the Undercover Mosque on you tube, it is 6 parts...    The World will never see peace until Islam is gone, they are taught to hate all non muslims from the day they are born... This has been going on since the History of Islam, nothing but hate, murder, wars... Going on since the days of Moses... It is a cursed religion, they hate themselves, they hate each other, they hate all others...  They are stuck in the past...  They cause the whole World pain... All the money that is spent on defence against these people, prevents the World from moving into the future, all that money could have gone for Health care for all, to help clean the planet, help with future space explorations, that is where the future lies... If our sun goes super nova, where will we go ? The human race will be over... All that money spent, could have created millions of jobs, in space exploration, health care and so on...  Rebuke the Devil and he shall flee, but no one is rebuking the Evil, they are trying to imbrace it, change it, but it will not change, it only disguises itself, and tricks us, and gathers more strength for it's next evil deed...

  The World needs one set of Morals to live by... All religion aside...   why do the people always say my people, my race, my kind... Why don't people start thinking about the Human race...

These news story sensationalize things.  If a man with cancer can't get the medicine for 2 days and he dies, he wasn't going to live much longer than that anyway.  Wars claim all sorts of people and frankly, many innocents but they are living among terrorists with no problems it seems. 

Just an observation, but who would want to have stayed in Gaza for this length of time and not made an effort to get out of there with the Hamas using them for shields?

Unfortunately, Israel is a fact and has been around for 60 years now, so it isn't going anywhere (and neither are the Palestinians). This is not saying anything against the jewish people who are no less or more inclined to intelligence, kindness, bravery, etc. etc. than any other religion or people but I think supporting the creation of a jewish state in the middle east was one of the most foolish and destructive ideas the worlds ruling the class ever had.

British aristocrat, Lord Balfour was responsible for the declaration in 1917 that put forth the intention to form or allow the formation a jewish state and he admitted years later that one of the big flaws of the plan was that they never consulted with the people in the region before they made the declaration. The leaders of empires don't ask their subjects how they feel about this or that issue and the british aristocracies imperial arrogance stuck the world with a ticking time bomb in the form of a white, european, in this case, jewish entity in the midst of a ferociously muslim area of the world who had already been invaded, and colonized in recent history by those same european aristocracies. Moreover the inhabitants of the new state (Israel) were themselves a people who had had been persecuted killed and generally kicked in the teeth (mostly by europeans/christians) for centuries.

Giving them a state, with the weapons and violence a state can generate, in such an area or the world was like giving a gun and a badge to someone who had been abused all their life. The result has been predictable and horrible.

So I don't think it's really a case of muslim against jew or christian, I think it's a case (just like the Viet Nam War, WWI, the Great Depression, the current economic crisis) of the super rich and powerful, the elite, as they say, s@#$wing all of us once again.

true hamas is using collective punishment when it sends rockets into Israel, as these rockets are targeting innocent people instead of the army. Hamas and its leaders should be punished by a world tribunal.

My question is what exactly do we---the USA owe this region? They have been fighting for  thousands of years and will continue to kill each other for thousands of more years....if we all make it that far!

In this day and time....the longevity of Israel has been compromised by the fact that the many countries in the region are now gaining on the resources for nuclear war power.....the day will come that one of these middle eastern countries that have ill will towards Israel will push the botton with nuclear warheads aimed at Israel that will no doubt cause major destruction.

I have pulled three tours in the Middle East with the longest being 18 months starting off with Afganistan, in-out-of Pakistan as well as several missions in Iraq with another scheduled re-deployment in February back to Afganistan..... 

The question that I ask myself sometimes is WHY are we involved in this?  What is the real purpose of this?  Who are we trying to help and what have we accomplished so far?

The answer is we have accomplished nothing and we will never win the war over there....unless we really want too.... But then all of the other countries would say that was unethical....it will always be a winless situation over there; and the entire region will always be in a state of unrest and the killing will always be a part of life.

All I can say is.....Obama has his work cut out for him and one man or one country will ever tame the Middle East as it will always be a war zone.....be prepared for a very long haul.....

I feel bad for the children born into these situations....they didn't cause this, but they will have to live with it....for as long as they can.

"We never hear that there was  a 6 month cease fire which Hamas was observing which Israel broke in Nov. by killing a Palestinian in a raid"

No, that news story was posted all over the internet.  That is just your delusion that it was somehow hidden from western media.  I think you forgot too that rockets were fired from the Gaza at Israel the ENTIRE time of that truce.

Good riddens to Hamas, Islamic Extremist Terrorists and Iranian Leaders that have twisted the Islamic Faith. They leave nothing to bargain with, just hate and murder for all that do not believe as they do. Until they change their views and ways, they need to be  exterminated one by one as they would do to us given the chance.

Good job Israel ! Hope you rid all of Palestine of Hamas and those Muslim Extremist weasels. Now is the time as Hamas would only use a cease fire to get more weapons and re-group to send more missiles in to Israel again later. They (Hamas and most Muslim Extremist Terrorists) honor no agreement that is ever made, they hide amongst women and children to get world attention and when some are killed they cry foul (Those maggot worms). And yet they will strap bombs on their women and children to blow them up and no one says that is a problem. We need to end this insanity now and they leave nothing to bargain with, so they need to be wiped off the face of the earth as they would do to all of us if given the chance.

I also have to say that anyone that could possibly believe Hamas, Iran or any of the Muslim extremist terrorist organizations are right and have a right to do what they have been doing, are doing, and will do again, is right in anyway, must be a Nazi, a Muslim Extremist or just out of their mind. They have nothing to bargain, don't want to bargain and believe lying, hiding amongst civilians and getting them killed, blowing up women and children by strapping bombs on them all in the name of Allah is fine. They have twisted a good religion into a hate mongering, murdering, war loving religion and give a very bad impression of the good true Muslims and Middle Eastern People. This needs to end and the Arab Nations need to band together and end the insanity that Muslim Extremism has created. This can be the start of World War Three if they don't stop this insanity now.

Rani,I think you have things a little slewed ,. or should that be a lot(?) toward hamas , they have and are getting aid from Israel despite the fact they are the initial agressor to the recent response in like manner . You must notice that America is still sending millions of $$$$$ in aid despite the fact they consider hamas both a terrorist regime and the cause of this current conflict .

 Palistinian civilians are NOT being targeted , they chose the government they have , that opts to purchase weapons instead of feeding and educating them , and have been requested to leave military sites etc . They refuse peace offers , and instead they invite the Israeli troops in so they can 'Cut them into pieces' , kill and take them prisoner , dialogue does not work with extremists such as these hamas .

 You must also take note that despite thier Arab neighbours protesting the air-strikes , no one has offered to take them into thier respective countries , because in the past all they did was cause big problems in return .

rani you act as though strikes can be pinpoint accurate on a single person. But what Hamas has done is to aimlessly fire rockets into Israel. You "seem" to be of the mindset that Hamas is ok to fire rockets and Israel isn't allowed to defend herself.

    I get so tired of people like yourself who hide behind the fact that i the people of Gaza wanted peace they would not have voted for a terrorist organization in the first place. Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for months or even over a year now and you say Hamas is partially to blame? They have used humanitarian aid to purchase weapons to kill other people dug tunnels to smuggle those weapons into Gaza and prodded Israel into attacking them. They use places of worship to store their weapons and to hide themselves when they are attacked. They shoot their rockets from civilian areas and endanger their own people in the process. They are not the friend of the Gazan people. They are your enemy. They are off on the old tired lets drive the Israeli's into the sea crap. Right now there is a worldwide effort to stop the madness. Its called peace and that is not a word in their vocabulary. Extremists are just that. Time for the Palestinian people to rise up and cut off the insane heads of those that would sacrifice their own people to gain what is not theirs in the first place. Gazans cannot win against Israel. There is much blame that can be spread amongst all the parties involved in this conflict but it should be discussed at the peace table not in the streets. For this to happen the people who want to live in peace in the region need to step upp and let their voices be heard because the blood of both Israelites and Palestinians are on the hands of idiots.

No! Thats where you are mistaken. Hamas are cowards. They are the kids who hit someone with a rock and then hide when their victim comes to kick their ass. They are not civilized there fore cannot be dealt with in civilized means. The people in the neighborhoods from where they conduct their attacks, live and train hide them and give them shelter and protection. It must be made far more dangerous and painful for them to protect the terrorists than allow these things to continue in there midst. They must police their own state or Isreal will do it for them as they are doing now. Just Deserts.

Very sad and depressing that

Humans killlllll other humans to show humans that killlllling is wrong.

Who  did Moses write the tablets for? Was it just some creative explosion he had at the time?

The whole world seems to have simptoms of Alzheimers disease. Get over your egos and greed.  

We have not learned any lesson from Labanon war in 2006. Just bombing the place does not achieve its goal.  That is what Isreal is doing in Gaza. The truce was based on the understanding that blockade 'll be removed to allow for supplies to pass. It never happened. Now what one 'll do if starvation is there. This is precisely what Israeal wanted so that hey can attack and bombed Gaza. They did same in Lebanon just becasue two soldiers were captired by Hajbullah.  Ariel Sharon wise enough not to resolve for war for small incidents.

