Boston Jewish leaders defend Gaza strike

It seems that some people cannot recognize a massacre when they see it. That's a pity for humanity.

I would encourage readers to inform themselves about the plight of Palestinians by visiting sites like The Palestine Review.

The Palestine Review
http://palestinereview.com

I totally understand the views that the author has written and the statemant of the jewish community but I do think this article is a bit biased. The Israleis have shown they want peace as in recent months have signed a peace treaty with hamas. Where as hamas were to stop rocket fire. The intent from the israelis is there but It is not enough.

Even though the Israelis stopped their own more lethal shelling they still kept their embargo on the gaza strip not allowing food money and medicine to the people that most need it. So the palestinanns believe their only way of making better life for them selves would be to fire rockets and destroy israel. If israel showed to hamas soem benefits it would recieve from not firing rockets then maybe they will stop as even they want peace.
I do not sgree with the formation of israel and the persecution of the palestinian people but they are there now so we cant chuck them out as they also have a right to the land. I believe If israel wants to show real commitment to the peace process they should revert to the 1976 war boundries with jerusalam being no mans land

Atrocities against civilians can never be excused by accusations that the "other" side is using those civilians as "human shields".

If the Israeli government and military apparatus really cared about Palestinian civilians, then the alleged use of humans as shields would be effective. It would deter the war crime we see occurring now. Instead, we see the opposite.

Israel has declared war on Gaza. Why haven't they evacuated the citizens of Sderot from so close to the war zone. What disregard for human life!

Not once does the statement mention the Israeli casualties from the Hamas rocket attacks this week (0) nor the Palestinian casualties today (around 200).

I look forward to the day when religious institutions advocate peace rather than rationalize military action.

"If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing." - Barack Obama

Amen.

Don't ever question anything Israel does. It makes you an anti-semite

Killing 200 + Children, women and mascare like this will create more hatred for the jews around the globe.

Gaza is a killing & target practice camp for Israelis...!

Only peace & love -- actions will solve this problem.

Every nation has an inalienable right to defend itself, the just war doctrine. Simple as that. Someone said "Hamas wants peace." Hogwash. They, along with the rest of the Middle East, want to see Israel pushed into the Mediterranean. Lots of anti-Semitism in these comments.

"I do not sgree[sic] with the formation of israel and the persecution of the palestinian people but they are there now so we cant chuck them out..."

Gee, thanks for your tolerance Aadil. I'm sure you expect thanks from Israelis for such an 'open minded' stance . Is this the type of "peace" that Israel is expected to deal with from its neighbors?

http://www.counterpunch.org/cohn07042006.html :

" Israel's brutal retaliation against Palestinian civilians constitutes collective punishment. Attacks on a civilian population as a form of collective punishment violate article 50 of the Hague Regulations, which provides: "No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally responsible."

The Fourth Geneva Convention also prohibits collective punishment. Article 33 says: "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed." The Convention requires all states party to it to search for and ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of the war crime of "causing extensive destruction ... not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly." Amnesty International called the deliberate attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure war crimes.

Collective punishment is likewise forbidden by Article 75 of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. As four US Supreme Court justices agreed in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld last week, Article 75 is "indisputably part of the customary international law." "

"If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."

One wonders what Obama would do if someone demolished his house, killed some of his children and then barricaded him into a small space with his family and then stopped him from having access to food, water, electricity and medicine?

If the American people were presented a fair rendering of the facts regarding all things Palestinian, by an unbiased media, there is simply no question that we would view the situation similarly with what many/most Europeans already realize: that under the mask of "sovereignty" Israel is committing many of the same horrific war crimes against humanity that were done to them. This statement above is hogwash. This is yet another example of a massively disproportionate response, just as in Lebanon last time, that will only serve to inflame passions and ensure that a 2-state solution (as demanded by the UN and which Israel purportedly supports) can be further delayed. One person in Israel was killed and several wounded. Now 250 Palestinians are dead and 400+ wounded! What a joke. Israel is flouting international law by supporting settlements in the West Bank, where Palestinian residents are prisoners in their own land, and lest you think these Israeli settlers are any different from the fanatic, fundamentalist, violent religious Arab terrorist zealots.... think again. Same nutjobs, different ideology.

Establish two states, split Jerusalem, make the Old City an international community, compensate the refugees, and move on. Everybody knows the solution, now make it happen. Oh, and how about requiring the Sulzbergers, Times, Globe and every other biased media organization in America to report the facts.

