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TechnoratiInvasion a Monstrosity, Says UN Leader
NEW YORK - In an extraordinary outburst, the president of the United Nations General Assembly has branded Israel's ground offensive in Gaza a "monstrosity" and a marked failure for the UN.
![[This image provided by the United Nations, shows Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, president-elect of the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly, speaking to the GA in June 2008 at UN headquarters in New York. (AFP/UN/File/Eskinder Debebe)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/brockmann-0104.jpg "brockmann-0104.jpg")
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, of Nicaragua, blasted the Israeli action on Saturday as the UN Security Council convened its third Gaza emergency session.
"I think it's a monstrosity; there's no other way to name it," Mr Brockmann said. "Once again, the world is watching in dismay the dysfunctionality of the Security Council."
His remarks were seen as putting a slight upon the United States, which again prevented the council from issuing an agreed statement on the crisis.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, lamented Israel's incursion after a week-long bombardment of Gaza that had already killed at least 460 people and injured thousands more.
Israel has said it is targeting Hamas militants and resources, but according to early estimates about one quarter of those killed were civilians.
Mr Ban had expressed his extreme disappointment to the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and had called for an immediate end to the ground operation, his spokesman said.
The Security Council failed to reach agreement on the Israeli action because the US again blocked consensus during the late-night emergency meeting.
Hamas must stop smuggling arms into Gaza and cease its rocket attacks on Israel, which were the "root cause" of violence in the region, said the deputy permanent representative for the US, Alejandro Wolff.
Mr Wolff said there was no point in the Security Council issuing a statement that Hamas would not honour. "We are not going to equate the actions of Israel, a member state of the United Nations, with the actions of the terrorist group Hamas. There is no equivalence there."
Asked his reaction to Mr Brockmann's criticism of the Security Council, Mr Wolff said: "I would urge him to focus on the dysfunctionality of other parts of this organisation."
Mr Wolff said the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza was directly attributable to Hamas. "The problems the civilians are facing in Gaza are a function of how Hamas operates. It's a very densely populated area [with] Hamas deliberately melding into the population."
Israel began amassing troops and armoured vehicles on its border with the Gaza Strip days into the bombardment. Since last Monday UN officials have expressed fears about the impact of a land invasion.
Gaza has limited power and is reliant on Israeli co-operation for emergency supplies of medicines, food and fuel.
The UN has repeatedly called for a ceasefire but to no effect. Israel has continued to target Hamas militants in the territory, and Hamas has persisted with rocket attacks on cities in southern Israel.
Since the conflict began nine days ago the UN has accused Israel of a disproportionate response to the attacks and of breaching international law with its blockade, which it said punishes the mainly civilian population.
The UN spokesman for Mr Ban said he had told Mr Olmert the ground invasion would only intensify the suffering of Gaza's 1.5 million civilians.
The UN has not been alone in trying to broker a ceasefire; attempts by the European Union, the US and Russia have failed too.
The invasion began just hours after the EU announced it was sending a delegation to try to negotiate a ceasefire.
The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, said the decision to send ground forces into Gaza was a "dangerous military escalation".
The US Department of State said any ceasefire must not allow a return to the status quo. "We are working towards a ceasefire that would not allow a re-establishment of the status quo ante, where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza and to condemn the people of Gaza to a life of misery," a departmental spokesman said.
160 Comments so far
Show AllMiguel d'Escoto Brockmann's comments were not part of an "outburst" nor were they "extraordinary." Father Miguel has always put the needs of the oppressed over and above political correctness. He has been steadfast for decades in his support of justice for the victims of imperialism. His appointment as president was the smartest thing the UN has done in years.
Meanwhile, help the people of Gaza:
KinderUSA
http://www.kinderusa.org
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
http://www.anera.org
Friends of UNRWA
http://www.friendsunrwa.org
Christian Aid
http://www.christianaid.org.uk
Islamic Relief
http://www.islamic-relief.com
and stay informed
The Palestine Chronicle
www.palestinechronicle.com
The Electronic Intifada
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The AlternativeInformationCenter
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InternationalMiddle EastMediaCenter
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Stop the Wall
www.stopthewall.org
Islam Online
www.islamonline.net
Press TV
www.presstv.ir
CounterPunch
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Free Gaza
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AMIN
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Palestinian News Agency WAFA
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Al Ahram Weekly
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Palestine Think Tank
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www.aqsa.org.uk
Palestine Information Center
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MIFTAH
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Palestine Solidarity Campaign
www.palestinecampaign.org
PalestineCenter for Human Rights
http://www.pchrgaza.org
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Israel is one of the few, if not the only nation created by the UN. Its entire life of 60 years has been immersed in war. The UN should be able to enforce its resolutions without being blocked by security council vetoes of member states. How and why has the UN’s power been so tragically reduced to impotence?
The UN is a voluntary membership forum, and by that order, has no true authority to enforce any of its Resolutions. It has been responsible for some good, but has not been able to reduce the many disasters that true authority would have.
It began when technology, and world political exchange and discourse was by today's standards 'primitive', and has not evolved into the regulatory body that it would hope to be.
If human kind can learn from the many mistakes it makes, perhaps one day there will be a United Forum on Human activity. If not, then human kind is in danger of becoming extinct; at its own hands.
we are taking suggestions at nurembergrevisited@gmail.com, and no suggestions are ignored.
for SUZ and others who think Israel is a VICTIM:
by Michael Chossudovsky
"The Invasion of Gaza: "Operation Cast Lead", Part of a Broader Israeli Military-Intelligence Agenda"
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11606
excerpt:
'The aerial bombings and the ongoing ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli ground forces must be analysed in a historical context. Operation "Cast Lead" is a carefully planned undertaking, which is part of a broader military-intelligence agenda first formulated by the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2001:
"Sources in the defense establishment said Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the operation over six months ago, even as Israel was beginning to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Hamas."(Barak Ravid, Operation "Cast Lead": Israeli Air Force strike followed months of planning, Haaretz, December 27, 2008)'
Who is a victim? Hamas has chosen to shoot rockets at Israel from within the inhabited areas of Gaza. Hamas is not protecting its own people! There is plenty of open space in Gaza, orchards and such, and you can see it on TV around Gaza City. Hamas could use some of that lnd for the rockets and ammo. If they did, there would be very few deaths. Maybee they don't want to do that. Why not?
Hamas gives Israel a devil's choice. It is similar to the movie "Sophie's choice" where you lose either way. But Hamas is guilty of putting their own people in harm's way.
Thank you for not calling me a $=_à("ç_é&µ£%!, a so many her do, especially as I believe such hate:kill speech, such as Hamas is spouting, impedes finding a solution.
Solutions you say? I see you want to find a final solution for the Palestinians.
'Mr Wolff said the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza was directly attributable to Hamas. "The problems the civilians are facing in Gaza are a function of how Hamas operates."'
Its obvious that the Israeli's and the United States have NO respect for human life. From this statement it is apparent that the MESSAGE to the world, to people whom do NOT support their specific government, and to the peace makers from every corner of the planet, WILL BE SUBJECTED to the ideologies of the State and to its WRATH if rejected. This statement makes clear that ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT will be obeyed OR ELSE the innocent will be slaughtered.
This latest move by Israel has been planned and Negroponte was just in Israel which indicates that the U.S. was also involved in the planning of this mass murder. The methods of TERRORISM that Israel and U.S. use are without precident in our "modern" era. THIS IS MEANT TO SIGNAL TO THE REST OF THE M.E. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY 'GET OUT OF LINE'. This is Fascism and very much like Nazi Germany all over again, except its happening RIGHT NOW in front of the world.
