|
Post by Zach on Jan 4, 2009 18:02:02 GMT -6
Israel invades Gaza in attempt to destroy Hamas by Tim Butcher in Jerusalem [ link] The incursion, which began under cover of darkness near Beit Lahiya near Gaza’s northern border, represents a significant escalation of the week-long conflict between Israel and Hamas. “This is the second stage of our operation against Hamas infrastructure,” said an Israeli defence spokeswoman on television. “It is to control the launch sites responsible for launching thousands of rockets at civilians in Israel. “ We will stay as long as we need to stay to achieve our goals". The sudden move followed a day of heightened air strikes, designed to decapitate the Hamas military leadership, and an artillery bombardment intended to soften up resistence on the ground. It also came in defiance of calls from European leaders - including Gordon Brown - for Israel to scale back its violent attack on Gaza. Mr Brown said "too many" had died already. Television footage - in the green and black tones of night-vision equipment - showed troops and tanks rolling across the border, as tracer fire whipped overhead. The defence spokeswoman said Israeli troops had trained for the sort of urban guerrilla warfare they are likely to encounter against Hamas. She also said air strikes had so far destroyed about a third of the tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza - and that troops would destroy the rest.[/blockquote] Hey everyone. What is your opinion of the current Israel-Hammas conflict in the Gaza strip? Should Israel have invaded? Do you think the international community should press Israel/Palestine to begin peace talks? What can we do? You can also sign a petition to end the conflict, which our partner the UYCW is sending its members, from Avaaz.org. Thanks a lot!
|
|
|
Post by harisstavr on Jan 5, 2009 8:12:19 GMT -6
bad... no excuses! I don't care about how it started and why! I just want to stop.. innocent children die, lose their parents... innocent people die..
WHY DON'T THEY STOP?
|
|
|
Post by Zach on Jan 5, 2009 15:07:01 GMT -6
Exactly, this is pure MADNESS. I don't understand why Israel has to do it this way. We'll just have to see how it goes. P.S.: Thanks again for the petition
|
|
|
Post by SoHuda on Jan 6, 2009 2:22:04 GMT -6
It is true Madness like Zach said! it's got outta control!! and it makes your heart ache for those people! I've heard that Turkey (among other countries) has sent a ship with supplies but Israel didn't let them in and while the ship was in international water Israelis have shot it!! Also what is very sad that Arab presidents are doing nothing for the fear of USA! They didn't even make strong demonstration to stop what's happening, and they haven't agreed to make a summit to discuss the situation! Like here they're soooo busy with the Football matches and they've completely forgotten what's happening there! I think they can do both at the same time, but people choose what's easier! Very sad indeed!
|
|
|
Post by harisstavr on Jan 7, 2009 5:18:40 GMT -6
some say that the US Government is helping Israel... what do you believe? I have created also a petition in TIG
|
|
|
Post by qwerty on Jan 8, 2009 14:43:09 GMT -6
You may not want to hear this but it's my opinion to share. The USA is a population of cultures and families from all over the world. Our constitution so far has held the test of time. we are basically trying to be independent from the old kingdom rules. It's worked out pretty good being populated by many immigrants. I Know it would be a different story had the founders limited race, religion or freedom of speech to name a few.
It is nice to have a place to call your own truly...and a border not a fence. Isreal will never want to leave their house and the same with the Palistine. They need to defend their homes now from hired hands like in an old western cowboy movie. I believe the solution is to open up to a little more freedoms and have less of the past mindset letting the hired hands be herding your constitution. Change is hopeful with youth teaming up new solutions for their own homes.
|
|
|
Post by darkme on Jan 9, 2009 1:06:46 GMT -6
I agree with qwerty, both Israel and Palestine will want to defend themselves. But what Israel is doing is inhuman. I mean I just want it to stop for the sake of those who are losing their children, the parents, and their beloved ones....
|
|
|
Post by harisstavr on Jan 9, 2009 8:47:27 GMT -6
Personally, I believe that they should discuss... make a dialogue... war isn't the solution! I am aware of the problems in the area and that there are huge problems between nations but this shouldn't lead to a conflict! Previously I forgot to post the link of the petition: petitions.tigweb.org/gaza
|
|
|
Post by Zach on Jan 11, 2009 17:46:04 GMT -6
Agree with all said here. To answer your question, Haris, Israel is a BIG ally of the United States in the Middle East, and that is why people think that. Israel recieves military support from the U.S. What do you think of that? Should the U.S. do something? What can we do? Here's more info to continue the discussion: Israel–United States military relations From Wikipedia.com
Israel has received more U.S. military assistance than any other country, both in terms of grant aid and military sales on a concessional basis. Since 1987, the U.S. has provided an average of $1.8 billion annually in the form of Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and funds to support research and development.
A bilateral memorandum of understanding was signed in January 2001, at the end of the Clinton administration.
In 2007, the United States increased its military aid to Israel by over 25%, to an average of $3 billion per year for the following ten year period (starting at $2.550 billion for 2008, growing by $150 million each year). The package is scheduled to start October 2008, when regular economic aid to Israel's economy is to end. Officials have insisted the aid is not tied, or meant to balance, simultaneous American plans to sell $20 billion worth of sophisticated arms to its Arab allies in the region, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia. U.S. President George W. Bush assured Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the U.S. would help keep a "qualitative advantage" to Israel over other nations in the region.....
