The Story You Aren't Hearing About Israel

Did you hear about the two policemen who stopped to help a driver stuck with a flat--and were shot to death in the head at point-blank range?

Did you know about the 120-kilogram bomb planted in a parking lot adjacent to a shopping mall where thousands of people were milling about the stores, restaurants, and movie theaters?

No, of course, you didn't. These are just two everyday incidents of the ordeal confronted by people in Israel while the world and the political leaders look away. Outrages like these do not make it into the Western media, which exhibit the familiar phenomenon of monitoring only the conflicts that are the flavor of the month. And when they do turn to Israel, sporadically, it is with the excitement of thinking they can expose Israeli wrongdoing: the New York Times just drummed up a front-page story alleging the deliberate murder of innocent civilians by Israeli soldiers during the Gaza war, a poorly investigated report that turned out to be yet another urban myth and then was shamefully corrected by the Times only on the inside pages and only by blaming Israel for the false report. (Remember another urban myth alleging thousands of citizens massacred in the battle against terrorism in Jenin in 2002 when it turned out no more than 54 died, most of them combatants?)

Ordinary Israelis despair of the cruel bias. The policemen died because Israel eased restrictions on movement in the Nablus area of the West Bank. Hundreds survived in the attack on the mall near Haifa only because a woman reported hearing an explosion. Security found it was a detonator that expired without setting off a car bomb that would have lacerated the crowds with sharp metal and ball bearings.

The willingness to give a free pass to terrorism was, of course, manifest most luridly in the Gaza war. Hamas fired thousands of rockets with the short-term aim of murdering as many innocent civilians as possible in the service of the longer-term ambition to terrorize Israel.

Then, when Israel finally responded (with military restraint and humanitarian aid), it was faced with world demands for an unconditional cease-fire. Ironically, the fiercest criticism in the Arab world about Israel's conduct in Gaza stems from Israel's failure to achieve a decisive victory, for the Arab world rightly perceives not Israel but Hamas as a threat: It knows full well that Hamas is a fifth column for Iranian influence.

Once the cease-fire was achieved, the world lost interest in Israel. Except that now, in a fit of selectively lethal amnesia, it is on the verge of providing the selfsame murderous Hamas with a huge influx of funding that will rebuild the authority of a terrorist organization dedicated to killing Jews.

The tragedy for the Palestinians as much as the Israelis is that they do not have leadership strong enough to make peace. Hamas wants perpetual war: No one can doubt that it aims not to have a two-state solution but to have a "no state" solution--that is, to have the State of Israel stop existing. For its part, "moderate" Fatah is hopelessly corrupt and weak and seemingly incapable of reform or of enforcing law and order on its people. That is why an Israeli-Palestinian peace remains a dream today and why what Israel can offer the Palestinians is less than what any Palestinian politician is willing or able to attempt.

Even the language of peace is eroding. The Palestinians say they support two states for two peoples but refrain from saying that one of those is the Jewish people. Most recently, a major Palestine Liberation Organization figure, Mohammed Dahlan, asserted that the Fatah movement hasn't even recognized Israel thus far and that the Palestinian Authority's apparent "recognition" of Israel is to make the PA "acceptable" to the international community, in order to bring in international aid. Who can trust that?

There is justification for the widespread Israeli concern that if a Palestinian state were established, power in Gaza, and then in the West Bank, would soon fall into the hands of Hamas. After all, Hamas won 44 percent of the vote and the mayoralty in several major cities in the last West Bank election. Another unreported fact that reflects on what would happen if Hamas won: The most credible of the Palestinian-run news operations, the Ma'an News Agency, has posted three listings involving a total of 181 persons--all Fatah people--shot by Hamas in Gaza since December 2008.

The Fatah party is facing an election within a year, which may well be won by Hamas. If the Iranian-supported Hamas ultimately succeeds in its 20-year effort to be the principal voice of Palestinian nationalism, Israel will have a neighbor that truly speaks for Iran's goal of seeing Israel "wiped off the face of the Earth."

In a "unity" government, Hamas would undoubtedly be integrated in the security services, which would end Palestinian-Israeli security cooperation covering the majority of the West Bank cities. Hamas wants Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stop negotiations with Israel and to embrace the political program that allows for "resistance" -- in other words, violence.