Israel's future plans will never stop at the Palestinian Issue. Once they have completely killed them all off or sent them packing out, they will then turn their eyes onto Jordan, Lebanon, Syria.....Their ultimate plan, IN THEIR OWN WORDS BY THEIR OWN LEADERS, is to be in total control of that whole region...from Med Sea to Baghdad.
TODAY on Cspan an Israeli Ambassador was on the morning Journal. One caller layed out several problems with the Israeli "campaign". Very good caller. But then she mentioned the "web". Immediately the Host and the Ambassador pounced.
This is their tactics. They turn and twist anything and everything people are doing to help and get the truth out. They stick to their lines about the Rocket fire from Hamas....which unfortunately has given Israel a WEAK but obvious EXCUSE. They were waiting for their Excuse. They are waiting for "web" sources, because the Internet, like "conspiracy theoryies" are now being used to diminish peoples credibility.
The new brainwashing and propaganda tool is this: People are subtly being told that ALL internet news is conspiracy theory....they link these. Now, when a caller or person on tv says the word "internet" "web source" etc, the brain of the brain-washed kicks in....red lights go off and the ignorant and unsuspecting idiot blocks out whatever is being said....and goes back to being fed the lies, half lies in the so-called "Main-Stream" media.
Thanks for highlighting these very important points. I am dumb-founded at times trying to fathom the incredible effects of the brainwashing and propagandizing of which you speak. I was reading a section of blog responses to the Gaza invasion yesterday in the Austin American Statesman. There were over 200 responses dominated primarily by supporters of the Israeli government. Not only were these responses astoundingly inane, but outright lies. After reading through all the comments, which kept repeating the same talking points (lies), I thought of the billions of dollars spent by our government to try to control public opinion through the mainstream media. I was left with the distinct impression that most of the bloggers were probably part of a bank of bloggers paid by the Pentagon, State Dept., CIA, Mossad, AIPAC, etc., or a combination thereof. I realize that saying this will draw the label of "conspiracy theorist" as well, but I think of educated journalists who are so resistent to even considering the "conspiratorial" possibilities, even after the last seven years of having this fascist propaganda shoved in our faces. What is the problem?--is it peer pressure and wanting to be part of the "smart set" or a more complex dysfunction. Whether it is journalists willing to be influenced by "official stories" or psyop bloggers, the 1984 effect is deeply penetrating and disturbing, especially in the MSM. Global Research is a very effective and valuable site. Also Infowars, What Really Happened, 911 Blogger, Uruknet, and others. Keep up the fight.
Mr. Chips,
Global Research I have found is really excellent. Also, for economic articles.
I know exactly what you mean. I turned on Cspan this morning, as I mentioned about the Israeli Ambassador being on, and was sickened by some of the callers. They say the same lines over and over....exactly what people like Livni and others are spouting.
I really wanted to take my shoe and throw it at the tv. Its really frustrating to hear so many falling for the Israel/U.S. bull-lines. It may be, like you said, that many are calling from headquarters in Langley, the Mossad, and U.K. Secret service (think its called MI5).
I believe it was William Casey, Reagan's head of CIA, who bragged that the CIA had control of the U.S. Media.
This will get less and less viable as more and more people get ALL their news from the web. This is pretty true already for the "digg" generation of early 20 somethings.
...and this is why there is preparation to inaugurate Internet II, which will take away net neutrality and place internet communication under the control of the Corporatocracy. Think censorship (although that is already taking place), government progaganda control, and fast track service for the limited few who can afford it.
Mr Wolff said the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza was directly attributable to Hamas. "The problems the civilians are facing in Gaza are a function of how Hamas operates. It's a very densely populated area [with] Hamas deliberately melding into the population".
With Gaza being a very populated area, what choice does Hamas have but to meld into the population..
It is no surprise to anyone in the world, that the Zionists are crying victim.
Who stole who's land and continues too! The world again stands by, neutered.
The mid-east was divided up into countries after the war. Only 1% became Israel, the rest became Muslim countries. There was no Palestine before Israel was created, no Palestinians before Israelis. No country would help the Jews during the holcaust. The US refused to help or defend Jews and sent Jewish refugees back. Israel was created, by the US and Britain, possibly for the purpose of a country to defend the Jews. Muslims and Jews, and Christians, lived throughout the mid-east. When Israel was created, all its neighbors, Muslim countries, attacked Israel. Israel won that war. BTW,Christian Arabs are being forced out of West Bank and Iraq. Hamas and Hezbollah have called for the elimination of Israel and the Jews. Is not that a call for genocide? Please look at this video.
http://fun.mivzakon.co.il/flash/video/2664/26
64.html
The Nuremberg and Geneva Conventions to which Israel is signatory party forbid gaining ANY land through war. Israel's LEGAL border is the pre 1967 green line, period end of story. If that isn't true then tell me where Israel's border is SUV? Be sure to take into account the constantly expanding "separation wall" that has been ruled illegal by the ICC and the expanding settlements. I have been waiting for over 24 hours to an answer to this question from ardent Zionists to on avail.
I am certainly not defending everything Israel does or has done and you have certainly identified two outrageous things, the settlements and the wall. And Israelis I know are also apalled and argue like nobody's business about these among other things. Read Haretz. Do you think all Israelis are ardent, or otherwise, Zionists?
I intended to limit my participation to the question of Israels's current invasion of Gaza. I believe Hamas has knowingly endangered its people instead of protecting them as a good government should by shooting rockets from and storing ammmo in the populated areas. There is plenty of open space, orchards and such they could use so as not to endanger their population. Look at the TV, you can see lots of space outside Gaza City for example. The rockets are going 36 km; they don't have to be on the border. Hamas appears to be provoking this invasion knowingly. I believe the hate/kill speech of Hamas, and of so many respondants here - not you, thank you - is impeding solutions.
"I intended to limit my participation to the question of Israels's current invasion of Gaza."
That is extremely disingenuous all of the Palestinians grievances are connected. One of the reasons Hamas is popular in Gaza for example is the theft of land in the West Bank by Settler religious extremists outrages ALL Palestinians. When will Israel control its settler extremists so a Palestine with two contiguous states can be created thus giving Palestinians something to DO with their lives which would do FAR more to drain the swamp of terrorism then then Israel terrorizing Gaza with a disproportionate response and killing the children of Gaza which only helps Hamas recruit.
hootowl
Though I'm no Zionist at all, here's the answer.
"Israel's LEGAL border is the pre 1967 green line, period end of story."
Frankly, I don't see how anyone can dispute that.
Why do you say this? What legal authority do you think gets to say what all the borders are? Does your legal authority have the power to enforce its decision? If not, what to do?
suz
Its quite easy. The borders from 1948 are the borders of the country of Israel. Their own country. Legally constituted by a vote of the UN.
All other lands they have are occupied lands. Lands that were taken in war when they were attsacked or blockaded and threatened.. They are not now or ever will be part of the country of Israel.
They are of course occupied and controlled by Israel.
By your reasoning as I said before, Iraq would be part of the United States. Fairly silly wouldn't you say?
I'm sure Israel would give it all back and withdraw inside their own borders if their safety could be guaranteed.
Well put sir!
For once I agree with Thomas Moore.
winning ticket
Darn! Surely there has been more than once? Its a new year! Give me time!!
suz
Take your propaganda and shove it!! There were plenty of JEWS that came into the U.S. after WWII...in fact the Atom bomb was designed and the project ran by Jews from Hitlers world.
