Ash writes: "You will either confront the Israeli right wing now, or confront them after unimaginable carnage and global security destabilization."
The world is watching the United States as Israel continues its assault on Gaza. (photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Mr. President: Call Off Benjamin Netanyahu
18 November 12
Reader Supported News | Perspective
ear Mr. President,
Understand this now, the ongoing assault of Gaza by the Israeli military harms the people of Gaza, harms the people of Israel and harms the people of the United States, and that may only be the beginning. You will either confront the Israeli right wing now, or confront them after unimaginable carnage and global security destabilization.
The rockets fired by Hamas have no military significance. Their sole aim is to focus world attention on the situation. It is a classic Gandhian strategy, not - as you well know - a realistic threat to the safety of Israeli citizens.
Hamas' military commander Ahmed Jabari was targeted after truce was negotiated. His assassination was an act of Israeli retribution, and was intended for the sole purpose of provoking a military confrontation.
If Israel's fortunes are harmed they are harmed by their gun-toting right-wing. There is a vibrant Israeli-left-resistance that the US has for years utterly ignored. Lend your voice to the Middle Eastern peacemakers, rather than the war makers. Act quickly, time is of the essence.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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Comments
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Actually, if you read Edward Said's Orientalism (amongst other works) it is clear that there is a long, long, history of dehumanizing people's who were not part of Judeo-Christian Western Civilization (though this of course was never restricted to Arabs but also routinely included Africans, Asians and others that were at the time not considered white.
To quote a late presidential candidate "There you go again!"
Nutty-Yahoo is a war-mongering, trigger-happy proto-Fascist (and I use the term advisedly and after much analysis) fanatic itching to use "Every means necessary" at his disposal to create a climate of fear and intimidation around the whole eastern Mediterranean. Israel has more fire power and a 200-warhead (at least) nuclear arsenal beyond the capability of the rest of the surrounding Arab States combined (and the most efficient covert killers in MOSSAD), supplied by the same US military-indust rial monster that arms Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Quatar, UAE, now and previously Iraq and other "Favored Nations", supplied without favor for profit -but Israel has the extra-favored status via the seemingly invincible Israeli lobby here, without which resource it would be as harmless as a toothless Cobra.
Unfortunately, the Nuttty-yahoo himself would, I have no doubt, resort on nuclear weaponry before he would work with the Palestinians he is trying to de-humanize.
Remember how both Obama and the former French PM Sarkozy agreed that N-Y was a pain in the neck to deal with and Obama seemed to avoid him on his last visit here.
I hope that Ob' garners the courage and backing to confront this perpetual itch deep in the region's anus before it draws more and fresher blood. But I'm not hopeful.
No you are NOT. Netanyahu is spoiling for war and for getting rid of ALL Palestinians
He keeps STEALING more and more of the occupied land by building settlements, that he KNOWS full well is infuriating the Palestinians.
To make it even more offensive and painful for the Palestinians... they are in most cases doing the building of the homes for the Jews, because they are desperately poor and need the work.
It must be horrible....
And WHAT can any American president do??? He is totally hamstrung by American Jews, Who really should be working hard to make the Israelis understand that they are on a dangerous LOOSING COURSE by not instituting the two state solution.
Do they not realize, that SOON the Jews will be THE MINORITY?? Then WHAT?? I hope Netanyaho will be BOOTED from office in the upcoming election.
Not all American Jews agree with Netanyahu or any of the other Labor politicians that have also supported similar policies vis-a-vis the Palestinians. For example, see the latest piece by Rabbi Michael Lerner and his Tikkun network.
http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/12349
Just as we are right to criticize those that paint all Palestinians with one braod brush as if they are a monolith we should not doing the same when it comes to either Israeli's or American Jews.
Was it not inevitable that when Obama -- ever Mr. Conciliation -- won the election, Netanyahu felt empowered to crank up the war machine we've so bountifully supplied? Of COURSE I am thankful Obama won -- but it is past time for him to understand that Netanyahu does NOT speak for all Jews -- of whom a large humanitarian legion on the Left is actively dedicated to peace and justice for Palestine, and across the Middle East.
As Michael Moore has prompted us, time to push harder than hard on this re-elected Pres..
Mastering them was easy and allowed me to write cryptic reminders to myself of the board of my high school classroom. Some students developed enough interest to teach themselves. Well, anything to get the old intellectual juices running!