No wonder the Palestinian Reconciliation Conference in Cairo ended in failure. Even the lure of billions of dollars in aid has not brought Fatah Sunnis in Judea and Samaria, i.e., the West Bank, any closer to Shiite supporters of Hamas in Gaza. These are two parallel lines that cannot meet, and this division will persist.

And what of Israeli leadership? Now Israel has Binyamin Netanyhu trying to form a cabinet. The world may be skeptical about the will and political ability of a more conservative Likud government to make historic and dramatic decisions that involve painful concessions to the Palestinians in the interest of a two-state solution, but history suggests otherwise. It was Menachem Begin's Likud government that brought about the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. It was Yitzhak Shamir's Likud government that began the peace process at the Madrid Conference in October of 1991. Netanyahu's Likud party and its reservations should not be dismissed lightly, for it was Netanyahu who predicted way back in 1994 that handing over territories to Palestinians would lead to the creation of a fundamental Islamic terrorist base adjacent to Israel.

Israel has taken many risks for peace. The response has been rocket fire, terrorism, more incitement, more vilification, more shedding of Israeli blood, and less security, not to mention an ongoing historic campaign to defame, denounce, denigrate, and delegitimize Israel in every international forum.

Contrary to many reports, Netanyahu has asserted that he is not opposed to a two-state solution, provided it does not put at risk the national security of the Jewish state. The key component would be a record of Palestinian determination and ability to fight terrorism and to live in peace with Israel. Like so many experts, Netanyahu feels that the chances of an enforceable, comprehensive arrangement are low to negligible. In the meantime, as a matter of law and order, he intends to oppose illegal settlements, be they in the West Bank or among Bedouins in Sinai. His major priority would be to promote prosperity on the West Bank, creating an incentive for the Palestinians to make a commitment to peace. He notes that Palestinians in the West Bank remained calm during the fighting in Gaza and didn't engage in mass protests.

Therefore, Netanyahu will focus on improving Palestinian life by lifting roadblocks (100 so far) and reducing checkpoints (they have gone down from 50 to 15) and making other improvements on the ground for the Palestinian community. In this he is supported by dovish Israeli President Shimon Peres, who now has doubts about Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza without first having established a peaceful and democratic Palestinian party to which it could hand the territory. That Palestinian party does not yet exist.

A Palestinian state cannot be created by terrorism. It can be created through the reformation of political and economic institutions so that they reflect democracy, market economics, and real actions to confront terrorism. When there is an effective, Palestinian-based security force with counterterrorism capability in the West Bank, the Israelis will then be prepared to withdraw their defense forces and the Shin Bet from operating there. Hence the importance of the U.S. effort, led by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, to develop a decent Palestinian security force. The new units have been enforcing order in the cities of Jenin and Hebron, which had been basically lawless. But it is not enough to target car thieves and robbers. The critical counterterrorism ability of the Palestinian security forces is still limited; above all, they must have the will to target terrorist cells and their networks.

Two modest paramilitary forces have been trained to police crime and enforce public order, but not to uproot terror groups. In fact, the PA has increasingly offered safe haven to terror groups. Brig.-Gen. Radhi Assida, the PA National Security Forces (NSF) commander in Jenin, revealed to the Palestinian website Ma'an on January 24, 2009, that PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's NSF had agreed to provide protection to four senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists wanted by Israel. Assida also confirmed that PIJ operatives continue to receive monthly salaries from the PA Interior Ministry, just like their colleagues in the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades.

In the interim, Israel must not wait on events. Israel would be wise (despite the risks) to allow even freer movement in the West Bank; it should help to create more jobs and a better standard of living. Yes, the West must press Israel on these issues, but it must also press the Arab states. They should underwrite the training of PA security forces and invest sensibly in housing and agriculture.

Peace will come only when the Palestinians are liberated from their age-old hatred of Israel and Jews. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for many times, there must be teaching, preaching, and celebrating, from childhood on, that hatred, disrespect, violence, terrorism, anti-Semitism, and war against Israelis and Zionists are unacceptable. Today, it is exactly the opposite.

