Israel: A Jews Only State - Part I

[ecivon]

Israel is a racist apartheid state:

http://english.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin...ervice_id=7507

[3Vandoo]

like all the middle east is!

so whats so shamefull about following the same as their others neighbors!

Double standards then

[eliteforce]

The other countries in the middle east have no-such laws,Syrian Jews and Christians are Syrians just like the muslims, and no other country in the world has this system of internal confinement, or a caste system of citizenry where you need special papers to get from one part to another..every other country in the world-once your in, your in and you got the run of the place just like all the people who live there..and Israel has had this racist system even before the first intefada.

For instance Thailands insurgency plaged south-even after an insurgency for several years there is no talk about controlling the movement Thai-muslims or branding them with some inferior citizen-class; and yet the insurgency remains in the south, no attacks in Bangkok or anywhere above the 3 provinces where the insurection is, even though the insurgents could drive up and do it anytime..see how it works, action and reaction, if the Thai Government adopted and Israeli attitude and started a pervasive-racist policy of intentionally trying to make the lives of Thai Muslims suck so that they'll voluntarily leave the country and go live in Malaysia-then you could expect the insurgency to worsen.

[Logan13]

Israel is a racist apartheid state:

http://english.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin...ervice_id=7507

When was the last time a Jew strapped a bomb to his body and boarded a school bus? Common sense wins out..........
Al-Jezeera.........

[juicedOUTbrain]

No they just launch missiles into crowds of civilians and fire on children...since the start of the intifada over 4 thousand palestinian civilians have been killed and around 400 israeli civilians...

The mainstream media in this counrty that is routinely threatened and intimidated by israels PACs, does not portray this conflict accurately...

A few british journalists entered the territories, many were killed...however they were not killed by palestinians, It was the IDF they had to worry about.

The Killing Zone

Showing thg side of the story from the Palestinian side is not terrorist propaganda...understanding is the only thing that will bring an end to this conflict, which i think all of us would like to see.

Not saying suicide bombers are justified in any way, but either are the reckless and disproportionate attacks by the IDF. How will this conflict ever be solved if any attempt to show the other side is viewed as "sympathizing" or "terrorist propaganda"?

[Logan13]

No they just launch missiles into crowds of civilians and fire on children...since the start of the intifada over 4 thousand palestinian civilians have been killed and around 400 israeli civilians...

The mainstream media in this counrty that is routinely threatened and intimidated by israels PACs, does not portray this conflict accurately...

A few british journalists entered the territories, many were killed...however they were not killed by palestinians, It was the IDF they had to worry about.

The Killing Zone

Showing thg side of the story from the Palestinian side is not terrorist propaganda...understanding is the only thing that will bring an end to this conflict, which i think all of us would like to see.

Not saying suicide bombers are justified in any way, but either are the reckless and disproportionate attacks by the IDF. How will this conflict ever be solved if any attempt to show the other side is viewed as "sympathizing" or "terrorist propaganda"?

crowds of "civilians" who are going out of their way to shield terrorists are also terrorists and will be dealt with as such. Blame the cowardly terrorists for using women and children as shields if you must attach blame somewhere.

[juicedOUTbrain]

crowds of "civilians" who are going out of their way to shield terrorists are also terrorists and will be dealt with as such. Blame the cowardly terrorists for using women and children as shields if you must attach blame somewhere.

Dont take this personally, but this type of rhetoric sounds exactly like something bin laden would say about the 9/11 attacks. Just substitute the word "terrorist" with "infidel".

I think to find REAL truth, you must listen to both extremes and look somewhere in the middle.

your quote shows the exact same symptoms of the terrorists, a misunderstanding of your enemy and his reasons for doing what he does.

This is war of ideas, and morals...and I think the only way to win it, is to keep the moral highground.

Do you disagree, or do you think that we should become just like the terrorists in order to defeat them?

[singern]

Dont take this personally, but this type of rhetoric sounds exactly like something bin laden would say about the 9/11 attacks. Just substitute the word "terrorist" with "infidel".

I think to find REAL truth, you must listen to both extremes and look somewhere in the middle.

your quote shows the exact same symptoms of the terrorists, a misunderstanding of your enemy and his reasons for doing what he does.

This is war of ideas, and morals...and I think the only way to win it, is to keep the moral highground.

Do you disagree, or do you think that we should become just like the terrorists in order to defeat them?

You are completely correct in that you must seek the center of any issue, and voicing the Palestinian side is as valid as the Israeli side.

But I put to you a challenge.
Do a search for Palestinian TV shows, in particular childrens TV shows. Then do the same search for Israeli tv shows.

Then come back and report what you saw, tell us who is fomenting hatred, violence, an inbred continuation of hostilities, and your definition of terrorists.

[J.S.N.]

You are completely correct in that you must seek the center of any issue, and voicing the Palestinian side is as valid as the Israeli side.

But I put to you a challenge.
Do a search for Palestinian TV shows, in particular childrens TV shows. Then do the same search for Israeli tv shows.

