Hamas shut off the power to Palestine

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Let them "escape" to Egypt. A people that elect a terrorist group like Hamas don't deserve their own country.

Oooooo that was ironic.

Word to the wise: better do a little more serious thinking (or better yet -- actually *study* history) before you type such hasty remarks.

Because by your own reasoning -- Israelis don't deserve their own country:

Israel has a long history of electing terrorists as their Prime Minister -- for instance, Menachem Begin, and Yitzhak Shamir, and Ariel Sharon....

To you they are terrorists. That is expected considering your POV. To the civilized world they are not. You cannot call Hamas anything but a bunch of terrorists and no one is going to take your calling the hero's of Israel terrorists seriously.

To any reasonable person the blowing up of a hotel or any other highly public building was, is and would be considered a terrorist act. From what you've said so far it appears you're making the case that simply because you like/sympathise with the perpetrators of that act, and that certain histories consider them "heroes" it somehow excuses/justifies the commission of the act. That's morally ambiguous at best.

[Amby 490]

unlucky...crazies

[Charuhans 0]

The following article really sums it all up very well. I am sure all those here advocating Hamas know it very well too but then .... it doesn't cost anything to live in the comfort of the US or UK, sit in front of a PC with the heat turned on and back Hamas at the cost of the common people in Gaza.

Editorial

The enemy within

January 24, 2008

Last week, Israel closed border crossings into Gaza and blockaded some supplies of fuel and food, a response to rocket fire into Israel from the Palestinian territory. Electricity was reported to be in short supply in some places. Hospitals were warning of tragic consequences if power lapsed or medical supplies ran low. The Red Cross and UN issued warnings of a potential humanitarian crisis.

Israel eased the blockade on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians flooded into Egypt after masked gunmen blasted huge holes in the border wall.

Sound familiar? It should. These kinds of flash points have been increasingly common since Hamas took control of Gaza. So have the warnings against the "collective punishment" of Gazans. And the potential solutions: There is talk, again, of an Israeli military incursion to stop the rockets that rain down on southern Israel from Gaza.

As always, Gazans look around, see how terrible conditions are, and point fingers. Many blame Israel. Or they blame the U.S. Or they blame Fatah, rival to Hamas.

If things are to improve in Gaza -- and we hope they do -- then that reflexive attitude is one of the first things that must change. Until most Gazans fix the blame for their miserable living conditions where it belongs -- on their elected leaders of Hamas -- Gaza will remain poised on the brink of crisis, sending rockets into Israel and then complaining bitterly when its foe retaliates.

This really isn't all that complicated. It's quiet for quiet. If the Palestinians stop lobbing rockets into Israel, there will be no retaliation.

This is not a matter of the "cycle of violence," as bedraggled a phrase as there is in the Middle East. Israel withdrew its settlers from Gaza in 2005. That was supposed to end the "provocation" of the settlements and stop the rocket fire. But it hasn't. There's also no doubt Hamas could stop the rockets. After Israel imposed its recent measures, for instance, five rockets were fired on Sunday, down from 53 in the prior two days, the Associated Press reported.

So why doesn't Hamas clamp down, to show it can effectively govern the territory? Unfortunately, the leaders of Hamas find it to their political and economic advantage to allow their people to suffer while they smuggle arms and money from Iran and elsewhere to continue the campaign of terror against Israel.

While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas negotiates a peace deal with Israel, Hamas has pledged never to recognize the Jewish state. Hamas leaders have vowed not to abide by earlier agreements or renounce violence as a means to achieving their goals. With no prospect for negotiations, there's no prospect for reviving the economy and no prospect for improving people's lives. No wonder they'd rather fire rockets.

Who else benefits from this always-simmering crisis? One answer: Iran. Tehran gains influence as it builds up a terror ministate on Israel's border. Another answer: Syria, which hosts Hamas' headquarters and some of its top leaders. Increasing chaos in Gaza could play into Damascus' hopes for regaining sway over Lebanon.