A great Middle East authority, Prof. Bernard Lewis, recently pointed out in Foreign Affairs how easily the West is misled. In contrast to reports in English, he writes, "the discourse in Arabic--in broadcasts, sermons, speeches, and school textbooks--is far less conciliatory, portraying Israel as an illegitimate invader that must be destroyed." Israel cannot make peace with those whose first priority is to blow up Israeli women and children and who deny the nation's right to exist. As Lewis puts it, "There is no compromise position between existence and nonexistence."

The sad but realistic fact is that we are much closer to the establishment of two Palestinian states, one in the West Bank and one in Gaza, than to reaching a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

Comments

[misaacm]

I encourage everyone to check out Palestinian Negotiator Saab Erakat: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2074.htm

If you are wondering why the Palestinians are building Mogadishu on the Mediterranean instead of a real state these past 10 years, this might answer the question. In contravention of both the Old and the New Testament, the Palestinians are claiming that Jerusalem never had a Jewish presence.

Could be a long war.

[phute]

Boy the defenders of the truth aren't half stretching it!

[LeeCalif]

Great clip. Israel doesn't want peace. They want more settlements.

[Wake-up]

This is "Al-Jihad" TV and therefore, who cares... more propaganda. Honestly, what's with the fade-out / fade-in clips???

To the guy below, it's not about land...

[LeeCalif]

It's about land and total annihilation.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090413_israels_racist_in_chief/

[chaos4700]

MEMRI TV, huh?

"MEMRI was co-founded in 1998 by Israeli Yigal Carmon along with Meyrav Wurmser (Director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Hudson Institute and contributing expert to the Ariel Center).[1­] [2][3][4] The organization became more prominent after the September 11, 2001 attacks, due to increased Western public interest in Arab and Iranian affairs. At that time, it expanded its staff considerably, setting up new branches outside the United States in early 2002."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//MEMRI)

"The Hudson Institute is supported by donations from companies and individuals. Corporate contributors include Eli Lilly and Company, Monsanto, DuPont, Dow-Elanco, Sandoz, Ciba-Geigy, ConAgra, Cargill, and Procter & Gamble.[6]­"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//Hudson_Institute)

[chaos4700]

Oh! And here I was forgetting: http://www.acpr.org.il/English/new-e.htm

Web site to which Meyrav Wurmser, co-founder of MEMRI, contributes extensively.

This is two parts Israeli propaganda, one part corporate multinational lobbying. You don't even have to dig that deep to unearth this -- it took me five minutes with the Google to figure out where this stuff is really coming from.

It's really not a conspiracy if it's in plain sight for everyone to see.

[TammyKnowsBest]

Who can best educate you on the Middle East than Mort Zuckerman? Here, he explains the Sunni-Shi`ite divide in...Pales­tine

"Even the lure of billions of dollars in aid has not brought Fatah Sunnis in Judea and Samaria, i.e., the West Bank, any closer to Shiite supporters of Hamas in Gaza. These are two parallel lines that cannot meet, and this division will persist."

[max08]

There is no Sunni-Sh'ite divide in Palestine. Hamas as Sunni. Zuckerman doesn't know what he's talking about.

[chaos4700]

Israel is attempting to fabricate one, however, by trying to foment an image that Shi'ite countries like Iran are a threat to Sunni dominant countries -- in spite of the fact that Iran is willing to cooperate with Sunni organizations like Hamas. It's just another prong in Israel's "divide and conquer" strategy. You even see it at work here, where the megaphones decry progressive politics and attempt to isolate us from the larger Democratic Party. Seriously, keep an eye out for whenever a pro-Israeli poster attempts to drive a wedge between two groups with their rhetoric, especially when they are directly addressing one of those groups. It's a staple of their propaganda at this point.

[Soori]

No matter how various individuals want to twist the story the Palestinians are the true victims of Israel's aggression. For 50 years Israel has occupied, dehumanized, kept an entire people stateless, with no rights of citizenship, bombed, killed, and used every excuse to confiscate more land, water resources, build setllements and prevented the Palestinians from living in dignity. Any other people living in such a suffocating prison would have done everything in their power to break through this torture prison. I am surprised that the Palestinians have shown such restraint; exactly what the Israelis would like to destroy. But as the song says, "you can burn our mosques, bomb our schools, bomb our hospitals, but we will not go down without a fight." Palestine will rise from the ashes and it will soar to the skies, and their dream of a homeland will come true because of their will to resist an illegal occupation. Justice will be served

[petera63]

Here're more truths about the Palestinians: there were no Palestinians till 1964 when the PLO was created. Until 1967, Gaza was administered by Egypt, and the Gaza Arabs never demanded their own state even though they were never granted Egyptian citizenship. Likewise, the West Bank was administered by Jordan, and the West Bank Arabs were never granted Jordanian citizenship. Please note that till 1967 Israel didn't occupy those territories, yet, the PLO charter called for the liberation of "Palestine" from the Jews. If you've failed to see all these contradictions, then you've failed to understand the lies about the "Palestinians".