N.
I regard the current Israeli military actions as excessive (at least 300 bombing runs by aircraft yesterday). However, they are shooting back at people who are shooting rockets at them. We can hardly expect any sovereign nation to "sit and take it" indefinitely.
Remove that, and Hamas couldn't justify shooting rockets into Israel. They wouldn't be able to.
Care to comment on Israel's occupation and settlements? I bet the Israeli Left isn't denying it. All the more they should be in power.
Carter was this (||) close, but then Reagan came in and undid all his good work.
Palestine, "The world's biggest open-air prison" has been sitting and taking it for decades now!
The Palestinian people are a wonderful example of mutual-aid among themselves with extremely limited resources. Resources & food rationed to Gazan residents, the West Bank & to Palestinians living in Israel proper. Not only are resources rationed but Israeli Defence Forces IDF are bulldozing destroying an average of 13 Palestinian homes per day as well water systems, olive-groves & other infrastructure necessary for living. Palestinian people represent a wide variety of beliefs including diverse Muslim & Christian faiths (with a minority of Jews who offer solidarity) who are living & working together in the face of mostly Europeans who refuse to recognize traditional business, land & building ownership title. With now millions of displaced peoples cut-off from regional resources & without recognition for thousands of years of heritage, most Palestinians have gone beyond the non-violence which Gandhi proffered. 'Satyagraha' (Hindi 'truth-search') is a process by which all should be called to participate in. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/structure/1-both-sides-now-article
IF PRES OBAMA DEMANDS THAT ISRAEL STOPS, WHO WILL DEMAND THAT HAMAS STOPS THE ROCKETS?
YOUR SIMPLE DISMISSAL OF THE ROCKETS AS "not - as you well know - a realistic threat to the safety of Israeli citizens" IS RIDICULOUS!
I WONDER IF YOU WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WERE LIVING THERE AND WERE UNDER THE THREAT OF NEW AND MORE POWERFUL ROCKETS BEING RAINED DOWN ON YOU??
YES - THE WHOLE THING MUST BE STOPPED - BUT BY BY BOTH SIDES!!
Regarding whoever's family is living
there, Palestinian's have a bigger cause for protest since they're facing Israeli fighter jets, bombing, a potential ground invasion, and the fact that Israel has nuclear capabilities.
Remove the root cause: Israeli occupation and extended settlements. Then, no doubt, no more rockets.
Islam & Jews have been fighting since Moses was in short pants. Over 4,000 years and what good did Lion-hardon Richard and UK cruisades achieve?
French lessez Faire sounds more appealing to USA half a world away in any of 4 diirections.
Cum to think of ot I fancy "One Direction" a great pommy pop group, & their 'why are you so beautiful'? says it well. Because your CIA make love not war, you sack 3 generals & kill an Ambassadors why? So GWB & his Blair mate don't face ICCJ fate as Sad-man did. Bush dad lost it, GWB lost it wait for Jebby to try again and make Corporate War Machine 1% richer? Least you get some breathing space to get outa debt and on track. Cleaver GOP leaving Obi-wan-can-I-b e take the nheat and they take 2016 for 2 next decades.
Suddenly, around 500 BC (give or take a couple of hundred years) the Jews, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists, Greek pre-Christians, and to a lesser extent Egyptian pre-Christians and the Near Eastern Mystery religions, started developing deep ethical principles. Perhaps the rapid spread of these ideas was inspired by the Greeks, or by the Jews, or both--or simply by an increase in mystical practices that often foster freethinking and humanistic dissenting ideas. Muhammad, a mystic who had several Jewish and Christian friends, learned to admire tolerance and compassion too, but Islam began almost a thousand years later.
I still find it paradoxical that people who pride themselves as being part of a politically democratic society, whose philosophical root is "We, the People", should prefer a tyrant God, an omniscient super-surveilla nce entity, who must be served under penalty of eternal damnation.
Douglas Jack, your thinking about the place of humanity within the natural world seems very much to parallel to that of the late Paul Shepherd, whose books are as revolutionary and important as they are difficult to read. During my years of teaching high school biology I encouraged students to explore the concept of an ecological niche as it applies to humanity, which is the core of Shepherd's work. However, I never had a great deal of success with this. People would rather believe in some kind of unlimited potential for humanity and are very uncomfortable with the idea that we have evolved to fill a specific ecological niche.