The statement made by these groups suggests that Hamas is some sort of threat to Israeli security, when the "rockets" they speak of are little more than fireworks that usually explode in the desert, unfortunately they sometimes do hit people and kill or maim them.
However the Israeli army has access to the most sophisticated weaponry in the world and used approximately 100 tons of explosives in this attack which killed 225 people and severly injured many more.
They are trying to excuse this mass killing by greatly exaggerating the capabilities and threat that Hamas poses.

I Love how the Globe reminds us twice in the featured article that civilians were killed.

I hope Israel bombs every man woman and child in Gaza and then turns around and bombs every man woman and child in Iran

Enough of the senseless Islam-fascist nightmare

The Israelis under political pressure to respond to the incessant rocket attacks from Gaza and are playing into Hamas's hand by over-reacting with a massive air strike. As we know form the insane policies of the US in Iraq this will only solidify the resolve of the Palestinians and attract more martyrs to become tools of the Islamic fundamentalists. The Israelis know this so the political pressure from the extreme right seems to outweigh good sense. The Bush administration sanctifies this overkill because it mirror their own policies. There must be a way to prevent the extremists on both sides from pursuing their agendas at the expense of the lives of innocent civilians.

Israelis and Jewish Americans are on the wrong side of history. It is surprising that the Jews (mostly liberals) in America preach political correctness and racial harmony/banning Christmas displays and words, "Merry Christmas" in public schools here have no problem of supporting Israel's attacks on civilian population and racial segregations and discrimination. Wow!

People, and organizations that call themselves "philanthropic," should be ashamed to defend such a brazen disregard for human life as Israeli bombing of Gaza. The contrast between homemade rockets, the vast majority of which fall pathetically away from any people, and F-16 fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters, whose accuracy and destruction are devastatingly leathal, is clear for the world to see. The notion that the Palestinians are the aggressors here is absurd. Israel has systematically punished Gazans for their election of Hamas into power; so much for "respect for democracy." It has economically strangled the people, bombed Gaza's power plant, denied the entry of food into Gaza, and denied Gazans exit. If you call this "self-defense," you're decieving yourself and others. These are crimes against humanitiy.

Israel should launch a random rocket or mortar into Gaza every time one is fired into Israel from Gaza. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A random rocket for a random rocket.

LOLZ I shall ignore the other side's argument and repeat my own, simply louder!!

I win!!! LOLZ!

John ... thanks for the link. Now get a clue. Israel has wanted peace for years and the Palestinians will not be happy until they wipe Israel off the planet. There are no crimes against humanity in this operation, only the defending of a country and its citizens. Israel is doing what needs to be done in order to survive. They should have carried out this operation sooner.

My problem is with the whole dual-citizenship thing. It's scarry that all this propeganda goes on on American soil. And I've had enough of the whole killing thing. Thousands of years and no change. True, Israel must be allowed to defend itself, but it creeps me out that a local charity is defending the military actions of a foreign power.

@Jasmin R: Thank you! If the one who is killed, the one who is losing his/her home friends children is Palestinians its okay, otherwise it will be a political suicide to any leader in this country.

@gaudete: If your children got killed, your home got demolished, you couldn't find food for your children (God forbid) then I'm sure you will have a totally different opinion.

Read:
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Third Edition
A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples

And you will get the picture that media in US is hide perfectly.

I seriously doubt that the Israeli leadership wants the futile rocket fire to stop, and wouldn't be surprised if they had a hand in making sure it continues. Otherwise there would be no pretense of morality for this hegemonic genocide.

A fair analogy is if I beat someone into a pulp because I wanted their house and lands for my family who used to live there generations ago. Then while laying bloodied on the ground that person managed to spit on me. "Look, he spit on me," I say as I proceed to kick him with my steel toed boot.

First the Israel people held educational material, food, and medical supplies from the Palestinian people. A huge wall has gone up despite the World Court and UN rulings that Israel has taken most of the land from the Palestinian people. The rulings have been clear and the USA and Israel ignore both United Nations laws and World Court laws! We allow the Israel Army to kill the Palestine children and civilizens all of the time. A young girl was shot in the head this month and nobody reacto when a Israeli military person does this! Now we have R Emanual as Pres. Obama's right hand man and he served in the Israel Army...prey for the USA.

200 dead Palestinians to avenge 1 dead Israeli. And Jews actually wonder why the world hates Israel?

To all those who justify the Israeli jew massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza, you seem to forget the brutal occupation of the Palestinian by Israel and Israel's land stealing and murder of the Palestinians. Israeli Jews, with the support of Jews in the diaspora, have slaughtered thousands of Palestinians for their land, expelled thousand of Palestinians from their homes, and enslaved 1.5 Palestinians in Gaza, the worlds largest prison. Now, you support the massacre in Gaza even though israeli Jews broke the 6 month truce agreement by killing Palestinians. Israel is a rogue state and its leaders should charged with war crimes for Gaza.

