# U.S. Convoy attacked in Gaza. Should the U.S. retaliate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2003, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534 "2003-10-15T09:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/81 "2003-10-17T11:05:07Z")
That’s not really relevant to what I was asking, but I’ll answer that. THe German government probably has faith in our ability to capture criminals. So there would be no need to retaliate. Besides, it’s not as if we were sponsoring the gangs or encouraging them to commit violence. Arafat incites Palestinians, even those groups he does not directly support, with violent and anti-semetic rhetoric. So he is responsible for the violence. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/82 "2003-10-17T11:20:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adaher \* > \*\*That’s not really relevant to what I was asking, but I’ll answer that. > > THe German government probably has faith in our ability to capture criminals. So there would be no need to retaliate. Besides, it’s not as if we were sponsoring the gangs or encouraging them to commit violence. Arafat incites Palestinians, even those groups he does not directly support, with violent and anti-semetic rhetoric. So he is responsible for the violence. \*\* Anti-semitc rhetoric? yes, all criticism of Israel is antismetic especially when there killing your people. He does encourage resistance to the occupation, which I don’ think anyone can criticize him for, but he does not encourage attacks of this kind. There is much to criticize Arafat for but your barking up the wrong tree. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/83 "2003-10-17T11:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > I have to admit that what happened makes me feel not very sympathetic concerning the plight of the the Palestinians. After all that stupid WMD malarkey, does it never, _ever_ strike you that that is what you’re supposed to think - I will never understand how so many millions of otherwise intelligent Americans seemingly have their critical faculties removed in relation to politics and simply accept whatever nonsense they’re told to believe. No wonder they keep trying to get away with it, it’s because they can. It’s utterly bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Daisy\_Cutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Daisy\_Cutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daisy_Cutter)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/84 "2003-10-17T18:03:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by swami \* > \*\*True, US lives are in danger in Israel. \*\* Yes, I agree. Palestinians kill Americans in the disputed territories and they kill Americans inside Israel also. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/85 "2003-10-17T21:38:19Z")
London: > [@](#): > > After all that stupid WMD malarkey, does it never, ever strike you that that is what you’re supposed to think -. I suppose it might have crossed my mind. Perhaps it was in my mind when I wrote my next two sentences. I have a 1989 8086 running dos on 1 meg of ram that can hold 3 simple sentences in memory at once. Why can’t you? > [@](#): > > I will never understand how so many millions of otherwise intelligent Americans seemingly have their critical faculties removed in relation to politics and simply accept whatever nonsense they’re told to believe. I really can’t beleive you didn’t read my entire post. It was only three sentences. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/86 "2003-10-18T04:10:50Z")
\*\*Anti-semitc rhetoric? yes, all criticism of Israel is antismetic especially when there killing your people. He does encourage resistance to the occupation, which I don’ think anyone can criticize him for, but he does not encourage attacks of this kind. \*\* Arafat goes way beyond criticism of Israel and attacks Jews as a people. I’ll have to go get some quotes now. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/87 "2003-10-18T12:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adaher \* > \*\*\*\*Anti-semitc rhetoric? yes, all criticism of Israel is antismetic especially when there killing your people. He does encourage resistance to the occupation, which I don’ think anyone can criticize him for, but he does not encourage attacks of this kind. > \*\* > > Arafat goes way beyond criticism of Israel and attacks Jews as a people. I’ll have to go get some quotes now. \*\* I’ve notice that you have a tendency to make things up to suit youir worldview when you are not in full possesion of the facts. The thing is he doesn’t attack Jews as people. ---
**Author:** ![swami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@swami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swami)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/88 "2003-10-18T17:21:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daisy Cutter \* > **Yes, I agree. Palestinians kill Americans in the disputed territories and they kill Americans inside Israel also.** Oh, so when you were saying the **region** is hatefilled, violent, and lawless, you just meant only **Palestinians** are hatefilled, violent, and lawless. I just want to get this pro-Israeli bullshit straight. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/89 "2003-10-18T19:42:41Z")
[nitpickyness] Aren’t Arabs (inc Palestinians) as Semetic as Jews? So “Anti-semetic” meaning “Anti-Jewish racism or tribalism” is a slighly odd in this particular context. [/nitpickyness] ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/90 "2003-10-18T19:45:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Capt B. Phart \* > \*\*[nitpickyness] Aren’t Arabs (inc Palestinians) as Semetic as Jews? > So “Anti-semetic” meaning “Anti-Jewish racism or tribalism” is a slighly odd in this particular context. [/nitpickyness] \*\* That’s just semantics, antisemtic has a well-defined meaning as racism against Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Saul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Roland\_Saul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Saul)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/91 "2003-10-18T20:00:44Z")
Uhhhh, no. Anti-Semitic is ASSUMED by many to mean “against Jews”. That 's a modern corruption of the real meaning. Literally Semite means " descended from SEM" (son of Noah). The Semites were eventually classified into 4 groups if I remember correctly, depending on what region they settled in. Those 4 groups INCLUDED arabic speakers as well. Hebrew speakers were one group, but not a majority. The term "anti-Semite was coined as a poor catch-phrase for “one who is against Africans and Asians”, because the descendants of Sem spread all the way to the far East… they originated in the middle East, but so did a gaziliion other groups. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534/92 "2003-10-18T20:59:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > **Dude STOP TALKING! You made an asanine statement. Don’t make yourself look like even more of a moron by trying to rationalize it.** Yes, Rashak Mani’s statement was much better left unsaid. As has been said, when you find youself in a hole you should at least stop digging. > [@](#): > > \*\*In all fairness, the UN doesn’t have a track record of overthrowing dictators either. \*\* So that makes us at least equal to an organization that has been cited in this thread as run by a gang of hoodlums? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-convoy-attacked-in-gaza-should-the-u-s-retaliate/207534.md?page=4)