Thanks Siun for focusing on Gaza. This situation can’t be ignored.

I wonder if someone army or private is checking out how our new bombs are doing?

What Troops?

*Total death toll: 620 while Wounded: 3000.

*Civilians: 220 children and 130 women

350 women and children dead thats more than half Israel is not even trying to protect civilians.

Dear Dr. Rice:

I am writing concerning Israel’s military offensive against Gaza, which began on December 27th. I support Israel’s security and its right to exist in peace, without the fear of rocket attacks from Hamas. Moreover, I abhor the violence being visited upon the citizens of our firm ally. However, no nation is immune from the legal conditions placed on the receipt of U.S. military assistance. I believe that with the current escalation of violence in Gaza, a legal threshold has been reached, warranting a Presidential examination and report to Congress. I hereby request an examination of Israel’s compliance with the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (AECA).[1]

While neither the AECA nor the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) define “internal security” and “legitimate self-defense,” I believe that Israel’s most recent

attacks neither further internal security nor do they constitute “legitimate” acts of self-defense. They do, however, “increase the possibility of an outbreak or escalation of conflict,” because they are a vastly disproportionate response to the provocation, and because the Palestinian population is suffering from those military attacks in numbers far exceeding Israeli losses in life and property.

Israel’s current military campaign in Gaza has inflicted a significant toll on Palestinian civilians and society. Israel’s recent aerial and ground offensive against Gaza has killed nearly 600 and injured over 2,500. The Associated Press reported: “children are paying the price. . . . The United Nations has said the death toll includes 34 children. . . . But the broad range of Israel’s targets–police compounds, fire stations, homes of militants, Hamas-run mosques and university buildings–means most shelling is occurring in residential areas.”[2] The extensive destruction of such civilian institutions violates Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the wanton destruction of property and collective punishment of a civilian population. There have also been reports of bombings of United Nations (UN) schools, despite the fact that Israeli Defense Forces were allegedly given coordinates of the facilities prior to the current escalation in violence.[3][4] The blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza since 2006 has further exacerbated the extent of collateral damage, as hospitals and morgues have been unable to cope with the magnitude of deaths and injuries as a result of the current escalation in violence and hospitals lack proper supplies needed to treat the injured.

I believe that Israel’s use of defense articles provided by the U.S in the current Gaza military attacks may constitute a violation of the AECA. At a minimum, the conflict is sufficient to warrant an immediate report to Congress as required by 22 U.S.C. §2753. Please contact my office by close of business on January 7, 2009 with the date the report will be submitted.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich

Member of Congress

I think this is a great idea. Why not send a bunch of troops we don’t have and have them do something that will be seen as doing Israel’s bidding, hostile to the Palestinians on the other, and oh yes, putting their lives at risk instead of those of Israeli troops. I mean what could go wrong?

http://www.juancole.com/2009/0…..roops.html

Siun do you know anybody who can translate what the israeli solders are saying in this video?

It’s apparently considered a war crime to bomb schools, starve civilians, and such, but fortunately the US and Israel aren’t constrained by such other worldly opinions.

trying the link again

http://www.juancole.com/2009/0…..roops.html

I don’t see anything being said about lifting the blockade.
307 hrs & 57 min

Brilliant! This makes it official and explicit that the US government supports ANYTHING Israel does, no matter how heinous, cruel, murderous, or illegal. This puts an even bigger bullseye on the US for Islamists to shoot at.

This guarantees that there will be NO calming of radical Islam at all with the new President.

Bravo!

acquarius74 (hope I have that right) left this link downstream. It’s an excellent article from The Guardian that summarizes how things got from there to here. For Israel/Palestine rookies like me (and maybe wise ones as well), it’s a very good read.

Oh, poo. Link didn’t link. Let me try again.

Guardian story re Israel/Palestine.

How convenient that when gunfire and explosions are heard during the 3 hour “humanitarian truce” there is no way to confirm or disprove Israeli claims that they were firing in self defense.

And 3 hours gives no time to distribute supplies to those who need – it’s not even enough time to get the people who are still waiting for ambulances picked up and to a hospital.

I don’t see anything being said about lifting the blockade.

