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Israeli Defence Forces
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Israel was created by the then great powers (The US/UK) to be an area of strategic leverage, and the motions of the Balfour Declaration were voted through on a wave of conflicting emotions - sentimentalist desire to create a 'homeland' for an expatriated people and anti-semitic 'get them the hell out of our country' type feelings. The creation of Israel post WWII makes absolute strategic sense; the Brits were losing Iraq, India had just gone and that meant there were no natural operations centres to control the Persian Gulf; and so Israel was created.
I mean, consider how unnatural the sudden creation of this nation is; the Israelis fled centuries ago to Europe (and eventually America) because of war and persecution and so on. Israel disappeared. End of story. There should have been no restoration; that is about as natural as removing the people of modern day central Russia back to Mongolia and China - from whence they came just following the Mongolian invasion when Kievan Rus and Novgorod, the eminent powers in the area were subordinated to the Khans. Or 'restoring' the white population of Australia back to the UK. Same sort of thing. I am not anti-Semitic. I am not pro-Arabic. I unequivocally state that what the Hamas and Hezbollahs are doing is revolting BUT they think it is their only option - and the number of times they have been screwed around in the 'negotiations' is a reason for this. Israel must remove her troops from all the territory she occupied in the six-day war; all territory claimed is Palestinian land. There is no equivocation about this either.0 -
Originally posted by Sparks
Are you seriously going to sit there and assert that every single palestinian is personally responsible for deaths caused by palestinian terrorists?Who is asking for the destruction of the state of israel?Who is "they"?There is a large difference between self-defence and what the IDF is doing in Gaza.The evidence (eyewitness testimony, photographic evidence and video footage) says otherwise.IF they did decide to "cut loose" and attack the palestinians all-out, they would be attacked by every arab state in the region…And it's hard to imagine Sharon not resorting to nukes in case of such an attack (by arab neighbours)……so we'd see a nuclear exchange in the Middle East.And if the IDF is so morally pure, why do the refuseniks exist?Originally posted by sanvean
For people like Biffa, 'they' is that united body of 'arabs', with one thought, who are constantly sitting around crying 'death to israel':rolleyes:Biffa: a 'democratic' state is more than just where a parliament is elected by the people, at least it has become more than that. if this were the case, Iran would be a democratic state. while it is essentially, well we all know different. Israel doesn't and cannot conform to the principles of a 'democratic' state if it is (a) subjugating a people……and (b) defying such principles as continuing occupation of land (which you're not really supposed to do according to the UN).You also have the unaccountability of the IDF……the fact that there prime minister was convicted by a (Israeli) court of being unfit to rule in a ministerial position due to his actions in (i think) 1982. how he's allowed to become prime minister is just astonishing. also, as mentioned above, is the fact that he's wanted to stand against charges of genocide.then there's the problem of Moussad, who are perhaps one of the most brutal secret services in the world at the moment.Their actions aren't confined to suspected Palestinian terrorists, but were indicted (by an Israeli court again) of assisting a terrorist campaign in Baghdad during the fifties, in order to scare the prominent Jewish population to leave and join Isreal (something to do with them wanting a Israel to have the largest Jewish population in the Middle East, as Baghdad was something of a threat to the reason d'etre of Israel).No, I was reversing Arab and Jew to show the facile reasoning behind your reasoning.Also, while some Arabs believe that Palestine should consist of all of Israel, many Jews do too. It's linked to David's Greater Israel, and their desire (tending to focus on far-right parties, as well as in certain sections of orthodox and Hasidic religious movements) is to encompass the territories of Gaza and 'Judea and Samarria' (ie, the West Bank) into Israel, as well as occupying certain areas in Lebanon, Syria (up to Damascus, if I recall correctly) and much of Western Jordan.Originally posted by dathi1
Biffo,
I don't know were u get the idea that everybody who opposes the illegal and immoral occupation of Palestine is a lefty?have to admit though.....this is what they had Christians / Muslims / Hashimites and Jews had before the Zionists invented the first terror group to establish this new statejez....no they just shoot 12 yr olds live on TVOriginally posted by Hobbes
If they weren't they wouldn't leave bombs in public places or drop missiles into crowded markets or drop bombs onto apartment blocks just to kill 1-2 people.Or run over people with bulldozers……or bury them alive in thier house because someone in the neighbourhood may of been a terrorist. Or shoot neutral observers, or blow up red cross buildings because they "thought they saw" someone run into it. Or leaving civillan taxi drivers in the middle of no where without food or water and no paperwork (which under thier law allows them to be shot if they leave that stretch of road).If anything, Israel have the higher scoreboard for deaths of innocent civilians vs terrorists.Originally posted by Éomer of Rohan
The creation of Israel post WWII makes absolute strategic sense; the Brits were losing Iraq, India had just gone and that meant there were no natural operations centres to control the Persian Gulf; and so Israel was created.Israel disappeared. End of story. There should have been no restoration…Israel must remove her troops from all the territory she occupied in the six-day war; all territory claimed is Palestinian land.
If anyone’s interested in the real cause of the violence in the Middle East I suggest they read this article: Why Israel Is The Victim And The Arabs Are The Indefensible Aggressors In the Middle East0 -
Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
Who else in the Middle East has nuclear weapons?
