The New Republic

Palestinians send their children into Israeli schools, busses, restaurants, and supermarkets with bombs strapped to their bodies to kill as many innocent men, women, and children as they possibly can. After the suicide bomber completes their mission of wanton murder of dozens of people the Palestinians dance in the streets and pass out candy celebrating. Palestinians fire hundreds of rockets into Israeli villages and towns trying to murder as many innocent people as possible and when Israel responds Israel is called the aggressor. The aggressors are the people who have murdered thousands of innocents here on 911, in India, Iraq, Israel, England, Spain, Fiji, The Philippines and six different Moslem countries all in the name of Islam against Jews and Christians. The aggressor is not the nation of Israel, a country the size of New Jersey. It is the Palestinians and Moslems who teach their children, from the time they are born, to hate Jews and Christians. Have people forgotten that Israel withdrew every settler and every soldier from Gaza three years ago? What did they get in return? Six thousand rockets fired at their civilians the past three years. Let a terrorist group take over Canada or Mexico and begin firing rockets at American cities and let's see how our government responds. People speak about proportionality as though a country has no right to do whatever it can to stop attacks against its own people. Hamas is sworn to the destruction against the State of Israel and Israel has the right to protect its people by any means possible. Period.

- Mark Jeffery Koch

January 4, 2009 at 12:27pm

Palestinians send their children into Israeli schools, busses, restaurants, and supermarkets with bombs strapped to their bodies to kill as many innocent men, women, and children as they possibly can. After the suicide bomber completes their mission of wanton murder of dozens of people the Palestinians dance in the streets and pass out candy celebrating. Palestinians fire hundreds of rockets into Israeli villages and towns trying to murder as many innocent people as possible and when Israel responds Israel is called the aggressor. The aggressors are the people who have murdered thousands of innocents here on 911, in India, Iraq, Israel, England, Spain, Fiji, The Philippines and six different Moslem countries all in the name of Islam against Jews and Christians. The aggressor is not the nation of Israel, a country the size of New Jersey. It is the Palestinians and Moslems who teach their children, from the time they are born, to hate Jews and Christians. Have people forgotten that Israel withdrew every settler and every soldier from Gaza three years ago? What did they get in return? Six thousand rockets fired at their civilians the past three years. Let a terrorist group take over Canada or Mexico and begin firing rockets at American cities and let's see how our government responds. People speak about proportionality as though a country has no right to do whatever it can to stop attacks against its own people. Hamas is sworn to the destruction against the State of Israel and Israel has the right to protect its people by any means possible. Period.

- Mark Jeffery Koch

January 4, 2009 at 8:57pm

So the situation in Gaza, with no heat, water, electricity, or medical supplies with hundreds dead and thousands wounded, is not as bad as that in Darfur or Somalia. Is that the standard Israel is now using? And how are you going to do "effective" PR if, like the rest of the world, you can't even figure out what Israel's goal is here?

- GS

January 5, 2009 at 9:11am

explaining Israel's war aims? It seems pretty easy to me, stop Hamas from firing rockets. Now, for the love of God, can someone explain to mean Hamas' war aims? they have no chance of winning by firing the rockets, and if it is a cry for attention, I will tell you what, if they renounce violence, accept Israel's right to exist, they will get the worlds attention right quick, and far more sympathy.

- blackton

January 5, 2009 at 9:27am

"My job will be to remind journalists that Hamas, not Israel, conquered Gaza and cut it off from the West Bank..." That's right, after Hamas' tanks and artillery divided Gaza from the West Bank they built walls, cut off Gaza from food and trade, built illegal settlements and banned Gazans from their own roads. Oh, wait, my mistake. Hamas just won a democratic election (admittedly George Bush's fault) and Israel did the rest.

- Patrick

January 5, 2009 at 10:03am

None of us have learned: Arab terrorist states win by losing. Autocratic regimes thrive on conjured, deflected hate. Hamas wants suffering, war, death, dismemberment--the things that hate is made of. Peace brings them none of these things and is of no use to them.

- Howard

January 5, 2009 at 2:48pm

Sometimes I wonder - if the Pals had had Ghandi for a leader instead of the clowns they have, the Palestinian state would have come into existance decades ago.........but hey - who cares what I think.

- toritto

January 5, 2009 at 4:03pm

All of the things done by Israel that Israel's critics complain about have been done in response to terrorism. Terrorism did not after with Israel's invasion of Lebannon. Terrorism did not start after Israel built settlements on the West bank. Terrorism did not start after Israel built the walls. It did not start after Israel instituted an embargo of Gaza. The Palestinian's support and tolerance of Hamas is the cause of this current situation.

- JohnB

January 5, 2009 at 7:15pm

"My job will be to remind journalists that Hamas, not Israel, conquered Gaza and cut it off from the West Bank" Hmmm I thought 30 miles of Israeli territory divided Gaza from West Bank. Not to mention Gaza being sealed up tighter than the Warsaw ghetto has something to do with it.