Neither side wins...YOU DUMBOS!

The companies that supply the arsenals WIN!!!

GET OVER IT! PACK UP YOUR TENTS AND GO HOME..NO MORE BORDERS!!!!

BORDERS MAKE MONEY...

GET OVER IT! PACK UP YOUR TENTS AND GO HOME..NO MORE BORDERS!!!!

Diplomacy at the end of an Israeli missile. More one-sided b/s.

The media left something out of the Gaza/Israel conflict timeline they have been pedaling: When Israel broke the truce(s). How could that have happened? (haha) Please also read below citations for another time line; U.N. resolutions Israel has violated from 1955-1992 when list was compiled. I guess, like the old TV commercial used to say: membership has it's privileges.

The truce this past summer:

Gaza truce broken as Israeli raid kills six Hamas gunmen

• in Jerusalem
• , Wednesday 5 November 2008 14.32 GMT

A four-month ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza was in jeopardy today after Israeli troops killed six Hamas gunmen in a raid into the territory.

Hamas responded by firing a wave of rockets into southern Israel, although no one was injured. The violence represented the most serious break in a ceasefire agreed in mid-June, yet both sides suggested they wanted to return to atmosphere of calm.

Then the truce just recently:

12/31/08

06:18:12 am   36 words 

Categories:

Its official, Israel broke the truce!

Link:

Palestinians in Gaza believed Israel had called a 48-hour lull in retaliatory attacks with Hamas when Israel Air Force warplanes launched a massive bombardment of militant installations in the Gaza Strip, a UN official said Monday.

U.N. resolutions Israel has violated/ignored from 1955-1992 (when list was compiled, it's probably longer now):

1955-1992:

* Resolution 106: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for Gaza raid".

* Resolution 111: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people".

* Resolution 127: " . . . 'recommends' Israel suspends it's 'no-man's zone' in Jerusalem".

* Resolution 162: " . . . 'urges' Israel to comply with UN decisions".

* Resolution 171: " . . . determines flagrant violations' by Israel in its attack on Syria".

* Resolution 228: " . . . 'censures' Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control".

* Resolution 237: " . . . 'urges' Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees".

* Resolution 248: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan".

* Resolution 250: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem".

* Resolution 251: " . . . 'deeply deplores' Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250".

* Resolution 252: " . . . 'declares invalid' Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital".

* Resolution 256: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation".

* Resolution 259: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation".

* Resolution 262: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for attack on Beirut airport".

* Resolution 265: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan".

* Resolution 267: " . . . 'censures' Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem".

*Resolution 270: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon".

* Resolution 271: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem".

* Resolution 279: " . . . 'demands' withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 280: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli's attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 285: " . . . 'demands' immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon".

* Resolution 298: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's changing of the status of Jerusalem".

* Resolution 313: " . . . 'demands' that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 316: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon".

* Resolution 317: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon".

* Resolution 332: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 337: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty".

* Resolution 347: " . . . 'condemns' Israeli attacks on Lebanon".

* Resolution 425: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 427: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon.

* Resolution 444: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces".

* Resolution 446: " . . . 'determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious

obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention".

* Resolution 450: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon".

* Resolution 452: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories".

* Resolution 465: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member

states not to assist Israel's settlements program".

* Resolution 467: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's military intervention in Lebanon".

* Resolution 468: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of

two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return".

* Resolution 469: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's failure to observe the

council's order not to deport Palestinians".

* Resolution 471: " . . . 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide

by the Fourth Geneva Convention".

* Resolution 476: " . . . 'reiterates' that Israel's claim to Jerusalem are 'null and void'".

* Resolution 478: " . . . 'censures (Israel) in the strongest terms' for its

claim to Jerusalem in its 'Basic Law'".

* Resolution 484: " . . . 'declares it imperative' that Israel re-admit two deported

Palestinian mayors".

* Resolution 487: " . . . 'strongly condemns' Israel for its attack on Iraq's

nuclear facility".

* Resolution 497: " . . . 'decides' that Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan

Heights is 'null and void' and demands that Israel rescinds its decision forthwith".

* Resolution 498: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon".

* Resolution 501: " . . . 'calls' on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops".

* Resolution 509: " . . . 'demands' that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon".

* Resolution 515: " . . . 'demands' that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and

allow food supplies to be brought in".

* Resolution 517: " . . . 'censures' Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions

and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 518: " . . . 'demands' that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon".

* Resolution 520: " . . . 'condemns' Israel's attack into West Beirut".

* Resolution 573: " . . . 'condemns' Israel 'vigorously' for bombing Tunisia

in attack on PLO headquarters.

* Resolution 587: " . . . 'takes note' of previous calls on Israel to withdraw

its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw".

* Resolution 592: " . . . 'strongly deplores' the killing of Palestinian students

at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops".

* Resolution 605: " . . . 'strongly deplores' Israel's policies and practices

denying the human rights of Palestinians.

* Resolution 607: " . . . 'calls' on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly

requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.

* Resolution 608: " . . . 'deeply regrets' that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians".

* Resolution 636: " . . . 'deeply regrets' Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians.

* Resolution 641: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's continuing deportation of Palestinians.

* Resolution 672: " . . . 'condemns' Israel for violence against Palestinians

at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.

* Resolution 673: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's refusal to cooperate with the United

Nations.

* Resolution 681: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's resumption of the deportation of

Palestinians.

* Resolution 694: " . . . 'deplores' Israel's deportation of Palestinians and

calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return.

* Resolution 726: " . . . 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of Palestinians.

* Resolution 799: ". . . 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of 413 Palestinians

and calls for their immediate return.

Mankind can do better than this.  Our current worldview concerning warring was seeded centuries ago that glorified mass murder and mass murderers. 

Europe used to view war as an expression of nationalism and a nation's strength.  A strong nation proved its strength by its ability to war and mass murder innocents.  This predominant worldview of killing and slaughtering others arose from nothing more than whistling in the dark of an ancient, archaic cave.

During WW 1, an unnecessary war that seeded a century of unnecessary wars, the German commander in chief said, "Even if we lose this war, it will be wonderful and glorious", and millions of the peasants' children died. 

Aggression, hatred and bullying are seeded and programmed into the human brain, but evil is evil, regardless.  Any religion that promotes mass murder is evil as well.  A rose by any other name...

"Thou shall NOT KILL".  Cause no pain; Do No Harm!  The dark ages have passed; it is time to evolve and realize that warring and bullying by anyone devolves the future and represents nothing more than groping in the dark for a light switch and mind programming to hate each other.

dear Rani . in most free societies we have elections and the resulting government takes control over all voters weather they voted for them or not . saying "i did not vote for them" does not excuse these voters from their control. once the vote is over , hamas is in control and represent ALL inhabitants of the gaza strip. collective pride AND guilt does apply.(remember germany??)

HHHmmmm , do i need to remind you that Islam kills all infidels ? thats nonbelievers to them . it is written in their quaran to do so , it is spoken aloud by IRAN an others . its a fact an one i have a problem with because i think they are all brainwashed stupid people who walk around a rocks chanting evil thoughts  an death to everyone else . so with that said / go on over an have a ball . no singing , no movies , no music , women are treated like dogs an all their children are nothing but tools used that are killed in one horrible way or another or married off to some old pervert , an if they dont like you they call it honor killings . what a fun bunch . blast them to hell an back Isreal .

I can't believe we support these butchers and our kids will bleed for them...Olmert is a convicted criminal Bush is a sworn liar and you believe the Hammas started it? Ya they did, when they held a Democratic election and Democratly elected a Head of State.. who we watch the butchers kill.. we support the wrong people plain and simple. They have no planes, tanks, troops, Navy, just people, and you call total destruction and genocide FAIR cause there freedom fighters fight for freedom???? just as our own forfathers did,mmm seems we have Biblicaly lost our way...We should take a pg.. as it's all good, and get it done here with the Native Americans... who we destroyed into the stone age...We did smallpox maybe we should try Ricen or Serin to finish the job to save money,RIGHT?

Wow, how this conversation reduces itself to namecalling and way off topic.

I am glad to see Israel taking it to Hamas, and I wish them Godspeed, and they are in my prayers, as well as the non-combative Palestinian and their non-combative families. I am rather dismayed that Palestinians did not have the courage and sense of destiny to see what Hamas and it's supporters were doing to their people, and perhaps civilian casualties are the price they will pay for voting in Hamas and failing to remove them when they saw their true colors. And if they saw their true colors and voted them in anyway, well, life sucks when you're a coward, yeah?

May God bless those who love us, and if they don't love us, may He turn their hearts. And if He can't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limpin'.

Throughout history the acts of a few in power control the hearts and minds of many... How could 6 million Jews die in WW2 and never fight back -- could have changed the war... 

