By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
There have been occasions on which Israel has been properly condemned for overly aggressive tactics toward the Palestinian state and people. This is not one of those occasions.
Jeff Robbins, a US delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission during the Clinton administration, makes important points in an essay in today's Boston Globe:
1)Hamas has launched approximately 3,000 rockets and mortar attacks at Israeli civilian centers this year alone.
2)Hamas finds it acceptable to recruit young Palestinians to wire themselves with explosives and kill both themselves and Israeli civilians.
3)Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields.
The loss of civilian life in the current Middle East warfare is to be deplored. But blame for it must be laid at the feet of Hamas, not Israel.
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Show me where I support Hamas
Maybe you need to read my post again. I am condemning Israel for its barbaric behavior for 60 years. I also despise the fact that my tax dollars fund the Israeli military.
But I won't try to convince you otherwise. I knew that was a lost cause a long time ago.
Chazzy, you're rewriting history
Yeah, that worked well.
A flip side is that the history since the forced relocation of well over half a million Palestinian Arabs from their homeland in 47/48 suggests that the resentment and anger at the violent loss of their land has yet to subside.
It's difficult for me to see Israel as a victim of anyone's actions but its own in rejecting the formation of a single Palestinian state to be shared by Arabs and Jews some six decades ago, and opting for violent segregation and apartheid over the possibility of peaceful cohabitation.
I have no idea what the solution is, but I fail to see how backing Israel in its every move is even remotely in our national interest.
That's fairly clear
It's telling how you interpret criticism of Israeli policy as "support for Hamas."
I do not condone any of them apop
I find nothing meritorious in Israel's actions in any of the three links you posted. I find the children's bomb signings uniquely disturbing. Still, it is interesting that you must go back 41 years to validate 3 examples, while I could likely go back three months to cite 30 on the opposite side.
The region has spawned partisan violence for at least a couple thousand years which is exactly what the creation of the state of Israel was designed to put an end to.
The history since 47/48 suggests that the Israeli's have continuously attempted to live in peace while suffering neverending attacks from arab states and terrorist factions, many of whom refuse to acknowledge that Israel has a right to even exist.
My view remains that Israel is the victim here of Hamas' actions .....just as are the peaceful palestinian christians, muslims and jews in Gaza. Since you are of the "UN loveing left" it would seem that you too should acknowledge Israels right to exist and to condemn the 50 years of arab sponsored terrorism and war against the nation state of Israel.
Twas
I know you are not holding your breath for a reply from apop on unprovoked Israeli attacks, because as you & I both know, the answer is none.
Apop - I don't need your links
I knew you'd come out of the woodwork for Hamas. You didn't disappoint. Who are the terrorists? HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH (and the countries that sponsor them Syria & Iran). You won't convince me otherwise. I will ask you a question - can you name any time that Israel attacked Hamas without provocation?
And just who are the terrorists?
It's actually more interesting to hear you Israel defenders justify the Israelis having their children sign bombs before they are launched into Palestine, build gates around Palestinian communities which prevent the residents from entering or leaving, starving the Palestinians, bulldozing their homes WHILE THE PEOPLE ARE STILL INSIDE, stealing their land and many many other atrocities.
Please continue defending this barbaric behavior. And let's not forget whose land this was for thousands of years before it was just given to Israel.
Oh there is this too. I take it you condone the Israeli attack on a US vessel.
http://www.gtr5.com/
More links for you:
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1248.shtml
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2006/07/17/photo-of-the-day-israeli-kids-sends-gifts-of-love-to-arab-kids/
Not the point, is it?
Yeah, but we're not talking 2,000 years ago, are we?
We're talking about the history of the past 50-100 years, and how the forced displacement of the Palestinian natives has by the immigrant Zionists led to the current situation.
It's odd that we are bankrolling the Israeli military force, given that it has a negative impact on our own national interests.
Chazzykc - I'll second that
And that in itself will draw out the liberals who feel sorry for the terrorists. You see, chazzykc, you, me, nukman, kcgrh and others seem to draw out the libs. If we are for something, then they must be against it. So come one, come all - and let's hear you justify Hamas against evil Israel.
arguing silly factoids
Palestine has been ruled through the ages by a veritable plethora of factions.....from the Romans to the Ottoman Empire to Britain with many others between those three.
When the UN ceded What became Israel to the Jews in 47/48 it would seem to have aettled ownership authority from that point forward.
Since the creation of Israel, they have been attacked with amazing frequency by arab states and factions. They have continually defended their land successfully against all comers.
Israel has never ....not once, to my knowledge ....declined to participate in peace talks .....nor have they ever been the protaganist of first strike.
They have been forced to live in a military state by those who ceaselessly insist that they have no right to exist.
Accepting all of that, it is difficult to understand how any rational thinker could be critical of Israel for responding to the repeated rocket attacks that Hamas launched at the conclusion of the negotiated cease fire which Hamas alone refused to renew.
I frankly hope they entirely destroy the Hamas infrastructure.