ISRAEL IS NOT...REPEAT..NOT a Victim!! What countries have these Muslims attacked?
When did the Muslims mass murder over 1 million people, as has happened with Israel leading the call these last eight years?
The Irgun, Stern Gang were Israeli Terrorist organizations that went about their filth under the geize of "democracy". Same as Criminal Bush does.
SUZ: "Israel was created, by the US and Britain, possibly for the purpose of a country to defend the Jews."
WRONG AGAIN SUZ!!! Please go research the BALFOUR DECLARATION. Germany was winning WWI, and the Jews told Britain they could still win because the Jews knew they could bring the U.S. into the war....in return they wanted PALESTINE for a "JEWISH STATE" (a concept that is racist in itself). It HAS NOTHING to do with the poor VICTIM jews.
The American people DID NOT WANT to enter WWI....so the PROPAGANDA machine was set in full motion against the Germans....the lusitania ring a bell?
I am sick and tired of the U.S. using billions of tax payer money to fund this Terrorist State called Israel.....the majority of them are not even semitic. There is not a single BENEFIT to the American people by supporting this terrorist state...in fact it continually undermines our "democracy" and creates hate for the U.S. average citizen.
SUZ: I am SICK of Psychopaths like you. And that is what you are if you support these slaughters. YOU are no more a VICTIM than anyone else, and people are growing tired of the Jews holding themselves up as the 'CHOSEN ONES" (what a can of crap).
There is NO WORDS for how SICK Israel and its Jew and non-Jew supporters are.
Its time that Jews around the world joined human race instead of putting themselves apart....NOBODY has created the hate for Jews except the jews themselves.
On speaking of Evil: "You will know them by their actions".
I forgot to tell you that we did not allow a lot of Jews to come here...before, during and certainly not after WW2.
Its a matter of historical record.
Catherine,
Until you show me otherwise I stand by my statement. Please tell me your source for, and how many Jewish refugees entered the United States DURING WWII, which was the period during which the holocaust was occuring and of which I wrote.
As to the founding of Israel I think you have a number of misconceptions but the point is there was no Palestine there before Israel. Jews did not want Palestine, there wasn't a Palestine yet. That you think Israel "HAS NOTHING to do with the poor VICTIM jews" is nonsense and I think you know it. That there are other politics as well, I thought I brought up when I wrote the following, "Israel was created, by the US and Britain, POSSIBLY for the purpose of a country to defend the Jews," I am attempting to point out that creating a very small counrty surrounded by enemies does bring into question the purpose for doing so, although there are indeed assertions that it was founded there "for the purpose of a country to defend the Jews". I bring that into question. That is what many Jews want, but is it possible?
You ask "What countries have these Muslims attacked?" Please go back to the expanse of the Muslim empire to see all the countries Muslims have attacked. And now Israel. Jordan, Syria, Egypt have attacked Israel. Hezbollah attacks Israel from Lebanon, Lebanon does not stop that. HAMAS attacks Israel from GAZA; Gaza encourages that.
When rockets are directed from one country against another's citizens, the country attacked has the right to defend itself. Hamas is endangering its own citizens by shooting rockets from the neighborhoods. There is alot of room in Gaza where there is no housing, there are orchards and such, and if you watch TV you can see open space outside Gaza City. Hamas could shoot their rockets from there, they are going 36KM or more, and NOT endanger their own people, thus doing the job a government should do -protect its citizens instead of endangering them.
As to the religious beliefs of Jews, or of Muslims, or those Christians who are mostly being forced out of Palestine, religions all seem to have in common beliefs of supremacy. As long as they do not try to force their beliefs on others, they can hold them as far as I'm concerned.
Intolerance and hatred are not going to help the Palestinians gain better lives. Look at how much better off the West Bank is than Gaza.
Yeah I see their occupation is more comfortable har har.
Suz - By saying that 'there was no Palestine before Israel was created' shows you to be an idiot on par with G.W. Bush. And one with no knowledge of history to boot.
In 1928 the region now known as Israel was called 'British Palestine' due to it being used as little more than an artillery range with live targets. In 1928, the UK shipped a number of extremist Zionist Jews to the region for the purposes of getting them the hell out of Britain. They promptly started attacking the local population (Palestinians), killing them and taking over their shrines and mosques.
I have a book in my personal library from 1870 odd, titled 'A History of the Peoples of the Middle East, and a Report on the War in Egypt' that has a map that CLEARLY shows the area today known as 'Israel' to be (drum roll please)...
PALESTINE!
I say again, you are an idiot. You are a typical example of the catastrophic ignorance of the average American.
Hi Galen, I believe in karma as Edgar Cayce says, the soul meets itself. Suz will will have her little meeting with her soul one day (and it won't be a nice encounter).
I am talking about people who want to live and how their countries are helping and protcting them, or not. Palestinians, Jews and of course everyone. But here there are two countries fighting, Gaza and Israel. Hamas is not doing what a good country should do, defend and protect its people. There is plenty of open space in Gaza, orchards and such ,from which rockets can be fired and where facilities to store weapons could be placed but instead Hama chooses to do this in the populated areas, endangering their people. Hamas is provoking a response by Israel with these rockets. Israel is faced with responding inside the inhabited areas or else not responding. Hamas created this devil's choice.
I think hate/kill talk by Hamas, and by many respondants on this site, impedes finding a solution.
Your reply fails to address the fact the the State of Israel created by thew United Nations was a solution not for the problem of Palestinian Jews but a solution to the Jewish question of Europe, hence it is a monument to European Racism. I condemn what the Europeans did during the Holocaust, and it is exactly for this reason that I hold that the best solution would have been to give the Jewish population of Europe reparations for the crimes committed against Jews in Europe, not in Palestine. The vast majority of people in Palestine beforew 1945 were Palestinians and Arabs not Jews. The Palestinians and Arabs were promised their independence from colonialism in return for their support against the war against Hitler and his allies, as were people in Asia, Africa and Latin Amertica. In many cases the Eurpoeans reneged on their promises for example in Algeria, Vietnam, Myamar, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and in Palestine.
Jewish people should have and would have been within their rights to insist on their property (land factories shops etc.) wealth in Europe being returned to them and on their citizenship in their countries of origin being fully restored. Now the same people who suffered such horrendous persecution in Europe are behaving no better than colonisers, occupiers and common Nazis in Palestine!
There is plenty of open space, orchards and such in Gaza from which rockets could be launched without endangering the population. Look on TV, you can see it outside Gaza City. The rockets go 36 km; they don't need to be right on the border. Same with storing ammo. Hamas should be protecting their people instead of endangering them. Doing aay with all the hate/kill talk would go a long way. Look how much better off West Bank is, and steadily improving.
As I wrote to Catherine, when I said it was founded possibly as a country for the Jews to be able to defend themselves - the possibly was intended to bring that into question. Who makes a tiny country surrounded by much bigger countries that are its enemies and expects the tiny country to defend itd people? Clearly alot more water went over that dam.
Should have can't happen now. Jewish rights? Right after the war? As if THEY got to decide how to handle their incessant persecution? You suggest "their property (land factories shops etc.) wealth in Europe being returned to them and on their citizenship in their countries of origin being fully restored". I ask you, so they can go through this again? by the same neighbors again? How much is too much?After centuries of pogroms and gas chambers, some wanted their own place, and little Israel is what they got, in the middle of their enemies, again!
Should they leave? Should they consider a number of their citizens a sacrifice in order to remein there? Should they defnd their citizens?