Then in Iraq where its people allowed Sadamm Hussien to crucify them and yet did nothing, did not stand up.  The US goes in, takes him out, and you got Mr. Sadr calling for Jihad against the US for doing the job he was afraid to do in the first place. 

Now we are in Gaza where Hamas hides and rants behind their own people and the people do nothing to save themselves from a self-destructive goverment.  And yet the world blames Israel for killing innocents... This is war people, regardless of your high and mightly pacificsm in the perfect world.  You can not fight fire with discussion and dialogue in this region.  Terrorism will not die until the people they hide behind find reason to take control of their destiny.  Therefore we can not call them innocents, but supporters because they have done nothing to quench there own fire.  There is not a grey area anymore -- its either life or death.  No longer should the world allow  Terrorism and countries who harbor it, who say its not their problem, to continue down this path.  No longer should we call the harborers of terror innocents, but enablers. 

The so-called civilized world (Europe) is afraid of it and do not realize nothing can be solved between two extreme differences of belief.  And yet, with all due respect, Europe knows war more than any region during the 20th Century so I do not blame them for their reluctance.  But what Europe has realized about the destruction of war, the Middle East has not in recent History.  You can not convince this region otherwise until it happens. 

So in my humble, insignificant opinion, the civilized world needs to rise up once again, arm themselves and quench this Third-World fire of hate with a final resolution of freedom.  If the US continues to fight this fight alone, the rest of the world will too be swallowed up by the fires of intolerance, the Anti-God.     

FYI: A little history about the current escalation of violence in Gaza. 

Note: "Fatah" is the older of the Palestinian political organizations and the largest faction of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). It is secular, not religious. 

"Hamas" is the younger of the Palestinian political organizations and is religiously based, (sunni Islamic). Hamas, beat Fatah in elections pushed for by the U.S. in Jan, 2006.

From: Wikipedia (Yeah I know, not a fool proof source of info but these citations agree with other sources I have read/This was written a year or so ago)

"Conflict between Fatah and Hamas had been simmering since Hamas won the legislature elections in January 2006. The U.S. and Israel attempted to undermine the democratically elected Hamaswhile strengthening [Fatah]President Mamoud Abba's position and forcing Hamas from power. The U.S., Egypt, and Israel also armed and trained Fatah for a possible 'War' with Hamas.

The major conflict in Gaza surfaced in December 2006 and was centered on Hamas executive force attempts to control Gaza instead of the Palestinian police..."

By Jean Shaoul
21 May 2007

"Israel is intervening in the mounting factional strife in Gaza between Fatah and Hamas, with the explicit aim of eliminating Hamas as a military and political force.

On May 17, Israel gave the go-ahead for 500 Fatah fighters to cross into the Gaza Strip from Egypt, so as to lend support to the forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who are fighting Hamas forces loyal to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The 500 are reported to have been trained under a US-sponsored programme. Many Fatah security personnel have received training in Arab and European Union countries, often by American and Russian personnel..."

"...But this policy has backfired. The more that Abbas is seen to have US and Israeli backing, the more the Palestinian people become alienated from Abbas and Fatah, already widely despised because of their corruption and inefficiency. Reports that the US has been supplying Abbas’s forces with guns and millions of dollars to take on Hamas’s supporters have added fuel to the fire.

One veteran Fatah member admitted that it lacked the support of the Palestinian public. “Most Palestinians still don’t trust us,” he said. “Most Palestinians still hold us responsible for the financial corruption in the Palestinian Authority. And what’s worse is that many Palestinians don’t like the fact that we are being supported by the US and Israel.”"

P.S. This information took me about 10 minutes to find by googling on-line so I'm sure other people on this board can do the same and come up with comments that are less based on hearsay, what they saw on TV, what it says in the Bible, or what they just pulled out of their....

What an uneducated fool.

rani

"hamas is an evil that we have to deal with in a sane and civilized way,"

Any suggestions?

Nice sentiment rani, to bad it doesn't fly.  How do you deal "in a sane and civilized way" with a group that wants anything but.  No sane response will give Hamas what they want - the destruction of Israel.  Remember, Hamas doesn't want peace with Israel under any circumstance.  Hamas doesn't want the land to be divided into Israel & Palestine - they want the country of Israel to cease to exist and all the land to be given to the Palestinians - they have stated this time and time again.

  As far as the collective punishment of civilians go - tell me what war hasn't involved causing casualties and hardship to civilians.  How could Israel cut off power, food, supplies, and reinforcements to Hamas fighters without affecting the civilian population?

Partly is an understatement

Collective punishment???  That is a very interesting perception.  Sending rockets into civilian areas with no target in mind is collective.  promissing to remove Israel from the face of the earth is collective.  refusing to recognize a nation is collective.  shall I continue.  If the Hamass were to lay down their arms and accept Israel as a neighbor, the region will be peacefull.  IF Israel were to put down their arms and quit fighting there would be blood flowing until no Israelies were left alive.  I think that all of the people who are feeling sorry for the Palestininan civilians and who are asking for Proportionality should remember two things:

1. the citizins of Gaza chose their leadership - and when one goes to bed with dogs, one should not be surprised if they wake up with fleas.

2. The complaint that Israel is discriminating against the Palestinians should include the fact that Jordan chase the Palestinians out of their country when they tried to monopolize the politics of Jordan.  The borders to Jordan (on the West Bank) are closed and people from the west Bank are not free to go and come to Jordan.  Neither are they free to go to Egypt.  The Arab nations don't want to deal with the Palestinians any more than Israel does.  Certainly not until there is someone reasonable is available to negotiate with.

All,

I am tired of the "selective" news presented by the media.  The Hamas has asked for this attack by Israel time and time again.  They thrive on the media placing pictures of a child injured being carried by an adult.  Why do they place their children in harm's way?  Why do they use Mosques to hide weapons?  They want the media to come in and say how horrible Israel is.  What about the missiles that hit an Israeli Kindergarten?  Only fortunate that there were no children there at the time. These people do not care about the life here and now when they are told all will be well if they kill innocents and will arrive at a utopia for their actions.   War is terrible, but when the enemy uses innocents as shields don't blame the the defensive actions of those responding to the damned acts of terrorists for losses sustained under these conditions.  Israel has to do what is necessary to protect itself and all of its citizens.

Its not collective punishment.  Its hamas hiding behind civilians while it rockets and bombs another civilian population.  The Palestinians elected Hamas.  This is a consequence of their lust for violence and hatred of Israel.  This could stop in five minutes if Palestinian leadership agreed to stop bombings and live in peace.  That is beyond them because they are fundamentally sick and warped society.

nice work BILL CARSON, but i don't think anyone is trying to hear it.

rani   The Israeli's looked for a peaceful solution.  I'd much rather have them shut the power off....to get their point across to the leaders of Hammas than to have to resort to rockets themselves. 

The leaders of Hammas had the opporturnity to make something out of Palestine.  They chose not to.  The reporters get on nightly, and they still spew the same hatres.  "We will never recognize Israel as a state.  We will continue to fight Israel and America.  They are the occupiers."

Blah Blah blah BS, BS, BS   Same ole song, just another day for Hammas.   

The fact that civilians are being wounded and killed in this situation is, indeed, a very unfortunate and painful situation.  None of us relish the sight of hurt people, children, women and men alike.  That said, the Palestinian people elected Hamas in a democratic election process, therefore, they've given ca rte blanch approval for Hamas to shell Israel and continue its offensive against the Israeli people as well.  In that way, they are complicit and must face the fact that they are ruled and governed by a terrorist faction whose only interest is in taking over Israel and disposing of all Israeli people.  Israel has every right to fight back.  Hamas knew and still knows that Israel's arsenal is much larger and powerful than theirs, but they insist on provoking the fight anyway.  I say the blame for the deaths amongst the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip falls squarely on the shoulders of their elected Hamas representatives.  Israel is clearly fed up with Hamas and has set its sights on eliminating this parasite of a terrorist group from their border areas.  Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qadea and any other of like minded terrorists groups think nothing of putting their own people in harms way.  In fact, they typically do this by bunkering down in highly populated residential areas with schools, hospitals, shops, etc.  They show little to no concern for their own people, and that is a despicable strategy.  At least, Israel has the sense to target precise territories and areas known as Hamas strongholds.  If Hamas wants to end their aggression against Israel, I'm sure Israel would accept their full surrender, along with all of their weapons, and will put these criminals in a nice safe place with steel bars, a window to look out of, and one warm meal a day. . .that would be prison.  Until terrorists groups are entirely eliminated, the entire world will be in danger from these religious and territorial demanding criminals.  I can only imagine what Israel has had to deal with for the last 60 years!  They want peace and the freedom to enjoy their lives without threat from radical and irrational idiots who wish to eliminate them.  I support their all out effort to protect their land and people, and pray God will continue to bless the nation of Israel, so that they may finally attain peace. 