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I'd say when the time is right, Iran will "have" nuclear weapons, or some sort of WMD thing. Much like Saddam had WMD! Oooh! And then Syria will also have them. In fact, whomever deserves an attack will have them.
Neither side is clearly in the right - but the 90% majority of people in both camps would love to see an end to the violence. Sharon however, is as bad as Arafat, and has crimes dating back to the 50s.
Or are we forgetting the IDF sponsored attack on that USS naval vessel to attack was it, Egypt, Lebanon? WHoever Israel gets itchy and wary of? I can't remember the exact names, but it's largely irrelevant and has been mentioned in a different thread in the past week.
That the arabs have been driven to killing themselves to make a point should show you how far Israel have joined satan himself. It's human nature that people will eventually just give in and accept defeat. Sharon must go, as Arafat has gone (or will eventually as his influence will decline).
Should not malfunctioning regimes be changed? The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Sharon is old and will die within 10 years or so (heck, the stress of coordinating genocide for 50 years would take it's toll on any man). Or better yet - elect women on both sides.0 -
Israel is not “subjugating” anyone. They are trying to protect themselves from attack.No, I’m saying that the actions of the Israeli government and military are morally superior to those of the Palestinian Authority and their terrorists alliesNo it’s not. They’ve never used them before.Who else in the Middle East has nuclear weapons?l would you like to point out to me all those Arabs who are calling for an end to Palestinian terrorism and security for Israel?Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is not illegal under international law.You’d have to ask them that. But I would assume they are just well-intentioned but deluded individuals, like so many on the Left.0
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Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
Well how would you suggest they stop Palestinian terrorism?
So...what you're saying is that the only way to deal with the threat is to kill em all and let God sort 'em out? Because thats whats being done, and you seem to take the "what else can be done" attitude.
Would you deny that there are innocent Palestinians? Palestinians who would actually just like to see peace, and would live with and accept a peaceful settlement?
If you dont deny their existence, then the loutish tactics of the Israeli "protectionism" is inexcusable. Forget the concept of prosecuting the guilty...just kill enough people in the area, and you're sure to have the ones you want.(bearing in mind that nothing less than the destruction of the state of Israel will satisfy these people)
Right...which means also - by logical extension - the only way Israel can ever be safe is when it kills all the Palestinians.
If the Palestinians will never settle for less than the destruction of a nation, then the only way to stop them is to destroy them utterly.
By your logic, Biffa, the only way a resolution can be found in the middle east will be when one side succeeds in annihilating the other. Now explain to me how either side can have the moral highground on that basis, because you're arguing that there is a clear distinction.
One side wants to destroy the other and wont stop till its done...and you argue that the only way to fight this is to kill them. So now...both sides want to destroy the other, and wont stop till its done.
Given that other options are available to both sides, and they choose not to take them......neither side has any claim to moral superiority. In both cases its "slaughter who you decide is a valid target".
Oh...and if you're going to do a "quote large block, add one line reply....repeat to end of article" on this like you just did on most of Sparks, then please dont bother. This is supposed to be a forum for discussion, and if the most you can respond to a point with is a single line, you're not really interested in discussing anything....
jc
jc0 -
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posted by Biffa, You’d have to ask them that. But I would assume they are just well-intentioned but deluded individuals, like so many on the Left.
This does nothing to further your arguement Biffa, are you just trying to rise people here, Surely u know this is not how u debate an issue?0 -
Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
This does not constitute “targeting” of civilians.
I'm sorry but it does. If you drop a bomb onto an apartment block to kill one person which you know full well is full to the brim of innocent people then you are targetting civilians. Likewise if you fire a missile into a marketplace for the same reason. Or leave a bomb where children are playing in the hope of killing a person (and killing the children instead and then trying to cover it up).If you are referring to Rachel Corrie you might want to read this
That link doesn't work (or semi works is a better one). You might want to go to the humanities forum and look up Rachel Corrie thread. It covers just about everything to do with her. Seeing as you didn't actually link to anything directly to do with the Corrie incident I can say what I read off that link was full of sh!t and all the links in the corrie thread debunk all the crap posted about it.
Also she is not the first person to die this way, and to date certainly isn't the last.I don’t know which incidents you are referring to here.
Like I said Rachel Corrie wasn't the first or last. Reading off the Rachel Corrie thread links you'll find more documented incidents of what I posted.
Shooting of the neutral observers has been over the news a few times (they didn't just do it once).
A Red Cross grain warehouse was blown to bits by IDF because they thought they saw a terrorist run into it (despite being told there wasn't and that they could check).
The Taxi driver was when an ISM member was doing an interview on TV. They said they took 3 days to arrange travel to a stretch of road where a driver had his ID taken off him by the IDF and told not to move. Under Settler laws if he moved from the stretch of road he is allowed to be killed if he can't prove who he is.Do you have a source for this?
I'll dig it out again (although it's probably in a boards thread). As far as I remember count wise Israel was over 2:1 in number of people they killed vs Palistine. The count was also only based on actual IDF/Terrorist attacks and didn't take into account of deaths due to the standard of living in Palistine (The site was somewhat similar to CAIN and quite impartial).
A quick google finds this though.
