AL

You clearly highlight how the label terrorist can be used and abused by self righteous nations. Some of those killed in Gaza no doubt were terrorists (if some were prospective suicide bombers their demise came early), but many were innocent civilians.

Israel continues to be unconstrained whenever it practices State Terrorism in Gaza or Lebanon. By State Terrorism I mean bombing and shelling civilian areas with a high risk of civilian casualties and a likelihood of terrorising the population.

The US is the only country that can hold Israel back but actually assists it in a joint US-Israeli strategy to aggressively police the Middle East. Australia meekly supports the US stand regarding Israel, just as Australia meekly supports the US on all other aspects of the Middle East, including Iraq, Afghanistan and a denial of any substantial Saudi connection with terrorism.

The Jewish vote in America and a highly effective Zionist propaganda machine (everywhere) mean that the US and Israel will continue their joint strategy regarding Israel’s neighbours. A test though will come over Iran's nuclear weapons development program. Will the US assist any Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear sites or won't it?

Meanwhile many Gaza civilians continue to be bombed and shelled as an act of religiously sanctioned revenge – sanctioned, according to many Israelis by the Bible (a disturbing twist).

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com

Yes Al,
You “believe that only international pressure on Israel can bring a nation addicted to violence to heel and leadership on both sides mature enough to negotiate with honesty.”

Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
on Monday, “Israel is destined for destruction and it will disappear soon,’’.
on Tuesday, “I’m very hopeful that we will be able to hold the big celebration of Iran’s full nuclearisation in the current year,’’.

So Al I am sure you have the plan to get this to work for BOTH sides. Please explain a little further. A few people may be interested.

And you state Israel's long-term future lies not with a superpower thousands of kilometres away, but in the Arab world.

Maybe that should read

Arabs nations long-term future lies not with a middle age religious mindset and diminishing oil reserves propping arm sales but in democratic reform.

Notice that most of the more wealthy and stable countries seem to be democratic?
If they cannot deal with their own problems internally how does anyone expect them to deal with external issues

Fishy... unfortunately, with this 'chicken or egg' situation, people ask "Kassam or Missile"... which caused which?

Well... I don't think it really matters because people like this author have a set view that its 'egg' or.. 'missile' and in any case I doubt that they care, because their agenda is something different from what we might expect.

Is it..'social justice for Palestinians AND Jews' ? No..it not about social justice its about a socialist approach to society.

Anthony, like John Pilger and sad company, are of the view that you can put diametrically opposed people side by side and they will magically just 'get along'.

Logic and others have clearly articulated the problems with the supposed solution proposed by the author and his ilk.

The general socialist approach is...

ONE state. All Palestinians have right of return, country is run on a secular basis for all.

Now this has so many holes in it, that it would make a good seive.

It neglects

1/ The religious aspects. (Orthodox Judaism and Radical Islam)
2/ The Cultural.
3/ The Political. (once all Palestinians are allowed to 'return' they will outnumber the Jews and seek political representation accordingly.

This last point has been made well in just this past week by Hamas demanding more say and basically threatening to overthrow the Lebanese government if not given.

Planta... you might provide some input here?

Hamas would still be present, and have strong support among Palestinians, and their charter would still be the same. The infantile gullability of those who proclaim "There election campaign did not include the destruction of Israel" is totally meaningless when their constitution says otherwise. People might have ELECTED them on a more benign platform, but that does not change one iota their real agenda which is based on radical/fundamentalist Islamic ideas about 'Moslem Lands'.

If anyone can actually ARGUE persuasively that I'm wrong here.. by all means do so, but DON'T just repeat/chant sloguns or mantras !

Background. "Palestinians live under 'ISLAMIC' law. Ok.. they understand it... they know it... they breathe it...

INTERNATIONAL LAW.
The latest Israeli massacre in Gaza - the killing of 19 Palestinian civilians ...- occurred precisely because the IDF regularly fires shells into heavily populated areas. Under international humanitarian law, a state is prohibited from such activity if the attack is likely to cause undue harm to civilians and will not gain any military advantage.

ISLAMIC LAW.
Chapter 1 : REGARDING PERMISSION TO MAKE A RAID, WITHOUT AN ULTIMATUM, UPON THE DISBELIEVERS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INVITED TO ACCEPT ISLAM

Book 19, Number 4292:
Ibn 'Aun reported: I wrote to Nafi' inquiring from him whether it was necessary to extend (to the disbelievers) an invitation to accept (Islam) before m". ing them in fight. He wrote (in reply) to me that it was necessary in the early days of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) made a raid upon Banu Mustaliq while they were unaware and their cattle were having a drink at the water. He killed those who fought and imprisoned others. On that very day, he captured Juwairiya bint al-Harith. Nafi' said that this tradition was related to him by Abdullah b. Umar who (himself) was among the raiding troops

Chapter 9 : PERMISSIBILITY OF KILLING WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE NIGHT RAIDS, PROVIDED IT IS NOT DELIBERATE

Book 19, Number 4321:
It is reported on the authority of Sa'b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them.

COMMENT You can only 'know' that women and children are present if you 'see' them. Mohammeds final words are telling "They are from them"

In other words.... its no big deal, they are all one and the same.

"ALL_palestinians_are_fighters" (Arafat)

Radical Muslims do NOT accept "International Law" except where they can see it as a tool for advancing their Islamic agenda.
International Law is a tool of Socialists. You can stick it.

Boaz,

“ONE state. All Palestinians have right of return, country is run on a secular basis for all”

FH: This is how it was run prior to 1948 under British colonies.

“1/ The religious aspects. (Orthodox Judaism and Radical Islam)”
FH: radical religious groups can be contained in a secular society. You also ignored that militant radicalism flourished after the land conflict.

2/ The Cultural.
FH: what does that mean? Arabs and Jews lived together as one culture for thousands of years until early last century. Unless you mean European Jews and local Jews (Ashkenaz and Saphardeem).

3/ The Political. (once all Palestinians are allowed to 'return' they will outnumber the Jews and seek political representation accordingly.
FH: Although this was the case initially, Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) lived with Jews until the state of Israel which in essence was a separatist movement. If they are all in one country as it was and all have equal rights, what is the motive for any of them to fight the other?

As for your comment re the prophet of Islam, here is an unanswered challenge since 1976 by Ahmed Deedat “Mohammed in the Bible”

http://www.jamaat.net/muhinbible/muhinbible.html

30 years waiting for a response from the church until he died.

Boazy, you keep asking for it and your house is made of glass:).
I won’t let you of the hook that easy anymore,

Peace,

Antony,

With the news of each latest Israeli atrocity in the Occupied Territories, it's easy to get the impression that Israel and the entire world Jewish population have gone stark raving mad.

It's reassuring to hear a bit of sanity sometimes.