To all concerned

" All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is people, politicians, and political leaders around the world either stay mum or shift the blame onto oppressed, occupied, and tormented"

What Israel is doing in the name of security onto impoverished and victimized Palestinians is a solid and ultimate State Sponsored Terrorism and same is true about India who has turned divided Kashmir into massive concentration camp on the Top of World.

As a naturalized Kashmir born American Citizen, disabled American Veteran and Forensic psychiatrist, I plead to my current president, Hon. President Bush to stop all aid to Israel and freeze the any relationship with India.

I suggest to incoming president elect, Hon. Barrack Obama to appoint outgoing president as special envoy to permanently, peacefully and amicably solve Israel-Palestinian Conflict and Hon. former President Bill Clinton to erase the line of conflict [LOC] between the divided people of Kashmir.

Yours truly,

COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret]
Las Vegas NV USA
CC

OK, folks, this really very simple - listen closely: The good Palestinians elected an organization (Hamas) to be their rulers and protectors. Hamas' doctrine is very clear... the elimination of Israel. And to that end, they have bombarded Israel with rocket fire daily for many months. Israel, up until now, has used verbal warnings to both the good Palestinians and to Hamas that if they continue to assault the Jewish state, there would be hell to pay. How much clearer can you get?

The good Palestinians (and the rest of the Arab world) should be blaming Hamas for what has occurred... it has NOTHING to do with Israel! How long do you think the US would tolerate a group of Mexicans or Canadians firing rockets onto our soil? It's the SAME thing. Why is this so difficult?

OK, I understand that you are seeing dead people all over the place - yes, it's awful. No one, save the Hamas, want to see this kind of destruction. But place the blame where it should lie... with Hamas. They are putting their people in harms way by firing rockets at the Israelies. C'mon folks - use common sense. Just don't start in with history and religious wars... you don't want to tangle with me on that one!

If you want to dispute or discuss what I've opinioned, start your opinion with JEFF so I'll notice you are talking to me.

And to the civilian Palestinians who have lost their lives and loved ones, you have my extreme sorrow. I grieve for you. Please protect the rest of your people by getting rid of Hamas. Israel only wants peace, so if they are not assaulted, they will certainly not assault you.

Once peace is established, Israel/USA, and others will provide aid and help to build a glorous future for the Palestinian children so they can become educated and prosper.

And yes, if peace is secured, the Palistinians will get much more land on which to thrive. People, it's all about just saying you want to live peacefully together... that's all.

Please do not let the images of today's bombings sway your logical thinking. Those people are dead because of Hamas! Place the blame where it lies.

Maybe the dopey Palestinian electorate should not have voted a terrorist organization to power. Haven't heard of any rockets being fired from Judea/Samaria (there is no west bank) area where Abbas is in control. The problem is Hamas and Iran not Israel you dunderheads.

wow, I don't get the support for a hating group of people like the Palestinians who would like nothing more than to see both the US and Israel be decimated. These people are animals, and don't do anything to prevent the volley of rockets into Israel. As for giving warning so that civilians could get out beforehand, there was a 48 hour window given by Israel. Scares me that the support for Israel is waning in the country, but until people use there real names and stand by there beleifs this is just classic fear.

come on, hundreds of palestinian casualties in Gaza is nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands of casualties (and a few thousand US deaths) in Iraq, a war pushed by the neocons...

by the way, who are these people (kristol, wolfowitz, podhoretz, perle, abrams, etc)? who are these neocons?

http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/index.html

THis is not genocide. Imagine living in fear that your home will be hit by a bomb. Israel is in the right to step up and defend themselves. If any of you actually knew people who live in ISrael. You would have a very different view. Imagine having the step on the T everyday and be worried that you could be killed. Hamas is a terrorist organization. If you can prove me wrong, and Israel must defend itself.

This is a direct quote from the Hamas Charter that can be found from a simple google search:

The time(16) will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and
kill them); until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: 0
Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him! This will not apply to the Gharqad(17), which is a Jewish tree (cited by Bukhari and
Muslim)(18).

The Slogan of the Hamas

Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Quzan its Constitution, Jihad its path and death for the case of Allah its most sublime belief.

Hamas has zero regard for human life and exists only to destroy Israel. If you had this entity in your backyard, you would react the same way. I pity those palestinian sympathesizers who have been fooled by anti-semitic propaganda.