You can bet good money on this.
Muslims should read their Qur'an, especially the chapter on Israel, al-Isra:
'And hearken in the darkness, for thy Lord hath destined for thee a Glorious Station, and ye shall serve the Lord with all thy might.' (17:79)
The refusal of Muslims to recognize Israel, based on the dictates of the corrupt leaders of their Faith, is in direct defiance to their own Holy Book. 'Behold, they have cast the Book of God behind their backs.'(2:101).
And here's another one:
9:107 There are some who have built a Mosque for mischief and for infidelity, and to disunite the faithful, and in expectation of him who, in time past, warred against God and His Apostle. They will surely swear, “Our aim was only good.” But God is witness that they are liars.
I have seen this mosque, and it is all of Islam today. The ones who are pious have been put to death by orders of the high command.
You seem to harp on Muslims defying their own Koran through violence. A story in the Old Testament of the Bible isn't exactly a case of Ghandian protest. Ancient Israelites claim their god, a vengeful and jealous one at that, ordered them to slaughter neighboring
tribes. The neighbors were "offensive" by believing in their own version. That's quite a legacy and hasn't been lost on the likes of a Netanyahu. The "True Israelite" and his right-wing supporters don't exactly get the good neighbor policy by continued occupation/inva sion of e.g., Palestinian territory.
I guess "God," as imperfect as he/she/it is, still has sense to witness liars in more ways than one.
What gives? Are you Muslim moles faking it as liberal bloggers? or just rabid Jew-haters at all costs. Same difference.
Do you oppose Jewish breathing as well?
Someone stating that they "oppose both Jewish and Islamic fanaticism" is hysterical?
So, in your view, only those who are not in any way critical of Israeli state policies vis-a-vis the Palestinians is not being hysterical?
our birthright, to rape, pillage, and plunder, as we consume along, with little regard or awareness of all the destruction and wars which go into every turn of the key, and purchase. We humans go along with endless wars, we ignore Fukushima, and the gulf, we reward legitimate rapist bankers and thugs, etc. WHY, WHY, WHY? Master's, saints, and prophets, are reduced to profits, and mostly the only cheek we turn, leaves a stench, while we profess, and go to churches to do lip service, while people starve, are blown up, etc, etc, etc. Why?
Any takers?
Grateful to who? and by what standard? and 'reverence', careful, that's a religious word. If you want it both ways you might want to give credit where credit is due.
When you think about it, a new ideology requires a new Messenger, and an end to the outmoded concepts of who we are and how we govern ourselves. Just such a new Messenger appeared in 1844 in Iran, of all places. The Iranians imprisoned Baha'u'llah and executed His Herald. That's why they hate Israel, because they don't want to renounce their leadership, even if it means going all the way to hell for it.
Baha'u'llah's message of peace, world unity, letting our differences unite us landed Him in prison and exile for 40 years. If you look at only one page of His writings, you will see wisdom like it has never been revealed before and a plan for world order that we can all participate in bringing. Free of charge.
And of course Europe in 1844 was so full of peace, love, unity, and democracy that 4 years later (1848) there would of course be revolutions throughout the continent. And, of course, the US in 1844 was a bastion of democracy that extended full political rights to all of its citizens (except of course for those that were still defined as 3/5 of a person not to mention women or poor whites with no property/money) .
No holy book is needed....All we need to remember is...
TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
If we remember THAT AND live it. There is no problem. No prophet or book needed
That is splitting hairs,..... and silly. The majority of people, do understand what I said, and I think, also agrees!!
So, in other words, no "secular guide" is acceptable to you such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? If you object to this document as a guide or at least a fairly comprehensive starting point please let us know specifically what you have against this document and the rights/codes of conduct it spells out.
It's called the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights....a good place to start...you should read it sometime.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
Now, when do the governments -- ALL governments -- live up to even one of those standards? Russia and China don't listen, ME Islamic regimes deny basic human rights to women and Baha'is and use torture as a legal sanction, the US is way too greedy to care about anything else.
How do we get the governments to behave?
The likely answer is the collapse of the present day order.
I agree with you that governments do not live up to these standards or follow the precepts outlined in the declaration.
