Israel attacks Gaza

[sarit]

I've answered you so I'm not sure what you're getting at.

sorry, it got posted twice for some reason.

 

[joyfulgirl]

For example, my Jewish friends who were born and raised in North America were much more sympathetic to the settlers' cause, and they were also a lot more staunch in their support of all Israeli policies. So it was a bit eye opening to meet actual Israelis who were politically different, for lack of a better word.

I've had the same experience.

 

[yolland]

That hasn't been my experience of the visiting Israelis I've met (mostly grad students, plus a few Russian-by-birth Jews who'd moved from Israel to our old neighborhood in New York). They seem to have more or less the same general range of views as American Jews do in my experience, the main difference being that naturally their perspectives tend to be more personalized--because they're talking about their own countrymen, because they've done mandatory military service themselves, etc. I'm always rather baffled when other Americans talk as if American Jews are a solid wall of neocons, and it makes me wonder how many Jews they actually know well and have discussed these issues with at length. If anything, older visiting Israelis especially seem to often comment on a noticeable generational shift whereby American Jews today aren't as knowledgeable about or preoccupied with Israel issues as they'd heard used to be the case.

 

[No spoken words]

I'll just chime in and say that the Israeli Jews I've known and still know are extremely staunch supporters of current Israeli policies. I have a few distant relatives currently living in Tel Aviv, and they are equally supportive. I'm not saying that this represents the views of all Israelis living here in the US, or in Tel Aviv, just saying that my own experiences with friends and family tend to mirror Yolland's, not Anitram's.

I've had a few coworkers already come to me today and ask about the situation, as if by being Jewish I'm automatically a spokesman for Israel. Interesting.

 

[deep]

can you give us some insight on the bernie madoff scandal, too ?

 

[A stor]

thank you for your point of view, sarit. it's been an interesting read in here.

i hope all FYMers in any threatened areas stay safe.

Agreed

 

[popshopper]

Really wonder what the Israeli excuses will be for two hits on UN run schools. The latest killing at least 40. BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'

 

[Zoomerang96]

I've had a few coworkers already come to me today and ask about the situation, as if by being Jewish I'm automatically a spokesman for Israel. Interesting.

and they shouldn't?

 

[Zoomerang96]

Really wonder what the Israeli excuses will be for two hits on UN run schools. The latest killing at least 40. BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'

absolutely inexcusable.

 

[watergate]

Main reason for 911 was the fact that most of America's defense budget goes to Israel. Plus America gives Israel $10,000 per Israel citizen every year. 911 was America's Karma for the American defense contractors making money off of selling weapons to Israel to feed this conflict.
I think the whole conflict is crazy and both sides are full of bs. I support this group OneVoice Movement To End The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. One Movement it's composed of people from both sides that are tired of living in a war zone and they want peace. It's called One Movement and their motto is "Enough is Enough"!

 

[Irvine511]

Main reason for 911 was the fact that most of America's defense budget goes to Israel.

no, it wasn't.

 

[purpleoscar]

"Enough is Enough"!

Yeah like that's going to work. Good luck with that.

 

[LJT]

^It's about as good as anything else people have come up with, at least it's a joint movement. Nobody has ever really presented anything more viable, at least what I can think of off-hand.

 

[financeguy]

Really wonder what the Israeli excuses will be for two hits on UN run schools. The latest killing at least 40. BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'

Only a fool can now believe they are not deliberately targetting civilians.

 

[deep]

I am sure there were Hamas terrorists hiding in that school.

This is exacually the type of things they do, use children as human shields to make the Israeli Defense Forces look bad.

Why aren't these Hamas soldiers, (terrorists) out in the open identifying themselves,
if what they are doing is right, why are they hiding?

 

[Irvine511]

Only a fool can now believe they are not deliberately targetting civilians.

Hamas also deliberately stockpiles their weapons where there are lots and lots of civilians. bloody kids on Al-Jazeera is a great PR tactic.

don't know if this is the case here, but this is one of Hamas's tactics -- maximize their own civilian casualties in order to gain the greatest possible sympathy.

i have no love for Hamas. i feel tremendous sympathy for Palestinian civilians. and i wish Israel wouldn't play directly into their hands.

 

[yolland]

Results from a Rasmussen public opinion poll released late last week:

Americans, while far more sympathetic to Israel than the Palestinians, are closely divided over whether the Jewish state should be taking military action against militants in the Gaza Strip. 44% say Israel should have taken military action against the Palestinians, but 41% say it should have tried to find a diplomatic solution to the problems there, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. 15% are undecided.

62% of Republicans back Israel’s decision to take military action against the Palestinians, but only half as many Democrats (31%) agree. A majority of Democrats (55%) say Israel should have tried to find a diplomatic solution first, a view shared by just 27% of Republicans.

If the discrepancy between the range of opinion indicated by those figures (particularly among Democrats) and the lack of range reflected by the statements of public officials (including the Democratic leadership) thus far bothers you, then contact your Congress(wo)men, contact the Obama transition team, and sign the petition posted at J Street, the advocacy wing of the only progressive Israel-policy PAC. We won't get anyone's ear in Washington if we don't purposefully organize and act to make our voices heard.