Israel is making the same mistake over and over again. The palestinians have nothing to loose, simply because they have nothing. They have been camping in tents in a ghetto for the past 60 years.

Can you imagine yourself camping in the dust in the middle of thousand of people with restricted water and electricity?

They lost their faith in the International Community. The only thing this people care about is having their dignity back, a home, a job, food for their children. Once they get that the terrorism will stop.

By firing missile in crowded area, Israel is simply killing the Palestinian moderates, reenforcing the extremist. They are acting exactly the same way as the German did to them during the second world war. The only difference is that they are taking their time because otherwise the International Community would be all over them. What we are facing now is an Apartheid. Israel considers the Palestinian as less than human and they treat them accordingly.

Helping Palestinian to create a strong economy is in the best interest of Israel as it would weaken the extremist in favor of more moderate people. Obviously, Israel which destroyed over 400 villages and kick 750,000 Palestinians out of their home, from 1948 to 1950, think otherwise.

It's just shocking to hear/read people who consider only one side of the story.

Gaza is nothing more than an Israeli prison. The American Jewish community should be ashamed of the horrors perpetrated against the Palestinians. As an American, I question our government giving Israel billions each year to spend on weapons. Return to the 67 borders and there will be peace. And stop lying about the settlements in the West Bank.

Jasmin: You go on and on about alleged Israeli war crimes. Has Hamas never done any war crimes? Or are they a jolly bunch of hail fellows well met, like a Shriner's convention?

Chris@4:37 You cite what the Europeans think as an example for US. Phooey. First of all, the Europeans are wimps, and second of all, they are intimidated into taking these self-destructive positions by their growing, militant Muslim population, hence the name Eurabia. PS you mentioned the 2 state solution. Just a little problem, the Palestinians don't want that 'solution,' they want a 1 state solution, and that state ain't Israel.

Just wrap your mind about one word, my friends, and ponder it deeply: jihad.

My historical question is: for most of my life, the 60's-80's, the Jews were the darlings of the left wing, they could do no wrong. Why now can they do nothing right? Why and when did this change? Or is the historically regular resurfacing anti-semitism?

I am quite amazed with the speed of JCP's response, as for the content of their response no surprise there. They will go to any extend to defend the actions of the "sacred cow', no matter how immoral and bloody the actions are.......

You can always spot fanaticism when someone takes a situation that is rather inconsequential and then imagines that if he doesn't do something radical, the blah situation will become his worst nightmare.

As much as Israelis believe that Hamas is behind the rocket attacks into their territory, there seems to be a controversy about what they are, who sent them in, and who has been harmed. While saying they are just celebratory rockets seems a possible fib, it is also the case that Gaza has been cut off from humanitarian supplies for some time. This decision originated in Israel, and it is something about which rational minds might differ.

You now see this opinion in the war-minded Israeli press, where nobody seems to object to what is going on: "If weak little Gaza can keep daring to send those rockets against us, how much worse if any Palestinians should be allowed to be even incrementally stronger, for they will then really hurt us. So they must be slaughtered in their thousands to teach them a lesson."

You know what, charities and all, count me out. I am not interested in following this course with people whose minds are in my opinion addled with fears of things which may have been, which may one day be, but which allows them not to attend to the problems of the day.

i quote with great respect a teacher I once listened to in my early formative days, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Nobody pays attention to him anymore, but he really has some on-point arguments. If you consult his text without reference to more, you will find quite a bit of wisdom, sorely needed at the moment, and non-denominational.

If Northern Vermont was being shelled by a terrorist organization do you think it would have taken the United States long to act accordingly. I also call your attention to this.

All Israel needs for peace is a partner. The country has treaties with Egypt and Jordan. Those two Arab countries are full partners and the treaty has worked. Nothing is perfect of course but a look at history tells you that Egypt and Jordan enjoy trade with Israel and other things. The bottom line is no hostilities. If Hamas really wants peace they can show it and Israel will respond accordingly. They have shown it by history.

The rockets they complain about sound horrible as reported by our media. Yet they rarely even injure anyone, isn't that strange? Hmmm, the kidnapping for exchange of hostages of two Israeli soldiers three summers ago justified the cluster bombing of civilian areas of Lebanon, so I guess loud disturbing rockets making you aware someone is pissed at you justifies any amount of killing. Empty the arsenal and let the US pay to replenish it.

Oh I get it, land theft is not an issue any Palestinian has a right to be angry over, they should cower like women at the chosen one's might; that must be the problem, not enough cowering by Palestinians. Right. Sure.