The state of Israel is a monument to European racism. In stead of dealing with anti-semitic racism in Europe, by returning the citizenship, property and dignity of European Jews after the European attempt at a final solution (Hitler's attempt at genocide) European Jewry were sent to Palestine and dumped there to become someone elses problem. The EU and the USA support the state of Israel because he suffer from a guilt complex resulting from the unresolved questions of World War 2. Third World people can expect no justice from international imperialist institutions such as the United Nations or the International Court of Justice. Palestine in general and Gaza in particular has been turned into a giant death camp on a scale Hitler himself could not even dream off, where Israel is practicisng genocide plain and simple. We only thrid world leaders being charged with crimes against humanity, when will we see the leaders of Israel, the USA and some of the old colonial European powers being charged with the multitude pof crimes they have commited and are continuin g to commit against THIRD WORLD PEOPLE? It is time for the people of the Third World to reconsider their participation in structures such as the UN, the International Court of Justice, the IMF, the World Bank etc.
Hamas has put their people in harm's way when they should be defending them. There is plenty of open space in Gaza where the rockets and ammo could be fired without endangering the Gazans. They provoke Israel and then cry "foul!"
As to world politics, people are acting terrible as usual. This mess in the mid-east is a classic example.
Thank you for not using offensive rhetoric.
Suz, I was told that treating women with respect is good karma. Sadly your Israel uber alles rhetoric makes that difficult.
Interesting. No wonder Europe has been utterly silent on the issue. Well put.
P.S.: I think that this is what BubbaSouth, Kitty lady Oregon, Thomas More, and TMinSD meant when they called the UN useless. It always looked as if the International Community looked the other way when Palestinians were in trouble just like they did against India every time that country was under major terrorist attacks unless the victims happened to be European, American, or Israeli Jew.
Lenin was correct when he referred to the League of Nations as a "club of imperialists." The UN is no different.
BUT, and let's be clear here, the UN is the way it is because of the grotesquely disporportionate power weilded by the 5 permanent SC members and their veto power.
If the UN General Assembly ran things, it would be a very different and much improved organization.
And to answer the other commenter, I think Mr. More's some other commenters main objection to the UN is not at all the same as Lenin's, they object to the UN because of the (for now, unfounded) fear that it could limit the US's free reign over the world. They can't stand the thought of international deliberative body that would counter the notion that the US unilaterally knows what best for the world - especially all those darker nations to our and Europe's south and east.
---USAn---
My only objection to the UN is that it is corrupt and useless except for making pronouncements that it can't enforce.
You are exactly correct in your notion that the SC members have the only real power in the UN.
I personally would love to see an international deliberative body that had the power to resolve disputes like this. Think of how much easier and peaceful the world would be.
The problem is we are not about to give that power over us to any body of any kind as the world is formulated now, just as any other nation in our world will not.
Thats reality. Just as Globalism has been exposed for the fraud it was, why would anyone believe that nawtions that can't even cooperate economically could be a one world government. Its simply not going to happen.
Mr More,
Ever do any traveling? Ever heard of the European Union?
27 different countries, all speaking different languages, different customs, but all agreeing to be ruled and regulated by a mini-one-world-government in Brussels and Strasbourg - and many of them even agreeing to use the same currency and even passports.
---USAn---
USAn
Yes. I do sir.....and Brussels is not exactly a model of a well functiioning government.
I'd also suggest that those that have so much admiration for Europe hold their horses for a bit, Europe is in bigger trouble than we are and their racism is coming to the surface. Their economy is also at more risk than ours. And their populations are about to end their cozy socialist schemes...just abouit the time we adopt some of them. Thats the funnty part to me.
Remember all the delinked from the US BS that was going around? Not exactly true was it?
The EU is a contiguous region with similar backgrounds and small in size of countries in comparison to the US or China, Russia, etc.
The main requirement for a world government is one country, one vote. That is an impossibility. Do you really believe China would allow Viet Nam to have equal power? That Russia would accept Poland's vote as equal to hers.
I've gotten out quite a bit over the years so I'm a bit more realistic than some here.
Here's another prediction for you, ideology is on the back burner, if not dead. The age of pragmatic governance and decisions has begun. And not because of Obama.
When the economic crunch finally hits later this year (my opinion of course) its going to be bad. And if Obama and Congress don't start reindustralizing America and stop the stealing of the jobs that are left from ther American worker.....he will be a one termer and the pain will last longer.
What a roll! Seriously, these are some of the many reasons that any world body or government or "international law" are impossible in the forseeable future as I see it.
Not to be discounted is the exposure of the lie of Globalism that was never more that a shill job by business to allow them to offshore and protect monies while depressing wages and benefits here.
The rise in Nationalism around the world is no surprise, in fact the only thing that surprised me was that China took the lead. Look to trade if you want to see the future of politics.
The American people are about to be very angry. And rightly so.
I'm sure you totally agree with me! (lol)
"Vera Gottlieb January 5th, 2009 4:18 am
More hot air, more blah, blah, blah and then more hot air. The US and Israel will continue to ignore any/all UN resolutions while pretending to bring peace and democracy to people. Israel's retribution is nothing more than cold blooded, premeditated murder. The Nazis of the Middle East."
MAYBE WORSE than the Nazis! It can be well argued that the Israeli government, combined with its western imperialist, colonialist, natural-resource-grabbing, genocidal, ... masters, US and, to some degree, associated anyway, UK; well, it can be argued that they're actually worse than the Nazis were. Whether or not the argument would work out completely is something I don't know, but do know that the argument can be very well developed; just, perhaps anyway, not fully. If 'not fully' worse, than the Israeli govt, etc., are minimally as bad as the Nazis.
I think worse is probably the case though.
theinitiate
jrlmail-very well put.
More hot air, more blah, blah, blah and then more hot air. The US and Israel will continue to ignore any/all UN resolutions while pretending to bring peace and democracy to people. Israel's retribution is nothing more than cold blooded, premeditated murder. The Nazis of the Middle East.
Read your history: Here: Joshua 6:16b-17a, 6:21, 8:22b-26, 10:28-40, 11:23a, 13:1, 13:6b, Judges 2:1-2a, Gen 13:14b-15, Gen 20, Gen 26:6, 26:11. Then look at what Israel is doing in Palestine today, and tell me you're surprised.
In my opinion, God (the real God, not the one in the Old Testament) loves Palestinians at least as much as he loves Israelis, regardless of membership in the UN and regardless of which one calls the other a "terrorist" organization.
There have been lots of military occupations; lately they are in Iraq and Palestine. Noplace in the world is immune: The United States could be militarily occupied by some foreign army in the future. What will you do then, when your own place is occupied by a foreign military? If you resist the occupation, will you be a terrorist? What if you are rendered powerless by the occupation, half-starved by a blockade, a rapidly dwindling infrastructure, and subject to the occupier's whim for to fill your physical needs; and your family's lives are constantly disrupted by checkpoints, or by brutality (which may include murder, kidnappings, and/or torture) from the occupiers? Meanwhile you are uprooted from time to time because of the occupiers' land grabs. If you still resist the occupation, how will you do it? How many options will you have left? One way is the suicide bombing mission. Another way is to fire home-made rockets over the wall. When you do these things, will you be a terrorist; and will it bother you when the foreign occupier labels you a terrorist?
But suppose you don't resist, but cooperate with the foreign occupiers. I guess then you wouldn't be a terrorist. But what would you be?
-- John L.
