New York City
Melbourne
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Michigan
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LondonOver 100,000 people march through Hyde Park towards the Israeli embassy in Kensington, in protest at Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip...
Protests Against Israel's Ground Invasion of Gaza Continue
Israel's Gaza Invasion Provokes Protests Throughout Latin America
Montreal Activitists serve eviction notice to Israeli Consulate in Montreal
Jews Protest Against Israeli Invasion of Gaza
Protests Against Israel's Ground Invasion of Gaza Continue
Israel's Gaza Invasion Provokes Protests Throughout Latin America
Montreal Activitists serve eviction notice to Israeli Consulate in Montreal
Jews Protest Against Israeli Invasion of Gaza
And still the bill passed and they are willing to pretend that all is well.
ReplyDeleteI am a pacifist and have been a participant in many demonstrations. It stands to reason that I am against this war in Gaza, but both sides are wrong. Hamas is very wrong to risk the lives of innocent Palestinian women and children. They are too cowardly to face the Israeli themselves!. They proclaim that Allah, who said you shall NOT KILL!!!, wants them to kill the Jewish nation. And this is an attitude that is difficult to change. Still I believe that talking and listening is the best policy.
ReplyDeleteGREAT GREAT GREAT BLOG! This is my first time here and it is very intresting! I will visit often.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your courage and your free spirit!
I invite you to visit my art blog.
Thanks,
Flor
Reader Wil: thanks for your input. I agree with you that both sides are aggressive. And I certainly don't want to risk alienating you or anyone due to my firm support of the PEOPLE of Gaza. For it is on behalf of those people that I condemn Israel for their actions.
ReplyDeleteI don't support Hamas. However, they are the little guy and they've gained tremendous support in the Arab world for standing up to Israel. What choice have the people but to put their trust in Hamas to defend them?
I think we can all agree that the Israeli defensive in Gaza is disproportionate to what Hamas has done. I'm not excusing it but I do understand why they retaliate against Israel.
I ask myself what would I do if I saw a more powerful neighboring country slowly take away what little land my people had left. And then become caged into that strip of land without adequate food for my children and lack of medical care.
One of my biggest problems with the whole issue is: if in fact both sides are wrong, then why is my country, the U.S., unflaggingly supportive of Israel?
As an American, I am against that support. It's been long-standing and it's not likely to change much without pressure. I don't intend to let my government off the hook on this one.
It's a complicated issue. And you're right, the attitude that Allah wants them to kill all Israelis is misguided. But again, I believe it comes from the persecution that the Palestinians have faced. No one wants to help these people! It's no wonder they turn to religious militants like Hamas!
I agree with you that diplomacy is the best way. Let's see if president-elect Obama will strike any different notes on this conflict, from previous administrations.
Thank you for your respectful comment. I think discourse on this issue is important.
P.S. I love your photographs! :-)
Flor: I'm glad you enjoyed your visit here. I just went to your blog and I love your art! I see a tad of Frida Khalo influence but it's also easy to tell that it is entirely your own.
ReplyDeleteThank you for encouraging me. Sometimes I worry that I'm wrong in my positions; especially this one. The support of others helps me to see things more in perspective.
I'm so encouraged that people of Arab and Middle Eastern descent are being joined by people of all other backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI haven't commented on this issue, in part because it IS so complex. I see lots and lots of wrong all over this - but I can't imagine what the correct moves are... No way forward seems possible without some unacceptable consequences. It's a mess.
ReplyDeleteWhat distresses me about this and all conflicts like it (Sudan, Rwanda, Burma, Tibet, Balkans, Ireland, the American West in the 1870s...) is that there is so much disregard for the incredible value of a human life. If everyone shared a correct assessment of that value, and acted accordingly, we might get somewhere.
People are never objects - they are subjects, the main character of their own unique story. It is always wrong to treat people as things.
Hamas ... they are the little guy
ReplyDeleteGina, I'm not comfortable with this characterization. There's nothing cute&cuddly about Hamas: especially towards women [barefoot & pregnant!] and children [dress them in suicide bomber costumes, teach 'em propaganda like The Protocols of the Elder of Zion].
I don't believe that, for external reasons (Israeli oppression), Gaza was ever really capable of having an actual, democratic election. Ergo, I don't believe Hamas actually represents the people of Gaza, and make a distinction between them (whether or not most Gazans do).
In short, I hate Hamas . . . but I hate the IDF indiscriminately {*} killing the people of Gaza EVEN MORE.
{*} And I don't for a second believe that the IDF is anything other than indiscriminate in their killing, DESPITE their protestations to the contrary.
Oy vey. :-(
Thanks, Steve. I believe that's what it's all about, too. The politics, the religion, everything would have less value in this debate (if that's what it is) if the regard for human life was at the center of it.
ReplyDeleteJCF: Hamas IS the "little guy" when compared to the military might of the state of Israel. I don't know where you read "warm and cuddly" into my words. I don't believe I'm that naive, if that's what you're implying.