This is an important point. The Israelis have let in some 500 trucks of aid over the last 12 days, this to feed and supply a population the size of Philadelphia. Does anyone here think that Philadelphia could be adequately supplied on 500 trucks a day? That would be one truck for every 3,000 people. Yet in Gaza we are talking about one truck per 3,000 people per 12 days. Math is such a nasty thing, isn’t it?

I guess Israel isn’t using laser guided bombs or if they are the laser guided bombs are not as good as the hype made them out to be?
Assuming that Israel knew they were going to attack a civilian population wouldn’t using the best tech to avoid civilian deaths be a good idea after all its only American money?
That and the American military industrial complex could brag again about just how accurate the laser guided bomb is.

This is really awful if the US gets directly involved like this.

I don’t believe any of the talk that this or anything else will tie Obama’s hands. I think there are a lot of powers that be out there that WANT everyone including Obama to think that such a thing will tie Obama’s hands but all he has to do is take the lid off the UN and the whole field will shift beyond his control and towards something more thoughtful. EVEN if he is stuck with boots on the ground.

But I am beyond disgust at my country’s involvement is supporting these perpetual atrocities.

Still, I think one of the root problems is Israel will NEVER accept anything that is fair to the Palestinians. That’s how we got here.

This is just me, but I would love to see Hezbollah start biting Israel in the ass right now.

Egypt should OPEN their border entirely and allow free flow of people and supplies both ways.

Jordan should terminate all contact with Israel.

Everything Israel thinks it can take for granted or has in the bag needs to be shaken up and demonstrated that they are screwing themselves here supremely.

sure send in the us marines. uh, who is the enemy here?

In 1996, Israeli jets bombed a UN building where civilians had taken refuge at Cana/ Qana in south Lebanon, killing 102 persons; in the place where Jesus is said to have made water into wine, Israeli bombs wrought a different sort of transformation.

In the distant, picturesque port of Hamburg, a young graduate student studying traditional architecture of Aleppo saw footage like this on the news [graphic]. He was consumed with anguish and the desire for revenge. He immediately wrote out a martyrdom will, pledging to die avenging the innocent victims, killed with airplanes and bombs that were a free gift from the United States. His name was Muhammad Atta.

Five years later he piloted American Airlines 11 into the World Trade Center.

Juan Cole

Any questions?….I can only think of one. Is it possible to get our country back?… and how do we do that?

Especially when one considers that many are in need of water too.
307 hrs & 42 min

doesn’t matter. send in the marines anyway but be sure ta bomb first. okay, done.

hmm what kind of truck whats the max load they can carry how many pounds of food for every 3,000 people for 12 days? Intentional starvation of civilians is/should be a war crime.

“Even if Iran just scaled up the quantity of its uranium, is it safe to assume that the Arab countries would stay calm and do nothing? Every Gulf country is all of a sudden looking for civilian nuclear energy. And you have Turkey, and Egypt is on the same track. So we are on the verge of a cascade of instability and a potential cascade of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East,” Meridor said.

Asked why Israel considers civilian nuclear programs in neighboring states to be threats when countries around the world are pursuing similar efforts, he said: “Ask yourself why these oil-rich countries want to go in this direction. I can understand it of countries with no other resources. But we’re talking about countries that have vast oil reserves.”

The ambassador warned that Israel would launch strikes on Iranian nuclear sites unless the United States and other Western powers took swift action. He urged the international community to pressure Iran to halt its enrichment work by curtailing the country’s ability to import refined oil products, exploiting what he called the Tehran’s “most serious vulnerability.”

http://www.globalsecuritynewsw…..6_6496.php

Israel’s claims that they are attempting to avoid civilian deaths is just propaganda. They believe the civilians are engaged in terrorism, even if they only voted for Hamas. Therefore all civilians are fair game. I’m pretty sure they think I am a terrorist too.

OT Krugman notes that Obama’s choice for Surgeon General Sanjay Gupta slammed Michael Moore’s film Sicko. The problem was that Gupta was wrong about all the points he raised.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.c…..jay-gupta/

When I heard that Gupta had been chosen, I expected the announcement to be made by Britney Spears. But it says a lot, doesn’t it, about Obama’s stance on universal healthcare that he made a critic of single payer Surgeon General.