[chaos4700]

The Ottomans and the British Empire both referred to the land as Palestine. For pete's sake, it's even on the Israeli Foreign Ministry's web site!

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the+Peace+Process/UN+General+Assembly+Resolution+181.htm

[Wake-up]

I'd follow on here and say that since the 60's and the PLO... Palestine is simply Arab & Persian cannon-fodder for the Western News media.

Strangely, Israel has done more (economy, stability, civilization) to help these people than their Arab brothers..­. the problem is islamo-facists like the PLO, Hamas, etc. As Americans what do we do now... feels like we're done with the "War on Terror" so these people don't have a chance...

[petera63]

When in 1967 Israel launched a preemptive strike against the united armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, she occupied not only the West bank and Gaza, but the entire Sinai Peninsula all the way to the Suez canal. Yet, in exchange for peace, in 1979 the Sinai was returned to Egypt, and this peace is holding 30 years now. Note that the Egyptians refused to take Gaza. They didn't want to have anything in common with the local population (one wonders why...). In 2005, the last Israeli soldier and settler vacated Gaza. What followed? Rockets. Almost every day - even though Gaza was not occupied any more. Gazans need to decide what they want. If they want peace, make peace, don't fire rockets. If they decide to fire rockets, that's fine, but don't complain when Israel hits back.

[ramblin jack]

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Your argument is idiotic and legal hair splitting and if one were to use that argument then there were no Jews till 1945 or so when they stole Palestine.

[skialethia]

Just fanned you.

[BubbaC33]

Mishegoss.

[poliguy70130]

It is very interesting how so many people can pick out every act “committed” by Israel, while conveniently overlooking those committed by the Palestinians. Lest we not forget, this latest round of violence began when the Palestinians broke the cease fire by send rockets into Israel. It seems that the Palestinians, and their supporters, always cry foul when Israel acts in its own defense. If a person threatens me with violence, the law states that I have the right to take reasonable steps to defend myself. Whenever Israel act, it is always in response to so act of violence committed by the Palestinians. Unfortunately, the Palestinians are experts at playing the victim card while ignoring their role in the violence. Its always look what the Israelis are doing to us poor Palestinians. I know someone will bring up the fact that Israel “stole” the Palestinians land first, because this is always the default excuse for Palestinian violence. However, this argument carries no weight with me, it’s a cop out. I wonder how many American supporters of the Palestinians would side with American Indians if they started attacking U.S. cities as retaliation for the theft of their land?

[Soori]

False:

This was no war of self-defense this was a war of choice by Israel to demonstrate it had no peace partner and show its deterrence capabilities.

Israel breached the June 19th Truce with Hamas by refusing to relax its blockade which denied essential imports and all exports, starving the Palestinians and destroying Gaza’s economy. On Nov 4, Israel fully breached the Truce with its military assault, entering Gaza, killing six Palestinians. Israel made no complaints of rockets then. Its own Intelligence Reports state that Hamas ended suicide attacks and itself had not launched a weapon in 18 months, and from July 1 through Nov 4 stopped all but 12. Not until Nov 5 did Hamas retaliate with its bottle rockets made of old pipe, which had not killed one Israeli in the year preceding Israel’s attack on Dec. 27. On November 5th Israel places a total blockade on all entries into Gaza; creating a virtual open prison where no food, no medicine, no fuel could enter the strip and unleashes its massive military invasion with its U.S. made F-16 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, its armored tanks while it showered White Phosphorous against a defenseless population.

As they said: “Gaza is to Lebanon as the second sitting for an exam is to the first; a second chance to get it right” and this time around Israel hurled Gaza back not 20 years as it promised to do with Lebanon.” We hurled it back to the 1940s”!!