Then come back and report what you saw, tell us who is fomenting hatred, violence, an inbred continuation of hostilities, and your definition of terrorists.

it's less hatred than dehumanization. gotta kill terrorists, they're inhuman and won't stop until they kill us. himmler never hated jews yet he slaughtered millions.

when describing suicide bombers or human wave attacks we make it sound like these people are so bent on their own destruction that is we don't kill them they're sure to strap a bomb to their chests and do it for us. but you could describe the act of jumping on a grenade or officers ordering their men in machine gun fire in normandy is the exact same behavior. it's there this big monument to al the mossad agents who've been killed in service? i wonder how many were sold down the river to keep something going and knew it was happening.

[Logan13]

Dont take this personally, but this type of rhetoric sounds exactly like something bin laden would say about the 9/11 attacks. Just substitute the word "terrorist" with "infidel".

I think to find REAL truth, you must listen to both extremes and look somewhere in the middle.

your quote shows the exact same symptoms of the terrorists, a misunderstanding of your enemy and his reasons for doing what he does.

This is war of ideas, and morals...and I think the only way to win it, is to keep the moral highground.

Do you disagree, or do you think that we should become just like the terrorists in order to defeat them?

Why do terrorists use human shields? Because they are banking on the fact that Israel will not fight back if they do so. That shit used to work, but when these people offer their services as human shields, they deserve to get what comes. You need to replace your theories with reality.

[zodiac666]

No they just launch missiles into crowds of civilians and fire on children...since the start of the intifada over 4 thousand palestinian civilians have been killed and around 400 israeli civilians...

The mainstream media in this counrty that is routinely threatened and intimidated by israels PACs, does not portray this conflict accurately...

A few british journalists entered the territories, many were killed...however they were not killed by palestinians, It was the IDF they had to worry about.

The Killing Zone

Showing thg side of the story from the Palestinian side is not terrorist propaganda...understanding is the only thing that will bring an end to this conflict, which i think all of us would like to see.

Not saying suicide bombers are justified in any way, but either are the reckless and disproportionate attacks by the IDF. How will this conflict ever be solved if any attempt to show the other side is viewed as "sympathizing" or "terrorist propaganda"?

Originally Posted by singern
If the terrorists would stop tomorrow there will be peace.
If Israel stops tomorrow there will be no more Jews. (end quote)

i really like this quote, seriously if the palestinians wanted peace they should maybe try to come to some type of peaceful agreement instead of saying that the only solution is the complete destruction of israel.

and if someone launches rockets at you, you launch 10x the amount right back at them. our artillary guys killed quite a few civilians in pakistan because the terrorists launched rockets at us from a village on the border and didnt think we would fire back because they were in pakistan. they were wrong, supposedly we killed 19 civilians that day, but they were letting the terrorists set up in their village and fire rockets at our base.

wars like this are very difficult because we are fighting small groups of terrorists who are mixed in with the civilians. should we just let them kill people on our side with rockets without firing back? israel might take it a little far sometimes but they have been constantly getting attacked by muslim extremists who target anybody and everybody for years and years, im sure they are a little sick of it.

[mcpeepants]

Originally Posted by singern
If the terrorists would stop tomorrow there will be peace.
If Israel stops tomorrow there will be no more Jews. (end quote)

i really like this quote, seriously if the palestinians wanted peace they should maybe try to come to some type of peaceful agreement instead of saying that the only solution is the complete destruction of israel.

and if someone launches rockets at you, you launch 10x the amount right back at them. our artillary guys killed quite a few civilians in pakistan because the terrorists launched rockets at us from a village on the border and didnt think we would fire back because they were in pakistan. they were wrong, supposedly we killed 19 civilians that day, but they were letting the terrorists set up in their village and fire rockets at our base.

wars like this are very difficult because we are fighting small groups of terrorists who are mixed in with the civilians. should we just let them kill people on our side with rockets without firing back? israel might take it a little far sometimes but they have been constantly getting attacked by muslim extremists who target anybody and everybody for years and years, im sure they are a little sick of it.

My response to this is that when there were ceasefires, Israel continued building settlements and the wall in the west bank. If someone was taking your land, I doubt you'd be smiling while they did it.

I think the incident you are refering to happened last January and was done by a drone. In that case we suspected there was a high target al qaieda member there. They weren't firing at us.

[singern]

My response to this is that when there were ceasefires, Israel continued building settlements and the wall in the west bank. If someone was taking your land, I doubt you'd be smiling while they did it.

I think the incident you are refering to happened last January and was done by a drone. In that case we suspected there was a high target al qaieda member there. They weren't firing at us.

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to launch rockets into Israel by the dozens, Why didnt you mention that.

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to shoot at Israeli motorists whos only offense was driving in there cars, Why did you not mention that.

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to receive instruction and weapons from Hamas political leaders, why did you not mention that.

I could go on and on, so lets have some realistic balance, OK.