As Glenn Greenwald has been writing about so well recently, there is clearly a disconnect between the people who OWN the US government and its Reps and the Reps themselves. A large majority (bigger than the majority, percentage-wise, the Dems enjoy in the senate) are against Israel’s actions in this yet their mere Representatives in government are falling all over themselves to fellate Israel yet again.

Laser guided bombs require someone on the ground to train a beam on the target.
307 hrs & 40 min

The ICRC estimates had been that the Gazans need 100 trucks per day for minimum sustenance. This figure must be higher given current conditions – and while Israel has let in 500 the last few days (there are some who question that figure but for the moment lets accept it) that is 500 total not per day – and 500 total since sometime in mid December. Also important to note that several aid agencies have said they have gotten some supplies but that given conditions, people cannot get to the warehouses to get those suppies.

but, but they are strictly adhering to the rules of war. someone uses a location fer a launch then it is fair game.

Deaths from starvation, lack of water, and drinking contaminated water because there is nothing else should start soon.

Carroll @ 20: Thank you for that. It’s so sad.

Global Warming. Nuff said.

Climate Change.

Oil is the past, not the future. These countries have an absolute right to develop alternative energy sources. They have the right to develop civil nuclear power. Oil is NOT the answer.

i don’t think so. its from the air, isn’t it?

Troops are on the ground now.

Great! Thanks, bb. I don’t live in Rep Kucinich’s state, is there a petition or other way I can show my support for his efforts?

Depends on the munition. Most laser-guided bombs receive their guidance from the aircraft that dropped it – it carries a laser pod. In SOME cases the laser designator can be separated.

With laser-guided artillery or mortars, someone on the ground must separately designate targets.

This video is from 10 months ago – I’ll look for a translation from then later.

collora comes to mind.

The bombs lock in on a location highlighted from the ground.
307 hrs & 35 min

i suspect israel has lots of undercover on the ground in gaza.

Thanks to George Bush the next 9/11 attack won’t be a surprise!

Thanks, barbara. I was just about to repost that link. It is the best article I’ve seen which gives a cool-headed, factual account.

we talkin double agents here?

Again, it depends on the munition. The Israelis MAY be using such munitions but most aircraft-delivered laser guided bombs are guided with a laser originating on the aircraft itself.

Israel’s claims that they are attempting to avoid civilian deaths is just propaganda.

Of course, it is. If the media were not so complicit, they would have tumbled to this by now. Israel says it is being very careful but again the numbers speak for themselves, 670 dead about half of them civilians, and an undetermined number of policemen targeted by Israel. This is reminiscent of the investigations the Israelis have carried out in the past after their soldiers have killed civilians. These investigations end months later after everyone has forgotten about the initial incident and the finding is always the same that the Israeli troops acted “appropriately”.

Nobody listens to me, but I’ll say it again: Neither sides leadership is interested in a ceasefire.

Hamas wants Israel to try to take them in city warfare. Israel is still wanting to kill some specific people. Both seem to have the same condition for a ceasefire, that Hamas be out of rockets and people.

Israel is now moving into South Gaza. Frankly, I expected them to do that sooner as the tunnels from egypt have to be Hamas only remaining supply line. Anybody remnember how much fun the Viet Cong Tunnel system was? I bet these are going to be every bit as hard on israel to dig up and clean out.

Israel can destroy Hamas, if they’re willing to pay the political price. Hamas can’t even hurt Israel significantly. Hamas needs to realize the only way to win this for them is to get the rest of the world on their side. They won’t do that by arms smuggling and lobbing random rockets.

Boxturtle (Both sides are run by idiots)

Thanks

The Democrats “leadership” in congress is quickly “planning to introduce a non-binding congressional resolution supporting Israel’s goal in its Gaza Strip operation.”

this morning i listened to some of thomas friedman’s advice to the senate energy and natural resources committee on what to do about the economy and the environment. now paulson is on cspan-3 explaining the fiscal crisis.

……. somehow the consistency of all this does not inspire confidence.

Israel’s actions become MORE criminal (if that is possible) if they are using ground designators. The aircraft would be able to fire and forget while the person on the ground, MUCH closer to the reality on the ground, would be in a much greater position to know the nature of their targets. They would KNOW they are nailing lots of civilians. At least with an aircraft, it is hard to tell because people are just ants or blobs on the ground that you see only briefly through a relatively low-res optic. A person on the ground has a MUCH clearer picture.