 

[deep]

Hamas also deliberately stockpiles their weapons where there are lots and lots of civilians. bloody kids on Al-Jazeera is a great PR tactic.

don't know if this is the case here, but this is one of Hamas's tactics -- maximize their own civilian casualties in order to gain the greatest possible sympathy.

i have no love for Hamas. i feel tremendous sympathy for Palestinian civilians. and i wish Israel wouldn't play directly into their hands.

I am sure there were Hamas terrorists hiding in that school.

This is exacually the type of things they do, use children as human shields to make the Israeli Defense Forces look bad.

Why aren't these Hamas soldiers, (terrorists) out in the open identifying themselves,
if what they are doing is right, why are they hiding?

ok. we have cast our next movie

you are dumb and I am dumber.

 

[No spoken words]

and they shouldn't?

What they shouldn't do is assume that every Jew is automatically an expert on Israeli history/politics. The fact that I do give a shit about such things is moot. The "Oh, you're a Jew, so you're an expert" attitude rankles, that's all.

 

[deep]

we only keep Sean around to get the Negro perspective.

 

[Irvine511]

ok. we have cast our next movie

you are dumb and I am dumber.

i can't even tell if you are being ironic anymore.

i mean no irony by my statement. dead kids help Hamas.

i blame the Israelis for falling for it. continuously.

 

[Zoomerang96]

What they shouldn't do is assume that every Jew is automatically an expert on Israeli history/politics. The fact that I do give a shit about such things is moot. The "Oh, you're a Jew, so you're an expert" attitude rankles, that's all.

no... that's ridiculous. unless they're flat out saying as much, they're only showing an interest in something they feel relates to you.

i live abroad, and whenever shit goes on in my country people ask me about it too. why the hell would that put me off? if people actually care what i think, it's an honour.

 

[AliEnvy]

I am sure there were Hamas terrorists hiding in that school.

This is exacually the type of things they do, use children as human shields to make the Israeli Defense Forces look bad.

What makes the Israeli forces look bad is killing children and calling them collateral damage - just as reprehensible, if not more so by its deliberate nature, as using them as shields.

If the discrepancy between the range of opinion indicated by those figures (particularly among Democrats) and the lack of range reflected by the statements of public officials (including the Democratic leadership) thus far bothers you, then contact your Congress(wo)men, contact the Obama transition team, and sign the petition posted at J Street, the advocacy wing of the only progressive Israel-policy PAC. We won't get anyone's ear in Washington if we don't purposefully organize and act to make our voices heard.

 

[anitram]

Once again, Israel goes in heavy handed.

They have basically waved a big stick around and played an extremely heavy handed version of Whack-A-Mole for almost 60 years.

And it's worked wonderfully, no wonder they keep continuing it.

In 50 years, we are going to have in place a minority population that occupies the majority which lives in squalor. We've had that before, we like to call it apartheid.

I don't understand why it is that Israel doesn't understand that it's pretty much doing everything wrong most of the time, and that with the demographic results that are clear to any sentient being, that the time is ticking for them. That alone should be a great motivating factor to getting a peaceful long-term solution.

 

[Irvine511]

no... that's ridiculous. unless they're flat out saying as much, they're only showing an interest in something they feel relates to you.

i live abroad, and whenever shit goes on in my country people ask me about it too. why the hell would that put me off? if people actually care what i think, it's an honour.

NSW is not Israeli.

(i don't think)

 

[deep]

by its deliberate nature, as using them as shields.

Children are really ineffective as shields.

Kevlar, is pretty good, light weight and stops quite a bit of munitions.

Now, a three year old, Israeli sharpnel goes right through them, like butter
and despite their small size they are rather heavy, also after a few hours they have a disagreeable odor about them.

kids as shields - not practical at all

 

[popshopper]

You all missing the fact it's a UN run school. It's extremely unlikely that Hamas were storing weapons there. The UN had provided the GPS co-ordinates to the school to the IDF when the conflict began. The Israelis have hit 3 schools (two UN run) in the last 2 days. They're also using bunker busting bombs in an area with a far higher population density than Manhattan.

In fact people where supposedly taking shelter at the school because it was a UN building, they probably should have remembered that the IDF has a history of blowing up UN facilities for shits and giggles.

 

[financeguy]

Hamas also deliberately stockpiles their weapons where there are lots and lots of civilians. bloody kids on Al-Jazeera is a great PR tactic.

don't know if this is the case here, but this is one of Hamas's tactics -- maximize their own civilian casualties in order to gain the greatest possible sympathy.

i have no love for Hamas. i feel tremendous sympathy for Palestinian civilians. and i wish Israel wouldn't play directly into their hands.

Does it trouble you that this post reads to me precisely like what a Fox News talking head would say, or indeed, that on this issue your views appear to be more or less indistinguishable from Strongbow's?

 

[AliEnvy]

Children are really ineffective as shields.

Kevlar, is pretty good, light weight and stops quite a bit of munitions.

Now, a three year old, Israeli sharpnel goes right through them, like butter
and despite their small size they are rather heavy, also after a few hours they have a disagreeable odor about them.

kids as shields - not practical at all

Indeed - at least an adult martyr has made some sort of voluntary and active contribution to 'the cause'.

Well, that's what, 40 less future terrorists today?

 

[deep]

You all missing the fact it's a UN run school. It's extremely unlikely that Hamas were storing weapons there. .

Who is missing the fact?

That is exactly the kind of place that Hamas would hide those Katyusha rockets, and in Hospitals, ambulances, under wounded women on stretchers, don't you get it.