"hamas is an evil that we have to deal with in a sane and civilized way,"

Sorry Rani but there is only one way to deal with Hamas or any of the Islamic Jihadis, by killing them. Anything less is just prolonging the inevitable,letting them get stronger in the meantime. Read up on Islam...understand their tactics and what they really want. Check out ,Religion of peace.com.

agreed!  the media is so PRO Israel biased that the suffering of Palestine's population is just glossed over. Maybe we can see a few more pro-Israel propaganda videos of how they were preparing for the war. What war? It is just a police action with little thought to innocent Arabs caught in the middle. The only preparing is how to cover up the innocents getting killed.

Israel has dropped leaflets into Gaza asking the residents to inform the Israelis as to the locations of rocket launching positions. The residents stepped over the leaflets, ignoring them.

The adult residents of Gaza are not innocent, they are enablers and child abusers that teach their children to hate in their homes and schools. It is a shame that the cowardly Palestinian people would rather see their children die than to make a phone call that would allow only the targeting of terrorists. Once these terrorists are gone, the blockade will be lifted, these people seem to enjoy their suffering, it's a shame that they are allowed to have children considering the way that they treat them.

For thousands of years, when a people is defeated, their conquerors take over their lands. The one exception is the United States. Palestine is not a country, but a collection of terrorists and enablers with nothing better to do than teach their children to hate and die.

RON WROTE

"Good riddens to Hamas, Islamic Extremist Terrorists and Iranian Leaders that have twisted the Islamic Faith."

Actually Ron they have not twisted the Islamic faith. They are the TRUE Muslims. Don't just parrot the tired b.s. about Islam being a religion of peace...blah...balh.  It's not and never was.  It's an f'd up ideology made up by a criminal/so called prophet. Islam does not deserve any respect, it is what it is, a despicable barbaric system that has not evolved and neither have it's adherents. Islam , not the West ,is the reason the Muslim world lives so pitifully.

The U.S and West generally were responsible for creating the two-headed monster the world must deal with now: Israel and Islamic extremism.

Israel: The U.S. started backing Israel, unconditionally, when it saw that it needed a base of operations in the area to dominate the regions energy resources (Oil) in the 1950-1960's (General Alexander Haig described Israel as our "unsinkable aircraft carrier in the middle east"). It was this unconditional support (rhetorical, financial and military) by the worlds biggest super power that taught the Israelis that they could get away with anything:  attacking who ever they wanted to, stealing more land from the Palestinians in violation of numerous U.N resolutions, ignoring international law, etc. 

Islamic extremism: Islamic extremism got it's biggest boost from the war the CIA waged against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the late 1970's-1980's, the most expensive action of the whole Cold War, billions of dollars. The campaign was supported through Democratic and Republican administrations. Zbignew Brezinsky, Pres. Carters National Security Advisor started funding/encouraging Islamic radicals to attack the Soviet supported government of Nur Muhaammad Taraki to goad the Soviets into  invading, this policy was continued and intensifed under Ronald Reagan after the Soviets went in.  

Here is today's U.S. supported Afghan president, Hamid Karzai talking about the rise of Islamic Extremism caused by the U.S. support of Islamic radicals:

From article by James Cogan, Sept., 2008

...On rare occasions, however, someone deviates from the script and draws attention to historical facts regarding present-day Islamic extremism that Washington and its allies prefer to leave unmentioned. One occasion was an interview on August 19 with Time magazine with a very close American ally—Hamid Karzai, the man who was installed by the Bush administration as President of Afghanistan in 2002.

Challenged by Time to answer how an enemy could be fought that “only has annihilation as its goal”, Karzai felt compelled to note the current situation was a by-product of US support in the 1980s for the creation of an Islamic fundamentalist army to wage a jihad or holy war against a pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan and embroil the Soviet military itself in a decade-long guerilla conflict.

“...In the years of fighting against the Soviets, radicalism was the main thing. Someone like me would be called half a Muslim because we were not radical. The more radical you were the more money you were given. Radicalism became not only an ideological tool against the Soviets but a way forward economically. The more radical you presented yourself, the more money the West gave you.”

"...Karzai is intimately familiar with the US backing for Afghan jihadists in the 1980s. He ran the office of Sebghatullah Mojadeddi, the leader of one of the Mujahedin groups, and undoubtedly liaised with CIA and other US officials. His bitterness over US policy stems from the fact that the Mojadeddi faction was regarded as “moderate” as compared to the “radicals” who received the lion’s share of financial support.

From 1979 on, the US urged its allies such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to give military and financial aid to the Islamist-based Afghan insurgents as a means of undermining the Soviet Union. Combined with direct American funds, as much as $2 billion poured in each year—the CIA’s Afghan project was by far the largest covert operation of the entire Cold War.

The largest beneficiary of US aid during the 1980s was Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami, which is believed to have received as much as $600 million in US weapons and cash. Another figure the CIA worked with closely was Jalaluddin Haqqani, a guerilla commander who built a large military force in the ethnic Pashtun provinces of southern Afghanistan.

Mr Bill, Can you explain to me why it is not possible for Hamas to sit down and talk peacefully with Israel and Fatah with an open mind about all issues, accept the existance of Israel and work towards an an independent Palestinian state sid by side with Israel? Israel is there to stay being created by UN as a jewish homeland and you cannot wish it to go away. Does Hamas really want a peaceful life for its citizens and a good future for its children? or they just want to hate Israel and continue this non-sense violent approach? After seeing the picture of Jabaliya Refugee camp with tall multi storey buildings, it did not look like a refugee camp at all. I dont think Palestinians refufees are living a life of poverty. They are living a far better life than millions of Africans and Indians and Chinese. I read that 1 in 5 is a governmant servant there, which means most people are living with government help. Why is it like that?  There are about 4-5 million Palestinians and they are grabbing the whole world's attention which is ridiculous. They have brought on this problem themselves.

Dear Rani,

I have a question - where were these "concerned countries" that are worried about civilian deaths/injuries when the Hamas sent rocket after rocket in hopes of killing anyone?

• The Hamas were supported by the people of Gaza
• The Hamas continue to send rockets in hopes of killing babies, pregnant women and anyone else they can kill
• Now that Israel has responded and has killed civilians (the Hamas hide behind them), but is targeting the militants
• They killed Rayan, his 4 wives and 10 children - sad?
• Rayan sent a son in 2001 as a suicide bomber - so what is sad about the destruction of Rayan and family?
• Rayan, family, Hamas, and the citizen of Gaza (that support the Hamas) celebrate death - so what is the big deal?
• The Hamas is a culture of death - life means nothing to them.
• MY big question - if the Hamas does not care about life - why do these "concerned countries" worry about the death of civilians (they WERE trying to kill citizens of Israel)?
• HAMAS - stop firing rockets at Israel and peace will come to your people.

I've have yet to have seen a more idiot culture.

What should be learned from the Israeli offensive is that much success can be had when not boggged down in pretend wars manufactured by politicians or career bureaurecrats sp? stifled by unrealistic ROE written by morons who could not come up with a game plan for a football game, because it would require too much common sense.  If you look at casualty reports of 512 killed Hamas vs 1 Israeli soldier it becomes apparrent that when individuals with a modicom of common sense are serious about winning a war and can apply sufficient resources all will go well.

Hamas is hiding behind civilians as they have been doing since their inception. They fire rockets and mortars at civilians in Israel and then scream when one of theirs is injured or killed. Israel trys its best to warn citizens of impending damage. Hamas does the opposite.

Hamas is made up of cowardly men who hide behind women and children. I have great sorrow for the innocent people, on both sides of this issue, that are injured and killed. It is all avoidable; Hamas must stop launching rockets and mortar shells into Israel!

What a bunch of pathetic cowards our world powers are. Israel cuts off supplies and starves the people of Gaza for a few years, then bombs it with high tech weaponry from safe positions for a week or so (weapons bought with the help of the worlds super power) THEN launches a brutal ground assault. And this is supposed to restore the Israeli militaries reputation in the world?!? The fact that they can whip a bunch of half starved people (many women and children) who have only automatic rifles and home made booby traps and missiles made from metal fence posts? Wow, the standards have gotten, lowwwwww.

Same thing with the U.S. militaries invasion of Iraq. The U.S. starved and strangled Iraq for 10-15 years with sanctions before they invaded the country (and they only had 1970s vintage weaponry BEFORE the sanctions) and that's supposed to mean we're bad asses? I have to laugh every time I hear some guy on T.V. talk about what a brilliant campaign the Iraq invasion was. How brilliant a fighter would Mike Tyson have to be to whip Stephen Hawkins?

****Note: I'm not talking about average grunts in the service, it is always tough to fight a war no matter the enemies strength for the average soldier and they have to do what they are told but the brass and the civilian leadership are a shameless bunch of bullies.