So let’s see…350 is 56 percent of 620.

56% of the casualties have been civilian.

What happened to 25 percent. Isreal isn’t even trying to limit casualties.

Off topic…

Bah hahahahahahahaha!

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/…..ll-recess/

I see the republicans have their priorities in order once again.

I agree both sides want to fight. But I think Hamas is right to fight

http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/2847

Siun, I continue to make calls to Congress about this. I am appalled by obvious mass media bias to Israel. Someone on CSpan, though, was talking about how we have taken our “special” relationship with Israel and converted it to an “EXCLUSIVE” relationship and how WRONG-headed that has been. And is Obama team is drinking the same industrial strength kool-aid? Thank God for the internet grassroots, and work like yours.

I commented on Scarecrow’s recent Gaza article something I posted on Guardian, and when I tried to post the same comment on HuffPo in sections, after 3 attempts, a part of it never showed up. It was sobering. Was I being censored?

There is irrational bitterness long festered in this situation. There is lazy, low information indifference or side taking. There is callous, political willful minimization of human tragedy for the sake of political/economic status quo cronyism gamesmanship.

I agree. I am really getting a sense of the Arab-rage with the no accountability Israel-enabling of the US which most Americans are clueless about, as was I to a great extent.

Thanks for figuring out the percentage hopefully the MSM will read this post and use that number.

The more shit like this goes on the more my antipathy towards Israel becomes outright opposition.

I don’t want a “special” relationship with them. They give us nothing but cost us plenty. They can’t exist without US taxpayer dollars propping up their economy based on nothing. They are NOT the 51st state and it is time for them to live life on their own.

I’d comment in detail, but apparently the entire truth is not welcome here.

I don’t see how the Gaza casualty numbers can possibly be correct under the conditions there. I expect they are much higher. It bothers me everytime I hear the official number.

Steny Hoyer is talking like a double agent. We know Lieberliar is a double agent. Does Liberliar have dual citizenship? Rahm Emanuel COS, who was an Israeli soldier not long ago, is said to have dual citizenship.

Anyone US Representative or Candidate for public office with dual citizenship with Israel should disclose it when seeking office. If not, then their opponent should disclose it. Either it is a fact or it is not a fact. Voters should know if their representative pledges allegiance to the USA only.

linky to cole?

That may be in some situations but with a son who is an AF pilot I believe most are guided from the ground.
307 hrs & 29 min

Dual citizenship should NOT be allowed for any civil servants or high government officials. It DOES mean mixed loyalties.

I want people ONLY loyal to the Constitution of the United States and the United States and its people. I don’t want anyone with loyalties to people elsewhere in conflict with those of us right here.

Another good reason to despise Emmanuel – he’s a two-faced bastard who falsely equates Israel’s interests with US interests as a reflex.

They can’t dig up the bodies under buildings without risking themselves.

http://www.juancole.com/2009/0…..roops.html

As an Air Force reservist officer and former B-52 EWO – laser bombs come with a laser pod. The laser pod carries a laser designator.

There was an Israeli-US experimental system back in the late 80s, early 90s at Barksdale AFB, LA (where I was stationed) using B-52s and an F4 Phantom jet that split the duty. The B-52 would launch a laser-guided missile and the F4 would designate the target from closer in…but it never went anywhere and doesn’t exist in the arsenal.

Same mantra year after frigging year. They want to bomb Iran and they have no other justification. Well, their idea of a justification. Israel has around 200 nukes. They don’t have to have inspections of their nuclear facilities where they are making the damn things. Israel’s special agreement with the US says that Arab countries must not be sold advanced weaponry by the US. Israel is the only nuclear armed state in the Middle East.

As long as a dollar can be made from oil, the big oil companies and their bought politicians will not support alternative energy. The US and Israel want Iran’s oil and they will push for an attack on Iran so that they can get it.

http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1040967.html

Emmanuel, Hoyer, Pelosi, Reid, Durbin, Dubya, Rice, McConnell and Obama – all alleged US Citizens and Representatives of America and all have recently indicated that they are Israel War Hawks. They do not care what their constituents – the American Public – have to say about it.