Since we are Americans and not russians, chinese or from the middle east don't you think we should start right here at home since the US gov't does not adhere to the Declaration?
How about the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
I fear that it may already be far too late for the world, yet you and I may still have a chance.
Unless it happens to fall on your roof.
Mankind did not conceive religion, but God brought it to us through His Messengers. Man was left on his own devices when the Messenger departed this world for His retreats on high. Over time, their religions have been corrupted by selfish and 'foolish leaders who lead after their own whims and desire.'
.....And the bible was faxed down to us from heaven???? Please grow up.
If you believe that, fine, but please change your nome de plume to "Voice of theocracy", or something more appropriate to a God-botherer of limited perspective.
Reason is for those capable of thinking for themselves and not looking for a divinity to dominate and steer them.
You appear more like the Islamist fanatics you keep diverting your ire onto no matter what the subject, than you seem to think.
Bother your God all you like but please keep it out of a socio-political forum.
May I suggest "The 700 Club" ("Club" as in blunt weapon of aggressive, exploitative deceit). There's one of the "Foolish leaders who lead after their own whims and desires" you evoke, innit.
Since there are many, many who claim to be Gods Messengers or who have received messages directly from God who amongst us has been "ordained" to determine which messengers are "true" and which are "false"?
A-Men, A-Women, A-Child
To all decent freedom loving Jews and Gentiles. This has nothing to do with religion,this has nothing to do with Israeli security, this is about right and wrong. Pure and simple.
Collective punishment is exactly what the Nazis did in occupied Europe. Do not sit by silently.
Bullspit!
What about the carnage Israel faces?
Carnage? Less than the carnage in a Colorado theater. The Palestinians face carnage and oppression from Israel every day.
What are you talking about? Are you suggesting Israel rockets the P.A.? Are you bonkers?
Israel just wants to exist, and it is surrounded by nations sworn to its destruction. Perhaps Hamas and the Palestinians might tweak that part of their charter where it says they WILL destroy the land of Israel.
Its just not called being a real good neighbor, y'know
The Israeli government has broken almost every pact or agreement that it has made with palestinians and other arab factions since 1948.
A worse symbiosis - US/Israel - has never been formed!
Reading list:
"Failed States" and "Hegemony or Survival", by Noam Chomsky
"The Shock Doctrine", by Naomi Klein.
...be ready for your world to change...
( http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/14305-obama-is-the-wiser-path )
You got what you asked for....
Under the Mittster we would have invaded the Gaza strip ourselves. Don't be obtuse.
Bad, yeah, but hardly in the league of Ivan the Terrible, Mao, Hitler, Stalin Genghis Khan, etc, etc, etc. Hell, not even in George W's league.
Yeah, They're SOOOO much worse than Hitler and Stalin.
WOW! And I got negatives for pointing out the exact thing. So Stalin's 60 million murders doesn't eclipse what the wingnuts from Israel have done? What world are you people from?
Don't forget Cheney/Rove/etc .
Misinformation monologue fills controlled media. 4 Jewish voices stand in stark contrast for bringing us together.
We're continually being called to 'hates' (read '1984' by George Orwell) strategically by the Finance-Media-M ilitary-Industr ial-Complex. They know that; with our allegiance of 'hate' allegiance, then they can make & lead us into perpetual war & profits. Israel's election ignores social issues to feed upon war.
Cowardly side-stepping dialectic-discu ssion in relations at home, work, school, organizations, institutions leads to the same internationally . Humanity is called to bring both sides together. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/structure/1-both-sides-now-article
Media subverts 'dialectic' ('both-sides') to report monologues, which pay their profit & salaries.
40% of Canadian, US & NATO & 60% of Israeli GNP is arms, munitions & security-force related, feeding our families while others suffer the consequences. Average citizen-consume rs feed on perpetual war economy blandly locked in hates. Military forces / ministers of defence / generals / soldiers / contractors (Blackwater etc) fight without dialectic inquiry. Continued,
Nov 16, The Fuller Story By Rabbi Arthur Waskow There’s a back history to the present & worsening violence between Israel / Gaza that has not been covered at all in the US media, which began to cover events in Gaza only when the Israeli government assassinated the head of the "military wing" of Hamas. ie Gaza's Minister of Defense http://www.opednews.com/populum/printer_friendly.php?content=a&id=158827
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now recent warfare around Gaza. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/14581-israeli-negotiator-hamas-commander-assassinated-hours-after-truce
Noam Chomsky Democracy Now! recent trip to Gaza, calls on Israel to put an end to the blockade on the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave. "[Gaza] is a lesson for people from the West," Chomsky says. "If they can struggle on under really harsh & brutal conditions, it tells us we ought to be doing a lot more." Nov 14, http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33030.htm
Lior Sternfeld, Informed Comment 15 Nov. 12 Israel's all-too-well-kn own elections routine. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/14551-wagging-the-dog-in-gaza-netanyahus-skirmish-of-fear
Whatever Israel is holding over the USA its time it came out into the open. The USA population can handle it. We've paid enough in reparations and for that matter so have the Germans.