The United States stipulates that U.S. military equipment provided through the FMS program can be used only for internal security or defensive purposes.
|
|
|
Post by darkme on Jan 13, 2009 2:15:32 GMT -6
The USA is definitely a big supporter of Israel, and what they can do is instead of encouraging what Israel is doing, try to stop them. Washington has refused to vote in the UN assembly when countries were calling Israel to stop firing Gaza, they can at least show their support. Plus everyone knows that the US supports Israel financially and in weapons. I don't understand how is it, how can Israel be doing this when they have closed all the borders and the people of Gaza are dying with no where to go and nothing to defend themselves with.
I think from the beginning of this, when Hamas attacked Israel, Hamas should have seen it forward, can they keep up attacking Israel or is it too strong for them? I'm not saying that they should have done nothing but the thing is, it should have been obvious that Israel only wants a reason to attack Palastine, and there you go. It's not the time for that talk, let's just pray it ends!!
|
|
|
Post by meylan1 on Jan 13, 2009 21:00:11 GMT -6
i cant believe the people in my country indonesia still consume the jaws product though they know that the benefit form the selling product is to kill the palestina people.
|
|
|
Post by SoHuda on Jan 17, 2009 12:27:14 GMT -6
And the most sick thing about the whole thing I mean the whole thing is, but specially the Arab presidents!!! seriously! do something! I mean is it very very important not to disobey the US?!! They're presidents for God's sake! they can do something! Support Gaza with every meaning that phrase has! specially Egypt's pres. and KSA! and they're making an economic summit for the arabic countries to discuss how to "reconstruct Gaza" and some official in Hamas said: "we don't want them to do that, Gaza's not a product or a thing" you should think about stopping the killings then care about the destruction that's been made! And a Saudi minister said that what's happening in Gaza is a disaster, and an Palestinian on tv replied sarcastically: "He said that like it's a natural disaster, like a hurricane or a earthquake" And also tv channels are on war between each other, arabic channels, one channel that belongs to Qatar and other to Egypt and they're critisizing each other in public, it's shameful really!
|
|
|
Post by Zach on Jan 17, 2009 22:49:49 GMT -6
Well, our prayers and unity have brought peace (hopefully longterm). See below: Israel, Hamas hold fire for now in Gaza GAZA (Reuters) - Israel ceased fire in the Gaza Strip on Sunday after declaring victory in its three-week offensive but Hamas guerrillas said the war that has cost 1,200 Palestinian lives would go on.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak invited European leaders to a hastily-called summit to try to bolster the unilateral truce although Israel had sidestepped Cairo's efforts to achieve a negotiated end to the hostilities with Hamas.
The racket of explosions and gunfire of the past 22 days went silent in Hamas-ruled Gaza after the Israeli ceasefire went into effect at 2 a.m. (7 p.m. ET).
|
|
|
Post by alyssamilanofan on Jan 18, 2009 4:40:04 GMT -6
I don't get it.. Seriously they first build a wall around Gaza these people are trapped and they trow bombs on an area that is known as the most crowded piece of land in the world? And than they won't allow innocent families to escape to run.. In my opinion this is just as bad as what Germany did in WW2! People are dying and for what? I've always thought that this conflict was pretty ridiculous I don't get how people could've let it come to what it is now.. I mean seriously just share the country, is it so bad to tolerate people with a different believe with a different skin color? I really don't get it.. It's time these people realize that they're all HUMAN BEINGS, that we're all equals.. And I think the US should do something I have hope that Obama will.. He has been pressing for more negotiating, for talking rather than fighting..And I have hope that once Obama does something, the rest of the world will follow.. Let's hope this will be sooner not later..
|
|
|
Post by SoHuda on Jan 18, 2009 14:47:35 GMT -6
Well it all doesn't make sense, because Israel isn't playing it fair AT ALL! And I heard about the ceasefire also, and that Olmert apologizes for the Palestanian for the death of women and kids!!!!!!!!!!!! Funny don't you think?!
|
|
|
Post by Zach on Jan 18, 2009 19:12:11 GMT -6
Yes, it is funny, Huda. I can't even think about this right now. Goodness..!
|
|
|
Post by darkme on Jan 24, 2009 3:39:42 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Zach on Jan 25, 2009 21:18:13 GMT -6
Wow. Very interesting, Noor. Thanks for sharing it ;D
|
|
|
Post by SoHuda on Feb 1, 2009 6:11:14 GMT -6
Few days ago, a journalist went to Gaza to see how people are doing, and this is what he observed: apart from the smell of blood everywhere, and some bodies are still rotten-ing in destroyed homes, and the horrible stories he heard and saw: he saw a 13 year old who stayed at home for 4 days with his dead mother and dead siblings and they had some chicken and they were hungry and so they tried to eat the dead bodies, imagine a 13 year old trying to get chicken stop eating those dead bodies, how his life will be?
First when the journalist and those who were with him, at the Rafah Borders, they didn't let them in, even though they had all the papers that were asked from them, but every 10 minutes they'd tell them just wait more and they didn't know why they were delayed, then after a long time about 4 hours they let them in, and so they went to the hospitals and they saw the patients and the wounded ones, there was a little girl, whose father died and some of her siblings as well, she had a serious injury in her leg, and a hospital in France agreed to do the surgery for her, so her family took her twice to the Rafah Crossing Border, but the Egyptians soldiers didn't let them in, and one swore at her and even asked if that injury is old or new, what difference does that make???!!! She's injured for God's sake!! However the journalist said that the people in Gaza are doing ok and that they're living and that they still have the unshaken will to live!
|
|
|
Post by SoHuda on Feb 1, 2009 6:18:00 GMT -6
Here's a link showing how and why Ardogan (Turkish PM) left the World Economic Forum: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITWw9b0k7cEeven though its in Turkish, but it has the whole conversation in English.
|
|