Gandhi helped bring about the independence of India with nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Jr helped overturn the segregation laws with nonviolent resistance. An important part of Barack Obama's trajectory to the presidency was his objection to the Iraqi war. I hope he will continue to try to turn the US away from the path of violence in his presidency.

The article implicitly assumes that the only way to resist oppression is through violence. Governments rarely eschew violence. They have the tools at hand. However, as the examples of Gandhi and King show nonviolent resistance can work. It doesn't always work, and there are casualties. However, violent resistance doesn't always work either and is almost always accompanied with casualties.

Nonviolent resistance may have its effects years later. Henry Thoreau went to jail for refusing to pay a tax which was going to support the Mexican War. It did nothing to stop the Mexican War, but his "Essay on Civil Disobedience" which he wrote as a result of that experience influenced King and Gandhi over a hundred years later.

Are there any Gandhis, Martin Luther Kings or Thoreaus in the Middle East?

Those Gazan Palestinian men women and children must cease getting in the way of Israeli bombing...Violence will get them nowhere.....

Dear maracas1,

Israel is using inadmissible violence. The rocket attacks by Hamas did not do much damage to Israel compared to the damage Israel is inflicting but gave Israel an excuse to make their incursion. Without the rocket attacks there would have been no incursion. Did the Hamas rocket attacks help the Gazan people?

Again the attention is drawn away from Hamas who is low enough to use children as human shields. Their supporters are totally blinded of any common sense by their own prejudices and dogmas. Just look at the mob in Britain and France who have been given a good life. In thanks they poop over the country. Surely the most simple can see if Hamas stopped firing rockets at innocent people and sending in suicide bombers innocent lives would be saved. Instead Hamas use their kids as human shields to win the sympathy vote of the gullible.

“Spin doctors” “mentioning only the rockets…”! What about those defending Hamas mentioning ONLY the Israeli “offensive”. The Israelis started the DEFENCE only when they had given up hope of being able to stop the Hamas terrorists (remember that Hamas is an OFFICIALLY recognised terrorist organisation) from firing rockets into Israel. The fact that it was ‘democratically’ elected doesn’t change that; in fact, it gives the civilians who elected it less right to the sympathy they are getting from misguided and anti-Semitic people now.

And, it is now obvious that the West did know better “… than the Palestinian people about what was good for them.” The author is “stupid” (his opinion of the West) if he believes that “Hamas (had) no alternative but to use some form of violence: limited as the damage may be that is caused by rocket attacks on Israeli towns.” Stephen Keim needs to a long hard look at himself if he thinks it’s OK for Hamas to kill Israelis just because the West will not treat with terrorists. His “limited though the damage may be…” is also a disgrace. If Hamas and its supporters expect to trade blow for blow , they should not have picked on Israel. The continual jabber about the ‘disproportionate’ response of Israel is just another loony left ploy to take the heat of Hamas terrorists and what they really stand for.

Of course, like all those of his kind, Kleim also rubbishes lack of action by his own Government. The current Government, like the former one, does not negotiate with terrorists; and, it is arguable that most Australians would not want their Government doing so at any price.

“The 660 people killed in the current Israeli offensive in Gaza (might very well) not stop moderate Muslims (or moderate Israelis) from urging peaceful solutions to the suffering and conflict in Palestine. Nor will Hamas rockets killing and frightening Israelis convince the Government of Israel to stop defending itself.

There will be no peace while Hamas and other terrorists exist in the Middle-East.

You might also want to mention Hamas massacre of their political opponents after the last "election"

I guess they learn from the Magabe school of Political Science, yes no doubt that the Palestinean people made a hugh mistake.

They voted in a group of people, who promise that they will kill their neigbours, these people are now wondering why their neigbours are killing them .... they are not very smart

david f,

For a policy of non-violent resistance to have a chance the stronger party must be prepared to concede some legitimacy to its weaker opponent,such as the British in India. A Palestinian "Ghandi" would most likely disappear into the gulag, end his life with an Israeli bullet in his brain or be crushed by a bulldozer. The Palestinians in Gaza have been driven into a ghetto and are being slowly suffocated by their Israeli jailers, I'm not surprised they're getting somewhat angry.

Leigh,

no, there will be no peace in the ME as long as Israeli pursues its policies of expansion and oppression. Stephen Keim states the obvious,Hamas is a creation of Israel.

Steven Keim....thought this extract from the Hamas Charter might just be of interest to you.

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Please note that the reference is to Jews, not Zionists and not Israelis.