I should add that it is good to see Father D'Escoto well and active. It is clear why countries such as Nicaragua are never allowed to exercise the sort of veto power in international institutions such as the U.N. that superpowers such as the U.S., China, and Russia do, much less sit at the table as equals. Why? Because countries like Nicaragua produce voices like Miguel D'Escoto. I remember walking with Father D'Escoto on his via crucis in northern Nicaragua in April 1985. Father D'Escoto has called Ronald Reagan "the butcher of my people" for the actions that the U.S. government, the CIA and the U.S. proxy terrrorist forces (the "contras") perpetrated against the people of Nicaragua in the 1980s, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian deaths. D'Escoto is a voice which will always point out injustice, condemn the perpetrators by name, and stand by the victims.
http://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/8/reagan_was_the_butcher_of_my
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_d%27Escoto
David Brookbank -- "Hasta donde debemos practicar las verdades?"
The Israeli military has reportedly dropped the following propaganda leaflets on Gaza trying to get desperate people to spy and act as traitors. I have just sent the following message to the e-mail contained in the propaganda leaflet and encourage others to do the same.
(article) Israeli military propaganda leaflet: Spy for Israel: Jets drop recruitment leaflets over Gaza Strip -- 02 Jan 2009 -- Israeli airplanes dropped leaflets calling for Gazans to inform their military of the whereabouts of projectile launchersin return for aid and assistance. The papers were found by the thousands all over Gaza on Friday morning and bear the signature of the Israeli military... 'Your anonymity is guaranteed. Call us at the following number: 02-5839749 Or you can e-mail us at: helpgaza2008@gmail.com to provide us with any information on the terrorist factions. Note: To protect your safety, we ask you to be secretive when you call us. Head of the Israeli Defense Forces' (end article)
(Text of my e-mail to Israeli military at helpgaza2008@gmail.com) We have no intention of helping you in any way. Our intention is to condemn you as widely as possible for your attacks on civilian populations and for war crimes. (end text)
David Brookbank -- "Hasta donde debemos practicar las verdades?"
This article fits here, also.
Pax Israeliana: peace Israeli style
by
CHRISTOPHER VASILLOPULOS*
The Romans create a desert and call it peace. -- Tacitus
Palestine is a land without a people. -- David Ben-Gurion
As the Israeli atrocities multiply, as its air strikes (cowardly to the last degree) on civilians, women and children intensify, as its list of war crimes lengthens and as the US continues to collaborate in every way, the world despairs. Cry, beloved Palestine, cry. Worse still, the great powers -- great not in perspicacity, honor or regard for human suffering -- do nothing. Cry, beloved peacemakers, cry.
The West -- I can't say the Christian West -- allows, if it does not condone, their renegade colonial outpost's attempt to eliminate the Palestinians. "Eliminate" was the Nazi euphemism for extermination. I have not heard of an Israeli proposal to transport, another euphemism, Palestinians to Madagascar. Perhaps they want them to exile themselves, a voluntary and final Palestinian diaspora, one which already numbers in the millions, or perhaps, failing that, simply die: slowly, spiritually, in unspeakable concentration camps, more rapidly from malnutrition or disease, or quickly by indiscriminate bombs and rockets.
The Israeli rationale is "terrorism." This rationale always ignores that Hamas, like Hezbullah, is a creature of Israel, not a bastard son like the South Lebanon Army, but offspring nonetheless. All resistance movements are terrorists from the perspective of the oppressors or occupiers. This does not mean that all terrorist movements are equal. It does not mean that all acts of resistance can be taken at face value. Often they are a mask for violence, having no political purpose at all. Often they have little rational basis, even when criminal gain is not their objective. Like every other complex phenomenon, resistance or terrorist movements have to be analyzed and understood in their own terms and in their own contexts.
With regard to the Palestinians, only racist Zionists (and their American collaborators) see their resistance to Israeli oppression as terrorism, defined as violent, unprovoked attacks against peace-loving Israel. The world knows this representation is false. Half of Israel knows it is false. At least since 1967, Israeli policy has been plain: the elimination of Palestinians. Only Israeli tactics have been ambivalent or intentionally obscured: verbal concessions, token actions -- almost always immediately reversed -- while the main project of replacing Palestinians with Israelis proceeds apace.
What is equally clear is that Palestinians have suffered in the millions for decades, have been maimed in the tens of thousands, and killed in the thousands, mostly civilians, women and children. These casualties, the Israelis claim, are accidents of war or collateral damage. This claim is a lie. The blatant purpose of massive air strikes against civilian targets is to maim, kill and terrorize civilians. Collateral damage occurs when a brave Israeli pilot hurts his hand while releasing a bomb. Only the subordinate objective is to deter Palestinians from harboring terrorists. The main objective, demonstrated over and over again, is to convince Palestinians that they have no future in their homeland or as a people.
Peace can be achieved in the Middle East, in the Israeli view, only under a "Pax Israeliana." Moderate Zionists believe that such a peace means Israeli domination over all of Palestine and the intimidation of all its neighbors with nuclear weapons. Radical Zionists believe that Pax Israeliana means the re-establishment of the Kingdom of David, which by some estimates extends to Lake Van. That the world can scarcely credit such ambitions works to Israel's advantage, for it makes their more modest claims seem creditable. But to radical Zionists, which must include all conservative Israeli governments since 1967, only oil prevents the West from allowing Israel to pursue its rightful claims to hegemony in the Middle East, to rule the land of David.
This position has been echoed by neoconservatives in and out of the Bush administration. Unfortunately, the only difference between these fanatics and more moderate members of the foreign policy establishment has been words. To me, this group of spineless bureaucrats is worse than the neoconservatives, who at least stand for something, however horrible, and express their convictions honestly. The establishment believes only in their careers.
Thus, the world despairs, Palestinians bleed and die, while Israelis gloat behind their crocodile tears. And now, Obama. How long will it take Obama to acknowledge the obvious? How long will it take him to realize that Israel only responds to pressure, economic, diplomatic and military? How long will it take for him to realize, as the current Turkish government has finally realized, that Israeli words mean nothing?
*Christopher Vasillopulos, Ph.D., is a professor of international relations at Eastern Connecticut State University.
But I could be wrong !
THE DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE - THE UNITED NATIONS
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SURE BEATS A DEAD
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND CONSTITUTION UNAMENDEAD
TRULY "UNITED NATIONS" WOULD
AT ONCE DESTROY ALL WEAPONS.
WAR IS HELL - HITLER FELL
WHAT IS REAL ABOUT ISRAEL
THE MID
EAST IS
U & ME.
BEWARE OF WAR:
WAR IS TORTURE
WAR IS TERROR!
THE
TRUTH
TRUMPS TROOPS
A MAN WITH ONE HAND LEFT
HOLDING AN "ARM-Y" SIGN.
ALL THE EXMEN ARE DEAD
SUPERMAN WON'T SAVE US
SPIDERMAN STUCK ON WEB
FOUND AN ORIGAMI CRANE ON THE TRAIN SEAT
FOUND OUT WHAT IT MEANS : PEACE - PLEASE
IS PEACE JUST A WORD?