[juicedOUTbrain]

But I put to you a challenge.
Do a search for Palestinian TV shows, in particular childrens TV shows. Then do the same search for Israeli tv shows...
.

Who is occupying whos territory?

If the terrorists would stop tomorrow there will be peace.
If Israel stops tomorrow there will be no more Jews. (end quote)

If the terrorists stopped tommorow, the palestinians would have even less sovereignty than they have now. And would be annexed by Israel, which has been their goal since Israel the war of 67 if not before.

If the Israelis stopped now, they would have the same if not less rocket and suicide attacks as they have now. The Palestinians dont have to means or the true will to destroy Israel...and the will and desire would be much lower if they had some basic human rights and sovereignty restored...

[singern]

If the Israelis stopped now, they would have the same if not less rocket and suicide attacks as they have now. The Palestinians dont have to means or the true will to destroy Israel...and the will and desire would be much lower if they had some basic human rights and sovereignty restored...

Undeniably if not for Palestinian violence there would have been a Palestinian state years ago.
Sovereignty, independence, social and economic freedom do not work into the ideology of the terrorists. Read the Hamas charter, and watch some Palestinian TV shows. Read some Palestinian school text books, Then come back and share your thoughts.

[juicedOUTbrain]

Undeniably if not for Palestinian violence there would have been a Palestinian state years ago.
Sovereignty, independence, social and economic freedom do not work into the ideology of the terrorists. Read the Hamas charter, and watch some Palestinian TV shows. Read some Palestinian school text books, Then come back and share your thoughts.

Timothy McVeigh is from New York, should they be punished for his "terrorist" act against the Oklahoma City Building? My point is, there will always be crazies, especially in a state where poverty and a lack of education thrive. Thats no excuse to punish the whole of the people.

The pigeonholing of a whole group of people into "terrorists" is what drives your train of thought. These bombers and militants should be hunted and treated like criminals, which is what they are...Taking out your frustration on the rest of the civilian population will only make things worse, IMO...

The attacks were the effect of the occupation and not the cause...The Israelis didnt want to give them their own state in the 1st place, and the attacks served as the perfect excuse.

In order to execute a war (or occupation), you must have a clear and precise enemy. Otherwise the problem must be solved with police work and special forces. If not you risk blurring the lines between war and genocide, which is what we see here...(Punishing a whole people, for the actions of a few.)

[RA]

The other countries in the middle east have no-such laws,Syrian Jews and Christians are Syrians just like the muslims, and no other country in the world has this system of internal confinement, or a caste system of citizenry where you need special papers to get from one part to another..every other country in the world-once your in, your in and you got the run of the place just like all the people who live there..and Israel has had this racist system even before the first intefada.

For instance Thailands insurgency plaged south-even after an insurgency for several years there is no talk about controlling the movement Thai-muslims or branding them with some inferior citizen-class; and yet the insurgency remains in the south, no attacks in Bangkok or anywhere above the 3 provinces where the insurection is, even though the insurgents could drive up and do it anytime..see how it works, action and reaction, if the Thai Government adopted and Israeli attitude and started a pervasive-racist policy of intentionally trying to make the lives of Thai Muslims suck so that they'll voluntarily leave the country and go live in Malaysia-then you could expect the insurgency to worsen.

Yes, muslims are tolerant and agreeable.

[eliteforce]

their supposed to be tolerant and aggreeable to racist aphartied, so american blacks are 'intolerant' because they insist on having civil rights and equal oppertunity, where as the kukluxklan is 'tolerant' because they believe america should be an exclusivly white anglo saxon christian nation.

[J.S.N.]

Yes, muslims are tolerant and agreeable.

wow you add so much to every discussion.

[RA]

wow you add so much to every discussion.

I tend to only add a line or two when I think the post is idiotic.

[Animal Cracker]

Aljazeera..the cornerstone for unbiased reporting! LOL!

[zodiac666]

My response to this is that when there were ceasefires, Israel continued building settlements and the wall in the west bank. If someone was taking your land, I doubt you'd be smiling while they did it.

I think the incident you are refering to happened last January and was done by a drone. In that case we suspected there was a high target al qaieda member there. They weren't firing at us.

no the incident i am talking about is when rockets impacted inside our FOB and our radar pinpointed the point of origin of the rockets which were on the pakistani side of the border and we fired back with our artillery.

[zodiac666]

Who is occupying whos territory?



If the terrorists stopped tommorow, the palestinians would have even less sovereignty than they have now. And would be annexed by Israel, which has been their goal since Israel the war of 67 if not before.

If the Israelis stopped now, they would have the same if not less rocket and suicide attacks as they have now. The Palestinians dont have to means or the true will to destroy Israel...and the will and desire would be much lower if they had some basic human rights and sovereignty restored...

are you saying israel should not fire back when hez or whoever launches rockets into israeli villages? you have to protect the citizens of your country.

[singern]

are you saying israel should not fire back when hez or whoever launches rockets into israeli villages? you have to protect the citizens of your country.