Dear seneca,

"We Jews, we are the destroyers and
will remain the destroyers.
Nothing you can do will meet our demands
and needs. We will forever destroy
because we want a world of our own."
("You Gentiles," by Jewish Author Maurice
Samuels, p. 155).

Please note Samuels also uses the word "Jews"
not "Zionists" or "Israelis."

How can there be an end to a conflict when
each side sees only their own point of view?

Sad, no, tragic really.

How ridiculous to quote from a virtually unknown writer whose equally unknown book was published in 1924 and to compare this with the official charter of the ruling administration in present day Gaza.

david f,
the two of us had some disagreements on this OLO in the past (e.g. when apportioning blame for historical wrongdoings) but this time I have to admire you for what you wrote, and feel ashamed for runner, apparently a fellow Christian.

What a charade this lawyer makes of history and its crystal clear lessons. "Hamas, democratically elected by Palestinians"...can be transliterated to "Hitler, democratically elected by Germans has been left with no alternative but to use SOME FORM ( M.E.) of violence against the world."

People like Stephen Keim are incapable of learning anything from history.

http://kotzabasis.createblog.com/blog

What a shame contributors to this article fail to aquaint themselves with some history on the Jewish occupation of Palestine after the second world war.
In retrospect we can criticise the League of Nations with British support for the manner in which the migration took place without involvement of the people who already occupied the area and plans agreed on a form of governance acceptable to all the parties instead of endorsing a jewish state.

I am mindful of the British colonisation of Australia which took place with the same arrogant assumption that nobody owned the land in Australia; that Australia was "Terra Nullius".
This assumption was overturned by the High Court of Australia about ten years ago after two centuries of theft of land,abuse, cultural destruction.rape and mass murder, followed by low paid exploitation of the remnants, many of whom had their meagre wages stolen by Governments who were supposed to be holding the money in trust.

Fortunately,present day Australian Governments are striving to express their remorse for the past and governing for ALL Australians as a Government in the territory currently occupied by Jews and Palestinians should be.

In the present circumstances where the Gazans are refugees in their own land imprisoned by Israel I am not in the least surprised they are acting as they are even with ineffective random rocket launchings.
The fact that Hammas were elected in internationally supervised fair elections yet the US and Israel refuse to recognise their legitimacy speaks volumes.

In the present conflict, it is the Israeli's who are the terrorists and if they think they can exterminate Hammas they are deluding themselves. All the children who survive this ethnic cleansing are the Hammas liberators of the future.
America did not learn anything from Vietnam: you cannot kill liberation movements.

I quite like the analysis of the situation given at this site.

http://www.medialens.org/alerts/index.php

It gives a time-line of Israeli actions against the Palestinians and a very interesting selection of quotes from various Israeli leaders, past and present, re their expansion/invasion motives and intentions and their related attitudes towards the Palestinians.

Dear Seneca,

Perhaps these quotes may appeal more to you:

"We'll make a pastrami sandwich of them ...
we'll insert a strip of Jewish settlements in
between the Palestinians, and then another
strip of Jewish settlements right across the
West Bank, so that in 25 years' time, neither
the United Nations nor the United States,
nobody, will be able to tear it apart."
(Ariel (Arik) Sharon, 1973).

And:

"Jewish villages were built in the place of
Arab villages. You do not even know the
names of these Arab villages, and I do not
blame you because geography books no longer
exist. Not only do the books not exist,
the Arab villages are not there either.
Nahlal arose in the place of Mahlul;
Kibbutz Gvat in the place of Jibta;
Kibbutz Sarid in the place of Huneifis;
and Kefar Yehushua in the place of Tal Al-Shuman.
There is not a single place built in this country
that did not have a former Arab population."
(Moshe Dayan, 4 April 1969).

If these aren't enough for you Seneca,
there's more I can give you.
But what will that achieve?
Will it make you agree that this conflict
must be brought to a just end for both
parties?

I doubt it, but I guess I can live in hope.

Non-violence is not an impossible pie-in-the-sky: one just needs to look at the achievements of Abu Mazen in the West-Bank and the concessions he receives from Israel compared with Gazans who reap what they sew.

The concessions which Abu Mazen receives are still too few, just a beginning - I hope they continue to increase in both quantity and quality. He should be rewarded in every possible way for restraining the militants in the West-Bank. Those Palestinians that are willing to live in peace with Israel, that do not blow themselves up in schools, restaurants and buses, or launch rockets at innocent civilians, are entitled to have their own viable and proseprous state and many other benefits.

Those who choose terrorism, on the other hand, well nobody should ever envy their fate.