[BubbaC33]

Hamas has never stopped firing rockets into Israel. We had the right and the obligation to stop the attacks.
On 11/4/08 the IDF responded to aggression by Hamas and entered Gaza to stop the smuggling of illegal weapons.
Israel has never acted first in any fight, we respond to the acts of aggression by Arab entities.

[ObjectiveRealist]

Until a Palestinian state exists there are only acts by one Palestinian or another. There is no such nation as Palestine and no such collective as "the Palestinia­ns." Israel's treatment of them as such is "collective punishment" and illegal.

[BubbaC33]

Nope

[max08]

Israel broke the peace on Nov 4, 2008, our election night. Check the UN records.

[BubbaC33]

On 11/4/08 Israel responded to intell that Hamas was tunneling to smuggle illegal weapons into Gaza.

[martinchill]

"Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming trip to the Holy Land will be bittersweet for Gaza's tiny Catholic community, angry the pontiff is not also visiting their impoverished coastal strip."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/pope-questioned-by-gaza-c_n_186817.html

[chaos4700]

Yeah, that's pretty insulting, actually, considering it is supposed to be the Pope's mission to draw attention to human suffering and to try to rectify it. One wonders how much time he is even spending in the West Bank, versus Israel.

[special muppet]

If Israel is seriously expecting an end to all terrorism before it will negotiate a viable Palestinian state, then Israel and the region is doomed. Israel is asking for the impossible. It can't happen. There are too many on both sides who will try to sabotage peace at all costs.

Heck, there's still IRA terrorism in Northern Ireland, and quite frankly the Republican Irish have a whole lot less to complain about than the Palestinians. In fact they have nothing to complain about, but that doesn't stop these idiots from killing British policemen and soldiers.

Israel needs to accept that only after the Palestinians get their state, is there the slightest chance of bringing extremists and terrorism under control. Without, a real commitment to Palestinian statehood from Israel, the bloodshed will inevitably continue and escalate.

[LeftRight]

That's so true!! It sounds just like GWB refusing to "negotiate" with Iran until Iran gave into ALL of our demands!

[Soori]

Right to exist based on what borders? Israel's borders are not defined. And so far it has refused to accept the a two state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. Until this is solved how can anyone accept anything. Israel is still confiscating land, building settlement­s..

[BubbaC33]

Israel cannot negotiate with an entity that refuses to accept the right of Israel to exist.
One thing is abundantly clear, your knowledge, rather lack of knowledge is matched by your lack of knowledge about the troubles in Northern Ireland.

[chaos4700]

It works both ways -- exactly how do you expect the Palestinians to negotiate when Israel refuses to acknowledge Palestine's right to exist? You can't even construct an argument that doesn't contradict itself, so do us a favor and don't talk down to the rest of us, considering.

[moflard]

Well, as an Irishman, I'd LOVE to know what you think you know about the Troubles in Ulster. Is it as monolithically one sided and absolutist as your knowledge about the Troubles in the Levant?

[j0em0mma]

I am sick to the teeth of Israel. I cannot stand what my US tax dollars allow them to do to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. That we did this while they were spying on us (over 30 incidents of espionage) and attacking our official Naval vessels is unbelievable to me. That we are allowing them to goad us towards war with Iran (a nation where we overthrew their democracy and installed the Shah dictator) is beyond me.

Can someone explain, again, exactly what we get out of the deal? I want my money back! And I'd sure be interested in an apology.

[Freenation]

"Can someone explain, again, exactly what we get out of the deal? I want my money back! And I'd sure be interested in an apology."

Well until we have Congress under the tentacles of AIPAC this will sadly continue forever...­start calling your Senators and House members and tell them AIPAC might be funneling money to them but we are the actual voters...

Give them the message: No Honesty = No Vote, Biased Policy = No Vote, Selling Your Conscience = No Vote

[pgmark]

Please don't say your sick - since a great many of the new Hi-tech diognostic devices were created in Israel - you would be supporting Israel if we have to make you better!

[j0em0mma]

nah, different kind of sick. The kind of sick you get when you watch 8 cops beat a black man, or a modern army bomb civilians, that kind of sick.