The Monkey Story

Is a true story. When I was a child back in the fifties an associate of my father’s rescued a monkey from one of those traveling animal shows. The monkey had been caged and terribly abused.
The man loved this little monkey. He took him everywhere he went. Into resturants and shops where pets were not normally allowed. Everyone in town knew the story of the monkey and was fascinated by the monkey’s story and rescue. Everyone was very sympathic and would give the monkey treats so the monkey was pretty well spoiled all over town.
The man dressed the monkey like a child and the monkey even had his own bed room and free run of his house. All the monkey had to do was point and chatter at anything he wanted and the man would give it to him.
One day my father commented that he thought the monkey was becoming dangerous. The man had brought the monkey into his office and he had jumped all over the office workers and torn their clothes and hair and generally created havoc and the man couldn’t control him.
Some time later we heard that the man was in the hospital. He had taught the monkey to fetch things and one day sitting on his porch he told the monkey to go get them two cokes from the kitchen. When the monkey came back with the cokes he didn’t want to hand one over to the man. The man tried to take it from him and the monkey attacked him. The man’s wife heard the commotion and went to help and the monkey attacked her. Both were bitten and stratched and the man almost lost an eye. I don’t remember hearing what happened to the monkey but the man had to get rid of him.

What does this have to do with Israel?…it’s a story of unintended consquences. A good deed that went terribly wrong because the man put no limits on the monkey’s behavior. So the monkey, just like a human would, assumed he could act out without punishment.

The ICRC estimates had been that the Gazans need 100 trucks per day for minimum sustenance. This figure must be higher given current conditions – and while Israel has let in 500 the last few days (there are some who question that figure but for the moment lets accept it) that is 500 total not per day – and 500 total since sometime in mid December. Also important to note that several aid agencies have said they have gotten some supplies but that given conditions, people cannot get to the warehouses to get those suppies.

It is unfortunate that we don’t have a breakdown of the real numbers here. As someone asked upthread, what is a truck, how much does it carry, what does it carry, what is its tare? We don’t know so it is difficult to calculate what is needed and what is being delivered.

But even taking the ICRC’s numbers, 100 trucks a day over 12 days is 1200 trucks. 500 trucks actual is only 40% of what the ICRC says is the minimum. And I agree too that distribution is as important as the actual flow of trucks into Gaza.

A 3 hour “pause” is like so much of this assault a publicity stunt. It makes Israel look reasonable instead of murderous.

I would also note this from the ICRC site from yesterday:

Mr Krähenbühl expressed the ICRC’s deep concern over the damage to power lines bringing electricity from Israel to Gaza, which has had a rapid knock-on effect on the water supply. Ten of Gaza City’s 45 water wells are no longer working as a result of this, others were damaged in air strikes and yet others are expected to stop working soon.

“Unless the power supply can be fixed, about half a million people in Gaza City will no longer have access to clean water. The ICRC is working to ensure safe access for technicians trying to repair the power lines.”

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/si…..endocument

We shall see what happens after today. If he does ask for help it will be here..

http://www.kucinich.us/blog/6

“So now, in addition to supplying the weapons Israel is using in Gaza, we may use our troops as well.”

When I lived in Israel from 1967 to 1975, there was always an American military presence. They were called “advisors” but it was common knowledge that they were more than advisers. Not that I condone any of this, I am deeply horrified and saddened, it’s just to say it’s not so new.

PR stunts, yup.

http://www.juancole.com

That article that paragraph was in was in the top post on his site or was a short while ago…if not just scroll down to it.

were the american advisors to the idf present in the occupied territories as well as israel (behind the green line)?

It is by the majority, I’m sure..

do you know where it was filmed?