Well anyway how will this help Israel? That's the important thing. Let me see, it won't lessen injuries from Palestinian militants, as they are really so low they can't go lower. Hmmm. So how will this affect Israel's support around the world?

Well they've lost me, I think they are militarist animals. Years will pass, support for Israel will weaken. In the end they will undo themselves.

Israel was behind the 911 attacks on America, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH....Here's a search term to begin with "9 dancing Israeli's"

So they steal STEAL the Palestinians land and get pissed when they lob some rockets over the border. Peace will not come until they give the lands back!
The USA Government has been hijacked by dual citizen Israeli's who care only about Israel.
Guess who doesn't?

This is going to even out in the end, just like all things. Israel watch your back!

Al C: I will not be happy until we wipe Israel off the planet, or at least end its oppression. Same goes for the US, China, Russia, England, and any other nation that occupies another. Any government that demands submission of a people forfeits its right to rule.

Those of you who wish to bathe in the blood of Palestinians today should be ashamed. The rest of us will work tirelessly for just peace, and once we have it, your war-mongering will mean nothing.

Al C
(this is a different John) When you say "Israel has wanted peace for years" you need to understand that there are in a sense two Israels and they have a VERY different idea of what "peace" means.
First you have the majority, mostly secular population that lives, for the most part in the coastal plain (on Israel's side of the "Green Line" --the 1949 Armisitce border).
Their understanding of peace is a two state solution.—with the borders mostly along thee 1949 line (with some negotiated modifications – and some yet to be determined solution for Jerusalem).
But there is another Israel—a minority, (but growing in both numbers, and, because of Israel’s multi-party political system of government---in power) I am referring to the Settler movement , which seeks to colonize the Occupied Territories (which they refer to as Judea and Samaria) .
They tend to be very religious, and religiously Zionist –by which I mean that they beleive that God has given them ALL of the land of Israel and Palestine for the Jews—and no land for the Palestinians.
Their vision of peace is a one state solution – Israel would annex the territories and the Palestinians?
Well, they don’t reeally have an answer to that question—if you grant them citizenship (like those Arabs living in Israel) they would soon outnumber the Jewish poulation, and if you deny them citizenship—well that would be equivalant of apartheid.
Some of these extremists (Israeli) have even gone so far as to advocate forcibly ejecting the Palestinians from what land they have left (ethnic cleansing) – this is similar to what happened in many places in Israel during the War of Independence—both Yitzhak Rabin and Moshe Dayan admitted to this in their memoirs. These Palestinians (and their descendents) are still living in refugee camps—some of them in Gaza (it’s why the Gaza strip is the most densely populated strip of land on the planet—many refugees from the war of 48 fled to Gaza).

So you see, it’s a little more complicated than you state. Israel could face a civil war If the time comes to evaacuate the settlements in the Occupied Territoies (that would make up the Palestinian state)—in the end, if there is to be peace, there HAS to be a two state solution—It’s a matter of Israel biting the bullet and getting it done—but the problem is that under every Israeli government the settlements have grown, not shrunk (the only exception was the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005).
John

250 dead, 750 wounded, and for what? For Qassam rockets which have killed less than 10 people in 8 years. If ever there was an epitome of disproportionate use of force this attack by F-16's and 100 tonnes of bombs (paid for by US tax dollars my fellow Americans) is it.

All in the name of “self-defense”. Please. This is immoral offense, and indiscriminate killing, and, by god, if you hold elections and call it a democratic process then deal with the results in a civilized manner, but not by quarantining Gaza, withholding food, funds, petrol, electricity, medical supplies, humanitarian ships, and UN mandated observers from entering Gaza and then wonder why home-made rockets are being fired (with no sophisticated guidance chips or any chance of doing massive damage).

I am not Arab, not Jewish, not Palestinian, so I have no direct relationship to any side of this thing. What I failed to understand is why Israel couldn't learn from the history, where it's clearly shown that no matter how powerful you are, military action won't help solving the problem--whether or not you are doing ethnic cleansing, or try to fight over a piece of land.

Also:
1. what if this group was a group of palestinian to make this statement, will it get to a newspaper in one of the major US cities?
2. Hamas was elected by the local people, right? Based on the definition of democracy in here, it must be a democratic country, right?
3. this is the kind of things that made me looking down to the so-called democratic system.

Free Palestine!

The Palestinians hate Israel more than they love their own children. So the violence will continue.