[ramblin jack]

Oh please get over yourself if Israel did not have America protection and arms she would be in a tight place with maybe no time to make anything

[Gershon Abramoff-Ouakrat]

Your double standard is pretty remarkable. You claim to be an American? "Land of the free and home of the brave?" Yet you think it not justified to support your allies against constant terrorist threat? And not any ally, a nation which represents thousands of years of oppression, which exists because the entire world (including the USA) turned a blind eye to the Third Reich's practice.

And let me tell you what YOU get out of this deal:

You get an outlet for US businesses in an otherwise anti-american region of the world. Not only do MacDonald's, Cocacola, and FootLocker (as well as their shareholders!!) benefit from this, but if one day you start your own business you have access to a market.

And just to set the record straight: Israel took the land it did in order to create a buffer between itself and the aggression from other Arab States: 1948: Iraq, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt all attack Israel -- which at the time was supported mostly by the USSR (not USA), and filled with Holocaust survivors.

[Sentientbeing09]

To most Americans Israel is irrelevant. Its only important to a handful of influential and disproportionately vocal people. The US gets no stategic value from Israel that it couldnt provide itself with a single aircraft carrier. The 'ally' fallacy is all one-sided.

israel is a drain on the economy and a diplomatic millstone round Americas neck only getting heavier every year. Time to end the relationship and move on.

[chaos4700]

Questioning other commentator's patriotism is a /great/ way to make friends here, let me tell you. Seriously, how come the pro-Israeli crowd can't /not/ construct an argument without resorting to ad hominem?

[toomuchtolose]

Israel is strong. It can fight its own wars. It does not need the USA. So let the USA go about the business of caring for its citizens. People are losing their homes. People have lost their retirement plans. People have no jobs. People have no health care. Americans have plenty to do in their own country.

Israel has bombs and fighter jets and helicopters, and weapons of all kinds. Israel doesn't need any more war weapons from the USA. The USA can't afford to give any more money to Israel.

Adults take care of babies, but when the babies grow up they are supposed to take care of themselves. Israel hasn't been a baby for a long time. The USA doesn't owe anything to Israel, and doesn't need anything from Israel. Sever this unnatural dependency. It's harmful to both countries. The USA can't afford it any longer. And Israel needs to face her neighbors by herself. Having the USA to back her up just gives Israel a false notion of her power.

CUT THE CORD!

[SonnyBono]

"Israel took the land it did in order to create a buffer between itself and the aggression from other Arab States" - sounds a lot like the Soviet Union's argument for creating the Iron Curtain after WW II or the argument for Lebensraum as advanced by a certain Austrian born German leader. You really should check into the United Nations resolutions regarding the actual ownership of the West Bank (and all those pesky settlements) as well as the Golan Heights.

[moflard]

Interesting you mention spying. I was talking to an I.T. Security consultant the other day and it came up that Israel is second only to China in its range and frequency of hack attacks on "European networks. Probably the same in the USA.

[BubbaC33]

You have no real knowledge of what Israel does covertly. The implication of your statement is made without sufficient support or knowledge.

[petera63]

Excellent article. Two thumbs up!

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Up where?

[petera63]

In the air. Where else?

[j0em0mma]

You are going to be very surprised when this viciousness and hypocrisy finally allows the US to cut off Israel and take our weapons back...

[petera63]

What "viciousness and hypocrisy" are you talking about?

[louisamast]

It is kind of obvious. I am surprised that you have no knowledge of it. The reason you do not hear all these sad news about Israel is the powerful Palestinians lobbies such as PIPAC in Washington. Don't you know that Palestinians are very powerful in out society. They piratically control our MSM, Congress and Senate. That is why our government sends billions of dollars of financial and military aids to Palestine and none to Israel. It is about time that finally one person speaks in support of Israel in our MSM! Thank you for the good work.

[chaos4700]

Indeed! I mean, thirteen Senators in the US are Palestinian after all. Both of the Senators from my state are Palestinian. Many corporations in my state -- Motorola, Caterpillar, GE -- maintain strong economic ties with Palestine and even donate equipment to the PDF. It's a miracle we hear anything about Israel at all, considering.

[LeeCalif]

In a good way.....

[ramblin jack]

Are you insane?

[CarlyHope]

Ah yes, all of us jews are "PIRACTICALLY" taking over! Straight from the protocols of the elders of Zion. How about legitimate criticism, please?