The rest of the world should encourage (even push and prod as necessary) Israel to reward those that deserve, but not to submit to the wicked who only deserve to die.

How many here are aware that Hamas started using phosphorus in some of the missiles they launch at Israeli civilians?

George: Thanks

mac wrote:

“For a policy of non-violent resistance to have a chance the stronger party must be prepared to concede some legitimacy to its weaker opponent,such as the British in India. A Palestinian "Ghandi" would most likely disappear into the gulag, end his life with an Israeli bullet in his brain or be crushed by a bulldozer. The Palestinians in Gaza have been driven into a ghetto and are being slowly suffocated by their Israeli jailers, I'm not surprised they're getting somewhat angry.”

Dear mac,

The ‘civilised’ English as opposed to the ‘barbaric’ Israelis?

The British imprisoned Gandhi for many years on numerous occasions in both South Africa and India.

A Palestinian told me that her father was arrested and tortured by having an iron bar stuck up his rectum and twisted around – by the British in Palestine.

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/india/india1919.htm describes the British massacre of unarmed Indian protestors at Amritsar.

British and Israelis are a mixed bag.

Israelis have protested against the war:

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172591-Israel-Massive-Demonstrations-against-the-war

At the same time as Ehud Barak was ordering the army to start the bloody ground offensive against Gaza, some ten thousand protesters from all over Israel marched in Tel-Aviv in a massive demonstration against the war…

"One does not build an election campaign over the dead bodies of children!" shouted the protesters in Hebrew rhymes. "Orphans and widows are not election propaganda!", "Olmert, Livni and Barak - war is no game!"' "All cabinet ministers are war criminals!!" Barak, Barak, don't worry - we shall meet you in The Hague!", "Enough, enough - speak with Hamas!"

Refuseniks are Israeli soldiers and veterans who have refused to serve in the occupied territories because of conscience. I know of no counterpart in the British army.

Israeli writers and activists such as Uri Avnery have consistently spoken against Israeli military policies.

Israel is a democracy that has allowed those protests.

Israel might be more welcoming to non-violent resistance than the British in India. Don’t underestimate the power of non-violent resistance and the decency of the Israelis or any other people whose better instincts are appealed to.

Foxy,

I don't really need a lecture.

Moshe Dayan was quite correct. He asserted after the 1967 war that Israel should withdraw from the newly acquired territories.

Seneca,

You don't need a lecture?

I don't need your reproof. ( For using a quote
from what you classed as an 'old' book).
(It was re-printed in 1995).

As for Moshe Dayan comments, he had this to
say in 1967:

"Let us approach them (the Palestinian refugees in
the occupied territories) and say that we have
no solution, that you shall continue to live like dogs,
and whoever wants to can leave...and we will see where
this process leads. In five years we may have 200,000
less people - and that is a matter of enormous importance."

We only need to look at history when nations appease political movements sworn to destroy the rival nation. Stalin's agreement with Hitler and the Nazis which saw the carve up of Poland did not deter the Nazis from attacking Russia. Hamas has a declared intention of destroying Jews, the people of Palestine voted for Hamas, just like the people of Germany in voting for the Nazi effectively voted for war rather than peace.
In wars people die, fact of life, Palestinians made this conscience choice.
Economic sanctions, will maybe if the West had applied economic sanctions against Germany like Israel has against Hamas we would not have had the holocaust.
Whilst there are apologist for Hamas in liberal democratic nations conflict will never end.
Simple rule, play with guns/rockets expect casualties.

What a comparison! Don’t you think many people in the 1930s and 1940s would have wished Germany had the same military capacity to terrorise its neighbours as Palestinians have today?

"There is no single fixed method for murder
and even for genocide. The author Y. L. Peretz
wrote about 'the righteous cat' who does not
spill blood, but only suffocates. The government
of Israel, using the military instruments of
destruction, is not only spilling bllod, but
is also suffocating...Of course with our
self-righteousness,... we make sure to advertise
how our doctors take care of Palestinian
victims in the hospitals. We don't advertise how
many are executed in cold blood in their homes...
And as one of
the smart Generals told me, "We do not have crematoria
and gas chambers..." Did he ever hear how an entire
people said that it did not know what was done in
it name?"

(Shulamit Aloni, March 2003)

Stephen.....by what authority do you make this claim?

<<Any analysis must go back at least to the events that forced the British hand, as colonial over lord, to agreeing to the partition of Palestine, allowing the creation of the Israeli State.>>

You are ASSUMING that the status quo up till that time was legal and just.

Was it?

Jews maintained links with Israel from the time of the establishment of the Nation under Joshua, Saul and David..continuously.