Deaths of Israelis from Terrorist Attacks = 1,689 (Sep '93 - Apr '03) ( Reference )
Deaths of Palestinians from Israeli attacks = 2,164 (Sep '00 - Mar '03) ( Reference )
Of course I only took deaths into account (Palistine wins on the most injured as well at around 22k vs 4k) and the Israeli list goes back further, so I expect the Palistine one to be higher.
As for the rest of the stuff you wrote. There comes a time when you say 'fuk it' and don't argue over who started it. You work on a way to stop the **** from happening. Something both sides (IDF/Hamas) aren't willing to do.0 -
Originally posted by Captain Trips
I'd say when the time is right, Iran will "have" nuclear weapons, or some sort of WMD thing. Much like Saddam had WMD! Oooh! And then Syria will also have them. In fact, whomever deserves an attack will have them.
Actually Iran might just be the first if they so wanted it. Although the country is complying fully with nuclear inspectors.
Unlike Israel which actually cemented up their nuclear reactors control room and built a fake one so the UN nuclear weapons inspectors wouldn't discover they were building nuclear weapons.0 -
Originally posted by Captain Trips
Neither side is clearly in the right - but the 90% majority of people in both camps would love to see an end to the violence.Or are we forgetting the IDF sponsored attack on that USS naval vessel to attack was it, Egypt, Lebanon? WHoever Israel gets itchy and wary of? I can't remember the exact names, but it's largely irrelevant and has been mentioned in a different thread in the past week.That the arabs have been driven to killing themselves to make a point should show you how far Israel have joined satan himself.Originally posted by Éomer of Rohan
Like the British in South Africa and the concentration camps there as well? Or internment in Northern Ireland? Your moral highground here is the same level as the bottom of the Marianas Trench.Israel should not have annexed the territory that she did.Come on, there are something like a million (or more?) Palestinians living in Israel who have no say in the government. Democracy? I think not.oh, what is this? A right winger doubting the assertions of the ever so good USA that Iran is after nuclear weapons and that terrorists are even nearer to that goal than Iran??I am sure in the vast millions of Arabs across the world, there are some that wish for Israel to have a secure nation state - and a secure Palestine as well so long as Israel ceases to occupy foreign territory illegally and ceases to oppress the Palestinians, the majority of whom are not responsible for the terror attacks.I laughed my ass off at the link you provided with this; given by the Israeli UN ambassador to justify the occupation of the Palestion territories. The occupation is illegal. There were several resolutions tabled in the UNSC all vetoed by the US alone.
- Jordan's unilateral "annexation" of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) in 1950 had no basis or validity in international law due to the aggressive means by which they took that territory
- a state may lawfully seize and occupy foreign territory if "necessary to its self-defense”
- a state may require, before it withdraws from territory occupied in a defensive conquest, that satisfactory security arrangements be established to safeguard its security
- the state that holds territory through lawful defensive conquest has, vis-a-vis the prior occupant that acquired the territory through unlawful offensive conquest, better title to the land.
- the question of sovereignty in the part of Palestine remaining outside of Israel under the 1949 armistice agreements has not been finally resolvedOriginally posted by bonkey
So...what you're saying is that the only way to deal with the threat is to kill em all and let God sort 'em out? Because thats whats being done, and you seem to take the "what else can be done" attitude.By your logic, Biffa, the only way a resolution can be found in the middle east will be when one side succeeds in annihilating the other. Now explain to me how either side can have the moral highground on that basis, because you're arguing that there is a clear distinction.
Of course, not all Palestinians are trying to destroy Israel, therefore there is no need for one side to annihilate the other. A resolution will be found in the Middle East when those who are trying to destroy Israel give up or are forcibly stopped. This day will be brought closer when people in the West stop giving terrorists moral support.Given that other options are available to both sides, and they choose not to take them......neither side has any claim to moral superiority. In both cases its "slaughter who you decide is a valid target".Oh...and if you're going to do a "quote large block, add one line reply....repeat to end of article" on this like you just did on most of Sparks, then please dont bother. This is supposed to be a forum for discussion, and if the most you can respond to a point with is a single line, you're not really interested in discussing anything....Originally posted by Hobbes
I'm sorry but it does. If you drop a bomb onto an apartment block to kill one person which you know full well is full to the brim of innocent people then you are targetting civilians. Likewise if you fire a missile into a marketplace for the same reason. Or leave a bomb where children are playing in the hope of killing a person (and killing the children instead and then trying to cover it up).That link doesn't work (or semi works is a better one). You might want to go to the humanities forum and look up Rachel Corrie thread. It covers just about everything to do with her. Seeing as you didn't actually link to anything directly to do with the Corrie incident I can say what I read off that link was full of sh!t and all the links in the corrie thread debunk all the crap posted about it.As for the rest of the stuff you wrote. There comes a time when you say 'fuk it' and don't argue over who started it. You work on a way to stop the **** from happening. Something both sides (IDF/Hamas) aren't willing to do.0 -
If someone is trying to murder you, you have the right to fight back. This does not make you both as bad as each other. It means you are in the right and they are in the wrong.Well how do you propose they stop Palestinian terrorism?a state may lawfully seize and occupy foreign territory if "necessary to its self-defense"a state may require, before it withdraws from territory occupied in a defensive conquest, that satisfactory security arrangements be established to safeguard its securitythe state that holds territory through lawful defensive conquest has, vis-a-vis the prior occupant that acquired the territory through unlawful offensive conquest, better title to the landsorry but that’s bollocks. How am I not engaging in this discussion? Are you saying I’m just dismissing or ignoring other peoples arguments?0
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Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
At best that is collateral damage. At worst it is criminal negligence. It is not, however, the “targeting” of civilians.