-

January 5, 2009 at 10:33pm

Patrick, your naivete is troubling; Hamas won a democratic election, but they are far from democratic. Democratic governments don't gun down citizens who they think are "collaborators." Democratic governments don't put innocent civilians at risk by forcing them to store weapons in their homes and mosques. Democratic governments don't educate their children to hate people merely because of their religion. Democratic governments don't come into existence through coup d'etats. Democratic governments don't launch 6,000 missiles into a neighbor's territory with no regard for innocent lives. Democratic governments don't take orders from a foreign power, and they also aren't interested in running a state according to Shaaria law. I'm certain that you would choose to live under Hamas control rather than in Israel. Correct?

- Tzvi ben Rachmiel

January 6, 2009 at 1:05am

Seldom in the history of man have I witnessed mored cases of "head in rectum defilade" than the anti semitic pitifull bleats found here. "built illegal settlements" ... ah did you forget the removal of even the buried dead to give Gaza to the muslim terrorists? I used to think there was some small distance between Gaza and the West bank but evidently not. A democratic election makes terrorist attacks by rocket and mortar legal then? "So the situation in Gaza, with no heat, water, electricity, or medical supplies with hundreds dead and thousands wounded, is not as bad as that in Darfur or Somalia." Nice straw man there too bad it only works for the logic challenged. You do the terrorist attacks by rockets, mortars and suicide bombers then whine about what happens when you finally get a responce! Nice try. As they say here, that dog don't hunt.

- old sarge

January 6, 2009 at 9:51am

Mark summed it up perfectly. If Hamas wanted peace, it would stop firing rockets. It doesn't want peace - it wants martyrs and victims. It had a golden opportunity to build up its economy; instead it used international aid to buy weapons. It doesn't care about its people's welfare; all it cares about is jihad and Israel's destruction. It amazes me how easily the press and so many people are manipulated by Hamas.

- Karen Tucker

January 6, 2009 at 9:56am

Patrick, your naivete is troubling. Hamas won a legitimate election and then proceeded to overthrow the duly elected President and throw his supporters off of rooftops -- what sort of a democracy acts like this? What sort of a democracy murders "collaborators," without a trial? What sort of a democracy violates Article 28 of the Geneva Convention and uses its own civilians as human shields? What sort of a democracy urges the "obliteration" of its neighbors? Please answer this question honestly -- If you were forced to live in Hamas' democractic state or Israel's democracy, which would you choose?

- Tzvi ben Rachmiel

January 6, 2009 at 10:26am

I am concerned and distressed by the blatant racism expressed by Mark Koch with lines such as "It is the Palestinians and Moslems who teach their children, from the time they are born, to hate Jews and Christians". These generalised and false comments are unhelpful, offensive and I am surprised The New Republic allowed their publication, given their explicit terms and conditions. Just like not all Israelis agree with the Israelis governments heavy-handed approach in this conflict in Gaza, not all Palestinians are suicide bombers, they are only a distinct minority of extremists. Hamas is the problem here, with its refusal to recognise Israel and firing of ineffective home-made rockets, however, one has to remember that after 60 years, the Palestinians still do not have a homeland and illegal Israeli settlements continue to be in built in the West Bank in violation of previous international agreements and law. Financial aid, food and medical supplies were cut off to Gaza intermittently after Hamas won free and fair elections (demanded by George W. Bush) due to the corruption of Fatah, paid off by misinformed interest groups in the US and Israel. There are 2 sides to every story, please let's remember that. Maybe if Tony Blair negotiated with Hamas directly, and convinced them to stop the rockets, all this could have been avoided? I fail to see how a ground assault will stop the rise of Islamic extremism, such disproportionate agression costing the lives of Palestinian children and aggrevating Palestinian feelings of injustice will only drive extremism and continue the fear and suffering of both sides. Time for both sides to grow up and tackle these hard issues with diplomacy. Enough of showing off with tough words and gun - time for a meaningful solution.

- Simon Gibbs

January 6, 2009 at 10:53am

If Israel signed up to the Saudi plan, endorsed by 22 Arab states in exchange for the recognition of Israel and the cessation of all hostilities against Israel, then we would have peace in Gaza. Even if Hamas opposed the Saudi plan, they would have been so isolated by their own people that the regime would have crumbled. But the Israeli politicians and military are too proud and greedy to accept such a plan. It's time for the West to demand adoption of the Saudi Plan to allow a longterm peace and isolation of Islamic extremists.

- SG

January 6, 2009 at 10:59am

I wonder if the "duly elected" status of Hamas has any bearing the other way. Yes, Hamas was elected pretty fairly and it does therefore legitimately carry out the political will of its constituents, more or less. If that is the case, and it is, what claim to innocent bystander status does ANYone in Gaza have? Personally, I wouldn't mind if Israel strafed the streets whenever there is a certain density of green balaklavas or other sign of Hamas activity and I am no jew (but supportive). The Gazans have brought this on themselves and if they want to distinguish themselves from Hamas they had better do it with deeds, pronto. Palis, turn your weapons on the Hamassies, publicly, and we'll talk. Oh yeah, or stop the attacks.

