Celebrating murder
I'm far from impartial when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The response to the terrorist murders of eight Jewish seminary students in Jerusalem this week reinforces my view:
"In the streets of Gaza, thousands of Palestinians celebrated, with people firing into the air and sounding their horns," Al Jazeera reported.
"It is clear that those people celebrating this bloodshed have shown themselves to be not only the enemies of Israel but of all of humanity," Israel government spokesman Mark Regev said.
Yet, as Al Jazeera further reported, that wasn't the only reaction:
"After the shooting, hundreds of seminary students demonstrated outside the building, screaming for revenge and chanting against Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, as well as 'Death to Arabs'.
"The angry crowd turned on Al Jazeera's crew and the team had to leave under escort by Israeli police."
"This heroic attack in Jerusalem is a normal response to the crimes of the occupier and its murder of civilians," a spokesman for Hamas said.
"An Israeli military onslaught in Gaza killed more than 120 Palestinians in the past week," Al Jazeera noted.
It did not add that the "Israeli military onslaught" took place in response to Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.
On and on it goes.
I draw a moral distinction between Israel and Hamas on the basis of the Hamas aim to wipe out Israel and kill every Jew ... and if that happened, its followers would celebrate in the streets. Israel is defending its existence.
Yet, I despair of its ability to prevail through retaliation. When will they find a better way?
Comments (6)
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Doug, when you're dealing with heritage, blood, tradition and "your peeps", rationality usually goes out the window.
Posted on March 8, 2008 11:55 AM
I have always thought, what would happen if those crowds that were celebrating a bombing were maced, pepper-sprayed or other crowd control method? Due to the remote area, it would have to be delivered by an aerial bomb.
Imagine NON-LETHAL remote crowd control. I'm sure that the technology exists; but would it be effective?
Posted on March 8, 2008 11:58 AM
Don, I'm sure you mean "what would happen if those crowds ... were maced, pepper-sprayed..." by the Hamas government. Right?
Yes, I wonder that as well.
Posted on March 8, 2008 12:46 PM
Yes, Doug "On and on it goes"! The only solution that has not been tried is to "allow" the Israeli military to win a total military victory. The United States Government and the world community to date will not allow Israel to end this war militarily. They claim that the Israeli response has to be proportionate. This cannot happen by sheer numbers. Israel's population is only seven million and the Arabs outnumber the Israelis by millions. Israel must be allowed to win militarily. The American Civil War ended when General Sherman "took care of business" with his march thoroughout the South. World War II ended with the nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities. The Romans conquered the ancient Israelis with the onslaught of Masada. China ended its internal dispute with pro Democracy rallies at Tiananmen Square and is rewarded with the upcoming Olympics. The Arab countries routinely massacre its citizens and they are not "formally" at war with each other.
I suggest that the US allow Israel to end the Hammas terrorist regime. I would give those few Gazans who are truly caught in the middle three days to relocate to another part of Gaza. Israel should use its air superiority to eliminate all those people left who want to fight so as to minimize Israeli losses and then send in the ground troops to finish the job. Once a military victory is achieved then the victor can dictate the peace and as we did in Europe after WW II. We can then rebuild and achieve peace with a two state solution.
Posted on March 8, 2008 7:14 PM
Yes, Doug "On and on it goes"! The only solution that has not been tried is to "allow" the Israeli military to win a total military victory. The United States Government and the world community to date will not allow Israel to end this war militarily. They claim that the Israeli response has to be proportionate. This cannot happen by sheer numbers. Israel's population is only seven million and the Arabs outnumber the Israelis by millions. Israel must be allowed to win militarily. The American Civil War ended when General Sherman "took care of business" with his march thoroughout the South. World War II ended with the nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities. The Romans conquered the ancient Israelis with the onslaught of Masada. China ended its internal dispute with pro Democracy rallies at Tiananmen Square and is rewarded with the upcoming Olympics. The Arab countries routinely massacre its citizens and they are not "formally" at war with each other.
I suggest that the US allow Israel to end the Hammas terrorist regime. I would give those few Gazans who are truly caught in the middle three days to relocate to another part of Gaza. Israel should use its air superiority to eliminate all those people left who want to fight so as to minimize Israeli losses and then send in the ground troops to finish the job. Once a military victory is achieved then the victor can dictate the peace and as we did in Europe after WW II. We can then rebuild and achieve peace with a two state solution.
Posted on March 8, 2008 7:34 PM
The better way is until Israel stops treating these attacks as skirmishes and instead as a war for survival these terrorist attacks will continue until their goal is achieved, the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel.
Several years ago hoping that the Palestinians would concentrate on building a nation Israel gave Gaza to them for that purpose and to show their gratitude for that gesture, they elected a government intent on eradicating Israel.
This is a war. Until the leaders of Israel accept that fact and stop the tit for tat responses to these attacks and completely eradicate the Hamas leadership and it's military power, these attacks will continue.
Posted on March 10, 2008 12:35 PM