What’s outrageous is that you don’t even have to speculate with Hamas whether their aim is to kill innocent women and children with missile and suicide bombers … the openly admit it, target cities, and have stated they consider all Israeli citizens combatants. The hypocrisy of those who condemn Israeli without even a mention of Hamas’ openly acknowledged intent to wipe Israeli off the map is what is outrageous.
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I don’t think we can draw the conclusion that both sides are equal here in their religious zeal. It is true that there are very orthodox sects of Judaism, but the most extreme version of Judaism is still far more tolerant than the most liberal form of Islam if there even is such a thing. Most Jews in the occupied territories have no problem living side by side with Muslims, Christians, and other beliefs. This is not the case with Islam. Indeed, when they took over Gaza they razed Jewish synagogues and Christian churches. Islam, as evidenced by what we find in their religious writings, is essentially antithetical to pluralism and tolerance. We do not find this element in other faiths. It is true that one faith may believe fervently that what they believe is what offers true salvation (i.e. accepting Jesus), but they don’t wish to see the others exterminated. Islam is dangerous in this regard.
In what community of the West Bank can you show this taking place?
Its important, because what I see is nearly complete separation of Palestinians from settlers. Its sort of hard to see others as human when they can’t see each other for the concrete barriers between them.
We have an extreme humanitarian catastrophe taking place now. People simply must let go of past wrongs and find a way to move on.
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“…because doing so is a war crime.”
Like storing rockets in a UN school?
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Yes, and of course, anybody who would have the temerity to suggest that maybe Hamas shouldn’t fire from the vicinity of schools in hospitals, or store rockets there, or build bunkers there, must be a racist.
You could have said the same thing about Warsaw.
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“If the Palestinians had their own viable state and the military capability, no, I could not imagine them [targeting Israeli schools and hospitals]”
What in the history of Palestinian militancy would convince you that they wouldn’t target children? Do you really need some sources cited?
Too bad our media and government are occupied by people whose allegiance is first and foremost to Israel.
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Why does the headline state the this was the result of Israeli Army shells when by most accounts the actual origin of the shells is unclear? Other accounts report that it could be from an errant Hamas rocket intended for Israel since these rockets are notoriously random in their targeting, or even a Hamas effort to bring further condemnation on Israel. What, you say? Hamas would never do that? A group that sponsors suicide bombers and blows up busses full of schoolchildren is capable of anything.
A typically poor analogy.
The Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, even the resistance groups, were not committed to the destruction of the German nation.
Moreover, they would have been extremely happy for a ceasefire that allowed them to live in the ghetto. The uprising took place during the last phase of transports from the ghetto.
Indeed, if one looks at 2005 and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, had the Nazis withdrawn from Poland in 1941 and said “We will control your borders and ports, but you may import whatever food you want to,” I’m pretty damn sure the Jews would have been ecstatic.
Interesting point, though, that most of the resistance groups in the Warsaw Ghetto were Zionists.
Yes, Obama is secretly a Mossad agent. People keep focusing on “Hussein,” when they should really look at “Barack.” Perhaps he’s Ehud Barak’s secret cousin.
Yes, of course. Israel, which wants to conduct its operations as long as it can, intentionally struck a school, because they figured “Hey, this is good policy–if the world hears we struck a school, they are likely to take pressure off us and give us more time to destroy these tunnel complexes.”
Brilliant theory.
Well as long as Israel is reviewing and investigating it I’m sure they will be resurrected. Isn’t that how it works? They say that every time they kill women and children.
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Oh please. I know plenty of Muslims who are reasonable people, you can’t just paint the whole religion as being crazed fanatics.
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Morally they shouldn’t, but it’s proving to be strategically sound. If they can keep goading Israel into launching these attacks, Hamas is probably coming out ahead, with Israel just fanning the fires of anti-Israeli resentment and anger Hamas thrives on.
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See, that is a legitimate critique. And I agree absolutely–it’s a sound tactic on the part of Hamas, and a classical page from the partisan playbook–you incur the wrath of the military to strike civilian targets, which both engenders sympathy with your cause, and angers your population. It’s smart for Hamas to do that, no doubt, just as it was smart for the IRA, or the Viet Cong, or the Irgun. I blame Hamas less than I do the “useful idiots” in the West who turn a blind eye to it, since if they blamed Hamas, it would no longer be a useful tactic.
And without question, the end result of this may be a strengthening of Hamas. The fact is that Israel can’t solve this militarily–that is, force can play a useful role, but only if it used to achieve a political goal, which in this case, must be involving the PA and international groups (like the Shaul Mofaz’ plan) to help regulate and supervise Hamas.
Lucky kids, women, and civilians to be killed by practitioners of such a tolerant religion.
Y[quote=“Califdemdreamer, post:22, topic:7459”]
This is not the case with Islam. Indeed, when they took over Gaza they razed Jewish synagogues and Christian churches. Islam, as evidenced by what we find in their religious writings, is essentially antithetical to pluralism and tolerance.
[/quote]
That explains why there were- and had been for a thousand years- Jews and Christians in Palestine in 1948 with a Muslim majority.
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Well, lookie, here they are. ^^^
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Remarkably, I’m in agreement with Carlosfiance. Religions tend to be both diverse and evolutionary. Taking one snapshot of a religion and saying “this defines Islam” or Judaism or Christianity is intellectually dishonest. The fact is that Islam traditionally has an inferior role for non-Muslim monotheists within the world of Islam, just as Christianity traditionally had an inferior role for Jews within Christendom, and Judaism has an inferior role for non-Jewish monotheists within the Land of Israel (please note I am speaking of religious law, not actual Israeli law).
There were Muslim states in which dhimmi (non-Muslim monotheists living within the World of Islam) were treated better than they were supposed to be, and Muslim states where they were treated worse than they were supposed to be. Often, those policies related less to matters of religion than matters of state (e.g., in Spain, where Muslims were a minority, and Jews were viewed as more friendly and reliable than a hostile Christian majority, there were periods where Jews were favored, and then later, when things went bad, periods where Jews and Christians were persecuted).
Thus, as with most religions, there are multiple sources and traditions to draw upon, and some might look at Islam and find sources for tolerance, others can find sources for intolerance, and often what motivates the searcher is some external factor (when a people see themselves on the defensive, it tends to produce intolerance).
so in short, the notion that Islam somehow inherently demands violence against non-Muslim monotheists is simply untrue, even if there are certainly sources that one can use to justify such violence, and even if that seems to be the trend today in the most public manifestations of political Islam.
yes, people on this site make egregiously wrong or hyperbolic statements, and I respond. It’s almost like a cause and effect, like, say, shooting rockets next to a school might make that school more likely to be struck by return fire.
Actually, we could test the theory. Let’s see if you guys can go a day without accusing Israel of genocide, or committing a Holocaust, or saying that the Jews are running the media and controlling American government on Israel’s behalf, or complaining (after accusing the Jews of running the media and controlling American government on Israel’s behalf) that you are being unfairly maligned as antisemites even though nobody has done so, if you can manage to do that, you’ll probably find that I won’t say a word.