- megapotamus

January 6, 2009 at 11:53am

I have three things to say as an uninvolved outsider. First, If you poke a lion with a stick, eventually it'll turn on you with all its pissed off might. Second, the mosquitoes that bite you won't be killed off by blowing up the marsh from whence they came, it'll kill alot of fish though. And third, a quote " A CURSE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES" Bill S.

-

January 6, 2009 at 12:24pm

It amazes me that an Israeli response to a Hamas repudiation of a six month cease fire gets all the bad press. Hamas opted to fire the rockets. Hamas opted to fre mortars from next to the UN school. Hamas faked the numbers of dead and wounded. Hamas, in times past, even faked video tape of it. Israel responds and Israel is condemned. Proving unequivocally my personaly doctrine that while I am glad to live in a democracy, I don't want my nation to be part of one. The UN response has been laughable. The world response has been disgraceful. If I were running the IDF, I'd be contracting out every road paving machine from the Pillars of Hercules to Baghdad, and pave over the whole strip, to make commuter parking.

- tim f

January 6, 2009 at 3:11pm

With regard to the naive comment that not all Palestinians support the suicide bombings, that point is irrelevent. You either agree with the tactic, or you fight it. tacit acceptance is little more than the cowards way of agreeing. Rather like all the Germans in WWII who claimed not to be nazis when the allies began capturing their towns.

- tim f

January 6, 2009 at 3:14pm

Why show the opposition the cards you hold? The vagueness of Israeli goals in the Gaza op serves 2 goals: 1)it unites Israelis of differing political persuasions and 2)it provides no leverage to Hamas to manipulate the eventual outcome. Vagueness of goals is refreshing in light of what happened in the incursion into Lebanon in 2006.

- Seymour

January 6, 2009 at 3:19pm

That include the under-5s, megapotamus? They included in your little video-game fantasy about "strafing the streets"? Are you typing with one hand?

- scattergun

January 6, 2009 at 4:01pm

Keep on blaming Iran and terrorists. Never mind that Zionists just don't want Palestinians around. Never mind the dispossession. Never mind period. How else can you live with yourself? Blame everyone else. It's good propaganda.

- The Other Alan

January 6, 2009 at 9:02pm

Michael, I heard you on the radio today. I send you and your family my prayers for your safety. Israel is blessed to have you. Susan Bucker (Ask JK if you don't remember the name)

- Susan Buckler

January 6, 2009 at 11:41pm

SG,the Saudi plan was a non-starter calling for the return all the Pals in the camps back to Israel and hence Israel would not be a Jewish State. Notice I did not say refugees because I doubt more than 100,000 actually lived in Palestine but for some reason only Pals get to have grandchildren still be considered refugees.

- jz

January 7, 2009 at 1:12pm

Irrespective of Israel's goals, my unit's job will be to afford the IDF the requisite time to achieve them by fostering a sympathetic press and, through it, an amenable diplomatic environment. The IDF has learned many lessons from its bitter Lebanon experience and the need for effective PR is one of them. Michael, apparently the chief lesson that Israel learned from its "bitter" Lebaonon experience was NOT that killing thousands indiscriminately and causing massive destruction is both an effective deterrent and a great way to both end hostility and to create sympathy for Israel abroad (and thus build a brighter futuer for Israel), but that Israel needs to illegal limit press coverage of its destruction and more effective propagandists like you, who are embedded in important domestic institutions in the countries targetted by the propaganda. Can you explain why American taxpayers pay billions a year to Israel? So it can better slaughter Palestinians with US-made waepons, destroy infrastructure that we and others have funded, keep the cycle of violence alive, and have more money available to pay to good Israelis (Americans?) like you to tell us what a meritorious, productive and responsible venture it all is?

- TokyoTom

January 21, 2009 at 3:45am

In the '80s, when I lived in Israel, I saw the film Gandhi at a theatre in Jerusalem. And I remember wondering why the then-Likud-led government hadn't banned this film as subversive. I thought then that if the Palestinians were to see this film and decide to take a leaf from Gandhi's book, march together - men, women, and children, peacefully and unarmed, en masse - to lie down in the streets in front of the Knesset, they'd have their state inside a year - two at most. Unluckily for them, and for Israel, that transformation in the Palestinian resistance to Israel never happened. Hasn't yet. Israel's treatment of its Palestinian neighbors has been at times egregious. Yet even had the Israelis always behaved with scrupulous fairness, had they never unfairly kept someone from getting to their destination, had they never created settlements by uprooting Palestinians from their land, I don't believe anything would be fundamentally different. Something in Palestinian culture - indeed, in the prevailing Islamic culture of this era - requires a sea-change. Their fierce clinging to benighted cultural values (misogyny and patriarchalism) and the depth of resentment of the "other," of the liberal west in particular, is hurting them even more than us. I think of the golden age of Islam when enlightenment and intellect were prized, and it just makes me want to weep.

- NancyW

February 16, 2009 at 5:25pm