It is clear under international law that Israel has the legal right and moral duty to defend itself againt the Hamas regime that calls for the liquidation of the State of Israel.  Israel should have attacked Hamas targets many months ago.  Indeed,  Israel is doing the Palestinians a major favor in that they are doing what Abbas has been unable to do. If you support multi-culturalism and progressive movements in the Middle East, you have to support Israel, not the Islamic extemists in the Hamas regime who persecute Christians, gays, and women.  The great irony is that the so-called "progressives" who hate Israel are persons who are aiding and abetting reactionary regimes.  Real liberals support Israel.

We should just let the two sides fight it out and exhaust themselves -- the only way to get them to a place psychologically to make a true and lasting peace. The differences, at this point, seem irreconcilable. Not enough people on either side willing to make needed compromises. With these off-and-on "peace processes," we seem only to be prolonging the bloodshed. Let the two sides fight it out and exhaust themselves to a lasting settlement.

It took WWI and WWII to bring a lasting settlement to Western Europe. Maybe that's what's needed here. It may take a full-blown war to bring lasting peace.

I am quite frankly more concerned with Anglo-Zionic fascism represented by "Kill them all"...There is no way to peace, peace is the way. Fourteen months of siege against 1.5 million innocents by the world's 4th largest army: no food, medical supplies, no petrol for electricity generation, gas for cooking and raising chicken's, [the primary protein source in Gaza], no ink or paper to print books for 100s of thousands of school children. As is the united states, israel is a stolen land, and what is being done to the palestinians is genocide by any other name and must stop for "civilization" to return to civility.

When will this website publish a statement on this issue by the Islamic community in Boston?

What Israel is doing is nothing short of genocide. Hamas is their concentration camp. Palestinian actions against Israel are the actions of a people facing genocide. Israel bears all guilt in these attacks. Perhaps Boston's Jewish community supports genocide, but the rest of us do not.

Israel is a terrorist organization and the world should unite against them. The entire world will be a much safer and more peaceful place once these terrorists are eliminated.

Israel is an apartheid state and is committing genocide against the Palestinians both within its pre-67 borders and post-67 borders (which by international law are illegal), they are committing war crimes daily and now this blatent act of murder! This is disgusting and Israel as a jewish-only state has no right to exist! We need a one-state solution that incorporates all peoples and faiths and not just "jews only" and has the "right-of-return" and reparations Palestinians who have been thrown off their land from 1948 on.

no one has yet answered the good arguments yet by JEFF C @5:42, and especially Ben L @ 6:36, with the Hamas constitution. CK called Israelis "animals;" that is callled the dehumanization of the opposition, then its ok to kill them.

Daniel says that the Israeli's were behind the 9/11 attacks. Classic case of 'the Big Lie,,' as in Goebbels, say it long and stong enough, and some suckers will believe it. Daniel, don't resist the nice men in the white coats who are coming for you.

police stations, located in civilian areas in gaza and all over the world, are not military targets. this was a massacre

Okay, the "prominent dove" Amos Oz, as well as some other prominent Israeli "doves" like David Grossman, generally support these kinds of atrocities if they're committed by Israel. Both, for example, supported the 2006 Lebanon massacre, where there was not even a Sderot to serve as a pretext. These people are outside of the Israeli peace movement; their function is to help out apologists for Zionist atrocities by permitting them to point and say, "look, even the peaceniks support this operation; therefore it's justified." They are worthless as advocates of peace and have little credibility among genuine peace supporters.

Now, there is a genuine Israeli peace movement that deplores these war crimes. They were out demonstrating in Tel Aviv last night. There is a very substantial refusenik movement of Israelis who refuse to serve in an army of occupation and terror, and sometimes pay the price. They include reservists, among them important high-ranking officers who proudly fought in the Israeli army. They also include high school students, the shministim, who are often imprisoned for refusing to join the army of terror and occupation. Proportionally, the Israeli refuser movement is on the same scale as the US refuser movement during the Vietnam War. These numbers do not include Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, who are excluded from the army as part of Israel's apartheid policy.

The "Israel has a right to fight back against rocket attacks" excuse will not persuade any reasonable person. Even if one grants the extremely improbable assumption that the Gaza massacre improves rather than harms Israeli security,
Israel has at least three options that do not involve committing grave war crimes and are therefore vastly better than the mass murder in Gaza. One is to accept the very generous peace offer that is on the table - the one where in return for partial fulfillment of Israel's legal obligations, it gets peace, recognition and normalization with all of the Arab countries. The offer has been ignored by Israel, which is interested in proclaiming its desire for peace, but would rather commit war crimes against a defenseless population than even recognize genuine peace offers. It is likely that Hamas would crack down on the rocket launchings if Israel even indicated a serious intent to negotiate on a serious peace offer - as opposed to the phony-baloney "peace process" pushed by the colonial powers which, as Palestinians and pro-peace Israelis understand much better than Americans do - are aimed at perpetual process, and do nothing to advance actual peace.