I am very tired of MY MONEY supporting those people, why do I need to support these people, they hate us and we give them money, military hardware yadda, disgusting, why do we send Israel billions of dollars a year? what the @!$%# is that, disgusting fooked up

Let's clear our minds for a second, and put ourselves in other people's shoes, shall we?  What if a foreign country took over one of our most sacred (church or synagoge)?  What if a foreign country cut off our supply of food and energy for months?  What if we couldn't protect ourselves as well as the bullies who do all of this?  Wouldn't we want to retaliate?  I think so.  I think if Israel wanted to go after Hamas only, they have the technology and intelligence to do so, unfortunately thanks to U.S. funding.  Israel gets probably billions from the U.S. and they have the nerve to shut down roads and gateways that allow Palestinians to get their basic needs?  Who's the real terrorist here?  The way I see it, they don't care who they kill.  Hmm, killing pregnant women and children...Israel's good for that. 

Ivonne or whatever, if Ghandi had gone up against Israel, they would have killed him and taken over his entire country.  They are barbarians. 

Here's another thought for DaughterRev, how do you know Arafat was a pedophile?  Did you personally know him? 

Also, If any of you actually want to know about Islam, why don't you go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and read one for yourself.  No excuses now, they're in English too.  So, let's not be lazy and pretend we're well-informed when we're really not.  Going to anti-Islamic websites is not being properly informed about Islam, ok.  Also, you can talk to an Imam if you really can't understand. 

It was Hamas who repeatedly attacked Israel before Israel made a move.  If you keep slapping someody sooner or later you are going to get hit. 

Rani - harsh words for Hamas!  I would question your use of the word evil.  Hamas happens when good men and women stand by and do nothing while a nation suffers.  Extremism will always flourish under these conditions.  I always held Israel up to a higher god because of the terrible murder inflicted on the Jewish people by the Nazies, but my sympathy lies firmly with the Palestinians these days.  Read any history of the Middle East  to see how Israel illegally took land from the Palestinians and has treated them close to subhuman ever since. Israel and her might are only sowing the seeds for a further generation of hatred.  And as for  America -Just another nail in our coffin. Maybe Obama will see the pitiful conditions of life in the Palestinian territories and demand some action.

I agree that it is terrible that civilians are getting killed and Hamas is hiding amongst them.  However, they did vote Hamas into power.  These people live there.  I am certain they knew what Hamas was when they voted them in.  So they are surprised now?  I do not think so.

Hamas has been bombing Israel at will for a long time.  How long is Israel supposed to take that.  If Israel can only take that action that results in no civilian losses then Hamas has won.  Hamas has dug in and is among the civilians so that any strike on them will result in civilian deaths.  There is no avoiding it.  The world has not gone in and put an end to Hamas - the Muslim nations will not do it.  Israel has an enemy in Hamas that wants Israel destroyed - not just their military but their civilians too.  It is hard to say that this is Hamas and not Palistine when Hamas is in control and was elected to be in control.

Hamas needs to stop bombing and stop arming themselves in these type of weapons and they need to agree to UN oversight - they will do none of this.  Makes one think that Hamas is getting exactly what they want.  The people in Palistine need to kick Hamas out and no longer support them.  Then maybe they can live in peace. 

One would certainly hope that the violence could stop.  To do this Hamas has to want to make peace - that is hard to do when your stated purpose is to destroy Israel.  Israel has never said they want to destroy anyone.  Until Hamas can accept Israel as a Nation I just do not see how the violence ever stops.  It must be terrible to live in Palestine or Israel.

rani, did you also know that hen sends a suicide bomber,they on't care if it's on a bus full of innocent victims,or a store, or any pblic place,where the most harm and fatalities can done against Israel and anyone else around?

Ipray for Peace for Israel and the all the arab nations.

israel has been attacked for over a year, by hamas military targets hidden within civilian locations. israel has a right to defend itself. (president of the EU, this past week)

for the joker who said israel needs to start abiding by un law...um, the un doesn't have legal authority over sovereign nations. however israel does recognize the right of the pali's to have a homeland, something the arabs have never agreed to where israel is concerned. the un partition of british palestine was to create 2 homelands: 1 for the jews(israel), and 1 for the palis. 

what was to be the pali homeland (now jordan) was usurped by a prince from the house of saud. thus, to give the palis the homeland they were promised, the house of saud would have to vacate the nation of jordan. what would be a good start is the arab nations recognizing the right of israel to exist and have secure borders.

to bry33---posting from a mennonite site in this discussion is about as objective as the msm was during the presidential campaign, ie, they are so in the bag for one side it's laughable.  hundreds of israelis have been killed during the past year.

Hamas hides, like cowards, among the innocents of Gaza.  What is Isarael to do?  Hamas throws rockets at Isarael, then hides among the citizery.  Something had to break, unfortunately the civilians are caught up in the violence, a choice made by Hamas,. COWARDS!!!

More Bushspeak. Invading Gaza is not an act of defense, but an act of retaliation. If Hamas kill two via suicide bombers and Israel kills 500 with rockets, who is the terrorist?

Arthur

Hamas is the terrorist.

Do I get a sticker for answering the question?

Just like a schoolyard bully, to pick sides..

The President needs to take both of them to the table and work it out . 

 Israel to the 1967 agreement and Hamas to the same. 

 Bush is a useless @!$%#

I seemed to have been censored..

Arthur, call it what you want, but if someone keeps sending rockets into my country, then they are going to get all I can give them back.  They don't care where they hit, they just lob them.  So I say that Hamas is for sure the terrorists.

I am an Israeli citizen from Jerusalem (I was not called up for reserve duty yet).

fact 1: Hamas does not believe in the very right of Israel to exist (look up their amendment).

fact 2: Hamas's basic method of action is terrorism (look up their amendment).

fact 3: Hamas has been launching rockets into civilian Jewish cities in longer and longer range. So that now 20% of Israel's civilians live under a continuous missile threat. (Read the news or visit Ashkelon and wait of the alert to run for shelter).

None of the above facts are in any way hidden or secret.  

How would you expect your own country to react to a self defined terrorist organization firing missiles at your cities, performing suicide attacks in your busses and taking refuge amongst their own citizens?

I am the last person in the world to want to resort to a military solution. Please inform me if you come up with an alternative solution taking into account the situation (this would help minimize my own chances of being called up to leave my children and go fight terrorists covered with explosives and jumping out the tunnels they have prepared).

I am an Israeli citizen from Jerusalem (I was not called up for reserve duty yet).

fact 1: Hamas does not believe in the very right of Israel to exist (look up their amendment).

fact 2: Hamas's basic method of action is terrorism (look up their amendment).

fact 3: Hamas has been launching rockets into civilian Jewish cities in longer and longer range. So that now 20% of Israel's civilians live under a continuous missile threat. (Read the news or visit Ashkelon and wait of the alert to run for shelter).

None of the above facts are in any way hidden or secret.  

How would you expect your own country to react to a self defined terrorist organization firing missiles at your cities, performing suicide attacks in your busses and taking refuge amongst their own citizens?

I am the last person in the world to want to resort to a military solution. Please inform me if you come up with an alternative solution taking into account the situation (this would help minimize my own chances of being called up to leave my children and go fight terrorists covered with explosives and jumping out the tunnels they have prepared).

Honestly, if Hamas wanted peace they could have it. They just don't want it. The entire muslem world does'nt want to deal with the Palestinian problem either. The United States has given billions of dollars to the palestinines. What have they done with it? Did they build infrastructure, hospitals, schools, agriculture, or housing? No. They spent it on rockets, and arms. Hamas specifically has used OUR governments money to further their agenda. We support this because........?

WQ-610538: Listen up, Hamas is the terrorist. I want my sticker too.

First off, most of the so called civilian casualties are most likely Hamas fighters and supporters. I don't think they all wear uniforms. Secondly, Hamas like all Terrorist Organizations, hide amongst the civilians and in their mosques hoping to get maximum media coverage when the civilians are killed and the Mosques are bombed. The Media falls for it every time and what they are hoping for is to rile all Muslims and Arabs into their fight as they did in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Most civilian that were not Hamas Supporters and Family of Hamas would have left when Israel warned them to leave days before they sent in ground Troops. Any that are still there were their by choice or held hostage by the Hamas fighters I'm sure. The more the Media reports civilian casualties the more riled Arabs and Muslims get and that plays right into the hands of Hamas. Iran backs Hamas and from what i can tell would like to unite all Muslims and Arabs against Israel. World War Three will be in the middle east and will be started by Iran.

no once again, it is HAMAS that has excersiced a collective punishment on the citizens of Gaza, not Isreal.  Hamas knew exactly what was going to happen if they kept antagonizing Isreal.  This is what they wanted, the dramatic pictures of the "poor" women and children hurting which they could care less about. 

The people of Gaza will never live in peace and prosperity until they finally get the fact that Isreal is not going anywhere and they learn to live together, which Hamas refuses to do and has vowed to "fight to the death"  WELL SO BE IT!!!