REAL PEACE TAKES WORK
~
from "PIECES O PEACE PO"
www.poetreefree.US
i think there is a possibility in the future -- maybe even near enough -- that , with the USA deep in its own problems , including being tied up militarily in iraq and afghanistan and soon perhaps even pakistan (if the neocons will have their way , but even if not) -- the support of the USA to israel will come at a stiffer price. it is just going to be th reality , no matter what the neocons want or the israeli zionists want.
that means, to me, that the time will come when this incursion of israel into gaza - which will feed MORE defiance that will spread - AROUND ISRAEL - will leave israel actually MORE isolated -- and with a "patron" such as the USA - UNABLE to come to its aid - as CLAIMED by Obama and all other presidents before.
and THEN -- when that day comes - israel zionists will rue the day that they escalated these things thinking that because the palestinians are so isolated the Zionists will have "final victory" and grow from "strength to strength:"
they don't realize --they are LIKE the UNITED STATES -- the MORE they "conquer and are victorious": the MORE they BLEED themselves to eventual collapse.
the israelis are in fact, DESPERATE to ERASE their FAILURE in lebanon which exposed their vulnerability with their GRAND ARMY and its famous discipline and strategic power for decades...that's why they have become MORE and MORE BRUTAL each step of the way.
there is a PATTERN HERE:
their "little war" in palestine - is a microcosm of the USA's wonderful "big brother" WAR against Iraq and in the Middle east...and recently - its OTHER client state of Georgia and Shakaashvili's petty little war of his own .
ISRAEL is a "little empire" version in palestine of the USA's GLOBAL EMPIRE .. as georgia had its little war as its own version of its little empire south of russia.
and what is common to all of them?
even with israel's brutality as the "conqueror" all these decades? or Bush's "Conquest" of an arab sovereign country, or georgia's "conquest" of south ossetians before their fellow-russian ethnics came in ?
they are ALL FAILURES !!!
Pan
The only way is complete submission and give them all the land they insist is theirs.
Let us Pray
Any of you who care about the Palestinians need to stop attacking Israel and focus all of your attention and efforts on pressuring the Palestinians to end their war and recognize Israel. That is the cause of the problem. Doing anything else takes your eyes off of the prize, and makes things worse, not better. Engaging in anti-Semitism may make you feel better for a moment or two, but it's not going to have any impact on the situation or help the Palestinians. The only way to help the Palestinians is to persuade them to recognize Israel. Once that happens they can have peace. But not before. It's entirely their choice. Until they are ready for peace they will have the war that they chose.
One good way to begin may be to encourage the Palestinians to read the Quran. It's a great book that could help them a lot. It speaks of peace. I wonder if they've ever heard of it.
What planet do you live on for cripessakes?
What "prize" are you referring to taking one's eyes off of?? I hope it's not the prize envisioned by the death culture of the Israeli government. Being Israeli and/or Jewish is not necessarily synonymous with being Semitic. Perhaps you are the anti-Semite, considering that Palestinians are Semitic. The method of labeling critics of Israel as "anti-semitic" by AIPAC and related propagandists for Israel is wearing thin and becoming more and more ineffective. There is some of what I would consider anti-Semitic ranting on this site, but I think it is very small in proportion and roundly chastised when it occurs. I believe it was Robert Fisk who mentioned that this broad overuse in dismissing legitimate criticsm of Israel as "anti-Semitism" has the potential of backfiring and giving more traction to actual anti-Semitism.
there is a difference between Anti Semitism from ANTI ZIONISM. the two are melded together in the minds of many -- but EVEN MANY ISRAELIS , including former soldiers , DO NOT subscribe to Zionism and do not equate it with "being jewish".
Sure.
If Israel will immediatley arrest and try the leaders of Israel for their decades long genocide and land theft.
Walk in peace.
The Palesrtinians are not at war, Hamas is. And the only ones that can stop the fighting are the Israeli. And in case you missed it, its the Israeli that are doing the attacking.
As far as recognizing Israel by the Palestinians....boy, if it were only that simple.
If you cut off a group of people from the outside world by militarily occupying them, and force them into a state destitution and non-development, how can you be surprised when they send their sons and daughters to blow you up?
Nice title, though it's an understatement.
the Nazis enter the Warshaw getto once again.
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats
Actually, I think that this is more like South Africa's apartheid than anything else. On the other hand, Israel's blockade of Gaza seems to indicate that they would like to starve the population to death. Officially, they can't say this of course, but unofficially, actions are a better way to judge than words of course.
I looked this up and as far as any reports I was able to find there has not been one death from starvation in Gaza at any time.
"Actually, I think that this is more like South Africa's apartheid than anything else"
I agree with you, except the blacks were allowed to work there to make a living.
SATYA, I agree that the critiques of the UN in this thread are gratuitous, besides the point, and brain-dead-- from people, ugh, susceptible to influence by John Bolton. The article is about what the US did wrong, not the UN. These armchair lobotomies need to work on their FOCUS!
There does seem to be a problem with officials high in our government and the large number of individuals with dual citizenship with Israel. It's as if our foreign policy has been hijacked by people who are more interested in the welfare of Israel than they are the welfare of the United States. Frankly as an American who quite frankly could do without any sort of Abrahamic religion, I do not like my tax dollars being spent this way. Billions of dollars to support Israel who has had a history of aggression towards its neighbors, and billions of dollars spent on wars that support the Zionist effort. Enough already! This latest bit is nothing but a bloody massacre paid for by the American tax payer. The UN can do nothing, because of the US.
Most of this nonsense is based on religion. I was reading a bit about Ashkenazi Jews being originally from Kazar in Turkey. Is that right? The other bit I was reading about is how the story of Abraham cannot be proved archaeologically. In fact, the Bible is full of anachronisms which means that the truth of the story is in question. This information took my breathe away. We are slaughtering people over fairy tales? Why don't we grow up and start basing our decisions on secular governments?
Gilad Atzmon - Living on Borrowed Time in a Stolen Land
http://palestinethinktank.com/2009/01/03/gilad-atzmon-living-on-borrowed-time-in-a-stolen-land/
Communicating with Israelis may leave one bewildered. Even now when the Israeli Air Force is practicing murder in broad daylight of hundreds of civilians, elderly persons, women and children, the Israeli people manage to convince themselves that they are the real victims in this violent saga.
Those who are familiar intimately with Israeli people realise that they are completely uninformed about the roots of the conflict that dominates their lives. Rather often Israelis manage to come up with some bizarre arguments that may make a lot of sense within the Israeli discourse, yet make no sense whatsoever outside of the Jewish street. Such an argument goes as follows: ‘those Palestinians, why do they insist upon living on our land (Israel), why can’t they just settle in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon or any other Arab country?’ Another Hebraic pearl of wisdom sounds like this: ‘what is wrong with these Palestinians? We gave them water, electricity, education and all they do is try to throw us to the sea’.
Astonishingly enough, the Israelis even within the so-called ‘left’ and even the educated ‘left’ fail to understand who the Palestinians are, where they come from and what they stand for. They fail to grasp that for the Palestinians, Palestine is home. Miraculously, the Israelis manage to fail to grasp that Israel had been erected at the expense of the Palestinian people, on Palestinian land, on Palestinian villages, towns, fields and orchards. The Israelis do not realise that Palestinians in Gaza and in refugee camps in the region are actually dispossessed people from Ber Shive, Yafo, Tel Kabir, Shekh Munis, Lod, Haifa, Jerusalem and many more towns and villages. If you wonder how come the Israelis don’t know their history, the answer is pretty simple, they have never been told. The circumstances that led to the Israeli Palestinian conflict are well hidden within their culture. Traces of pre-1948 Palestinian civilisation on the land had been wiped out. Not only the Nakba, the 1948 ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Palestinians, is not part of the Israeli curriculum, it is not even mentioned or discussed in any Israeli official or academic forum.