Unconditional support must NEVER be granted to any foreign nation. Support must ALWAYS be conditional, the prime condition being that it will not include acts of aggression. Israel has enjoyed a special relationship with the United States for far too long. It has been unhealthy for both countries.
And no one in Washington - not Obama nor anyone else - will ever put a leash on them.
Unless hundreds of thousands of people fill the streets of Washington surrounding the Capital and the White House - and maybe not even then. It's quite likely that Americans protesting on that scale would receive the same kind of treatment from Washington that Palestinians in Gaza receive from Tel Aviv.
........................................
"Enemies are necessary for the wheels of the U.S. military machine to turn"
"3000 major operations, and 10,000 minor operations... bloody and gory beyond comprehension.. . we have organized death squads in countries around the world... operation in Afghanistan - biggest single operation in the history of the CIA secret wars... we produced the golden crescent - the largest source of heroin in the world... we count at least - minimum figure - six million people who've been killed [by CIA ops] in this long 40 year war that we've waged against the people of the third world"
-- Former CIA Station Chief John Stockwell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ioJGMCr-Y--
He takes his orders first from the Rothschilds and the City of London, then the military complex and the Corporations and perhaps Israel. Never the people. It has been years since a U.S. President or any Western world Leader has been free to govern on behalf of their people. We already have a one world order. It just is not yet acknowledge.
The people went against the 1% when they re-elected Obama. We can change our governments direction by using people power to e-mail, fax, write & telephone the President, members of Congress and government departments.
Grassroots action works, it has stopped FCC policy changes & opened inquires. The more they hear from the people the more they will listen. The entire House is elected every 2 years as is 1/3 of the Senate. Now is the time to let your representative know, en mass, that you are watching.
Although I agree with the basis of the article, to call firing rockets "a Gandhian" anything is absurd.
The land belonged to the Palestinians first, both in Biblical times and in our time. They deserve caring and respect, but not so much that Israel disappears, a policy some Arabs back, but not most Palestinians.
Others should do the same until the cite is taken down by the overload.
They learned their lessons well from Hitler but I don't see why the United States is obligated to aid their efforts at genocide.
It is you, the peace loving Israelis, that need to lead the way to policy change & peace. The world will support you against the militant settlers & war machine but we can't do it for you or for that matter without you.
It's your choice, but isn't >60yrs of war & insecurity enough. According to UNSC resolution the land belongs to both Palestine & Israel if you can't live under 1 government than you should throw away all the previous land divisions & divide the land equally forming 2 separate but equal independent sovereign nations. Divide it length or width wise or diagonally just as long as it is equal in land, water, natural resources and sea border. Than there is nothing to argue about. It doesn't matter where the settlements or the wall is those are just material man made objects that can be used by both or deconstructed & used to rebuild.
So peace loving & left wing Israelis its up to you to stop your government. We will support you. But please make your voices heard soon innocent Palestinians are dying
Seemed like it was staged as I expected him to slam this person for asking an in-approriate question that had nothing to do with his mission in South East Asia. He went to great lengths to say how bad it was for Israelies to die but seemed indifferent about the Palestinian civilians dying in Gaza in the conflict.
IS he a hypocrite? He has a mandate to do the right thing with a second term un-encumbered by an upcoming election. He had excuses in the last two years of his presidency to waffle but not now.
Just like the deal he struck with the Pentagon in 2008 when he signed-off on the drone-strike turkey-shoot on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Hey, Seamus, I hope your kids are reading this so they know what a real ba$tard you are.