I remember a 60 minutes special on propaganda where a young Muslim girl was angry and screaming that no Jews were killed in 9/11. That they all mysteriously stayed home that day. Thats what she was told and thats what she believes.
In fact more than 450 jews died on that horrific day.

I make this analogy to point out the terrible ignorance born of anger and gullibility that people fall prey to, and use as truth just because it fits into a personal or political agenda.

No different from the idiocy that Israelis somehow secretly rule the world. or the portrayal of Palestinians who are beaten, and attacked for absolutely no reason, at the hand of the "evil Zionists".
Forget that the only goal of Israel has been and still is peaceful resolution. because that just doest fit the agenda.

[juicedOUTbrain]

are you saying israel should not fire back when hez or whoever launches rockets into israeli villages? you have to protect the citizens of your country.

Its Hammas and Fatwah Hezzbohla is in control in Lebanon, thats a whole new can of worms...as for Gaza...

If they have a clear and specific enemy target, of course they should protect themselves.

But, If you want to learn the TRUTH of what really goes on there on a day to day basis take some time to watch this movie. To form an intelligent decision you have to see both sides of the story...

This is a documentary directed by a british journalist in Gaza. Tell me how the deaths of any of the journalists, or civilians in the movie are related to self-defense.

The Killing Zone

and heres a good documentary, on how the US media is routinely intimidated into leaving the context out of their reportining about the conflict. Many of these undisputed facts are consciously left out of our media. For a detailed layout of how Israel influnces our media goto: 12:30 seconds...

Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land

my main point is that these "defense attacks" by Israel are actually increasing viloence against it not decreasing it. You cant have 100% full peace in your country while at the same time maintaining a brutal occupation on your borders...that is an unreasonable request, IMO...

Please take the time to watch these movies...than tell me what you think...

[mcpeepants]

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to launch rockets into Israel by the dozens, Why didnt you mention that.

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to shoot at Israeli motorists whos only offense was driving in there cars, Why did you not mention that.

When there were ceasfires, Palestinian militants continued to receive instruction and weapons from Hamas political leaders, why did you not mention that.

I could go on and on, so lets have some realistic balance, OK.

You didn't say anything about the building of settlements in the Westbank or the wall that being built in the West bank. Why did you not mention that? When there were ceasefires, Israel was still killing militants and Palestinians civillians. Why did you not mention that?

Both sides have guilt. Don't make it black and white.

[singern]

You didn't say anything about the building of settlements in the Westbank or the wall that being built in the West bank. Why did you not mention that? When there were ceasefires, Israel was still killing militants and Palestinians civillians. Why did you not mention that?

Both sides have guilt. Don't make it black and white.

No it isnt black or white, and yes there is a cycle of violence on both sides. However:
Although settlement construction did continue, was never part of the ceasfire, by any definition.
The Wall is the single greatest defense against the terrorist since the invention of the wheel. In every case of a terrorist attack in the last three years, it was because there was no wall in that area.
As to palestinian civilians being killed you will need to find a source on that. The military was given strict orders not to return fire. And as far as I know they held that even though rockets were falling in Israel.

[eliteforce]

the wall would be a great thing, had it been built along the 1967 border it would have given the Palestinians hope that maybe one day the strangulating settlemenst would be on the other side and they would have freedom on their side, but instead it has sent a message to the Palestinians that they will be oppresed for at least the next 10 or 20 years and that they are the underclass in an aphartied state, is it any wonder that they voted for an organization that vows to destoy that state?

[juicedOUTbrain]

In every case of a terrorist attack in the last three years, it was because there was no wall in that area.

Built a 10ft wall, they'll build an 11ft laddder...And IF you do built a wall, why not build it on the '67 borders? Just another excuse to further strangle the palestinian people...Opression is the cause of the problem, not the solution.

As to palestinian civilians being killed you will need to find a source on that. The military was given strict orders not to return fire. And as far as I know they held that even though rockets were falling in Israel

Movie: The Killing Zone

Im sure they air that on Israeli TV

[mcpeepants]

Death on the beach: seven Palestinians killed as Israeli shells hit family picnic


Chris McGreal in Jerusalem
Saturday June 10, 2006
The Guardian

A boy injured by Israeli shells is carried to hospital
A boy injured by Israeli shells is carried to hospital. Photograph: Abid Katib/Getty


A barrage of Israeli artillery shells rained down on a busy Gaza beach yesterday, killing seven Palestinians, three of them children. The attack put further strain on the 16-month truce between Israel and the governing Hamas movement.

Witnesses described several explosions that also injured dozens of other people who lay on the beach, screaming and pleading for help. Some ran into the sea for fear of more shells hitting the sands at Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza strip.

Article continues
Among the dead were three children, aged one, three, and 10. Their sister was swimming and survived.

The beach was packed with picnicking families enjoying the Muslim day of rest, and the explosions landed among them, scattering body parts along the dunes. Television footage showed a woman and a child laying dead on the sand, and another child screaming in agony while a lifeless man was carried away by an ambulance crew.