Hamas may not entirely represent the Palestinian people, and correct me if I'm wrong, but they have gained a lot of support for their actions against Israel.
"Disproportionate" is the key word here, I might condemn what the Hamas is doing but I am completely and utterly appaled by the nation Israel and what it is (again) is doing against Palestinians. It truly must be sad, sad times for Israelis who want a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this crisis.
ReplyDeletePia,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that just as many of us Americans deplore the actions of our government in Iraq; there are Israelis who are against their government's actions in Gaza.
Thanks for you comment. It's always good to hear from people outside of the U.S. on political issues.
Gina, I think the IDF has gained Hamas their support (i.e., by being Israel's target, they've gained defacto support: "the enemy of my enemy...").
ReplyDeleteI just meant that "little guy" is sort of an anthropomorphization (which is ironic, I know, because Hamas ARE people) of an organization that is anti-Jewish at its core, and about as misogynist in their interpretation of Islam as they come.
By being Israel's target, Hamas gains support, at the expense of more moderate, pragmatic Palestinians (the sort who could make a Two-State Solution work). And that's perhaps the worst tragedy of all.
Allah is the Muslim's term for God. The Koran is their intepretation, and in nowhere it is written to kill anyone. It was stated to 'protect their own religion' is correct. Many Muslims had used the terms wrongly, mainly the words ' jihad' meaning dying for their religion, which is wrong. Jihad is manmade not from the prophet Muhammad. However, with whatever little arms the Hamas had, they tried to defend themselves. I am totally against war of any kind. Suicide bombings or bombing Israel is wrong. So is bombing the Palestinians. Unfortunately, the stronger one always win. This had been a long war and will even be a longer one after this, sadly. I hope there can be some form of truce or agreement one day. The loss of one life saddens me, let alone so many..and many are innocent victims. I can only pray.
ReplyDeleteJCF: "at the expense of more moderate, pragmatic Palestinians".
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, yes. But that is part of my point. And I'm afraid to get into hot water here because I have a hard time choosing my words carefully.
I believe that those moderate voices of Palestinians would have a chance and I preferred that they did, if the conflict were resolved on a world stage that recognized the Palestinians and gave a shit about them. Including the U.S. And let's not forget that Hamas agreed to a ceasefire recently and the Israelis broke it.
There are some that are of the opinion (and I can give you links to articles) that Israel really has no clear objectives in this invasion. It appears to me that they just want to decimate the people of Gaza. And there are Jewish organizations both there and in the U.S. who recognize that and appose this invasion.
I want to make it clear that I'm not pro-Hamas and I'm not defending them. My main objection is that my country is supporting Israel when we should be exclusively working on strong diplomacy to stop this wretched war. How can Ms. Rice try to work out a diplomatic solution to this conflict when at the same time the Senate is passing a secret resolution "recognizing the right of Israel to defend itself against attacks from Gaza and reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel in its battle with Hamas, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process." Come on! That resolution should look quite different,considering that what Israel is doing in Gaza, which is against international law.
So now, my country not only perpetrated war crimes in Iraq but we're giving carte blanche to another nation to do the same thing.
Right or wrong,there will be no "peace process" in the middle east until the U.S. recognizes the conflict is two-sided and condemns Israel for its actions, instead of embracing their attacks on the Palestian people.
Kate: thank you for your comment and for the clarifications. I too am deeply saddened by the suffering and death and destruction.
ReplyDeletevery pathetic condition i suppose.a huge crowed is been seen in the picture.An important thought you have presented in front of us .
ReplyDeletemany thanks:)
M.Kate: It turns out that "Allah" is the Arabic word for "god." It is used by Muslims worldwide because the Koran is written in Arabic and translations are considered inferior. Arab Christians also pray to "Allah" it turns out.
ReplyDeletelibhom: that is interesting to know. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and comment. I live in Serbia, Belgrade, bombed by NATO in 1999. Although I was (and fought) against regime we had in past (and I am more than well educated and informed person), there is no way that I can accept bombing. What kind of treat we were to NATO? And what kind of treat are people who live in Gaza to Israel? And also, I don’t think that we can understand what is all happening there and what all happened during last 50 years or more. Bombing can only unite people against those who bomb them. Desperate parents will not think will protect their children against any treat or not. Does it make them bad? You are all very nice people, but please remind yourself duration of any previous demonstrations (days, months) against any other bombing and how did that influenced on stopping bombs? Or what good brought bombing? What can you or any of us do to stop this? This inability makes me very, very unsettled.
ReplyDelete"bombing can only unite people against those who bomb them".
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you here. The more the Israeli's try to destroy the people of Gaza, the more they'll unite in their efforts to retaliate. And it's not really clear what the main objective of Israel's military invasion is. Seems to me they just want to wipe out as many Palestinians as possible. Unfortunately, they have the means to do this and the help and sanction of the U.S.