In the very centre of almost every Israeli town one can a find a 1948 memorial statue displaying a very bizarre, almost abstract, pipe work. The plumbing feature is called Davidka and it is actually a 1948 Israeli mortar cannon. Interestingly enough, the Davidka was an extremely ineffective weapon. Its shells wouldn’t reach more than 300 meters and would cause very limited damage. Though the Davidika would cause just minimal harm, it produced a lot of noise. According to the Israeli official historical narrative, the Arabs i.e., Palestinians, simply ran away for their lives once they heard the Davidka from afar. According to the Israeli narrative, the Jews i.e., ‘new Israelis’ did a bit of fireworks and the ‘Arab cowards’ just ran off like idiots. In the Israeli official narrative there is no mention of the many orchestrated massacres conducted by the young IDF and the paramilitary units that preceded it. There is no mention also of the racist laws that stop Palestinians[1] from returning to their homes and lands.
The meaning of the above is pretty simple. Israelis are totally unfamiliar with the Palestinian cause. Hence, they can only interpret the Palestinian struggle as a murderous irrational lunacy. Within the Israeli Judeo- centric solipsistic universe, the Israeli is an innocent victim and the Palestinian is no less than a savage murderer.
This grave situation that leaves the Israeli in the dark regarding his past demolishes any possibility of future reconciliation. Since the Israeli lacks the minimal comprehension of the conflict, he cannot contemplate any possible resolution except extermination or cleansing of the ‘enemy’. All the Israeli is entitled to know are various phantasmic narratives of Jewish suffering. Palestinian pain is completely foreign to his ears. ‘Palestinian right of return’ sounds to him like an amusing idea. Even the most advanced ‘Israeli humanists’ are not ready to share the land with its indigenous inhabitants. This doesn’t leave the Palestinians with many options but to liberate themselves against all odds. Clearly, there is no partner for peace on the Israel side.
You are much too kind in your analysis that it is ignorance that is causing the Israeli's to support attacking the Palestinians. If it is ignorance, then it is a willful one. A lot like the Americans.
But by and larage the posters and protesters are new, The violence and deceit are not and yet for many years, there were no pro-Palestinian protests, no outcry among so-called progressives. It is both gratifying and enraging to see so many posters and protesters who are now aware of the truth of what is and has been going on in Palestine. Gratifying because - of course, better late than never. Enraging because - where the hell were you all these years?
In the end, we ask, with growing numbers, what can we do to stop this?
Gilad Atzmon - Living on Borrowed Time in a Stolen Land (part two)
http://palestinethinktank.com/2009/01/03/gilad-atzmon-living-on-borrowed-time-in-a-stolen-land/
This week we all learned more about the ballistic capability of Hamas. Evidently, Hamas was rather restrained with Israel for more than a long while. It refrained from escalating the conflict to the whole of southern Israel. It occurred to me that the barrages of Qassams that have been landing sporadically on Sderot and Ashkelon were actually nothing but a message from the imprisoned Palestinians. First it was a message to the stolen land, homes fields and orchards: ‘Our beloved soil, we didn’t forget, we are still here fighting for you, sooner rather than later, we will come back, we will start again where we had stopped’. But it was also a clear message to the Israelis. ‘You out there, in Sderot, Beer Sheva, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv and Haifa, whether you realise it or not, you are actually living on our stolen land. You better start to pack because your time is running out, you have exhausted our patience. We, the Palestinian people, have nothing to lose anymore’.
Let’s face it, realistically the situation in Israel is rather grave. Two years ago it was Hezbollah rockets that pounded northern Israel. This week the Hamas proved beyond doubt that it is capable of serving the South of Israel with some cocktail of ballistic vengeance. Both in the case of the Hezbollah and the case of the Hamas, Israel was left with no military answer. It can no doubt kill civilians but it fails to stop the rocket barrage. The IDF lacks the means of protecting Israel unless covering Israel with a solid concrete roof is a viable solution. At the end of the day, they might be planning just that. http://peacepalestine.blogspot.com/2006/08/gilad-atzmon-operation-security-roof.html
But this is far from the end of the story. In fact it is just the beginning. Every Middle East expert knows that Hamas can seize control of the West Bank within hours. In fact, PA and Fatah control in the West Bank is maintained by the IDF. Once Hamas takes the West Bank, the biggest Israeli population centre will be left to the mercy of Hamas. For those who fail to see, this would be the end of Jewish Israel. It may happen later today, it may happen in three months or in five years, it isn’t matter of ‘if’ but rather matter of ‘when’. By that time, the whole of Israel will be within firing range of Hamas and Hezbollah, Israeli society will collapse, its economy will be ruined. The price of a detached villa in Northern Tel Aviv would equal a shed in Kiryat Shmone or Sderot. By the time a single rocket hits Tel Aviv, the Zionist dream will be over.
The IDF generals know it, the Israeli leaders know it. This is why they stepped up the war against the Palestinian into extermination. The Israelis do not plan upon invading Gaza. They have lost nothing there. All they want is to finish the Nakba. They drop bombs on Palestinians in order to wipe them out. They want the Palestinians out of the region. It is obviously not going to work, Palestinians will stay. Not only they will they stay, their day of return to their land is coming closer as Israel has been exploiting its deadliest tactics.
This is exactly where Israeli escapism comes into play. Israel has passed the ‘point of no return’. Its doomed fate is deeply engraved in each bomb it drops on Palestinian civilians. There is nothing Israel can do to save itself. There is no exit strategy. It can’t negotiate its way out because neither the Israelis nor their leadership understand the elementary parameters involved in the conflict. Israel lacks the military power to conclude the battle. It may manage to kill Palestinian grassroots leaders, it has been doing it for years, yet Palestinian resistance and persistence is growing fierce rather than weakening. As an IDF intelligence general predicted already at the first Intifada. ‘In order to win, all Palestinians have to do is to survive’. They survive and they are indeed winning.
Israeli leaders understand it all. Israel has already tried everything, unilateral withdrawal, starvation and now extermination. It thought to evade the demographic danger by shrinking into an intimate cosy Jewish ghetto. Nothing worked. It is Palestinian persistence in the shape of Hamas politics that defines the future of the region.
All that is left to Israelis is to cling to their blindness and escapism to evade their devastating grave fate that has become immanent already. All along their way down, the Israelis will sing their familiar various victim anthems. Being imbued in a self-centred supremacist reality, they will be utterly involved in their own pain yet completely blind to the pain they inflict on others. Uniquely enough, the Israelis are operating as a unified collective when dropping bombs on others, yet, once being slightly hurt, they all manage to become monads of vulnerable innocence. It is this discrepancy between the self-image and the way they are seen by the rest of us which turns the Israeli into a monstrous exterminator. It is this discrepancy that stops Israelis from grasping their own history, it is that discrepancy that stops them from comprehending the repeated numerous attempts to destroy their State. It is that discrepancy that stops Israelis from understanding the meaning of the Shoah so can they prevent the next one. It is this discrepancy that stops Israelis from being part of humanity.
Once again Jews will have to wander into an unknown fate. To a certain extent, I myself have started my journey a while ago.
The UN is a great organization, and potentially much greater. The ability to take the most serious has been preempted by the emasculating veto power held by permanent members of the Security Council, and seriously abused by the US Gov't.
My first trip to New York City came as a result of my 10th grade Social Studies teacher taking us ( the A class , oh yeah, gotta love the stratification function of our educational system; tho, I'm sure there are many from the "lower" classes who have significantly more monetary wealth than I) to the UN, and luckily, after splitting up to the UN, Macy's ( hey, big deal back then), a Rangers' hockey game, etc. The next year the word was being spread that the teacher was dating a student and was a Communist.