You call it whatever makes you sleep at night. I call it murder, and terrorism. Only difference is one claims they are morally correct.Well the link works for me and I didn’t find anything on the Rachel Corrie thread to contradict any of it.
Like I said what exactly about Rachel Corrie are you talking about? The link wasn't even a site, it just links off to a Blog and a search through the Blog had nothing about Rachel Corrie at all that was revelent.
Please be a good chap and tell me wtf your talking about on that page.You should take note also of what the guy writes at the bottom of the page: “There was originally a story from FrontPageMag here on Tom Hurndall, an activist who was shot by an Israeli soldier last month. I removed it due to the citing of a blatant fabrication by the Israeli Defence Forces…
What fabrication? That IDF were fabricating something? or that ISM? I had a quick look around and Tom Hurndall was in fact shot by the IDF. ISM had posted the wrong date he was shot (and also other information which they had to remove due to familys wishes) but the story was not bull****.
Btw, a Blog isn't a news site. It's an opinion.
The IDF would really like ISM to just disappear, as it's pissing them off they can't get away with killing them. It's easier to kill Palestine people, as they just claim they are terrorists (World outrage at UN workers shot, none when the UN workers were from Palistine).There are only two bases for a final settlement in the Middle East: either the Palestinians accept the legitimacy of the state of Israel, or else the Jews pack up and leave. Which do you think is more reasonable? [/B]
If you think there are only two, then you lack total imagination. The world is never made up of two choices.
Accepting the state of Israel doesn't mean you have to agree to live in poverty or have your homes destroyed and pushed off your land (note: by being pushed off I'm not talking like years ago, Israel still pushes people off thier land even today).0 -
Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
Israel is clearly in the right. Israeli action is defensive, Palestinian action is offensive. When Palestinian terrorists stop trying to “push the Jews into the sea”, all Israeli military action will cease.
So you do not believe that any of the Palestinian terrorism targetted at Israel is because of people's reaction to the manner in which Israel decided to carry out its "defence"???
Take the comments about the very real probability that destroying Palestinian homes is only serving to create a new wave of suicide bombers - people left with nothing in their life except a want for revenge on the ones who destroyed their home, their livelihood, and possibly innocent members of their family through "criminal negligence" or "collateral damage".
You dont believe that there is any case to believe that there may be some truth in this, and that - at the very least - there are grounds to suspect that perhaps a different defensive strategy may - in fact - prove more successful in cutting down the number of bombers and attacks than the current one?
There is no case to believe that some of the terrorism is in response to the fact that Israel has - rightly or wrongly - taken control of lands which were not rightfully its own?
You can look at this two ways. One is that it all springs from one original root cause, and therefore that root cause is what must be resolved. This leads to two possible solutions - as you correctly say - either Israel "packs up and leaves", or Palestine just stops what its doing and accepts the problem.
The other is that this root cause has led to an ever-increasing group of causes, each of which feeds from and into the others. Here, the causes are manyfold, and both sides carry the responsibilities. However, this way of looking at it also gives the greater possibility of resolution, because there are identifiable issues which can be resolved, which can - over time - shrink the problem, and hopefully lead to an ultimate solution.
This ridiculous second way of looking at things is so bloody utopian and idealistic that they had the cheek to apply it to the North of Ireland, and while a full resolution is nowhere near being found, it is very hard to deny that improvements in the situation have been made, and that in general peace is several steps closer.
If you look at things from the second perspective, no-one has the moral high ground. Recognising that is the first step to both sides realising that compromise is the only way forward.
To insist in the absolute right of one side over the other is to ensure that there can never be no solution. Indeed, it is such insistence by others which led to the situation arising in the first place.
If we do not learn from the mistakes of history......
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....we should not be trusted to guide the course of the future.0
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Posted by Biffa,If someone is trying to murder you, you have the right to fight back. This does not make you both as bad as each other. It means you are in the right and they are in the wrong.
Israel don't have the monopoly on this concept, If anything it would be the Palestinians that have the right to fight back since the whole conflict was started by the Jews in establishing their state and taking Palestinian lands after WW2.
The whole idea of saying Israelies are right and Palestinians wrong is wrong itself because it all depends on whos side your on, neither side can claim this over the other as the other would have to give up. Like many things Right and Wrong is decided by the winner at the end whoever that will be as it is usually the winner who writes the official version of history.
Therefore the Palestinians are totally entitled to believe in what they want, a palestinian state and lands restored as it is a right to have beliefs in a democracy and isn't Israel supposed to be a democracy? well now as you can see they are hardly being very democratic in their actions then are they?0 -
Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
That is not what is being done. The IDF’s job is to kill enemy combatants. If these combatants are hiding in densely populated civilian areas, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to do this without killing civilians. What would you have them do? Let them go free and allow them to murder even more of your civilians than would have died if you’d taken them out when you had the chance?