Israel's second option is simply to relocate the residents of Sderot out of the range of the missiles. If Ashqelon residents are at risk, relocate them too. Yeah, there are costs involved, but nothing like the costs of the Gaza Massacre. Many residents of Sderot would leave if given the chance, just like many of the illegal settlers in the West Bank would leave if offered the chance.

The third option would have been to meet Hamas' terms for ending the rocket attacks and extending the truce, by ending the murderous and criminal siege of Gaza.

The first and third options cost nothing in terms of real costs, and in fact have benefits in the form of greater security for Israelis in general and the people of Sderot in particular, as well as economic benefits. There are, however, costs that Israel apparently isn't willing to bear: it means no quenching of its thirst for blood, and no continuation of its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in pursuit of the dream of an Arabenrein Greater Israel.

A final personal remark. As a Jewish American moderate, I am distressed and disappointed by the apologetics of many Jewish organizations for Israeli crimes. These organizations make it very uncomfortable for a Jewish American who is not bloodthirsty, not an anti-Arab racist, and not a reactionary chauvinist to participate in mainstream Jewish life. I have persisted, and I continue to go to synagogue and participate in Hillel events, even though I have to self-censor and at times be very uncomfortable. Many of my Jewish friends want a closer connection to the religion and the community, but will not participate because mainstream Jewish organizations are too extreme, and that's a real shame.

to Gaudete in particular:
The term Semite means a member of any of various ancient and modern people originating in southwestern Asia, including Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, Arabs, and Ethiopian Semites.

After reading the comments here I am amazed at the amount of anti-Semitic vitriol. It is something new in the USA. Yes, I mean anti-Semitic, dedham, which means anti-Jewish, and not anti-Arab, Phoenician or Akkadian -- it is a term of art created in Germany to refer solely to the Jews.

It is true that not so long ago the Left and everybody else was in love with Israel, but that was before the nation of Palestinians was invented and cleverly marketed to historically and morally challenged by both, the Arabs and the Soviet Union. It took years and billions of Dollars, and now the contamination is thorough to the point that the Guardian sounds like Nazi rag. Want to know what guardian said about Israel once? Read this at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1917/nov/07/israel
Yes, indeed Guardian published this article before anti-Semitism came back into vogue.

So called ‘Palestinians’ in Gaza are really Egyptian settlers with no real claim to the land many with families in Egypt. Mostly came and settled after the British and the Jews developed the economy in the area or after Egyptians killed or pushed out all the Jews out in 1949. Never once the so-called Gaza Palestinians fought Egyptians for their own country between 1948 and 1967. Wonder why?

As it is, Israel would be wise to cut the electricity and water to Gaza since it doesn't get them any brownie points and if Egyptians want to supply it, fine, if not, too bad.

To those who minimize the damage done by Gaza’s Egypto-Arabs with their rockets, if they do not pose a threat, why do they continue using them?

As to the European anti-Israeli attitude, we Europeans have never really became reconciled to our contributions to crimes against the Jews during WWII. Yes, monuments were built, polite words said but still most in Europe want nothing better than point fingers at Jews as genocidal killers – it sort of absolves our parents and grandparents of their guilt, which neither they nor we have never truly acknowledged. Most Americans do not get it, most Europeans don’t want to admit it, and most Arabs use it to their advantage.

Palastinians in Gaza are living below the poverty line in buildings that look like Swiss cheese, cutoff from BASIC human needs such as food and medicine. Their children learn that tomorrow is never guaranteed to exist. If I was a teenager living in Gaza, what choice would I have to better my life? The only choice I would see is Hamas. This is the side of the conflict that I feel more and more people should focus on. Children in Gaza have nothing to look forward to in life. They are born old and jaded. They see the poverty around them while neighbors not so far up north in Tel Aviv have posh hotels and are not breathing in the dusty rubble from buildings that have blown up next to their house. And before anybody questions me on how I would know...I have many Jewish friends who have gone and lived in Israel and I also have Palestinian friends who have fled Palestine.