Who suffers? That's easy: The people of Gaza. As long as Hamas is in power, Gaza will be driven further into misery, further from the path that would lead to an independent state. For Gazans, the real enemy is within.

More articles

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P.S.: Please don't waste time responding to this post with offensive language or four letter word abbreviations. Its so Hamas style.....

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

If we cut monetary aid to Palestine and just sent food, Hamas would throw the food at Israel hoping to kill some children. Then they would blame the Zionist pigs for starving them. Time to grow up Palestine.

"A Palestinian poses proudly next to his brand new motorcycle, as Arab leaders insist that the Egyptian shopping spree is a humanitarian crisis."

[sandinista! 1,816]

The following article really sums it all up very well. I am sure all those here advocating Hamas know it very well too but then .... it doesn't cost anything to live in the comfort of the US or UK, sit in front of a PC with the heat turned on and back Hamas at the cost of the common people in Gaza.

P.S.: Please don't waste time responding to this post with offensive language or four letter word abbreviations. Its so Hamas style.....

there's not a single post anywhere, from anyone, advocating hamas in any way, shape or form. nor has anyone posted any offensive language or four letter word abbreviations. unless yr counting where i said the british empire was bad-azz. but they were. this thread reeks from all the red herrings strewn about.

[Ban Hammer 13,445]

If we cut monetary aid to Palestine and just sent food, Hamas would throw the food at Israel hoping to kill some children. Then they would blame the Zionist pigs for starving them. Time to grow up Palestine.

"A Palestinian poses proudly next to his brand new motorcycle, as Arab leaders insist that the Egyptian shopping spree is a humanitarian crisis."

wouldn't it make more sense to have a bicycle in that small an area?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If we cut monetary aid to Palestine and just sent food, Hamas would throw the food at Israel hoping to kill some children. Then they would blame the Zionist pigs for starving them. Time to grow up Palestine.

"A Palestinian poses proudly next to his brand new motorcycle, as Arab leaders insist that the Egyptian shopping spree is a humanitarian crisis."

That's a bit of a turnaround from the radio reports I listened to the other day, and the news reports I saw on the internet news sites. I must have missed the high-rolling civilians in their Diesel Jeans, DKNY shirts and Ray Ban sunglasses.

But hey if you find a snippet about a guy buying a motorcycle it must mean that the whole thing is a fix. I'm really sure its like Beverly Hills in there... Hey you'd think that if those folks are so rolling in it that they have money to burn on Ducati Motorcycles that the terrorists could surely afford better guns and rockets to support their cause.

I wonder if that means they really are serious about the terrorism... because if they really are flush, they're either being very stingy with it - or the terrorist stuff is just a weekend hobby. But of course you and www.thereligionofpeace.com have the answer to that.

Edited January 26, 2008 by Number 6

[sandinista! 1,816]

today uri avnery writes:

SO WHAT to do? After all, it is impossible to tolerate the suffering of the inhabitants of Sderot, who are under constant fire.

What is being hidden from the embittered public is that the launching of the Qassams could be stopped tomorrow morning.

Several months ago Hamas proposed a cease-fire. It repeated the offer this week.

A cease-fire means, in the view of Hamas: the Palestinians will stop shooting Qassams and mortar shells, the Israelis will stop the incursions into Gaza, the "targeted" assassinations and the blockade.

Why doesn't our government jump at this proposal?

Simple: in order to make such a deal, we must speak with Hamas, directly or indirectly. And this is precisely what the government refuses to do.

In simple and blunt words: the government sacrifices the fate of the Sderot population on the altar of a hopeless principle. It is more important for the government to boycott Hamas - because it is now the spearhead of Palestinian resistance - than to put an end to the suffering of Sderot. All the media cooperate with this pretence.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

today uri avnery writes:

SO WHAT to do? After all, it is impossible to tolerate the suffering of the inhabitants of Sderot, who are under constant fire.