Screw the Security Council! All power to the General Assembly!!!!
I have tried to ask the Israeli Government to call off the Luftwaffe & blitzkrieg, and liberate the concentration camp that is Gaza, and ask if they have no sense of irony.
Here's my Variation on James Madison's hopeful statement:
"AMERICA DOES NOT GO ABROAD IN SEARCH OF MONSTERS TO DESTROY"..........
no dear....
"AMERICA just goes Abroad.....
..AS the MONSTER that Destroys..........."
how's zat? is it acceptable, folks?.
Why am I remeinded more and more of the Robin Williams bit where he comments on the policies of South Africa at the time: "C'mere sparky, lemme explain something to your ass. You got 30 million black people, and 1 million white people. Does the name 'Custer' ring any bells?"
Now all you have to do is change it to "C'mere Benjy, lemme explain somthing to your Jewish ass. You got 30 million Jews living on a small strip of land surrounded on all sides by 250 million Muslims who hate your guts, and your backs are to the sea. You have no local allies, and your good will with the rest of the world is disappearing with every Palestinian kid you kill. The Muslims can pick up a rock in each hand, walk over the border, and STILL kick your ass, even with all your fancy US supplied weapons! Does the name 'Custer' ring any bells?"
Walk in peace.
Thomas More, Kitty Lady Oregon, and BubbaSouth NAILED it. The UN is nothing more than a pure waste of taxpayer money. They did nothing to stop the neocons from enatangling in the Vietnam war or invading Iraq from oil and they did NOTHING for the past 41 years to stop Israel from committing genocide on the Palestinians and band aid solutions in the form of piss poor "humanitarian aid" doesn't count. Palestinians need long term secure policies, not short term quickie fixes ! LBJ and Dubya knew how to say FUCK YOU to the toothless UN. The UN, while it used to be great in FDR's time, needs to be ABOLISHED ABOLISHED ABOLISHED and REBUILT FROM GROUND ZERO !!
P.S.: HAPPY NEW YEAR AND LET'S GET TOGETHER FROM LOCAL LEVELS TO STATE LEVELS TO NATIONAL LEVELS TO INTERNATIONAL LEVELS AND TAKE DOWN THE ELITES. It's time to win from the bottom up and another year of failure is not an option, not that any year of failure has ever been an option.
JW: the UN is wasteful, slow, wrong often, confused, and many many more negative things....and should be rebuilt, reformed, etc. But carefull about assuming and sounding off about its irrelevance please, unless you know at least a smidgeon of what it does.....which you obviously do not sir. The UN, i regret to inform you, was formed several years after FDR passed away.....please become better informed before confusing the blogosphere with well meaning but worthless comments. For all it's failures, the UN nevertheless has fomented an endless number of excellent projects, initiatives, and non-violent alternatives to war, etc. Because it is flawed is no reason to destroy it. The most reactionary elements in the USA demand it's de-financing. Think again and let's reorganize it rather than destroy it's positive side...Peace brother!
How does someone with duel citizenship such as Rahm Emanuel become the appointee closest to Obama? Aren't there people in the US who are totally American citizens who can do the job?
And if the US keeps vetoing any attempt to stop the genocide in Gaza, what is the use of having the meetings? Either change the rules or close up shop. This group is doing nothing to serve world peace. All it's doing is taking up space in NYC at a high price.
Dual citizenship is a bad idea and according to the oath of citizenship we require of new citizens that certainly applies to native borns is an impossibility. One cannot have two loyalties in my opinion.
.Thomas, may I sell you this bridge? Emmanuel, who's positions I find I oppose much of the time, whose temperament is even worse than mine, and whose appointment as CoS to Obama I think a mistake, was born in Chicago to an Israeli father and is , by our own laws, an American citizen. He has no Israeli citizenship, you could look it up.....
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
That was my general feeling about dual citizenship, nothing more. However I could use a bridge.
Rahm is going to end up fooling a lot of folks.
."You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time,but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Ardee
But Bush and the Congress has made fools of most of us most of the time.
Little blurb in the Dallas Morning News, Bush is requesting a gate be put on the public street leading to his new home in North Dallas to restrict access to the public.
It's another shining moment for Democracy! Actually I'd have put the gate up for him if he'd just go on home.
.Can we then lock him in?
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
ABSOLUTELY! Maybe its a sub-consience request on his part.
Happy New Year!
Where is Pat Lamarche? Is she is chasing another Casino deal? What a waste of space to allow her column on this site
We need to bring back Father Coughlin and his radio show. He could tell us all
about the Clintons and the Bush Family, and all the connections with Israel..
Better Huey Long than father Coughlin if we are looking to bring backs 30s demagogues:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hueyplongshare.htm
.Am I missing a sign of sarcasm in this rather strange request? Are you really advocating to bring back one who is known as "the Father of Hate Radio"? Would you expect anyone to believe anything he said?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Coughlin
Father Charles Edward Coughlin (October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979) was a Canadian-born Roman Catholic priest at Royal Oak, Michigan's National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. He was one of the first political leaders to use radio to reach a mass audience, as more than forty million tuned to his weekly broadcasts during the 1930s. Coughlin used his radio program to promote Franklin D. Roosevelt and his early New Deal proposals, to issue antisemitic commentary, and later to rationalize some of the policies of National Socialist Adolf Hitler and Fascist Benito Mussolini.[1] The broadcasts have been called "a variation of the Fascist agenda applied to American culture".[2] His chief topics were political and economic rather than religious, with his slogan being Social Justice, first with, and later against, the New Deal.
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We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Updates: Conditions worsen; Civilian causalities include women and children; American International School destroyed; Is Israel using cluster bombs?
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/117046/israel%27s_ground_invasion_of_gaza_continues/
It seems from the pictures that the Israelis ARE using cluster bombs against the densely packed women and children of Gaza. That should delight President Bush and Senator Reed et al.
Kudos to the UN and to Mr. Brockman. You're doing what you must despite US/Israel obstructionism.
Alejandro Daniel Wolff
Why would the US appoint someone of Jewish descent to this most sensitive of posts - is there any chance that he could be perceived as disinterested and an honest broker in the Muslim world? ------ chet380 January 4th, 2009 4:41 pm
Chet LOL -----its because most Americans can't see a dual loyalty as a conflict of interests and if you see one you could be Anti Semetic !!!!!
I was waiting for someone at the Press Conference to as the Ambassador if he was Jewish .
So why is it that Jewish Americans don't excuse themselves from American Middle Policy affairs because of their dual loyalty to Israel ???
On the contrary they are everywhere to be found and with a conflict of interest predominately in Israel's favor rather than that of the US or the World in general !!!
http://tinyurl.com/fe39c
http://www.bollyn.info/
The UN has been "neutered" by the USA and Israel a long time ago -- who can respect it these days because of this.
How many times has the US aided and abetted Israel in its "DIGESTION" of Palestine ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php/20080102170511377
Alejandro Daniel Wolff
Why would the US appoint someone of Jewish descent to this most sensitive of posts - is there any chance that he could be perceived as disinterested and an honest broker in the Muslim world?
.Is Wolff Jewish? I do not know, do you? Wolff replaced Bolton only temporarily until Zalmay Khalilzad was appointed as permanent representative to the UN. Regardless of Wolff's religious affiliation the words he speaks as a representative of his govt are not his own position but that of his nation.
Wolff's spoken remarks on a variety of issues before the UN can be found here:
http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/ambassadors/current/press.php?i=0&amb=Wolff
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We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin