Rather old news, they’ve been involved since the second day of the Israeli attack.
Because there are two sides to this conflict. Must be a shocking realization to some.
If anyone is interested in a bit more info on how Iran is getting weapons and cash into Gaza, the CNN article has more info. I was interested.
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/19/smuggling-weapons-to-gaza-the-long-way/
I’ll answer you content-free snark seriously for once.
The point, which obviously escaped you the first time, is the capricious nature of the objects included in the blockade. Unless of course, the Israelis know something we don’t about the murderous capabilities of said spices.
It’s like the TSA on steroids.
Breaking and welcomed news: Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza cease-fire
True; mea culpa. Although I don’t think this error invalidates my question. Which reminds me…
RedFury, care to answer these questions?
As for the cease fire, I will be very happy if it indeed brings in a lengthy (i.e., years) period where no civilians on either side have to suffer.
Fictional. There are plenty of open spaces from which to launch attacks and Hamas could very well segregate its military forces from the civilian population. You seem to have bought into the narrative that Gaza is some sort of open air prison with people housed in cell blocks instead of areas of settlement. But please, feel free to keep talking about how much unrelenting bias you perceive.
I’m skeptical of the apparent claim that Gaza is uniformly densely populated.
I did a Google image search the phrase open space in gaza, and found this picture
Looks to me like there are plenty of places from which to fire rockets which are not near populated areas.
Right on target.
To bad Hamas seems to want their people dead so that folks like yourself can crow about how bad Israel is. I expect you’ll condemn Hamas, for intentionally putting the civilians in harms way.
Oh wait, you totally won’t.
And yes, the cease fire is a good thing, and I don’t expect it to last through the weekend. I expect to see rocket fire out of Gaza by Friday evening, local time. Idiot clerics will get idiot militants heated up, and they’ll go out and get some more civilians killed.
All the IDF’s fault though, right Red?
You are basing your entire claim that one can’t criticize Israel without being called an anti-Semite on one comment from Brazil to you in a thread in the BBQ pit over a year ago and the failure of the ‘apologists’ of Israel to denounce him? The way Der Trihs is always called out every time he makes over the top comments? Being that this is not the pit, I’ll restrict my commentary on Brazil to noting that his opinions aren’t held in the highest regard; he is best known as the poster who begins 1 in 4 paragraphs with ‘lol’ and maintains a blog where he lists people he has ‘banned’ (apparently the word ‘ignore’ isn’t in his vocabulary) along with a list of his rules of debate. Der Trihs isn’t called out on every over the top comment he makes for the same reason Brazil isn’t; people have grown to expect their behavior.
I have been critical of Israel and have never been called or had it implied that I’m an anti-Semite on this board, and the only people I’ve called (or implied) were anti-Semites were in fact anti-Semitic. The happily long departed Sevastopol comes to mind.
No ONE is “justified” in killing civilians. Period.
Which will only happen when Israel finally adheres to the near unanimous – with only three ‘real’ nations continually voting against: The US, Israel & Australia (US veto ‘wins’) – resolution of the yearly UN General Assembly along the unanimous - one backing of The International Court Of Justice. Which as you’ll see in its advisory opinion on The Wall ruled against three of the four major points of contention in the dispute: The Settlements, East Jerusalem and West Bank borders.
I can’t help but be cynical. While not as cynical as the other guy, I still expect rocket attacks on Israeli civilian populations to resume in the absence of military provocation after about six months–that’s about the over-under after previous cease-fires.
“six months”? You’re wildly optimistic. More like six hours.
A worthy read:
Israel and Hamas: How Biases Are Driving the Conflict to the Precipice
– much more at source.
… was more like six minutes.
At least 12 rockets were fired into Israel Wednesday night in the hour after the cease-fire understanding between Israel and Hamas went into effect at 9 p.m., according to police.
For what it may be worth, my position is that (1) concern for the Palestinian Arabs is normally motivated by antagonism towards Israel; and (2) most anti-Israel sentiment is the result (directly or indirectly) of anti-Semitism.
Not all but most. It’s the only reasonable explanation for the fact that Israel draws wildly disproportionate criticism.
It’s been pointed out that some of the double-standard is due to a recognition that Israel is morally superior. If this recognition were consciously and explicitly stated by those who criticize Israel, then I would be hesitant to call it anti-Semitic.
But on the other hand, if it’s subconscious and unstated, then arguably it’s fundamentally anti-Semitic. What do you think drives anti-Semitism anyway? In large part, it’s a subconscious belief (or fear) that Jews really are superior or special.
Virtually any other country on the planet would have declared war and pushed Gaza into the sea by now.
Israel should take advantage of the iron dome system that selectively ignores missiles not aimed at them and let them fall on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem. Let Hammas kill 2 birds with one stone.
There is no “Palestinian side of Jerusalem”.
All of Jerusalem is part of Israel and the Israelis deciding to let missiles fall on Arab neighborhoods but not on Jewish neighborhoods would be the equivalent of the US government choosing to let missiles fall on black neighborhoods but not on white neighborhoods.
To echo Dissonance, you are basing your argument that it’s difficult to criticize Israel either on the Dope or in public based on comment made by Brazil84 over a year ago in the Pit.
As Dissonance pointed out, Brazil84 is hardly representative of the Dope nor all that respected and is mostly known for responding to arguments with “LOL” and “banning” posters who fail to abide by his “rules.” I can’t go any further without violating the rules, though I’ll note I’m one of the people he “banned” for some conversation that I don’t even remember.
Claiming you can’t criticize Israel without being accused of being called an anti-Semite based on Brazil84 is like claiming you can’t say you’re a Republican without being accused of being stupid, racist, and a monster based on comments by a number of posters on this board, including one you already noted.
Furthermore, in the comment linked Brazil84 doesn’t claim that all critics of Israel are anti-Semites, but instead that “most probably” are, which is different.
Moreover, saying he accused you of being an anti-Semite is a bit incomplete. You asked him if he thought you were an anti-Semite and he said “probably yes.”
Was his comment obnoxious?
Yes, but what you’re doing is a little like me asking someone if they think I’m lying and when they say “yes” running to the mods and screaming that I’ve been called a liar.
Like Dissonance, I’ve been extremely critical of Israel and can’t remember ever being called an anti-Semite.
sure there is, the East side of Jerusalem.
I disagree with your analogy. There is no movement for independence by black people in this country.
I don’t seriously think Israel should forgo the protection of the East Side but if it comes down to war with Gaza there will be a cost associated with this area.
Not according to the Israelis.
According to them that is part of Israel and they don’t even allow maps which say otherwise(admittedly in most Arab countries maps depicting Israel are also not allowed).
I will certainly agree the Israelis are certainly capable of disgusting bigotry as anyone familiar with the distribution of gas masks during the first Gulf War and who’s seen polls of young Israelis on their opinions of Arab Israelis and Avigidor Lieberman can testify, but the Israeli government is not going to be so blatant any more.
Fucking over the present absentees is one thing. Nobody knows who they are, not even the westerners who pretend the give two shits about the Palestinians or their cause.
I’ll be genuinely surprised if any of the “Israel is TEH EVUL” posters on this site will know what I’m referring to before they scurry over to google.
Israel deciding to allow bombs to drop on Israeli citizens who are Arabs and flaunting that before the world?
Please, that’s something else.
Israel needs to pretend they’re no different than other western democracies. They can’t blatantly show how they’re different.