Sunday, December 28, 2008

Reflections on Gaza incursion


A Time to Fight -Editorial

That over 200 Palestinians have been killed compared to only one Israeli leads some journalists to conclude that Israel is inherently in the wrong. If one Jew is killed, we get very little pity. If, heaven forbid, an Israeli kindergarten was to take a direct hit - Israel might, temporarily, gain the sympathy of news anchors from Paris to London to Madrid.

At that price we would rather forgo their sympathy.

We wonder how an international community that can't bring itself to explicitly support Israel's operation against the most intransigent of Muslim fanatics expects to play a positive role in facilitating peace in this region. Hamas must be stopped. And the civilized world must help stop it.
(Jerusalem Post)


Would U.S. Accept Ceasefire with Al-Qaeda?

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told FOX News: "For us to be asked to have a ceasefire with Hamas is like asking you [the U.S.] to have a ceasefire with al-Qaeda....It's something we cannot really accept."
(FOX News)



Israel Must Defend Its Citizens
-Amos Oz [Author & peace activist, pictured below]

The systematic bombing of the citizens in Israel's towns and cities is a war crime and a crime against humanity. The State of Israel must defend its citizens.

It is obvious to everyone that the Israeli government does not wish to enter Gaza; the government would rather continue the ceasefire that Hamas violated and finally revoked. But the suffering of the citizens surrounding Gaza cannot go on.
(Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)






Israel Tries to Change the Rules of the Game in Gaza -Ron Ben-Yishai

Israel [now] makes it clear that it would respond "disproportionally" every time Israeli residents are hurt.
(Ynet News)


Hizbullah Will Not Join Hamas

Hizbullah will not join Hamas in fighting Israel and will not open a second front against it in the current conflict, the London-based Al-Hayat quoted a Hizbullah source as saying Sunday. The source explained that Hizbullah was not interested in a conflict with Israel at this time.
(Jerusalem Post)


Palestinian Rocket Falls Short, Kills Girls in Gaza -Sheera Frenkel

Two Palestinian girls died when militants in Gaza bombarded southern Israel with homemade rockets and mortars, one of which fell short and hit the victims' home.
(Times-UK)

2 comments:

LHwrites said...

This is not about responding disproportionately. This is about attempting to end the constant threat of rocket attacks by destroying weapons and making it unpalatable to launch them. We invaded Iraq with, obviously, much less provocation than Israel had for these attacks. We have world support for our work in Afghanistan, because of one monumental attack on our soil, yet neither the U.S. or any other nation lives under the constant threat, and indeed, barrage of attacks that Israel does. Let any nation that would accuse Israel of impropriety first "walk in its shoes".

Bruce said...

Exceedingly well stated LHwrites. You frame the issues exceedingly well.