Eh?
1. They are not taking any real "chances" here. They are not saying quick now lets launch a quiet attack now that we have a CHANCE. They have a 24/7 "chance" and attack when they do most damage. If you think the IDF, for all good or bad they are, are taking chances you are seriously misguided.
2. So next we should have the police arrest a whole housing estate in say some socioeconomically deprived area because there are 3 drug dealers living there? Christ, even the US aren't as bad as to just roll over thousands of homes. Sure there's the odd hospital or school, but nothing so blatantly hostile to civil liberties as to blame an entire population. Why are they not attacking the bloody germans, eh? They are effectively pushing little children with there semi-automatics; they like to push the weak around.0 -
Originally posted by Éomer of Rohan
No it does not. You do not have the right to take life in any circumstances if you can avoid it. When you cannot avoid it, it does not make it right for you to take it but you do so because it is a necessity. There is no 'right' to fight back, that is a primitive response.What would have made Israel in the right would be if she withdrew her military from the occupied regions and entered international negotiations that would secure her nation.
- authorized the Tanzim militia (an organ of Yasser Arafat's Fatah PLO faction) to fire upon Israeli civilians and soldiers with weapons supplied by the Palestinian Authority, and carry out bomb attacks against Israelis with explosives supplied by PA weapons depots;
- financed terrorist activities and infrastructures. Documents seized during Operation Defensive Shield gave details of the funding provided to the Tanzim and the Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Funds were paid directly to terrorists, as well as for the production and procurement of bombs and weapons;
- done nothing to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure which flourishes in the areas under Palestinian Authority control, all the while providing sanctuary to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad;
- made no effort to arrest those directly responsible for terrorist attacks;
- released dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who were already in Palestinian prisons, signaling to these organizations that they have a green light to launch attacks against Israeli citizens;
- refused to collect illegal weapons in accordance with their obligations under the existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Instead, the Palestinian Authority has attempted to smuggle in and to produce locally vast amounts of illegal arms and ammunition, including heavy weapons such as mortars and Katyushas artillery rockets;
- used their official media to incite Palestinians, especially Palestinian children, to continued violence against Israel;
- fostered the hero-worship of suicide bombers, encouraging others to follow in their footsteps;
- taken advantage of every Israeli attempt to ease restrictions on Palestinian daily life in order to launch renewed attacks on Israeli civilians. These policies of the Palestinian leadership have led to a long series of bloody terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings and car bombs in Israeli cities, as well as drive-by shootings and road-side ambushes targeting family cars, commercial vehicles and even school buses. Since September 2000, the Tanzim-Fatah and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade alone have carried out more than 1,500 terror attacks and attempted attacks.
(taken from FAQ page of the website www.israel.org)And before you say 'but it is in the interest of their national security' then consider this; if Israel needs to break international law in order to secure her nationhood, then this calls into question the legality of the nationhood itself.That is bollocks…Again, rubbish…defeats the point of this 'clause.'Methinks you will be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't agree with JC on this one.The rightful administrator is the nation that occupied it before the first invasion/annexation.Originally posted by Hobbes
Please be a good chap and tell me wtf your talking about on that page.If you think there are only two, then you lack total imagination. The world is never made up of two choices.Accepting the state of Israel doesn't mean you have to agree to live in poverty or have your homes destroyed and pushed off your land (note: by being pushed off I'm not talking like years ago, Israel still pushes people off thier land even today).Originally posted by bonkey
So you do not believe that any of the Palestinian terrorism targetted at Israel is because of people's reaction to the manner in which Israel decided to carry out its "defence"???You dont believe that there is any case to believe that there may be some truth in this, and that - at the very least - there are grounds to suspect that perhaps a different defensive strategy may - in fact - prove more successful in cutting down the number of bombers and attacks than the current one?This ridiculous second way of looking at things is so bloody utopian and idealistic that they had the cheek to apply it to the North of Ireland, and while a full resolution is nowhere near being found, it is very hard to deny that improvements in the situation have been made, and that in general peace is several steps closer.
If you look at things from the second perspective, no-one has the moral high ground. Recognising that is the first step to both sides realising that compromise is the only way forward.
To insist in the absolute right of one side over the other is to ensure that there can never be no solution. Indeed, it is such insistence by others which led to the situation arising in the first place.
And this is exactly what is needed in the Middle East – an acceptance by the Arabs that they cannot destroy Israel.Originally posted by Gearoid
Israel don't have the monopoly on this concept, If anything it would be the Palestinians that have the right to fight back since the whole conflict was started by the Jews in establishing their state and taking Palestinian lands after WW2.The whole idea of saying Israelies are right and Palestinians wrong is wrong itself because it all depends on whos side your on…Therefore the Palestinians are totally entitled to believe in what they want, a palestinian state and lands restored…Originally posted by Captain Trips
Christ, even the US aren't as bad as to just roll over thousands of homes. Sure there's the odd hospital or school, but nothing so blatantly hostile to civil liberties as to blame an entire population.0 -
Wow. I barely know where to begin in pointing out what's wrong with that post Biffa.