Oh, by the way, have you polished your Peace Prize lately?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ntlrq
The irony of his rhetoric moments earlier, where he had declared all children blessed, was lost on Sachs. Well done, Mr Davis.
Oh, of course, now I see, how foolish of me. Iran used Hamas to launch a pathetic and futile attack, knowing full well that it would result in the murder of hundreds of her friends in Gaza.
Following your argument, on whose behalf did Israel launch ground-attack aircraft, naval bombardment, tank and artillery shells? Or was that part of Iran's plan too?
Just thought to point that out.
The ancient warning is instruction to Israel to stand down from pre-emptive attack, and let the militant Islamic factions assemble for what they would believe to be a decisive stroke against infidel Israel; a concentrated attack meant to deliver a mortal blow to Israel.
As Anthony Cordesman of CSIS suggests in Middle East war analyses papers, such Israeli passive stance would in fact result in war casualty and economic effects orders of magnitude greater than the triennial response to the rocket harassment... If Israel makes "Peace with a Palestinian State", there would be absolutely no lessening of worldwide Muslim sentiment to remove Israel from the map.
A deadly attempted surprise attack on a passive Israel by combined Islamic armies could result in a seriously damaged Tel Aviv, and other Israeli cities and military assets. Israel cornered and enraged will not be a pleasant prospect for Islam or the rest of the world used to having Muslim oil flowing their way.
Watch a seriously wounded Israel to decimate Iran and Syria. If Iraq unwisely jumps in, they will be swiftly put out of commission. Then, Egypt: War analysts predict Egypt will trade the Aswan High Dam for a few exciting hours of jumping what they believe to be an already helpless Israel...
What, may I ask, is wrong with the Democrat party (of which I am a member) that it now represents antagonistic position against Israel in EVERY case?
You people lob bombs at Israel in the same way that Hamas does. Unprovoked. You expect Israelis to accept this aggression without exacting a cost as a means of ending it. I am sorry. You are shamefully wrong and so irrational in your positions as to suggest some kind of deep-seated hatred of the Israeli state, if not an even more deep-seated hatred of Israelis (note, this is NOT a charge of anti-semitism but a charge of anti-Zionism).
As a Democrat, I find your positions vile and your dogmatism unsettling. I wish you could all be living in Israeli border towns or sitting in a Tel Aviv park when an Iranian missile (do you understand the implications of THAT?) comes flying overhead. What flatulent arrogance you expel when you suggest that Netanyahu must be suppressed or that our support for Israel must be modified or terminated. You feed radical Islam and Iranian confidence in its subsidization of terror every time you choose to ignore the facts.
Nov 16, The Fuller Story By Rabbi Arthur Waskow when the Israeli government assassinated the head of the "military wing" of Hamas. ie Gaza's Minister of Defense http://www.opednews.com/populum/printer_friendly.php?content=a&id=158827
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now Gaza. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/14581-israeli-negotiator-hamas-commander-assassinated-hours-after-truce
Noam Chomsky Democracy Now! "If they can struggle on under really harsh & brutal conditions, it tells us we ought to be doing a lot more." Nov 14, http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33030.htm
Lior Sternfeld, Informed Comment 15 Nov. 12 Israel's all-too-well-kn own elections routine. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/14551-wagging-the-dog-in-gaza-netanyahus-skirmish-of-fear
Miko Peled, A General’s Son http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=oCKWDarNdGw&feature=endscreen
Hajo Meyer, Auschwitz Survivor, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsqj3HH4NVk&feature=related
Origins of Israel Palestinian Conflict Caspian Report Mirshivan History of Middle-east http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb6IiSUxpgw&feature=related
And, as a democrat shouldn't you be supporting the progressive voices in Israel? for example, here is the latest piece by Israeli writer, activist and former Knesset member Uri Avnery.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1353080494/
Leaders are going to have to far more courageous than they have been and we know that Netanyahu has no choice at all: he is a ideologue with no recourse to reason.
I don't condone Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, but am not surprised that they occur. What is surprising is the short-sightedne ss of the supposedly enlightened Israelis, who have within their power the ability to make concessions that would permanently defuse this situation. Continual recourse of answering violence with overpowering violence does not seem to be working for the Israelis, just as it does not seem to be working for the Americans in Afghanistan or, indeed, throughout the Middle East.