None of us, including the Israeli forces don't want to kill civilians. but there never has been any war in history where the innocent have not suffered.  It is a tragedy I know,. but the enemy forces merge in with the civilians and you can't tell who is good and who is bad.  The Vietnamese did the same thing in Vietnam, in my 5 years there I saw VC unloading ships as stevedores in the daytime and using our own ammunition against us at night.  War is not fair as it used to be and it has never ever been fair.  I hate it as much as anyone but what can we do to obtain peace, it takes two to tango.  You would think with our modernization and maturity we would at least attempt to get along, why is it then that Hamas is continuously shelling Israel?, they must know that the Israelis will take just so much and then retaliate.

When the Israelis retaliate they go all ouit to rid themselves of the threat and I can't bame them, what would you do if someone attacked the United Sates, just let them?.

God Bless Israel. May they kill all the terrorists who have been hiding among the civilians and firing rockets into Israel for the past year or so. War is not pretty. Innocents die. Go get em, boys!

The Hamas are terrorist that have LAUNCHED OVER 3000 ROCKETS into Israel the past year.  Repeated attacks by suicide bombers.

The Palestinian people elected the Hamas in an election so now they are getting what they so richly deserve.

On Dec. 27, Israel began defensive operations to dismantle Iran-backed Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and stop the terrorist group from its 8-years-long campaign of attacking Israeli civilians with 10,000 rockets, missiles and mortars. [1]

Despite Hamas’s unrelenting rocket attacks, Israel continues to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, warning the civilian population to stay clear of terrorist sites. Said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, "Israel has made it clear that we are fighting against terrorism, not the Gazan residents, and the extremists are the ones who are taking advantage of the concern of the humanitarian organizations and the international community as a means of pressuring Israel." [2]

Iran-backed Hamas Rocket, Mortar Attacks and Nuclear Developments
 

10,000+

rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001. [10]

3,200+

rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in 2008 alone. [11]

6,500+

rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. [12]

538+

rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israeli territory during the ceasefire from June 19 to Dec. 19, 2008. [13]

480

rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since Operation Cast Lead began Dec. 27. [14]

28

deaths caused by rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since 2001. The dead include Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the ceasefire ended, Iran-backed Palestinian groups in Gaza fired rockets and mortars that killed an Israeli-Arab construction worker and a mother of four who was seeking shelter in a bus station as a rocket warning siren sounded. [15]

1,000+

people in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001, including Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the start of Israel’s defensive operation in Gaza Dec. 27, 90 Israelis have been injured and at least 244 have been treated for shock. [16]

20,000 

Hamas terrorists Israel is targeting as part of its defensive operations [17]

1,000,000

Israeli civilians Hamas is targeting and can reach. [18]

15

seconds Israelis have to get to a bomb shelter once a warning siren has sounded. [19]

8

years Israel has endured rockets and mortar fire from Gaza [20]

3

mosques in Gaza used as weapons, ammunitions and explosives depots that were struck by the Israel Defense Forces during the operation in Gaza. [21] The strikes occurred only at night and never during prayer times, to avoid civilian casualties.

4

UN Security Council resolutions passed since 2006 to try to stop Iran from enriching uranium. [22]

5,000+

number of centrifuges operating in Iran to enrich uranium, the material used to produce a nuclear weapon. [23]

What Israel Gave Up in Hopes of Peace - Gaza Withdrawal Aug. 2005
 

100%

proportion of the Gaza Strip evacuated and handed over to the
Palestinians. [24]

300

square miles of the West Bank evacuated. [25]

21

Israeli settlements uprooted in the Gaza Strip. [26]

4

Israeli settlements uprooted in the West Bank. [27]

48

graves uprooted in Gaza’s former Gush Katif Cemetery, including six graves of area residents murdered by terrorists. [28]

9,000

approximate number of Israelis, including 1,700 families, who lived in Gaza and the northern West Bank. All of them were moved out as part of the withdrawal. [29]

38

synagogues dismantled in the Gaza Strip. [30]

5,000

school-age children who had to find new schools. [31]

42

daycare centers that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [32]

36

kindergartens that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [33]

7

elementary schools that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [34]

3

high schools that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [35]

320

mobile homes, ordered by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to serve as temporary housing for settlers. [36]

45,000

Israeli soldiers and policemen who participated in the Gaza withdrawal. [37]

$1.7 billion

the approximate cost to the Israeli government for the withdrawal initiative. [38]

166

Israeli farmers who were moved out of Gaza. [39]

800

cows, which comprised the second largest dairy farm in Israel, moved out of Gaza’s Gush Katif community. [40]

$120 million

value of flowers and produce exported annually from Gush Katif and lost following the evacuation. [41]

1

zoo, the “Katifari,” that housed hundreds of animals and was moved. [42]

10,000

people who were employed in agriculture and related industries in Gush Katif, including 5,000 Palestinians. [43]

60%

proportion of Israel's cherry tomato exports that came from the Gaza Strip. Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza extinguished this economic resource. [44]

3.5 million

square meters (almost 1,000 acres) of greenhouses abandoned in Gaza. [45]

70

percentage of Israel's organic produce grown in Gaza – another economic resource lost in the evacuation. [46]

60

percentage of herbs exported from Israel that came from Gush Katif. [47]

15

percentage of Israel agricultural exports that originated in Gaza – exports lost following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. [48]

$360,000

expected average compensation amount Israel expected to pay to relocate each family. [49]

$870 million

approximate cost for Israel to facilitate the resettlement of former West Bank and Gaza residents elsewhere in the country. [50]

$500 million

amount of money Israel's security establishment spent to relocate Israel Defense Forces bases outside the Gaza Strip and build new border crossing facilities. [51]

After Israel’s evacuation from Gaza…
 

430,000

West Bank Palestinians able to move freely within and between Palestinian-controlled areas. [52]

1

Israeli remaining in Gaza. Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit was abducted from Israel on June 25, 2006 by Hamas in a bloody cross-border raid in which the terrorists also killed two IDF soldiers and wounded four others. [53]

1.2 million

Arabs who remained full and legal citizens of Israel. All Israeli citizens – Christians, Muslims, and Jews – have freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right to vote. [54]

1.3 million

Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip many of them in Palestinian Authority-controlled refugee camps, who live under their own leaders. [55]

820,000

Jewish refugees forced to flee without their belongings from Arab countries between 1947 and 1949, and who have never been compensated by Arab governments for their losses. [58]

650,000

Arab refugees who left Israel from 1947-1949 and still need Palestinian leaders who will end terrorism and the culture of hate. [57]

Bull, they should hit harder until either Hamas quits or dies. This is getting to ba an old story that will come again if they quit. Humanitarian, ha, they live with them, they can die with them.

So Mr. Bush wants a free Iraq from hostile forces? Start a war! Hamas is getting blown away our President is silent. Nothing to say Mr. Bush? Oh lets wait for Obama and put the world on hold. I am not saying stop Isreal but do something Mr. Bush we are still paying you until January 20th!

In the complaints about Israel defending itself against Hamas..no one has hit the reason this all continues. Which is of course...many of the Arab Nations are backing Hamas and other groups like it.  The Arabs are putting oil revenues into the purchase of weapons for Hamas...for the fighting there to stop...the Arab nations have to stop giving to the terrorist groups...and so far I have heard no complaints on this.....from no nation, including the USA and that is because of two things...oil and politics...

I feel sorry for the children, but most of the women and man in Gaza voted for Hamas and are supporting them. They were the ones jumping in the street for joy at 9/11. They were firing rockets into Israel day and night, and at the end, this is what they got in return. They had it comming.

Stephen,   I agree that Hammas is a problem,  but the problem is not just one group.  I suggest that readers bone up on their history and read a great resource by Joel Rosenburg   "Epicenter". 

It opened up my eyes.  This author was detailing attacks on the US  nine months before the towers were targeted. 

This man has a unique understanding of the situation.   And I agree with his assessment of the Islamic problem in general.   There are no political or cartographical boundries here.....we are dealing with Muslim hatred that goes back a thousand years and beyond.

Until the Elitists (left and right) get this into thier heads they will never "win" this fight.

You can't stratagize with over a hundred "experts" giving thier opinions,  as they did to the white house  for months prior to 9/11.  It just didn't work.

We need the fresh input like Mr. Rosengurg who knows the intimate details of this crisis.   I hope Obillary will have the wisdome to see the difference......