Associated Press reported that a tearful man held the limp body of what appeared to be a girl or young woman. "Muslims, look at this," he shouted.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called the killings a "bloody massacre" and demanded international intervention.

"No doubt what's going on in Gaza is a bloody massacre against our people, our civilians, without discrimination," he said. "I call upon the international community, the UN security council, the quartet [the EU, the US, Russia and the UN], to put an end to this Israeli killing policy."

The prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader and a political opponent of Mr Abbas, went further, calling the deaths a "war crime". He urged Jordan and Egypt, both mediators in past Israeli-Palestinian talks, to intervene.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said that the attack showed "the Zionist occupation insists on killing ... and does not distinguish between civilian children and freedom fighters".

But the most furious reaction of all came from Hamas's militant wing, which called off its 16-month ceasefire with Israel and threatened revenge attacks. "The earthquake in the Zionist towns will start again and the aggressors will have no choice but to prepare their coffins or their luggage," the military wing said in a statement. "The resistance groups ... will choose the proper place and time for the tough, strong and unique response." There was no immediate comment from the political wing of Hamas.

The Israeli army said it "regretted" the deaths and called a halt to the shelling. It offered help to get the survivors to Israeli hospitals. The shells that hit Beit Lahia beach were the latest of more than 6,000 fired into the Gaza Strip by Israel over the past two months. One possibility is that they had fallen short when being fired at areas on the outskirts of Beit Lahia used by armed Palestinian groups to launch rockets into Israel.

"The military definitely would not target a beach full of people," said an army spokesman. The military said that although many of the shells fired yesterday were from Israeli gunboats, it believed the explosives that hit the beach were from army artillery. Israel said it has fired thousands of artillery shells into the Gaza Strip in response to armed Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad firing hundreds of homemade rockets into Israel. Israeli shells have killed about 15 civilians this year, including five children. The Palestinian rockets have not claimed any lives but have wounded several Israelis.

Human rights groups have described the persistent Israeli shelling as a form of collective punishment, particularly after the military changed its rules to allow shells to explode within 100 metres of a built-up area.

On Thursday an Israeli air force attack killed one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders in the area - the head of the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza, Jamal Abu Samhadana.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/...794536,00.html

[mcpeepants]

Doubts over Gaza deaths inquiry
Gen Klifi briefing journalists on his findings
Israel took great pains to rebut accusations of responsibility
Doubts have been raised about Israel's denial of military responsibility for the deaths of eight Palestinians relaxing on a Gaza beach last Friday.

Investigator Gen Meir Klifi had said it was unknown what caused the blast, but hinted it was a Palestinian-laid mine.

In a later interview he again ruled out Israeli shelling but said old Israeli munitions could have been to blame.

Palestinians dismissed Israel's claims and are calling on the United Nations to hold an independent investigation.

The deaths of eight civilians on a beach near Beit Lahiya - seven of whom belonged to the same family and three of whom were children - sparked worldwide condemnation of Israel.

The militant group Hamas, which heads the Palestinian government, ended an informal ceasefire and fired dozens of home-made rockets at Israel, causing panic and several injuries.

'Israeli event'

In a high profile rebuttal on Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz appeared alongside Gen Klifi to announce the findings of an internal military enquiry.

"The chances that artillery fire hit that area at that time are nil," Gen Klifi told journalists.


It's likely that this was incoming artillery fire that landed on the beach
Mark Garlasco, Human Rights Watch

Media assesses beach killings

Mr Peretz added that "the intention to describe this as an Israeli event is simply not correct".

On Wednesday, Gen Klifi elaborated on his comments in an interview with Israeli public radio, saying:

"This shrapnel was not from a 155mm [shell]... there is no doubt on this point.

"It could be from another kind of munition that we have used in the past or a non-Israeli device, but we have not finished the work of the inquiry," he added.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat urged the United Nations to launch its own investigation.

"The Israeli escalation in Gaza and the large number of martyrs should force the UN and international community to increase their efforts to protect the civilian Palestinian population," he said in an interview with AFP news agency.

Mine theory

Israel frequently bombards northern Gaza, targeting militant rocket crews who attack nearby Israeli territory.

On Tuesday, 11 Palestinians including nine civilians were killed in an Israeli missile attack on a vehicle carrying militants on their way to fire rockets.

Palestinians mourn deaths on Gaza beach
The deaths caused grief and anger among Palestinians in Gaza

General Yoav Galant, head of the army's southern command, expressed regret over the civilian deaths.

One Israeli suggestion for Friday's blast has been that it was caused by a mine laid by Hamas militants, but this was dismissed by a bomb damage expert who visited the scene.

Mark Garlasco, working for the US-based Human Rights Watch group, said victims' injuries were not consistent with explosives blowing up in the sand beneath them.

"My assessment [is] that it's likely that this was incoming artillery fire that landed on the beach and was fired by the Israelis from the north of Gaza."