Hmm. Well, let's give it a try in the name of education...Israel has tried negotiating. All it got them was more violence.Why should Israel negotiate with a terrorist like Arafat, given his record of double-dealing?Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the PA undertook to stop the violence, arrest terrorists, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, collect illegal weapons and end incitement to violence.
In fact, the very man that is now leading the Israeli government is the man that urged Israelis to break the Oslo Accords and build those settlements.- used their official media to incite Palestinians, especially Palestinian children, to continued violence against Israel;(taken from FAQ page of the website www.israel.org)Israel is not breaking “international law”.
UN Security Council Resolutions 106,111,127, 162, 171, 228, 237, 248, 250, 251, 252, 256, 259, 262, 265, 267, 270, 271, 279, 280, 285, 298, 313, 316, 317, 332, 337, 347, 425, 427, 444, 446, 450, 452, 465, 467, 468, 469, 471, 476, 478, 484, 487, 497, 498, 501, 509, 515, 517, 518, 520, 573, 587, 592, 605, 607, 608, 636, 641, 672, 673, 681, 694, 726 and 799.
That's not including the UN resolutions vetoed by the US, and it's only current to 1992. And several of those resolutions are condemnations of Isreal for violating the Geneva convention. I think that's sufficent evidence to show that Isreal has flaunted international law, don't you?
http://www.middleeastnews.com/unresolutionslist.htmlEven if it is, I don’t see how that calls the legality of its nationhood into question.Seems we’re not looking at the same page. Anyway, it basically points out discrepancies in eye-witness testimony, casting doubt on the allegation that she was deliberately run over.But to be honest I wouldn’t worry about it, you’ve obviously made your mind up already.So let’s hear the alternative.
As to what those solutions are, that's what negotiation is all about.Of course not. The Palestinians live in poverty and misery precisely because their corrupt, terrorist leaders are trying to destroy Israel.Yes I’m sure that’s very true, but the point is that the only way to stop this is either for Israel to surrender and dismantle itself or for the Palestinians to come to an accommodation with Israel.Sure that’s possible. What’s your suggestion?I disagree. Peace in NI only came about because the root cause of the Troubles – the IRA’s campaign to unify Ireland by force – was brought to an end.
Not to criticise, I just never thought of you as a fan of zen koans...It was brought to an end because the IRA finally realised it was an unachievable goal, and not because any real concessions on the political status of the North were made. There was no compromise here – one side essentially gave up.Actually the conflict was started by the Arabs when they attacked the 10% of Palestine allocated by the UN to the Jews in 1948.Whose side I’m on depends on which side is right and which is wrong.If you think they are right to want Israel destroyed then fair enough, but they needn’t expect anything other than defeat and misery if they try to achieve this.
It's the 2% that crave power and destruction that cause the problems in BOTH nations.They are not destroying thousands of homes and they are not blaming an entire population.The security measures they do take are necessary to protect Israeli civilians being murdered in cold blood.0 -
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Israel have finally accepted the roadmap and Sharon has said the time has come to divide the areas into two. He has accepted basically that the military forces used, that Biffa has been arguing were right in what they did, were not effective. This is quite a historical day - it's on today's washington post.Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
They are not destroying thousands of homes and they are not blaming an entire population. The security measures they do take are necessary to protect Israeli civilians being murdered in cold blood.
Many british were killed by IRA who were supported by the republic. Would you also be happy and suggest that the best course of action that the british could take is to start taking control of different counties and "settling" this land with british citizens. Same difference. Doesn't work, does it?
Arafat almost undoubtedly supported by proxy the likes of Hammas and Hizbullah or however they are spelled. But Sharon is also a notorious massacre fan from the 1950s. If one war criminal (Arafat) should step down to advance peace - should not an equal gesture be made by the man who is very much a politican who believes in aggression and not diplomacy. Witness how conveniently before the election a spate of suicide bombers attacked - and of course, the side that believes in military force 1st and foremost is Sharon. Remarkable turn around.
Are you totally in support of every action of the Isareli government? Have they done *no* wrong in you book? That's the message I get from reading your posts - and to believe Sharon is the shining light of peace and diplomacy and he can successfully resolve this (forgetting of course that he's been using the same tactic for 40 ****ing years) - or should he perhaps listen to his own people - the ones getting killed?
http://www.google.ie/search?q=cache:V29PeUwreYQJ:www.washtimes.com/world/20020412-73662628.htm+Sharon%27s+war+crimes&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
That's from 2002. Do a google and find out what Sharon's been involved in.
But nevertheless it looks like finally some progress has been made. The *US* pressure on Sharon (and why would they be pressurising someone who is so obviously always doing the right thing, no) has worked (today's Washington Times - http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030525-115510-8273r.htm - "The time has come to say yes to the Americans. The time has come to divide this land between us and the Palestinians," Mr. Sharon told the Yediot Ahronot daily. [/url]
So it looks like he has given in. He has accepted that his method of curtailing violence by striking with military forces has not worked. You have suggested throughout this thread that they have been in the right. The EU, UN and recently US pressure have all been brought to bear on him. Are you now so adamnant that he was right all along. "The time has come to divide the land". Hmmm. Sounds like maybe the tactics of the Israeli Defence Force have been admitted by Sharon as being not optimal and not capable of resolving the war.