The only reason citizens in the Gaza area have been killed is because the Hamas is know over the years to use their citizens as human shields.  I have sympathy for the innocents on both sides but if you read your Bible, the old testament when the Israeli's went to war God told them to totally destroy their enemy and do not take anythin that belonged to them - in other words put the evil out from among them!  These innocent children will grow up to be just like their parents & the fighting will never end until God comes back.  I am a Christian and believe completely in loving your enemies and do good to those who spitefully use you - but if someone broke into your home and was going to kill your family what would you do?  The Bible talks about their is justifialble anger - you can be angry and sin not - the Israeli people have been attacked by the Palestians for years & that has to stop.  The last transmission from the leader of the Hamas went a like this - kill your enemy & target Israeli citizens!  What do you do with that - only answer defend yourself and get rid of the evil before it spreads.  So many people are critizing the Israeli people but we don't live there with the threat of attacks 24/7 - since about 2001 the Palestians have sent approximately 10,000 rockets at the Israeli people and they don't care if civilians are killed, they even rejoice when an Israeli is killed and believe me the time will come when they will try to kill us and not feel one bit of remorse!  We are dealing with people who wholeheartedly believe that killing Jews & Americans is a good thing. We have to destroy all of the Hamas and the United States should be sending troops to help the Israeli troops!  Shame on the U.S. for not helping the Israeli people, remember God is watching & we will all be accountable for our actions or lack of them!  We are living under the dispensation of Grace but that is coming to an end soon and then Jesus will come & do battle with the Kings of this earth & rule for 1,000 years & then the White Throne Judgement by God!  Remember the Jews are God's chosen people in the Bible - what has happened to the American people, when I was growing up almost everyone went to church on Sunday and children of all faiths learned the 10 commandments & it gave us a sense of right & wrong - now if you mention the 10 commandments to children they have no idea of what you are talking about.  It is no wonder our country is filled with crime, no values & morals means chaos & rebellion from our own children.  We have kicked God out of every part of our society and when something bad happens everyone asks where is God - well we already told God he was not welcome in our lives so what do we expect!  People reap what they sow & the Hamas have sowed violence so they will reap violence - their whole purpose is to wipe all Jews & Americans off this earth - how sick is that!  May God have mercy on all our souls. 

Until you defeat terrorism it will continue.  You can't punish some of them and then negotiate a peace.  Any agreement with terrorism is merely them agreeing to stop their aggression until they have time to retool and reorganize for the next waive. 

Israel needs to keep going and let the people who support Hamas know that they will also pay a price.  Hamas was voted into power - what does that tell you about the citizens of Palistine.

The other muslim nations need to either come out of the closet and join forces with Hamas or come out and actively support the defeat of this terrorist group.  Enough of saying you are opposed but then funding, protecting and arming the terrorist.  It is time that we get clear on who is on whos side.

It is terrible to see people die.  It is terrible that Hamas has put millions of people at risk - how dare they.

I am saddened to hear of death and carnage from any place in the world.  However, to imply that retaliation for blatant and repeated terrorism should be proportionate is both unfair to those terrorized not to mention impractical.

Why should Israel be subjected to a different set of rules than what we would follow.  If Mexico began firing rockets into Texas this afternoon, we (the USA) would waste no time in retaliating.  It would be swift and overwhelming.  Why?  Because we don't want them to think they can get away with it. 

If retaliation must always be proportionate, then China should begin it's conquest of the United States tomorrow.  They kill one of us, we kill one of them, until there are no more of us.  They win hands down. 

Anyone who buys into the proportionate line of thinking is a moron. 

wtf do you people care? stfu and go do something.

Aren't all of you who support this proud?  I for one am disgusted by all of you who silently accept this bloodshed and aggression on women and children. 

Our support of Israel's aggression shows how immoral we have become.  This country used to stand up for those who were oppressed.  No more. 

Gaza looks just like the Warsaw ghetto.

Politicians - I hope you are paid well for your hypocrisy.

Dorfy aren't you ashamed for not going and fighting alongside those who you support? All of you talk crap about what side you think is right and use it to attack the other side verbally but none of you are actually putting your life where your mouth is. You are all brainwashed as f^ck.

Hamas, the ruling party of Palestine, has been bombing Israel for months - hundreds of bombs.  Hamas has said that they want Israel destroyed - that would mean killing Jewish women and children.  If Hamas would stop this aggression there would be no killing of women and children on either side of the Israel/Palestine border.

The objection to Israel taking out Hamas to protect the people of Israel is amazing to me.  Nobody likes to see any killing but Israel either defends itself or lets their people get killed.  There is no option here, Hamas would walk all over Israel if they could.

Hamas needs to be stopped to the point that they can no longer function.  I feel very sorry for the people in Palestine.  They sealed their futures when they voted a terrorist group to run their country.

Rani, your naivate is nearly unbearable.  Hamas has been the leading broker of terrorism throughout the world for the past ten years.  It festers in your back yard, and is immenently dangerous.  If the Palistinians can't control them, then Israel is justified in doing whatever it takes to negate the threat.  Turn Gaza into an ash tray, along with Iran, and any other country that uses hatred as their montra for sponsoring terrorism.  Stupid, complacent people need to either learn, or shut up and let those living with the disaster make the decisions.......d......!

Hamas is democratically elected by palastinians so its a legal forces Even if it is claimed that Hamas is terrorist (which is not since it founds itself under seige not enough food& medical care & more than 80%of the palastinians are under poverty line & more reasons so that creates resistance against israel) that doesnt give the excuse for israel to kill more than 560 people ! that a massacre involves cruetly for children & that against International Humanitarian law & Hamas misseles killed 2 people!!it is obvious now that israel is the terrorist for its massacres that never stops frm the day israel was found

It is wrong in any war to kill innocent children and women.  What have we become a part of?  Where is it that you kill your enemy's family, instead of your enemy?  If the men in Hamas and Isreal want to fight, then fight each other the right way, protect the innocent from bombs and do not bomb homes and schools, I don't know what's wrong with you people, but if someone killed my son or daughter, I would personally die killing them, I would not kill their children.  I had support for Isreal until these past few days, it is wrong, to kill innocent children.   Hamas is wrong to have started this all up again, and they knew they would come back at them with a vengence, everyone knows Isreal takes no crap off anyone, as they feel like they can do no wrong, as the USA supports them, but we all must admit that this is wrong.  We cannot stand by and let any country kill children.

Hamas is democratically elected by palastinians so its a legal forces Even if it is claimed that Hamas is terrorist (which is not since it founds itself under seige not enough food& medical care & more than 80%of the palastinians are under poverty line & more reasons so that creates resistance against israel) that doesnt give the excuse for israel to kill more than 560 people ! that a massacre involves cruetly for children & that against International Humanitarian law & Hamas misseles killed 2 people!!it is obvious now that israel is the terrorist for its massacres that never stops frm the day israel was found

lebt

What?

Hamas should be left alone because they only killed 2 people?  They have been bombing Israel with hundreds of missiles.  So they get a pass because they have only terrorized people, caused financial harm, caused some injuries and destroyed property.  So their stated desire to destroy Israel combined with their continuous attacks should be ignored just because they are not very accurate with their missiles.  You have got to be kidding me.

Hamas has declared war on Israel both by their words and their actions.  In war you kill more people on the other side and you win the war.  Israel plans on winning the war.  Hamas started war with a country they can't defeat - that is their problem.  They get everything that Israel is dishing out.  Let Hamas surrender, pay restitution and agree to the right of Israel to exist.  Let them agree to disarm and not re-arm, let them agree to UN supervision and then they can expect the war to end.  The future of the people of Palestine in the hands of Hamas. As the elected controlling body of Palestine one would think that Hamas would do what is best for their people.  We shall see.

Hamas is democratically elected by palastinians so its a legal forces Even if it is claimed that Hamas is terrorist (which is not since it founds itself under seige not enough food& medical care & more than 80%of the palastinians are under poverty line & more reasons so that creates resistance against israel) that doesnt give the excuse for israel to kill more than 560 people ! that a massacre involves cruetly for children &women SOME FAMILIES LOST ALL TEIR MEMBERS & that against International Humanitarian law & Hamas misseles killed 2 people!!it is obvious now that israel is the terrorist for its massacres that never stops frm the day israel was found

hummm... the guy with the baseball bat is telling the guy with a twisler to stop hurting him....

Silly if the people in Gaza were deprived of food and water for two month all would have died some time ago.
Why is it alright for Arabs to send suicide bombers and rockets into Israel but them demand that Israel not retaliate
What do you think Bush would do if Mexico or Canada did this to our country.

I think we also have to note that the people in Gaza have chosen to have Hamas represent them. This is what happens when you are in bed with a Terrorist organization that chooses to hide in Civilian areas.

EVERYONE should be backing Israel. Hamas are Terrorist and now they are now terrorizing their own people.

This is what happens when you wake a sleeping bear.

Most kill me on these posts with bs.  You act as though the US is so civilized and fair.  It's only because the bs we do around the world is held back from being reported. Yeah there is true equality in the US, we dont' cause undermind kaos in other countries, we don't put in puppet rulers and then when they stop obeying we strum up bs about them so we can drive them out and put in another puppet, we never sold drugs to help the Contras and Regan and Bush Sr knew nothing about what North was doing, we got Noriega because he was wrong not that we put him in power and when he stopped being a puppet then we decided to call him a supported of drug traffikers and on and on.  We are the most civilized country in the world right and always care about others.  We're definitely able to cast the first stone since we're perfect. Please.

According to the article :"Israeli strike kills dozens near Gaza school
Army claims Hamas using civilians as shields; calls mount for cease-fire".

Bottomline up front:

'Human shields'
A military statement said it received intelligence that the dead included Hamas operatives, including members of a rocket launching cell. It identified two of them as Imad Abu Askar and Hassan Abu Askar.