Point of the matter is, I don't understand how Israel can lose so much of their humanity to set up blockades for people who are already in below poverty and who's younger generations are learning that the only way to go is the extreme because they have nothing to live for. I feel the need to say that I am not anti-Semitic, I am not pro-Hamas. I don't however, believe in Zionism, and I certainly don't agree with the Israeli government. If they thought the international community was going to back them up, they need to think again. They are surrounded by Arab nations who are currently demonstrating some major anti-Israel sentiment (Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, and everywhere else outside of the Middle East for that matter). Jordan, their supposed ally, burned Israeli flags in the Jordanian parliamentary and demanded that the Israeli ambassador be expelled. I wonder if the Israeli gov't thinks that the US will back them up unconditionally, what with the US heading into a depression with trillions of dollars of debt (remember the US controls 25% of the world's economy...if we go down, everybody goes down with us) and growing anti-US sentiment for being allies with Israel. I smell bullshit all over this operation what with the US transition of presidents and their own elections in February. And what will Israel get in the end for this mass destruction? A quick little slap on the hand for admonishment. And what will we get in the US? Even more hate from the international community. Great. We sure know how to pick our friends.

Defending these murderous, racist and inhuman actions by the Israelis is morally equivalent to being a supporter of the Nazis throughout the 1930s. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Israel is wrong - Palestine is wrong - PEACE and a solution is needed. Milatry action from Israel is not the solution nor is these stupid Palestinian Terrorists who make the situation worser. Innocents on both sides are dying for some stupid racist fued. Its time the world sort to put a stable government into Palestine and get rid of Hammas who are just there to fight. Its time the world condemed Israel for its actions which are wrong wrong - this is sick more hate = more violence and no peace.
Stop the carnage - educate the people - end the violence - support democracy

Petra, don't forget we (USA) give Palestine an average of $85 million per year austria.usembassy.gov/en/download/pdf/aid_palest.pdf

"Israel is a terrorist organization and the world should unite against them. The entire world will be a much safer and more peaceful place once these terrorists are eliminated." Rick

Pick up The Bible and you'll see that this is a prophecy.

To JEFF, et al. I'm afraid it's only that simple if history is only a few years long. In this United States of Amnesia we seem to be restricted to analyzing foreign affairs on an incident by incident basis using only the talking points we're given. Yeah, Hamas wants to eliminate Israel and most likely the majority of the Palestinians do too. The Native Americans wanted to eliminate the Colonies, the Celts wanted to eliminate Rome, the early Jews would have loved for God to completely wipe out the Pharoahs. But for better or worse, none of these groups had or have any chance. It's a joke to pretend that Hamas represents any realy threat against Israel, and there is nothing unusual or especially 'terrorist' about a brutally colonized people wanting retribution. Now, don't jump to misunderstanding me: every death is an atrocity on either side. I don't condone any of it, but there is huge matter of scale here that can not be ignored (1:200 is this melee alone). Also, in the real world, a Ghandian approach of letting your oppressor beat you senseless only works if there is a conscious there (and India had way too many people to beat and kill them all). And clearly the best way to create a hateful extremist regime is to continually destabilize, assasinate, invade, and pillage. The superpowers of the day are really good at this formula: it gives them good villains for good propaganda and justifies further hegemony.

OK, if Israel and the US and all really wanted peace and Hamas is really a threat they could (A) have all their elite special forces go in and actually just take out the people with the rockets and (B) start taking actions that show real respect and humanitarian concern for the Palestinians as fellow human. Consistently doing right by the Palestinians would be heralded by the world and relieve the conditions that create groups like Hamas. Unfortunately, nothing similar to this is ever going to happen.This incident, the cluster bombing of Lebanon, and so many other examples show that this is a campaign of collective punishment at best and imperialism through genocide at worst.

I recommend you check out the following historical analysis of the genesis of Zionism:
http://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=5844
It's rife with quotes from Theodor Herzel and others declaring that the complete elimination of the Palestinians was the only way to go.

By the way, I'm the first Daniel, the one who thinks that Israel leadership appreciates the opportunities afforded by the futile and unfortunate rocket fire, but not the one who wrote about Israel being behind 9/11.

This is legitimate self-defense. I'm the only "David Appletree" who cares about these issues and the one who posted above is just trying to be cute by using my name and making a statement which I'd never say.

Thanks and support the Jewish Internet Defense Force:
http://www.thejidf.org

Looks to me like the IDF is going to lose this one too, just like they lost in 2006. Better hope the Lobby can keep the $$ and arms flowing, cuz air power and gee whiz is all that's standing between Israel and a swamping by demographic inevitability.

Several days ago, there was a ceasefire. What happened to end it?

What we'll hear about is the killing of the Israeli soldiers that started the violence again. What we'll probably not hear is the petty 'push and shove' of the Israeli troops - that they know perfectly well will get the Palestinians angry.

There are two sides to this seemingly endless agonizing saga.

This seems so much like a schoolyard bully brawl. And until there's a 'principal' to take both sides to the office for detention, we'll never have any settlement of this childish feud.