How terrible my people are for succeeding in this country through our hard work!

[phute]

Seriously - you shouldn't flatter yourself so.

[Wake-up]

Right on and as a Catholic, God Bless you all... never target civilians and always going the extra mile to avoid bloodshed - unlike the other side.

Funny how everyone forgets the Homicidal Bombers, the exploding buses in the crowded markets always targeting civilians.­..

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Sometimes it seems the PIPACer's have been living in their own media bubble for so long they believe their own tripe.

Cmon PIPACer's at least make an attempt to sound credible or believable - you're not even trying any more!

[pgmark]

It would be interesting if AIPAC really had the power you credit them with.
As an American and a Jew living where ther is a large Jewish population I know almost no one who supports AIPAC.
Most support peace in the middle-east with a two state solution and an end to all the violence

[firingbullet]

Help ! How about one state where people can practice what they want or none at all (sound familiar)? Marginalize extremists on both sides . Oh yeah and get rid of those nukes too.

[CarlyHope]

I have never met a single person from the region that endorsed this idea.

[chaos4700]

I used to be a proponent of the one-state solution. After Gaza? I'm pretty sure that it will take containment, not appeasement, to keep Israel from taking its policies to their logical conclusion.

[almazza98]

You have never met anyone from the region who endorses this. You must be over 40... It is gaining ground with the younger generation, who right now don't have any pull but in the future do.

[skialethia]

Mort:

When are the Israelis going to stop the settlement building?
When are they going to dismantle the hundreds of settlements on the West Bank?
When are the Israelis going to allow for the rebuilding of Gaza?
When are Palestinians going to receive the required humanitarian aid in Gaza?
When are Israelis going to stop stealing water resources on the West Bank?
When is the IDF going to stop beating Palestinians at checkpoints on the West Bank?
When is the IDF going to stop bulldozing homes and occupying Palestinian homes on the West Bank?
When are the settlers going to stop harrassing Palestinian farmers, burning their orchards and crops?

[Wake-up]

You're making claims that are not happening or taking to 'one-off' situation and taking the leap as if it's an everyday situation.­..

With that, I think the simple / obvious answer is - When the rocket attacks stop, and they accept the Israel state.

[skialethia]

Excuse me? The settlement building rather stealing of land started before the rockets as did much of the other abuses!

[chaos4700]

Hamas stopped firing rockets and clamped down on militants during the cease fire last year. As a result, rocket attacks dropped from more than hundred a month to less than three and falling still -- right up until Israel broke the cease fire on November 4th by violating the borders of Gaza and killing several members of Hamas.

Your "obvious" answer doesn't conform to recorded fact.

[Freenation]

Person who is not sincere like Netanyahu/Lieberman will always find an excuse to not leave the grabbed land...and this will go forever...­only US has the will to stop this nonsense..­.

[almazza98]

I am sorry, those things that Ski mentioned happens frequently if not everyday than every other day. Just because it is not reported in the news doesn't mean it is nonexistent. These things occurred before the first rocket ever was launched before any suicide bombing ever took place. Your solution of them stopping the rockets, which I believe need to stop regardless, is not going to end things. It will be status quo and comfortable for the Israelis while the Palestinians still live in the hell they live in. And that is probably GREAT FOR YOU...

[Sentientbeing09]

Why should Palestine or any other any other country accept Israel?

Heh The vatican only recognised Israel something like 15 years ago. The concept is meaningless. Though state recognition of Israel is obviously the holy grail for militant zionists for some reason.

Recognising Israel only legitimizes the ruthless behavior and elastic border policies of Israel and would be supportive of Israel military occupation. I hope it never happens. In fact I hope for more closure of Israeli embassies around the world and suspension of diplomatic relations. By its own actions Israel is unfit to exist in the international community as a recognised state.

[pgmark]

Please just one time give me your list of what Hamas does wrong.
If you can't come up with a list then you don't belong in a discussion.

Having only a onesided closed minded agenda is not a discussion!

[martinchill]

palestinia­ns... somali teenagers.­... iraq... afghanista­n....

it's amazing how much money we will spend to kill people.

where does it get us?

[CarlyHope]

I think it is incredibly offensive to lump so many people with such different histories and cultures together.

[chaos4700]

I think martinchill is pointing out that the only thing connecting these groups together is that Western interests are fully prepared to murder anyone from these various groups if it suits their agenda.