The Israeli military says its investigation used TV footage of the aftermath of the explosion and shrapnel recovered from victims being treated in Israeli hospitals.

Six shells were fired in the area, but the army said their timing and location did not match that of the blast that killed the beach-goers.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5079464.stm

[mcpeepants]

Militants Fire Rockets Into South Israel

By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, June 15, 2006


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(06-15) 02:54 PDT JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) --

Palestinian militants fired five rockets at southern Israel early Thursday, shortly after officials said Israeli threats had cowered the Hamas-led government into stopping the attacks.

The Israeli army said one person was slightly injured in the southern town of Sderot and a building was damaged. The Islamic Jihad military group took responsibility for the attacks.

Hamas had said it was ending a 16-month cease-fire against Israel in response to an explosion Friday that killed eight civilians on a Gaza beach. Several dozen rockets were then launched into Israel, prompting the Israeli government to issue threats against Hamas.

Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad, a senior Defense Ministry official, said earlier Thursday that the rocket attacks had apparently stopped following the threats.

Israel Radio reported Thursday that a Hamas leader living in Syria, Khaled Mashaal, and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh had ordered a stop to the rocket fire. Hamas officials declined the report.

Israel has said an internal inquiry found it was not to blame for the beach explosion, but officials from both the ruling Hamas party and the rival Fatah movement have rejected the findings.

In response to Hamas' calls earlier this week to escalate attacks, Israeli officials suggested that Israel would strike at Hamas leaders involved in violence, even naming Haniyeh as a possible target. Israeli lawmaker Tzahi Hanegbi said Israel would avoid targeting Hamas members if the group halts attacks.

"If Israel will see that there is something to this new policy, of course the reaction will be accordingly," Hanegbi told Israel Radio.

Hanegbi, the chairman of the influential parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was among Israeli officials who said earlier this week that Haniyeh himself could be targeted.

Israel has in recent weeks carried out several deadly air strikes against Palestinian militants it believed were involved in rocket attacks.

Hamas gained control over the Palestinian Authority after winning elections in January. The group's military wing has killed more than 250 Israelis in attacks in the past six years, but had largely kept a February 2005 until it started engaging in rocket attacks against Israel last month.

The militant group, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, has thus far resisted international pressure to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

source:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&type=politics

[mcpeepants]

Israel Apologizes For Civilian Deaths
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Says It's Against Israeli Policy

(Page 1 of 2)
JERUSALEM, June 22, 2006
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, center, and Jordan's King A**ullah Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, center, and Jordan's King A**ullah after a breakfast hosted the king, June 22, 2006. (AP Photo/Moshe Milner)


Previous ImageNext Image

Quote

"It is against our policy and I am very, very sorry."
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert


(CBS/AP) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert apologized Thursday for the deaths of Palestinian civilians in recent Israeli air strikes after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at an informal breakfast in Jordan.

Some 13 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli air strikes in the past week, including two people in a Gaza house on Wednesday and three children in Gaza on Tuesday.

Olmert said he felt "deep regret for the death of innocent Palestinians."

"It is against our policy and I am very, very sorry," he added.

Later, speaking at an economic conference in Jerusalem, Olmert apologized "from the depths of my being" for civilian deaths in recent airstrikes in Gaza, but he added, "Israel will continue to carry out targeted attacks against terrorists and those who try to harm Israeli citizens."

In other developments:

# The Islamic militant group Hamas, which heads the Palestinian Authority, may be softening its position toward Israel, agreeing to sections of a document calling for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. That implies recognition of Israel's right to exist within the pre-1967 borders, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger (audio). Hamas is under pressure from Palestinian moderates to soften its position, in a bid to end international sanctions that have crippled the Palestinian economy. Palestinian factions hope to finalize the document in a few days.

# The International Red Cross humanitarian movement has extended membership to Israel, after a 60-year struggle. Israel had objected to the symbol of the cross and wanted to be allowed to use its symbol, the Red Star of David, reports Berger. In a landmark decision, the Red Cross approved the use of a neutral symbol, the Red Crystal.

It was the first time Olmert and Abbas have met since Olmert was elected three months ago. Both sides said the meeting was positive, but pointed out that it was not negotiations, reports Berger. The two leaders are expected to hold a formal meeting in the near future to discuss reviving peace talks.

However, Olmert cautioned that serious negotiations were unlikely until the Hamas-led Palestinian government recognized Israel.

"I think that Abu Mazen is a genuine person and he comes here with good intentions," Olmert said after meeting Abbas, using the Palestinian leader's nickname.

"But to the best of my knowledge, he is not the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority," Olmert said. Abbas, a moderate elected separately last year, is in an intense power struggle with Hamas politicians, including Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

Continued
1 | 2

source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1740415.shtml

[mcpeepants]

Israel Ready to Use `Extreme' Tactics to Free Soldier (Update1)

By David Rosenberg and Gwen Ackerman

June 28 (Bloomberg) -- Israel is ready to employ ``extreme'' tactics to free a soldier captured by Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said after sending armored units into the Gaza Strip today in an operation he warned may last several days.