What is being hidden from the embittered public is that the launching of the Qassams could be stopped tomorrow morning.

Several months ago Hamas proposed a cease-fire. It repeated the offer this week.

A cease-fire means, in the view of Hamas: the Palestinians will stop shooting Qassams and mortar shells, the Israelis will stop the incursions into Gaza, the "targeted" assassinations and the blockade.

Why doesn't our government jump at this proposal?

Simple: in order to make such a deal, we must speak with Hamas, directly or indirectly. And this is precisely what the government refuses to do.

In simple and blunt words: the government sacrifices the fate of the Sderot population on the altar of a hopeless principle. It is more important for the government to boycott Hamas - because it is now the spearhead of Palestinian resistance - than to put an end to the suffering of Sderot. All the media cooperate with this pretence.

Sure. Blame Israel. You're so transparent. Here's an idea.... STOP FIRING ROCKETS AT ISRAELI CIVILIANS. Sheesh

[sandinista! 1,816]

i'm transparent? i didn't write it, an israeli did.

[simple_male 1]

today uri avnery writes:

SO WHAT to do? After all, it is impossible to tolerate the suffering of the inhabitants of Sderot, who are under constant fire.

What is being hidden from the embittered public is that the launching of the Qassams could be stopped tomorrow morning.

Several months ago Hamas proposed a cease-fire. It repeated the offer this week.

A cease-fire means, in the view of Hamas: the Palestinians will stop shooting Qassams and mortar shells, the Israelis will stop the incursions into Gaza, the "targeted" assassinations and the blockade.

Why doesn't our government jump at this proposal?

Simple: in order to make such a deal, we must speak with Hamas, directly or indirectly. And this is precisely what the government refuses to do.

In simple and blunt words: the government sacrifices the fate of the Sderot population on the altar of a hopeless principle. It is more important for the government to boycott Hamas - because it is now the spearhead of Palestinian resistance - than to put an end to the suffering of Sderot. All the media cooperate with this pretence.

Sure. Blame Israel. You're so transparent. Here's an idea.... STOP FIRING ROCKETS AT ISRAELI CIVILIANS. Sheesh

Yes, it is not right to fire rockets at Israeli civilians. It is also not right to continue occupation. President Bush even said two weeks ago while he was in the Middle East that Israel must end occupation of Arab lands. Former President Jimmy Carter said the same thing as well.

[mawilson 2,133]

Yes, it is not right to fire rockets at Israeli civilians. It is also not right to continue occupation. President Bush even said two weeks ago while he was in the Middle East that Israel must end occupation of Arab lands. Former President Jimmy Carter said the same thing as well.

Newsflash - Israel is no longer occupying Gaza!

You must have missed the big news of the year 2005:

Israel completes Gaza withdrawal

You should really pay more attention to the subject you claim to know so much about.

The rockets that rain down on Sderot and the Western Negev are Hamas' way of saying "thanks"

for the end of Israel's "occupation" of Gaza.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Yes, it is not right to fire rockets at Israeli civilians. It is also not right to continue occupation. President Bush even said two weeks ago while he was in the Middle East that Israel must end occupation of Arab lands. Former President Jimmy Carter said the same thing as well.

Newsflash - Israel is no longer occupying Gaza!

You must have missed the big news of the year 2005:

Israel completes Gaza withdrawal

You should really pay more attention to the subject you claim to know so much about.

The rockets that rain down on Sderot and the Western Negev are Hamas' way of saying "thanks"

for the end of Israel's "occupation" of Gaza.

No matter how much we give them they always thank us with rockets. Sad.

[kerewin21 2]

No matter how much we give them they always thank us with rockets. Sad.

They do seem to have a painfully limited repertory.

[eric&gen 0]

Give them all 27 virgins maybe they will stop fighting instead have sex.