Two residents who spoke to an AP reporter by phone said the two brothers were known to be low-level Hamas militants. They said a group of militants — one of them said four — were firing mortar shells from near the school.

An Israeli shell targeted the men, but missed and they fled, the witnesses said, refusing to allow their names to be published because they feared for their safety. Then another three shells landed nearby, exploding among civilians, they said.

Palestinian militants have frequently fired from residential areas in the past.

The is called Guerrilla Warfare (Terrorist Tactics).

The one sideness of the Palestinians as to not condeming these actions of the Hamas can be seen in the interview of the Palestinian Representative to the UN:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11421222&ch=4226714&src=news
Terror from within (Riyad Mansour)

The stupidy of the UN is simple, just like Vietnam, South America, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc..  The declaration of No Fire Zones, only allowed armed enemy combatants (Terrorist Guerrilla Warfare) to force their way into the No Fire Zones and hide amoung the civilians (another Guerrilla Warfare Tactic).  The UN in the previous cases were unarmed and could not prevent this.  When the opposing forces found out this was happening, sent Military forces in and hostage situations occur with the Terrorists holding their own neighbors as hostages, and they do kill their friends and neighbors, then themselves when they can find no way out.

It can be seen in numberous videos of the events in Gaza that the majority lingering around the declared No Fire Zones, just happen to be the ideal age and physical build of enemy combatants (terrorists).  This undermines Hamas or anyones crediability.  Of note was the dutch doctor who volunteered to help the wounded at Gaza, behind him four men (possible combatants) walk by with one picking his teeth (not exactly starving).  These possible terrorist enemy combatants are the ones that are standing around, not even helping the people of Gaza with dead or wounded.  At least the Afghanistanis are not dumb enough to show possible enemy combatants (terrorists) lingering around Mosques, schools and hospitals.

Okay folks: Although I haven't taken the time to read all of the the comments (duh... last count was over 10,000!!!), I'll take the opportunity to offer my spin on this.

If, let's say, Mexico voted into power a government that clearly and openly publicized their intent on the extermination of the United States and all of its citizens, then proceeded to lob rockets and mortars into California, Arizona and Texas, what do you think our response should and would be?  Of course, we would retaliate, and very possibly invade (especially if this situation had been going on for decades), just as the Israelis have done against Hamas.

These @#$!#$ing cowards use their civilians, mosques, schools and public buildings for the storage of weapons and to facilitate their meetings to further their cause against the extermination of Israel.  EXCUSE ME?!?!? WHO exactly is perpetuating GENOCIDE here?  The Israeli's are doing their best to take out the militant, terrorist government threat in place in Palestine - the government that THE PALESTINIAN POPULACE ELECTED INTO POWER!!!  The SAME populace that has chosen to endanger the same people who ELECTED THEM INTO POWER!!!

I don't condone war or violence, in any regard - it's all absolutely horrific.  But the world needs to consider these FACTS.  It's now come down to self defense for the Israeli's... I feel very safe in saying that ANY government, ANYWHERE in the world, would respond in a similar fasion to this situation.  Replies?

"Hamas hides behind civilians" you keep hearing this from Israeli spin doctors relentlessly quoted in the U.S. media and by Israel backers generally in the U.S. They repeated the same thing over and over when Israel was bombing Lebanon a couple of years ago (It seems Israel and the U.S. are ALWAYS bombing someone). 

Whatever side you want to take on the conflict, Hamas and Hezbollah don't hide among civilians, they largely ARE civilians. In both organizations, only a relatively small hardcore are dedicated fighters, most are called up from the civilian population just like Israel calls up it's soldiers and the U.S. calls up the National Guard to fight wars in Iraq, etc. 

They also call Hamas "cowards" for "hiding among civilians" but how brave is it to starve a civilian population for 3 years like Israel did, then sit back at a safe distance and bomb it with high tech weaponry for a couple of weeks before going in with the latest tanks, artillery and well equipped modern army (courtesy to a large extent of the U.S.) and spraying fire at anything that moves?

What is the civilized way that you would deal with Hamas and at the same time stop the rocket attacks in Israel?  It seems that Hamas is not civilized. They seem to be a mafia type organization that terrorizes not only Israel but also their own people. What is the civilized way to deal with Hamas?

Amazed, There was a truce last summer. Hamas was not firing rockets. The Israeli end of it was they were supposed to open up the border and allow more food, medicine etc. in but they didn't do it. The Israelis also raided Gaza and killed 6 Hamas security personnel. I think it was an accumulation of incidents like that that induced Hamas to start firing rockets again. Hamas are no angels (no armed group is) but they would probably not risk firing rockets if they had something to gain by it. Here are some excerpts from news stories to illustrate what I just said:

Gaza truce broken as Israeli raid kills six Hamas gunmen

• in Jerusalem
• , Wednesday 5 November 2008 14.32 GMT

A four-month ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza was in jeopardy today after Israeli troops killed six Hamas gunmen in a raid into the territory.

Hamas responded by firing a wave of rockets into southern Israel, although no one was injured. The violence represented the most serious break in a ceasefire agreed in mid-June, yet both sides suggested they wanted to return to atmosphere of calm....

Then the truce just recently:

12/31/08

06:18:12 am   36 words 

Categories:

Its official, Israel broke the truce!

Link:

Palestinians in Gaza believed Israel had called a 48-hour lull in retaliatory attacks with Hamas when Israel Air Force warplanes launched a massive bombardment of militant installations in the Gaza Strip, a UN official said Monday.

To sum it up, Hamas are probably a pretty bad bunch, but from what I have read Israel is the primary aggressor in the middle east and has been for a long time. They have gotten a lot through war and intimidation and no one is stopping them even though the U.S. could if they wanted to.  Israel is very dependent on U.S. aid. Whenever the U.S. forces Israel to the negotiating table and makes them negotiate in good faith it will not be over but the situation will be greatly improved. Israel has to give up the West Bank, Gaza and all the other land they occupied after the war in 1967. This is according to U.N. resolution 242 passed in the same year (or 1968?), plus international law, the Geneva convention. I think the average people in the region, both Israeli and Palestinian are so sick of war and fighting that even though some of their leaders on both sides would like to fight they would probably live in some sort of peaceful situation. 

dear rani, im waiting for you to say the same about the terrible sudanese government. they have undertaken collective punishment on the sudanese christians of the south. im listening for your response. where is egypt and france on this matter.

," Moussa said, "and we are more than willing to help the council if it is ready to shoulder its responsibilities. However, we cannot give Israel enough time to achieve its objectives."

So what they are saying is they do not want the Israeli's to stop the rockets? Hamas was slighted in the Pease proposal at all by the Egyptians and the French? The rockets were not mentioned/ The proposal on the table is worthless.

So israel should do nothing. Maybe Hamas should just get a bunch of women and children to march in front of them and then nobody in your mind should shoot at them. The folks that Hamas are holding hostage should rise up and destroy hamas, but they dont becuase they also hate israel.

The deputy head of Hamas political bureau has already said as long as there is an Israeli occupation, there will be "resistance."  These people use their own civilians as human shields - in all history I have never seen such cowards as the Hamas.  These people who die because of the Hamas hiding in the civilian population are the direct result of the Hamas.  If this is how much they care about their own population than Israel has no option but to fight back and if civilians die it is the fault of the Hamas.  In war there are always innocents who die or have you forgotton the Revolutionary & Civil War in our own country.  What about all the innocent Israeli people who have died over the last 10 years because of the Hamas - no one has said much of anything because it was not a full scale war does not lessen the fact that innocent Israeli citizens have died because of the Hamas.  When you back someone in a corner they usually come out fighting, just trying to defend themselves for the right to live & the Hamas, Arabs, Syrians, & people from Turkey all want all Israeli people dead - try that on for size & then tell me what you would do, it is not your family who is in mortal danger daily.  If I could get a message to the UN it would be - take a hike, all the UN do is talk and for all the years they have been in existence they have not been able to stop the terrorists from attacking people all over the globe to stoping the Hamas in the Gaza - what good are they!  Israel is defending its right to live in a peaceful nation & the Hamas have told the people living in Gaza to target Israeli citizens - there are not many ways to deal with people like that and the only language they understand is violence.  Violence only brings violence, so the Hamas are reaping what they have sown! 

I don't think Israel should stop their attack, I think they should attack even stronger and finish it once and for all because the Hamas will never let Israel live in peace & they have said it themselves - what is wrong  with the UN are they deaf?  The Hamas is like a rabid dog so the only thing you can do is put it out of its misery for everyones good - I have not forgotton 9/11 have you - they not only killed innocent adults but also innocent chilren in the twin towers and after the attack the muslim people were shown celebrating the death of innocent American's - I know let's ask someone who lived through 9/11 or lost a child, brother, sister, mother, or father in that attack how they feel about totally destroying the Hamas - I bet I can guess their answer.  I don't want to be on a plane that these terrorits may take control of and since Israel has a chance to take out some of the terrorists, let them, or better yet let's help them!  The Hamas will never let anyone live in peace - wake up!