I have fought in war and we lost that war because we did not go all out to win it, instead we lost 56,000 dead and several hundered thousand wounded and a “war” that lasted almost 15 years.
Total war is like WWII, you go all out to kill,wound or capture your enemy and do it as fast and as overwhelmingly as possible-GWI is a pretty good example of this-Also in war you have what is rightly called the “fog of war” where things happen to fast or people mishear communications. In total war, shit happens, people (bystanders) die. Women and children die. War is not moral. It is not(if you want to win)”proportional”. War is something that has gone on thruout history. You might think that we have outgrown war. Not true. War will always be withus. When the mass slaughter in WWI ended, it was called the war to end all wars and it was thought by many that we ain’t gonna go to war no more. However within 20 years, the world was at war. Germany because of the terms set at the end of WWI, Japan because we decided to stop their importation of scrap metal-and according to translated Japanese war documents, because the Emperor favored the “go south” option over the “go north” option-which was the invasion of Siberia and further conquest of China-in order to get the raw materials that a resource poor country like Japan needed. Go south ment war with the US, but they figured that the total destruction of the Pacific fleet would hamper Japans efforts in the Pacific and Australia.
The govt of Japan, according to the book ‘Japans Imperial Conspiracy’ by David Bergamini knew that Japan was defeated after the battle for Midway. Yet they continued the conflict until Japan was destroyed because they felt that was the only way to impress on the heavily militarized country that they had lost and had to change. Starting in the mid 1950s they once more started their up their war plans, but this time it was done thru business rather than at the point of a gun.
My point is this. Wars happen, total wars will continue to happen, this is the human condition and can not be changed. We are, as a species, very agressive and territorial. This is why wars will continue, and if your country does not have a strong military, then someone will take note and if you have what they desire, they will invade and take what they want. I do not look thru rose colored glasses, I see what the reality is and this reality is that Israel feels that it has been attacked by suicide bombers and unaimed rockets which are both terror weapons. They know where these attacks come from, so they will wage total war in an effort to make the attacks stop.
I am not saying that Israel will win, in fact, IMO, I believe that the ultimate winner will be Hamas because using main force elements against a foe using asymetrical warfare=defeat. Why? because all the IDF is fighting against is thin air. No fixed targets, no fixed lines, no real enemy.
Sure, lots of destruction, but no victory. Kind of like the US and GWII and Vietnam.

See? I agree with you there. ;-)

From an environmental point of view, nuclear power is not the answer either. The waste is radioactive indefinitely and there’s no safe place to store it.

I remember this system bein used in Vietnam(1970). I worked on/with this system. It was also used by ground troops who humped in a target designator and used it to paint a target for the bombers, be they BUFFS or F-4s.

Wars happen, total wars will continue to happen, this is the human condition and can not be changed

there has not been a total war that involved a nation possessing thermonuclear weapons. and you better hope it doesn’t because that could mean the end of civilized life as we know it and possibly the human species.

i don’t know the answer to that, selise.

thanks. was curious because i see a big difference between american “advisors” working at an idf facility within israel and being the public face of the oppression of palestinians. not saying i’m ok with the first, just that the second is both morally repugnant and insanely stupid.

I have often thought the same, reader. There are 1.5 billion Palestinians jammed into a country that is 24 miles long and 4 miles wide, if the reports are correct. The rain of bombs and shells from tanks fired into this area is enormous.

Who is doing the counting of the dead/wounded? How?

i’ve been having the same feeling.

would you like hot chocolate?

they’re saying the counts are coming from medical officials, but it seems extremely likely that many people are injured and dying and not getting to hospitals or seeing doctors.

As I said a true story.

But who knows, it could be turned into a movie.

Is this the opening ceremony to war with Iran? Is this to gain complete access to the sea shore along Gaza? To lock-down the border with Egypt? WTF!? What can be gained by this? WTF!? :(

sorry, my bad, i was confused… wanted to ask TCU @7 about the youtube of huwaida arraf

Good illustration, Carroll. Isn’t this (and Israel) according to the theory that too often the abused child grows up to become an abuser?

I’m not a psychologist but have read and studied a lot on the subject. I was also the youngest of 5 children of a tyrannical, abusive father and deceased mother. My 3 oldest sisters became overly submissive and my only brother became a carbon copy of my father. As children my brother and I used to discuss my Dad’s conduct and hated it, yet Brother became him. I could never understand that.

In the same respect, I cannot understand Israel’s shutting the Palestinians into the Gaza Ghetto under the same inhumane conditions as the Jews were walled into the Warsaw Ghetto by Hitler’s Nazis.

This puzzle continues to disturb me. I would welcome enlightenment on this.

Any American troop or “advisor” presence in,around or with IDF/IAF forces surely diminishes any remaining “third and neutral” party status WashingtonDC may still wish to play kabuki theatre around as “peacemaker and agent of reconciliation” in any coming near or afar Israeli/Palestinian meetings.