[phute]

Especially when certain individuals - if they don't meet certain racial and religious requirements - find themselves being denied basic civil liberties and due process of law.
You do know what I mean.

[martinchill]

i'm sorry that you are offended by the lumping together of varying groups of oppressed humans.

[MaxCohen]

Thank you
for the pragmatic article that finally layed out the facts for all these anti semetic internet gangsters. Israelis are moving on with their life in there free and democratic country. They will wait for peace until it is a peace they can trust. It is the Palestinians who refuse to better themselves, unite and forge a peace with Israel. The Palestinians need the occupation for there national identity. When Israel stopped occupying Gaza they started launching rockets instead of showing the world they are a people capable of running a modern independent state. The Palestinians in the West Bank are starting to get the picture. Even if there true intentions are obvious the fact that they are at least claiming they want peace( even if it is to get foregin aid) shows that they are learning to play the game. No people in history have ever had the international support for there own state like the Palestinians. The ball has been in there court and will be for awhile.

[Wake-up]

"Here-here!"

[Justtellthetruth]

Waiting for peace inside their own borders while the army occupies the west bank until there is security would be one thing. But violently colonizing the West Bank, under any circumstances, regardless of whether there is peace or not (as has been the case for more than 40 years now) is simply a crime. That is why it is CALLED a crime by virtually every single other nation in the world including the US.

The settlers don't care how many Israeli's, Palestinians, or US citizens die as the result of their internationally condemned actions. They are fanatics who are as deluded as Al Qeada. They need to be FORCED out by US and international pressure.

Lieberman's violent and sickening rhetoric is indicative of the racist and inherently violent nature of the settlers, and keep in mind, He, and his settler compatriots are despised be a large number, if not a majority, of Israelis as well.

I hope to see all the settlements razed to the ground, the removal of the IDF and the introduction of a UN based mostly Arab peace keeping force to keep both sides honest and on their own sides of the (67) border. Only then will peace be possible.

[Chaiyya]

"Moving on with their lives", or moving onto Palestinian lands? How can Palestinians better themselves as long as zionists are abusing them and stealing their land ?

BTW... How much foreign aid does Israel get?

[phute]

Since 1946 about 104 billion dollars.

[chaos4700]

I've had it pointed out to me repeatedly -- by Zionists, no less! -- that it takes the sum total of aid to roughly five Arab countries -- including Egypt, which only gets as much as it does because of the Camp David Accords arrangements with Israel -- to exceed that which we give to Israel. As if that is somehow a persuasive argument on the pro-Israel side of things.

[almazza98]

Good let the Israelis wait for peace. WAIT... It will then turn into a one bi-national state solution.

[Justtellthetruth]

There is a WORLD of difference between a military occupation of a land for the purpose of national security, where only the army is present, and the violent colonization of that land through apartheid and ethnic cleansing, where outsiders are moved in to settle.

Israel is not being honest when they cry about security in the west bank. They want to settle it. Anyone would resist being moved out of their home to make way for outsiders. ANYONE.

[temashana]

I'm all for an Israeli state but they've been shooting themselves in the foot for decades now, with US help.
Study history:In 1971 Sadat offered full peace treaty to Israel in return for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories (Sinai). Meir rejected that (This offer was close to official US policy but Washington decided to back Israel's rejection of it thank Kissinger for that) to expand into Sinai instead where troops under Sharon were chasing Bedouins into the desert and destroying their towns to build an all Jewish city of Yamit. This rejection led directly to the 1973 war. At Camp David accords 1979 the 1971 offer was agreed inc. Palestinian rights in the occupied territories -now on the agenda. If Israel and the US had just accepted it in 1971 nuclear war wouldn't have almost happened in that region. General Gazit (military commander of occ. terr. frm 1967-1974) reported Palestinian leaders proposed various forms of local autonomy during these years. Political leaders insisted on "substantial border changes" and never wanted to reach an agreement. By keeping this position it created extremist movements against Israel. Israel has deprived the Palestinians of water and any way to keep themselves economically viable. You need to read history to see why situations are a certain way. Only by studying history can you untangle the webs come to fair and equitable ways for both parties. It's been the US and Israel that have been the prime obstacle against peace there.