Are you still saying what they did was right? How can you now argue the case against the EU, UN, US and ISRAEL.
Another quote: "Even some of those who voted for the plan said they had serious reservations about the road map but did not want to anger the United States. "
This is perhaps a separate issue, but it's odd that this should happen because normally the Israeli's can do whatever they want before and election in the US.0 -
Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
Why should Israel negotiate with a terrorist like Arafat, given his record of double-dealing?
Or with Sharon for that matter. He has just a good record as Arafat.
Your still falling into the same trap. Listing off one sides argument and claiming the other side is morally superiour to pull the same sort of crap. It isn't.Israel is not breaking “international law”. Even if it is, I don’t see how that calls the legality of its nationhood into question.
Actually it is.Seems we’re not looking at the same page. Anyway, it basically points out discrepancies in eye-witness testimony, casting doubt on the allegation that she was deliberately run over.
The link you posted goes to this site...
http://wrrh.blogspot.com/
Which takes forever to load. I've actually gone back to it as you failed to point out wtf parts you are talking about. Please quote it, because I cannot see it on the page.
As for the part that had nothing to do with Rachel Corrie, ISM denied the report they had dealings with terrorists. Something which an unnamed source claimed. Last time I checked unnamed source = BS.
Facts.
1. Rachel Corrie was stopping the Bulldozers from trying to knock down a doctors house that was helping ISM.
2. The whole incident lasted for three hours before she was run over. They knew full well she was there.
3. They ran over her with the tractor part, and instead of just stopping they reversed back over her.
4. They drove the bulldozer back when people were laying flowers where she had died and they fired tear gas at them.
5. To date no one has been charged with any crime (not even criminal negligance).
Now as I said the post in humanities links to a load of places including an ISM in depth look to all the BS posted and debunked (like claiming she threw herself into the bulldozer, or that an ISM rep said that's what they are trained to do).
Your right we aren't reading the same thing. Until you quote the part, all I see is your claiming that Rachel Corrie died because she was run over accident due to ISM have terrorists in thier organisation, as claimed by an unnamed source.
It's full of sh!t. Also when you do actually get the quote, bother to look up the news on others sites (actual news sites, try to get neutral ones if you can) to prove your point as Blogs are not news sites.Of course not. The Palestinians live in poverty and misery precisely because their corrupt, terrorist leaders are trying to destroy Israel.
Sorry same argument and your full of sh!t. If Israel stopped all the crap it was doing the support for Hamas would drop dramatically. Btw, Sharon is also a terrorist, or haven't you heard of the Stern Gang?Sure that’s possible. What’s your suggestion?
1. First up. Israel decalres itself morally correct though it's actions. Gets rid of laws that cause the needless deaths of people, stop the crap they are currently pulling and pulls back totally to a pre-agreed line (doesn't even have to be all the way back to the whenever the mess started). Also looks into compensating people wrongfully displaced/killed (for example, those children who died because IDF planted a bomb where they played, no one was jailed for it and the parents got nothing).
2. Israel lets UN peacekeeping forces into Palistine to stop the terrorist attacks. That takes the flack off them for anything that happens. It also allows the UN to ensure that Isreal is keeping thier side of the bargin.
3. UN/Palistine deals with jailing terrorists and bringing them to justice. Israel does not interfer in these actions.
For example the last time Palistine jailed a known terrorist at Israels request, Israel dropped a bomb on the jail to kill him. Instead killing the cops and accidently letting him get free.
It's not a solution. But it's starting point to begin from. Stop the killing by both sides first, then you have something to talk about.I disagree. Peace in NI only came about because the root cause of the Troubles – the IRA’s campaign to unify Ireland by force – was brought to an end. It was brought to an end because the IRA finally realised it was an unachievable goal, and not because any real concessions on the political status of the North were made. There was no compromise here – one side essentially gave up.
Pika?!
CAIN have a good website on Northern Ireland. I recommend you go read it. You might learn something. I don't even know where to begin to tell you what is wrong with what you said.They are not destroying thousands of homes and they are not blaming an entire population. The security measures they do take are necessary to protect Israeli civilians being murdered in cold blood.
I say 'Pika?' again. WTF are you on about? Do you even watch the news? During 9/11 Israel lauched a full scale attack into palistine while the rest of the world wasn't watching, and has been taking land and destroying homes since.0 -
Actually the conflict was started by the Arabs when they attacked the 10% of Palestine allocated by the UN to the Jews in 1948.
You have a warped view of things, haven't you heard of the Stern gang?Whose side I’m on depends on which side is right and which is wrong.
I think you totally missed my point, you cant say that ONE side IS right and the other wrong because it all depends on who you support, no person has the authority to declare what is right and what is wrong.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 10089
In 1998 I had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks in Israel
It was before the current wave of conflict had started and I have to say that the way the Israelis treated non-Israelis never mind Palestinians was appalling.
If you didnt speak Hebrew you would be served last in a shop queue even though you had probably been standing there for 10minutes.
You were constantly questioned on your whereabouts that day by IDF.
On leaving the country you were interrogated on your 3 week stay again by IDF at the airport.I was even split up frim my wife who was interrogated separately to confirm our whereabouts on certain days.And where we went and what we did and where we ate.Disgraceful way to treat holidaymakers.
