In the wake of the controversy of a powerful Rabbi calling for a plague to kill all Palestinians before the start of negotiations between Israel and Palestine, Hamas has found its own way of contributing to the peace process by killing four Israeli settlers, including a pregnant woman. Hamas called the murders an “heroic operation.”
Hamas proudly accepted responsibility for the killings.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had instructed his forces “to pursue the attackers without any diplomatic restraint and to lay hands on the attackers and those who sent them.”
He lost me on the “without any diplomatic restraint” which appears the opposite of an order to “use all lawful means.” That would sound like a carte blanche to violate international law.
What is clear is that radical elements on both sides do not want to see peace and are willing to say or do whatever is necessary to destabilize this process.
Source: New York Times
a few months ago i was helping a friend remodel their kitchen. inside one wall there was a piece of a local papers editorial page from the early 70’s. in 40 years nothing has changed and in 40 more the only thing that will have changed is the shoreline and the names.
mespo727272
1, September 1, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Thanks, Blouise. You know that I am a poet at heart.
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Yes, my dear, I do.
Buddha,
I have always felt that Carter’s efforts in the Middle East were sincere and the success he enjoyed there was due to the good impressions he made on those with whom he dealt.
If I were a conspiracist (my own word)I would suggest that it was because of his basic goodness that “they” allowed him to live out his life after “they” saw to it he was replaced by a more malleable figure. The parties have never allowed another one like Carter to get the nomination. That is why Kucinich will never get it.
Thanks, Blouise. You know that I am a poet at heart.
This is what Palestinians face and are asked to make justice with
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/nov/16/israel2
Blouise,
I think Carter’s role was simply stumbling block. He was a good man with good intentions who blocked the war pigs the best he could and was paid back by the military-industrial complex plying Congress with enough graft to make sure any substantive reforms he tried to institute were blocked by their collective obstructionism.
In this, some may compare him to Obama, but there is no validity in the comparison. It is facile at best.
Carter tried. He made every effort he could to bring about peace. Witness the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Accords, without which I hazard to say the Mideast would have been in open (possibly nuclear) warfare with Israel long before now.
Obama has capitulated. Witness the fact that the demonstrable traitor and war criminal Cheney has not been prosecuted, nor has habeas corpus been restored, nor the Patriot Act repealed. Indeed Obama has further extended the illegal grasp of Executive power with his policy on assassination of American citizens without due process.
Unable to buy off Carter, the war pigs simply undermined his agendas with Congress through graft. Obama simply lied about his intentions and then fell in line after taking office. Like a good fascist lap dog.
Blouise,
I have a quick answer about Carter’s role, but I’d rather think about it a bit. Let me get back to you on that.
Note an important thing that Netanyahu did NOT say. He did not say he would break off the negotiations.
Israel has too often reacted to barbaric murders like this by instantly breaking off any negotiations with all Palestinians. The result has been to hand the Palestinians’ worst, most murderous fringe elements the power to instantly derail the peace process any time they want, simply by blowing up more children or shooting more civilians. Those Palestinians who actually want to live in peace are thus rendered powerless.
Here’s hoping that Israel has learned that letting terrorists bully you into war is just as bad as letting them bully you into concessions.
Your propaganda skillz suck. If this truly WAS the Israeli army vs some “poorly armed people” all the palestinian people would be dead in three days.
In case you missed the memo, this post was about the palestinian government gleefully applauding outright murder, by some of your beloved palestinians, of Israeli citizens – including a pregnant woman.
That you feel justified to turn this horrendous scenario of government-approved civilian murder by palestinians into a diatribe against Israel only illustrates your over-the-top antiSemitism.
Where did you learn this hatred you have for Jews, Mike – from your Dad?
Mike S and Buddha,
What are your individual opinions of the role Jimmy Carter played … what do you believe motivated him and what was the reaction of the perpetual war machine
I have to second Mike S. on this. Both sides of this issue are puppets of the perpetual war machine. That their zeal is a tool to be used against them as control mechanism is important, but it is of secondary importance to the fact they are puppets. The strings are not the thing other than a means to an end.
Mike,
when you get past the rhetoric and propaganda from both sides then you might see that it is all ephemeral to the main issue of powerful, rich forces continuing and unnecessary conflict for the sake of their own interests. By making Hamas into David and Israel into Goliath, you just perpetuate the need to see the world as our corporate masters would have us see it. Israel deserves no kudos for its’ actions, but neither does Hamas. both of them are manipulated by outside forces for the purposes of exploitation rather than peace. However, if you want to see it as purely good vs. evil that is your prerogative, but in my opinion you are missing the forest for the trees.
mespo727272
1, September 1, 2010 at 8:38 am
“What is clear is that radical elements on both sides do not want to see peace …”
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To these radicals, peace is bad theology, bad politics, and bad business.
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mespo,
Once again succinct and to the point.
I remain your biggest fan!
“That would sound like a carte blanche to violate international law.”
Exactly like his attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. It’s clear that Israel doesn’t give a damn about international law, human rights, or settler criminality.
On one side, we have one of the world’s largest military forces, financed by billions of American aid and equipment with an enormous propaganda advantage from Israel’s vast Fifth Column in America; and, on the other, some poorly armed people trying to live under the worst oppression since WWII.
The land Israel occupies in this struggle means nothing to Hamas. They want to be on top and so while their ultimate goal is ostensibly Palestinian autonomy, their real motivations are closer to those of Tony Soprano than Nelson Mandela.
On the other hand the Israeli populace is tired and cynical, which makes them perfect marks for the ilk of Netanyahu and religious radicals who justify their lust for power by ostensibly “doing the will of God” The mistake constantly made due to this is we can solve it rationally, when in fact certain powerful parties on either side are highly irrational and self-serving.
Ginger,
“Without any diplomatic restraint” isn’t radical?
Nice way to equate the two. Please note:
One “side” is a lone Rabbi.
The other “side” is the de facto palestinian government, continually elected by a large majority of the palestinian people.
Just sayin’.
What would you expect…..
“What is clear is that radical elements on both sides do not want to see peace …”
*************
To these radicals, peace is bad theology, bad politics, and bad business.
“What is clear is that radical elements on both sides do not want to see peace and are willing to say or do whatever is necessary to destabilize this process.”
The recent peace talks are a farce. They will fail, for a variety of reasons: http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/top-ten-reasons-for-skepticism-on-israeli-palestinian-talks.html
“Peace process” is another insidious euphemism employed by the American leadership — people who have been following the “peace process” know that the phrase means whatever the US happens to be doing at any particular moment. Usually this includes undermining actual peace in the region.