1. It was the Brits. who returned Israel/ [aka Palestine (= from the same root as 'Philistine', btw.])
2. There has never been an independent Palestine , just a possession of among others e.g. the Ottoman Turks, then the Brits.
3. For thousands of years, archeological evidence suggests the "Palestinians"( fellahin) and the Jews as Israelites etc. have lived side by side. And those Jews expelled by e.g. the kind, sweet Romans [you know, the REAL killers of Jeshua (Christ)] ended up all over the world.
4. But Jews certainly have as many "rights" to much of this land [excluding Gaza, (from which the word for their main exported product, 'gauze' originates) which was historically exclusively 'Palestinian'] as do the present-day fellahin.
5. This is NOT to say, that forced settlements in politically disputed territory are not downright stupid or to be deplored morally.
But equally immoral and stupid and criminal are firing rockets continually on civilians (including INNOCENT Israeli children -- it is not just Palestinian children who are 'innocent')) or putting bombs up against school buses, or bombing synagogues in Argentina and elsewhere, or killing Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics ETC. ETC. !!
Declaring that you will "wipe Israel off the face of the map" or "sweep them into the sea" is not likely to inspire confidence in the Israelis that you are really just poor little peaceful victims in all this. Netanyahu however, is a bully, a brute, and above all a POLITICIAN interested in saving his own skin, at any cost. To that extent, Obama should not blindly follow where Netanyahu would like to lead... .
Why should Obama not confront Hamaas or the Palestinian Authority, the reason behind the attack?
The U.S. launched two wars after ONE attack, and it didn't even target the source of the attacks.
Might I suggest that Bibi Netanyahu's renewed carnage in Gaza was clearly green-lighted by the Obama White House--recently reelected with the votes of many RSN lesser evil voters.
Bibi thanks you for your support--as does Wall Street's Barack Obama--who will continue to do what London and Wall Street financiers tell him to do--despite your wishful liberal wishes to the contrary.
Any country – US, included – would retaliate if their people were being attacked.
Imagine Mexico decided to take back California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas, and started firing rockets into the US. Further, suppose Mexico also declared that it would destroy the US. Plus Russia, China, and Iran declared they supported Mexico and gave them weapons, money, and troops to blow up buses, fire rockets, with the goal of destroying the US and killing every US citizen.
Then imagine that the US decided to give Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas back to Mexico, but would keep southern California as a buffer. And the result was that Mexico fired even more rockets into the US. And they still declared they would continue firing rockets, bombing buses, and anything else they could do to destroy the US. What would the US do? What would any country do?
But of course there’s a big difference. The US is a large, powerful country. Israel is a tiny country the size of New Jersey, with 7.8 million people. There are 22 Arab countries, with hundreds of millions of people, antagonistic to Israel.
Using examples of events from the colonial Era is ridiculous, the fact is the USA has apologized to the Indians and made efforts to repatriate them.
There may be a bigger difference in war power between Israel and the palestinian refugees than between the USA and Israel.
The 23 Arab countries were always there why would any sensible person put them selves in such a position.The occupation of this land by Europeans was WRONG and israel will never be able to make it right. You should read a Book. FREE FOR A BLAST and add to your knowledge of the event.
Here are good links to mostly Jewish authors.
Nov 16, The Fuller Story By Rabbi Arthur Waskow Back history to the present & worsening violence between Israel / Gaza that has not been covered at all in the US media, which began to cover events in Gaza only when the Israeli government assassinated the head of the "military wing" of Hamas. ie Gaza's Minister of Defense http://www.opednews.com/populum/printer_friendly.php?content=a&id=158827
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now recent warfare around Gaza. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/14581-israeli-negotiator-hamas-commander-assassinated-hours-after-truce
Noam Chomsky Democracy Now! recent trip to Gaza, calls on Israel to put an end to the blockade on the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave. "[Gaza] is a lesson for people from the West," Chomsky says. "If they can struggle on under really harsh & brutal conditions, it tells us we ought to be doing a lot more." Nov 14, http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33030.htm
Lior Sternfeld, Informed Comment 15 Nov. 12 Israel's all-too-well-kn own elections routine. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/14551-wagging-the-dog-in-gaza-netanyahus-skirmish-of-fear
Miko Peled, A General’s Son http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=oCKWDarNdGw&feature=endscreen
Hajo Meyer, Auschwitz Survivor, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsqj3HH4NVk&feature=related
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