Curious about this three hour “humanitarian aid window” being less than adequate time span to get trucks into Gaza,unload,dispense and then get trucks back out. Seems very small “window” for all that to happen when communications in Gaza must be quite broken up and sporadic. By the time many Gazans learn or know about aid trucks coming in how much real time is there for them to respond without risking post three hour IDF/IAF attacks?

It is pretty cynical for Israelis to be trumpeting this as a show of how merciful they are propaganda when the truths and facts of these past days of Israeli conduct in Gaza point very much in other directions.

Keeping independent press agencies and agents out a dead giveaway that Israel is doing things it wants to keep world from seeing.

WashingtonDC playing into Israels hand over Israeli press entry denials and playing spoiler for Israel at United Nations will discredit Americans if and when Israeli war crimes come into view post Israeli attack on Gaza only more fully and completely.

Do Americans have any idea how reckless American unconditional support and political backing of Israel may prove to be? Any idea at all?

WashingtonDC is surely playing with fire regarding any American involvement in or with Israeli still unknown war crimes conduct in Gaza.

This American stupidity and craven political ignorance fully worthy of contempt.

Thanks for the link to Rep Kucinich’s site. I’ll go back and sign on and do more study.

The Guardian had this report which was commented here (FDL) this morning. A long and necessary read, not all support the current Israeli war crimes. Great care must be taken to protect such critics of Israeli terrorists from being tarred with those responsible.

How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe
Oxford professor of international relations Avi Shlaim served in the Israeli army and has never questioned the state’s legitimacy. But its merciless assault on Gaza has led him to devastating conclusions

Avi Shlaim
The Guardian, Wednesday 7 January 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…..-palestine

I can’t understand it myself either so you probably have more insight than me.
It seems to me that it is all in the individual…some abused people go on to become abusers themselves…other abused people become champions for the abused and work to prevent it.

I have to two aquaintences who both grew up poor and disavantaged and became wealthy. One of them is the kind that says he isn’t ‘going to do nothing for anyone cause no one ever did anything for him’…the other one is very generous and has given much money to organizations to help the less fortunate and helped individuals on a personal basis in the community.

I don’t know how to account for the differences..maybe the difference in their parents attitudes and influence or maybe some people are just missing the ‘empathy gene.

Concerning the Israeli behavior, the best thing I have read to explain Israel and the Zionist is Jacqueline Roses’..The Question of Zion”. As a zionist and a psychologist herself she describes a large part of the zionist movement as a sort of collective psychosis that attracts other jews much like any cult does. The hallmarks of a cult being the idea of themselves as victims and enlightened ones prescuted for their beliefs and the certainty that they are right and the world is wrong. It appeals to people already disposed mentally or by exposure to certain propaganda becuase it gives them a “specialness’ or some kind of identity to channel their natural dispositions or religiouness through…like some of the more way out there doomsdays evangelicals.

Thanks, Carroll. I’ll have to add Jacqueline Rose’s book to my very long ‘to read’ list.

Going to search now for any late news on the peace possibility.

Do you have some idea as why the Jews of 1948 might think of themselves as victims?

Siun,
is the “permanent US military presence in Israel” that you describe the 120 people flown in with the tracking system?
I missed where it said that the 120 people are going to stay there.

Do you mean why do they think of themselves as victims like the other 70 million victims killed in WWI and the camps?

Or like the Christians persecuted by the Romans?

Or like the Armeanians wiped out by the Turks?

Or like the 15 million Russians wiped out under Stalin.

Or like black American slaves who sucked it up, never got a penny or a slavery musuem to their name, marched ahead asking for their human rights without whinning, without holocausting the whites, and who now sit admired in the WH?

Or do you mean why do the Jews think of themselves as the the only victims on earth worth mentioning and the only ones who have parlayed it into a second generation trillion dollar fund raising industry and get out of jail free scheme for their own greed and holocaust on Palestine?

What was the question again?

Well, if you want I’ll repeat it for you.
You cite several example of inhumanity and I certainly don’t disagree.
Respectfully, none of these examples quite approach the slaughter visited upon Jews. Do the math.

Additionally, I’m perplexed as to how it is that you think you know what the remaining Jews think of themselves.

Finally, I find your use of the term holocaust to be a bit loose. Again, if you can do the math, the number of Palestinians living in proximity to the Israelis is increasing. Perhaps the Israelis are too busy “whinning” to holocaust properly.