Troops and tanks breached Gaza's southeastern border with Israel in a pre-dawn operation to free 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit, the army said. Before the incursion, warplanes knocked out three bridges and cut power to parts of the territory by bombing an electricity station, it said.

``All the military activity that started overnight will continue in the coming days,'' Olmert said in a speech in Jerusalem. ``We won't hesitate to carry out extreme action to bring Gilad back to his family.''

The operation is Israel's biggest in Gaza since it withdrew from the area in September. Hopes that the pullout would reduce Palestinian attacks and help revive peace talks collapsed after Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian parliament in January and militants stepped up rocket launches from Gaza into Israel.

The incursion came hours after Hamas and Fatah, rival movements that share power in the Palestinian Authority, reached an agreement that seeks an independent state alongside Israel. While Hamas is still formally sworn to Israel's destruction, the accord implicitly recognizes the Jewish state's right to exist.

Israel's government said it is holding the Palestinian Authority responsible for Shalit's fate.

Appeal to Quartet

Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Sha'er denied the government was involved in the soldier's a**uction. Cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad called the Israeli operation ``unjustified.''

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to the so- called Quartet -- the U.S., the U.N., Europe, and Russia -- to intervene and put pressure on Israel to end the Gaza offensive.

``President Abbas seeks to handle the issue of the a**ucted Israeli soldier through peaceful means and mediation,'' said Saleh Ra'fat, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's executive committee.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Israel ``now has control of sea, land and atmosphere.''

U.S. Reaction

In Washington, President George W. Bush's spokesman, Tony Snow, blamed Palestinian extremists for created the confrontation by kidnapping soldier and staging attacks.

While ``Israel has the right to defend itself,'' the U.S. is urging Israel to ensure that ``innocent civilians are not harmed,'' Snow said today at a White House briefing.

Olmert said the army would stay in Gaza as long as it takes to find Shalit, adding: ``We do not intend to reoccupy Gaza.''

``Our supreme mission is to bring Gilad Shalit home,'' Major General Yoav Gallant, head of southern command, told reporters in a broadcast news conference outside Gaza. If Shalit is returned, ``quiet will be met with quiet and any attack with an even harsher response,'' he said.

Most of Israel's troops were gathered in and around the shut-down Palestinian airport at Dahaniyeh, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) inside Gaza.

Palestinian Fire

Troops came under attack once, by Palestinians firing with light weapons and an anti-tank missile, the army spokesman said, adding there weren't any injuries. Palestinians also fired four homemade Qassam rockets that landed near Kibbutz Karmia in Israel early today, causing no damage or injuries, he said. The kibbutz is about 4 kilometers north of Gaza.

Shalit is believed by Israeli intelligence to be held in the Gaza city of Khan Yunis, about 10 kilometers from the border with Israel, Haaretz reported.

The attack on the three bridges was aimed at preventing Shalit's captors from fleeing with their hostage, the army said in an e-mailed statement. Palestinian security officials and eyewitnesses said the bridges were destroyed by F-16 jets firing missiles. No injuries were reported.

An army spokesman said that while the goal is to free Shalit, the immediate aim is to prevent the kidnappers from moving him to another location inside Gaza or to Egypt. Israel is also using its military action to pressure the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the captors to free him, he said.

Palestinian officials said they believed Israel aims to cut the 360-square-kilometer Gaza Strip into three isolated areas.

Three Palestinian groups said to be holding the a**ucted Israeli soldier issued a statement two days ago saying they would release information on his condition only after Israel frees Palestinian women and those under 18 now held in its jails. At least two of the groups are affiliated with Hamas and Fatah.

To contact the reporters on this story: David Rosenberg in Jerusalem at [email protected] ; Gwen Ackerman in Jerusalem at [email protected] .
Last Updated: June 28, 2006 10:50 EDT

source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=avQ5sj2YpzXI

[mcpeepants]

Family of nine killed as they slept


Conal Urquhart in Gaza City
Thursday July 13, 2006
The Guardian

Awad Abu Salmiah lay in a small ward covered in bandages, drifting in and out of consciousness. He looked around but did not seem to notice the absence of his parents or brothers and sisters.

The 19-year-old was dug out of the remains of his two-storey house on Wednesday morning, four hours after a 550lb bomb crumpled the building. He does not know that almost all his family is dead.

Nabil Abu Salmiah, 45, and his wife, Salwah, 38, were killed along with two sons and five daughters, aged from four to 18. Awad and his brother Mohammed, 23, were saved when they were woken by aircraft and went to the balcony to see what was happening. Mohammed was thrown from the balcony while Awad was trapped by falling masonry which left him badly cut and bruised.

A spokesman for the Israeli army said they did not know there was a family in the house when they bombed it. They said they were trying to kill a group of Hamas militants led by Mohammed Deif, who they have tried to assassinate three times.

The targets were not in the house when it was hit. The spokesman said they had spotted two cars driving away from the area, fired missiles at one and lost the other.

Statements from Hamas suggested Israel was correct in believing that the men had been in the area. Some were believed to have been injured as they drove away and were being treated secretly.

The family were the latest victims in Israel's three-pronged Gaza campaign aimed at securing the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, captured on June 25.

The death toll is more than 60 Palestinians, including at least 14 civilians. On Wednesday, the Israeli army reoccupied some of the former settlements it left last year. Around 40 tanks held a line from the Kissufim checkpoint, west to the sea.

Soldiers took over houses along the route and set up sniper positions, preventing any correspondence between two halves of Gaza. Palestinian radio reported that five men had been killed by Israelis in the area.

Yusri Abu Salmiah, 40, whose brother was killed in the bombing, said Nabil, a lecturer at the Islamic University had been a supporter of Hamas but he knew nothing of meetings being hosted in his house or garden. "My nephew told me that the whole family was fast asleep apart from him and his brother and this is why they were killed," he said. The family were buried by thousands of mourners who paraded through Gaza City.

Five of the bodies were carried on stretchers, which is normal, but four were placed in boxes because they were so badly dismembered. All that remains of the house is a pile of rubble, surrounded by damaged apartment blocks.

Around 40 other people were injured,three of them critically. Sadullah Zant, 31, a relative and a neighbour, said he was asleep on his balcony when he heard two explosions within seconds of each other. "My building moved up and down and I heard crashing and screaming. I ran out and I saw people emerging from building covered in blood and dust. People were screaming and you could still hear the jets overhead."

The death of the Salmiah family is reminiscent of a previous attack in which an Israeli jet dropped a one-tonne bomb on an apartment block four years ago, killing Salah Shehade, the Hamas military leader, and 14 others, including nine children.

source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Sto...819128,00.html

[mcpeepants]

US vetoes UN resolution urging end to Israeli attacks in Gaza

Jul 13 3:50 PM US/Eastern





The United States vetoed a UN draft resolution that would have called for an end to Israeli attacks and "disproportionate use of force" in the Gaza Strip as well as for the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier.

The Security Council resolution received 10 votes, one against from the United States with four abstentions, French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July, announced.

Explaining his negative vote, US Ambassador John Bolton described the text as "unbalanced" and was "not only untimely but also outmoded" because of the attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah militants and UN chief Kofi Annan's decision to send a crisis team to the region.

He said adoption of the resolution would have exacerbated tensions in the region and would have undermined "our vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."

The United States, Israel's staunchest ally, last used its veto in the Security Council in October 2004, to block a similar draft demanding that Israel end all military operations in northern Gaza and withdraw from the area.

source:http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/0....0bs4l5nz.html

[mcpeepants]

Aug. 25, 2006 14:29 | Updated Aug. 25, 2006 15:40
Rafah border crossing opens for a day
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip
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The Gaza-Egypt border opened for a day Friday, after weeks of closure following the kidnapping of IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit by Hamas operatives in Gaza.

The brief opening of the Rafah terminal comes at the end of the summer travel season and will enable hundreds of stranded passengers to get to their destinations.

The border is controlled by the Palestinian Authority and Egypt, with the help of EU monitors. Israel demanded the closure after the June 25 capture of an Israeli soldier, to prevent him from being smuggled out of Gaza.

By midday, some 1,400 passengers had crossed, said Maria Telleria, a spokeswoman for the observers.

She said some 50,000 people are waiting in Gaza to cross to Egypt, among them students, business people and those seeking medical treatment in Cairo, she said. Several hundred people are waiting to enter Gaza.

She said the Palestinians had requested the border be open three days in a row, but that no final decision has been made.

source:http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525943728&pagename=JPost%2FJPArt icle%2FShowFull

[singern]

the wall would be a great thing, had it been built along the 1967 border it would have given the Palestinians hope that maybe one day the strangulating settlemenst would be on the other side and they would have freedom on their side, but instead it has sent a message to the Palestinians that they will be oppresed for at least the next 10 or 20 years and that they are the underclass in an aphartied state, is it any wonder that they voted for an organization that vows to destoy that state?

My hope and that of every rational thinking Israeli is that one day the wall will not be needed and will be removed, but as for this point in time the reality on the ground dictates the need for this wall as a barrier to keep out terrorists, and prevent weapons smugeling. and it is working wondefuly......

As to the Palestinians voting Hamas into government, I suggest you look at the current opinion polls on the Palestinian street and you will have a much different view.
The truth is Hamas has driven the Palestinians deeper into a hopeless abyss then they were before, because of there ideology of intolerance and unyielding violence. There are daily gun battles, kidnappings, and assassinations being committed by Hamas against the Fatah. Trust me the Israeli occupation is nothing compared to the fear on the street caused by Hamas gunmen and terrorists walking around like Taliban.