Rogers and Hammerstein, Sir Vivor. Sounds too cute for the lyrics doesn’t it? I agree on one aspect. We have to be brought up to hate and fear. That’s why one of the biggest tragedies to me is that with such huge $$$ in humanitarian aid to Gazans/Palestinians over all these years, the only infrastructure they have built is schools where small children are indoctrinated to hate Israel and to look forward to the day when they can take up the most noble of careers - that of the suicide bomber.
Have you seen the crayon drawings of young Palestinian children with explosives drawn strapped to their bodies? It is chilling and unforgettable. Yes, Rogers and Hammerstein indeed. We are taught to hate. However Israel will not wipe out a generation of Palestinians who despise them and will their destruction despite such indoctrination. Where was the condemnation of rockets being launched at Israel since 2001? Israel will try to cripple even eliminate Hamas's ability to murder innocent Israelis in towns showered with rockets. They will occasionally err and civilians will be killed and this is the tragedy created by a movement using human shields to invoke world condemnation of Israel.
If radical Moslems blow themselves up in the name of Jihad, and consider it an honour to die for the cause, how can one negotiate for peace with them in order to protect human life

Foxy Quotes:

"As I sit and view the reports, photos and live
videos streaming in from Gaza I find it impossible to
make sense of it all" He must be of rather dim mind then...because I totally get it all.

With reference to the Abraham/sodom story.... unfortunately it is not an allegory which can be applied to any place at any time.

It was an encounter between a real Abraham with the Almighty over a particular issue in history.

The root of the problem is found right here below:

The simple fact that the Arabs REJECTED the partition plan (due to agitation from Nazi Grand Mufti Husseini) while the Jews ACCEPTED IT in 1948.

UN DOCUMENT:
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/palestine/ch2.pdf

The Jewish Agency ACCEPTED the resolution despite its dissatisfaction
over such matters as Jewish emigration from Europe
and the territorial limits set on the proposed Jewish State. The
plan was NOT ACCEPTED by the Palestinian Arabs and Arab States
on the ground that it violated the provisions of the United
Nations Charter, which granted people the right to decide their
own destiny. They said that the Assembly had endorsed the
Plan under circumstances unworthy of the United Nations and
that the Arabs of Palestine would oppose any scheme that provided
for the dissection, segregation or partition of their country,
or which gave special and preferential rights and status to a
minority.

The above sets the stage for the emergence of Hamas and the PLO.

In order to see the full picture, it should be read in conjunction with the letters between Faisal of Saudi Arabia and Zionist organizations. Faisal was the legitimate representative of the Arabs when the British mandate ended. Faisal was declared 'King of the Arabs' in 1918.
Methinks some of us need to do some more reading :)

It appears that the gulf-like contrast between the acceptance and welcome of Zionism by Faisal, the Arab/Palestinian unrest, is explained by the agitation of Nazi lacky Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.

John J

My apologies, I have confused lists… and included the victims of Palestinian terrorism in my count which your not counting.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2000/In+Memory+of+the+Victims+of+Palestinian+Violence+a.htm

However I do think the list of Jewish victims would be a more suitable list to include along side the Palestinian list of victims.

As for victims, I would say either side are all victims of Hamas, Palestinian, Lebanese, Iranian, intolerance of Jewish existence etc. I think you will find even the most tolerant governments will not disagree that Israel have the right to defend themselves. The fact that Israel is strong is an asset to it not a sin or crime. It will always have world support in defending itself.

Israel is obviously not going to move, how can it, be realistic… The Nazis learned and the Anti Israel parts of the Middle Eastern world need to learn extermination is not acceptable… then possibly we may get somewhere.

The reason the Jews are in Israel is that the world gave it to them after the Nazis Jewish Holocaust. We did it because it was good and right, it is their holy land and we gave it back to them.

Dealing with Hamas is impossible, terrorism is by definition about not negotiating.

As for Palestine, if anything help the people out of the poverty so they don’t vote, in desperation, for terrorists. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9331863/ if they will let us

What are the goals of this war?
Do you believe that this war will support Israel?
Do you believe that this war will weaken Hamas?
Why Hamas has so big popularity? (it won the majority in last elections)
do you think the killing and suffering of palesthnias from Israelis will weaken or strength Hamas?
I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAR WILL SENT THOUSANDS OF PALESTHNIANS TO HAMAS'S MILITARY TRAINING CAMPS, THAT THIS WAR WILL WEAKEN THE AL FATAH AND USA FRIENDS IN THE REGION.
A stupid war which will support the coalition parties of Israel government in the next elextions but THIS WAR WILL DAMAGE THE INTERESTS OF ISRAEL

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

meredith,

Are you serious? "The reason the Jews are in Israel is that the world gave it back to them..." The "world" had no right to allocate Palestinian land to Jewish refugees,why should they pay the bill for 2000 years of anti-semitism? The assumption was, that the obstacle to Zionist expansion ( an insignificant people called the Palestinians) would disappear from history, well they haven't. Jews living outside of Palestine had no more right "to return", than gentiles.

In reference to the notion of "extermination",which people diminishes day by day, the Palestinians or the Israelis. Israel possesses all the deadly armaments and the uncritical support of the US, bloodthirsty threats from Hamas representatives are empty rhetoric.

Sassy, you say:

"I agree on one aspect. We have to be brought up to hate and fear. That’s why one of the biggest tragedies to me is that with such huge $$$ in humanitarian aid to Gazans/Palestinians over all these years, the only infrastructure they have built is schools where small children are indoctrinated to hate Israel and to look forward to the day when they can take up the most noble of careers - that of the suicide bomber."

The implication seems to be that someone is helping the Palestinians to grow their children in to hateful extremists. Is that what you are saying?

Have you checked out the video link I copied from an earlier post?

The name of the video is "Off the Charts". It can also be accessed at www.IfAmericansKnew.org

Graphs there show comparative expendituresby the USA, briefly mentioned at about 24 and a half minutes into the video:

"During Fiscal Year 2007, the U.S. gave more than $6.8 million per day to Israel and $0.3 million per day to the Palestinians. (View Source)"

Could it be that money may also make it easier for some in Israel to project the power of their hatred.

The comparative amounts of money are not my point, although power is plainly on the side of the State of Israel, if we measure it in terms of resources, influence and direct control over the workings of the Gazan economy, of flows of money and resources into and out of Israel.

My point is that, under the circumstances of Gazan life, hatred and rebellion are sown in a fertile field. Israel could change that. Instead, it uses its military to control a virtual concentration camp.

I am not excusing criminal behaviour of Palestinians. I am not assigning blame. I am asking Israel to take humane responsibility for a population which has been and is ever more so under their thumb, even during a ghetto uprising.