There have been invasions (Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians)..exiles.. returns.. more exiles (Romans AD70.. invasions.. (637 Arab Muslims) (1200 Crusaders)

Only a person with a very specific AGENDA could claim 'it started in 1948'.... your claim is an insult to Jews, and Israelites world wide.

You selecting a convenient point in recent history does nothing...NOTHING to uncover the real source of this conflict.

If you read the HAMAS charter..you will see that their claim is BASED on the invasion by Caliph Omar...it is NOT based on the simple presence of Arabs in Israel/Palestine. Hamas sees the issue as decidedly THEOLOGICAL.. read Section 3 article 11 of their charter for information.

So...I'm afraid your shallow analysis is lacking in so many ways it defies every description other than "I have a socialist/left wing/secular humanist/anti semitic agenda"

Oh..by the way.. your 'body count' of 660 Palestinians at the time of writing.......

is more than FOURTY short of the number of FATAH people killed and wounded by HAMAS.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231950868535&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0105/1230936654232.html

<<Hamas has facilitated the process of Gaza's militarisation by ousting it rivals in Fatah in a June 2007 murderous coup (one Palestinian human rights group estimates that over 700 Fatah members were killed) and through the political repression of Gaza's population by means of arrests, arbitrary detentions, kidnappings, beatings and killings.>>

700 Fatah operatives and members were maimed or slaughtered by the 'democratically elected' government of Hamas.

While I have sympathy for those who are not in any way involved in Hamas... the sad and tragic nature of war is that when you have an enemy as low and animal like.. devoid of human compassion.. ideologically driven to strip children of all their innocence..placing guns in their hands from the age they can walk.. brutal, evil, cruel and inhuman such as HAMAS....the only solution is the one Israel is doing now... if...they go as hard and far as such a problem needs to be truly fixed.

THIS IS HAMAS.

<<On November 12, a large demonstration dedicated to the memory of late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat was organized by Fatah in Gaza City. With over 200,000 participants, this was the largest Fatah demonstration in the Gaza strip since the Hamas takeover. The demonstration was forcibly dispersed by Hamas gunmen, who fired into the crowd. At least six civilians were killed and over 80 people were injured, some from being trampled in the resulting stampede.>>

DAVID_BOAZ, alias Polycarp,

When are you going to stop?

Enough already!

You keep quoting HAMAS, Israel
created HAMAS. They came to power
via popular, democratic vote, because
of the desperation by Palestinians
who've never been accorded the democratic
space within which to gain redress of their
grievances.

There are two sides to any conflict.

If you can quote HAMAS, let's read what
Raphael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the
Israeli Defence Forces had to say, as
quoted in, New York Times, 14 April 1983:

"When we have settled the land, all the Arabs
will be able to do about it will be to
scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a
bottle..."

And Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel at
the time (still with current ambitions) -
August 28, 2000. Reported in the Jerusalem Post,
August 30, 2000:

"The Palestinians are like crocodiles, the more you
give them meat, they want more..."

Nice.

I could keep on quoting, but why bother. There's enough
hatred already. I've made my point, I don't need to add
to it.

The Kassam rockets have terrorized the
25,000 people in Sderot and its environs, but have
caused very, very few deaths or serious wounds.
By contrast, Israel has terrorized 1.5 million Gazans,
locked them inside their awfully narrow borders, throttled
their economy, and killed and seriously wounded thousands
of them ...

The only hope for an end to this carnage lies in global public opinion as well as in the new American
President to condemn the conflict in the strongest
possible terms - and insist on it being halted at once.

Foxy wrote:

"The only hope for an end to this carnage lies in global public opinion as well as in the new American President to condemn the conflict in the strongest possible terms"

Inherent in this condemnation must be the recognition of the true sides to the real conflict - no use in continued hammering of the victims (even if it is the easy way out, generating a temporary good feeling).

Most Israelis and most Palestinians are the innocent victims of the conflict.
There is no conflict between ordinary Israelis and ordinary Palestinians.

There are aweful extremists on both sides that continuously and deliberately harrass the ordinary people of "their own side" by provoking "the other side". If the new American president, or anyone else for that matter, wants to help stopping the conflict, they must be very delicate in picking those truly responsible instead of stomping like elephants over the whole scene.

Dear Yuyutsu,

As always, the voice of reason...
I totally agree with you, there are
innocents on both sides of this conflict.

However, I have every confidence in the
newly elected American President. He strikes
me as a man who is not one-dimensional, nor
has the old mind-set of war. He gave hope to
his nation, we can only trust that he will
do the same on the global scene.