The palestinians on the other hand made us feel like family.Brought us in for meals in their homes even though we didnt know them.Showed us all the sights.
We went to see Israel but ended up staying most of our holiday in Palestine and seeing the appalling conditions some of them had to endure.
I can understand why the Palestinians are so intent on destroying Israel but I dont condone the suicide bombings.
On the other hand Israel are treating the Palestinians in exactly the same way they were treated in Germany.Wont let them work,destroying their homes,segregating them from society ie separate Taxis,cinemas etc.Keeping thousands of them in Refugee camps.Cutting off water supplies as a means of controlling the Palestinians.Not lettting them trade for food.
Whats next the mass execution of thousands of Palestinians????Thats if it hasn`t already happened and we dont know about it.
It seems that the circle has turned 360 degrees.The victim(Israel) has become the aggressor.
And the thing that reallly gets me is that this is going on with the backing of the US.There are crimes against humanity going on in Israel by the Israelis but no one is doing anything to try these people for it.
Hopefully this new Road Map will bring peace to a country which is beautiful and could benefit by being a huge tourist destination.But there has to be change on both sides more so by the Israelis who have to realise that the Palestinians do have a right to their own nation and need to be able to live,to eat,to drink etc.And not have their houses torn down by tanks because of a minority of terrorists who insist on destroying Israel.
Richie.0 -
It seems that the circle has turned 360 degrees.The victim(Israel) has become the aggressor
That is precisely what I have always said; the German-Israeli jews and their decendents seem to be getting revenge by proxy for what was done on them, almost as if the tyranny of the Nazis brutalised them beyond repair.0 -
So should we be asking why George Washington and Benjamin franklin wanted the jewish people banned from the United States? Or would even asking this question be branded Anti-semite?0
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No - its a fair question, and the answer most probably is the same as to how these founding fathers also owned slaves.
Strangely, though, this "full circle" argument actually reminded me of something I saw last night (rewatching Babylon 5 would you believe).
Allow me to paraphrase
Char 1 : His people are monsters. They strip-mined our planet and brutalised my people. His family alone are responsible for the murder of over 100,000 of my people. I will not tolerate this. I will have justice.
Char 2 : But what, specifically, has he done to you or your people?
Char 1 : Nothing, but thats just through a happy chance of fate...he was never given the chance.
I guess, this to me sums up quite a lot of the problem.
Yes - the Jewish people have been mistreated in one way or another many times throughout history. Put simply, they got a bum deal.
However, does this somehow give them the right to give someone else a bum deal in return? Not revenge, not justice....just someone else who is reasonably closely related to those you can say carry some blame?
Not in my book.
And yes - before someone misinterprets this and somehow concludes that I am supporting Palestinian terrorist bombing, let me say that the same logic applies :
Not revenge, not justice....just someone else who is reasonably closely related to those you can say carry some blame?
Once you believe that it is ok to do onto others as was done onto you, then you immediatly must accept that what was done onto you was correct, or you are incorrect for acting in the same way.
This is not what we see.
jc0 -
Join Date:Posts: 10089
Originally posted by bonkey
And yes - before someone misinterprets this and somehow concludes that I am supporting Palestinian terrorist bombing.
But for having this understanding as to why its happening you are branded a terrorist supporter.
And thats what the problem is.You are labelled wrongly because you can see these peoples greivences(sp) and feel strongly about them........but you dont support their methods of sorting the problem out.0 -
But for having this understanding as to why its happening you are branded a terrorist supporter.
That's what I call NeoCon Syndrome; they will attack something left right and centre until someone else has a better, more reasoned understanding then they themselves do and then they attack said person for having sympathies with the original cause; it's like the Communist witch hunts; any civil right protestors were branded communists and were watched intently - many were spied on. Same with the anti-Vietnam protestors (up until the movement became widespread as the body bags came home). Same with the white part of the anti-racist lot even before the time of MLK. It is just one big circle.
JC, was the 1st Character in your little script the Narn guy (can't remember his name - the one who really hated Londo)?0 -
Narn guy = G'kar0
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/me breaks personal pledge not to post on Israel-Palestine ever again:|I dont think that many people support the suicide bombing---its more of an understanding of the reasons why it is happening and why these terrorists are intent on doing it.
And thus vice versa, whilst you do not support Israelis knocking down houses, assassinating suspected terrorists and imposing basically martial law on vast areas of the palestinian areas you equally understand why the Israelis are intent on doing it?0 -
Join Date:Posts: 10089
Yes I do have an understanding why the Israelis are doing it.Apparently they are defending themselves.
In my opinion they are a bit heavy handed in their approach ie.Knocking down innocent civilians houses,cutting off water supplies etc.
But the palestinian TERRORISTS are equally as bad blowing up innocent civilians.
The difference is the terrorists are an illegal movement whereas Its the ELECTED government of Israel with the support of the US carrying out the atrocities.0 -
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So it's okay to storm someone's home at night and manage to kill 7 people and injure another 60 while trying to arrest one man, so long as I'm an officer of the state?
I guess that makes the regiemes of Hussein, Hitler, Stalin, Mugabe, et al justified then? (Those heads of state may not have all been elected, but they all came to power according to the laws of their respective nations and with popular support).0
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