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“Last night as I watched the various international news outlets, I was dismayed to see them relating to the rising death toll in Gaza as if Israel had indiscriminately mowed down a huge swath of unsuspecting innocents,” writes Treppenwitz in reaction to the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. His reaction is a common one among Israeli bloggers, one where these actions are a justified reaction to a situation that has been unbearable for too long.
Jewlicious elaborates on this idea:
Aron Heller of Associated Press for Yahoo News (Dec. 25) writes this past week that the massive barrage of Palestinian rockets slamming into Israel during Hanukkah, “caused no injuries but generated widespread panic.” The headline for his article–”Israel warns Hamas will pay heavy price,” simply implies that Israel plans to act because of widespread panic.
Heller makes no mention of the Israeli homes destroyed by the Palestinian rockets, the 60 plus Israelis who were hospitalized for shock and trauma, including 12 Ashkelon children, or the thousands of dollars in damages that the Palestinian rockets caused to Israeli properties and businesses.
The international media ignores far too often another critical player in the Arab-Israeli conflict and its role in continuing the conflict. Hamas, the ruling party who took over Gaza in 2006, is a terrorist organization that was established in 1987, an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Hamas has led a brilliant public relations campaign that has consistently de-legitimized the actions of Israel, as we find in the media coverage of the conflict, while simultaneously legitimizing its own regime in Gaza.
What the international media and world community often fail to see is that Hamas has its own interests in mind - whether it be the starvation of its people or the launching of rockets at Israeli civilians. In other words, the critical role that the ruling regime of Gaza, known as Hamas, has played in contributing to the continuation of the conflict, has been too often overlooked.
Chayyei Sarah has a similar opinion as most Israeli bloggers:
My feelings about what happened in Gaza yesterday: I feel very sad that it had to be that way. But it had to be that way. We can't let rockets rain down on our citizens and do nothing. I look forward to the day — may I live to see it — when the Palestinian leadership figures out what “compromise” and “good leadership” and “promises” and “tolerance” actually mean. I'd really like for our army to have nothing to do. That would be fantastic.
Here is another impression from blogger Tzipiyah:
Over the weekend, Israel has started an operation in the Gaza strip. However, even after those years of attacks which make this response more than justified, there is a sense of shock at the numbers coming out of Gaza. Over 280 dead. Wow! 280 human beings were killed. For people who hate death, this is, honestly, a horrible tragedy. So, how are we to react to that?
In today’s world, there is an underlying pressure for Jews, and Zionists, to put their heads down in shame after seeing these numbers. Yes, even the strong Zionists are afraid to switch their facebook status in support of the Gaza operation. Yes, even the strong Zionists are afraid to scream their support for the State of Israel in such a time of bloodshed and conflict.
The Torah does tell us that we cannot, we are forbidden, to rejoice in our enemies’ suffering. So, we should not rejoice in their death. However, let’s make no mistake: I am not, in the slightest way, ashamed of the State of Israel. I am proud of the State of Israel for finally standing up and defending it’s citizens.
Not all bloggers whole-heartedly support these actions, some have reservations, such as Yoni the Blogger:
I am against the up coming ground action in Gaza.
I am against this action for several reasons, first as late as the end of last week, Israel was feeding the terrorist of Gaza. Second the politicians have not stated what the goal of the operation is, so how will Israel know if the operation is a success or failure.
I would support a ground action in Gaza under the following conditions, first cut Gaza off 100% from the outside world for up to two months. This means no food, water, industrial supplies or even medicine into Gaza.
J Street condemned the actions, but was criticized by Meryl Yourish for closing their comments saying:
What are they afraid of?
Will they discover that the pro-Israel bloggers outnumber the anti-Israel bloggers, and that J Street speaks not for the “silent majority,” but for a tiny minority of Jews?
Probably.
More reactions from the Israeli blogosphere are still coming in as the conflict continues. Israellycool is liveblogging events as they happen, and of course check Global Voices' own special coverage page for updates.
Thankyou, I noticed again, I say the truth especially historical truth and you censore it. Shame on you, freedom of expression, and speech started with Burrack Spinoza 1546, a Jew who couldn’t get published because he didn’t have a Christian name. Now I’m speaking the truth about the Islamic persecution, the last 1000 years, and You the media control doesn’t appreciate the truth, personal attacks on Israel cannot be defended truthfully. I expect this from Aljezeera but you too. Use your big mind and big heart and face the truth. The Israelis did not break the cease fire Hamas did. Wake up world, there are only 8 million Jews on a tiny strip of land. There are over 20 muslim countries, a billion people, and you can’t leave the Jew alone. Censore if you wish, shame for not facing the truth, Israel is fighting for its life. Iran threatening openly, publicly for years to wipe out Israel, and the world says little, very little. Deny Holocaust, very little is said. Leave the Jews alone, God bless Israel. thankyou Peter Knopfler.
Here we go again with “The politics of Anti-Semitism” and bogus historical revisionism Neo-Zionists resort to every time they commit war crimes.. The fact stays and remains that the Ideology of “Redeemed” land is so engraved in the ‘Jewish Ideology’ that the feasibility of a Palestinian state is nearly impossible . Israel has an ideologically motivated pursuit of territorial expansion and the inevitable series of wars resulting from this aim. A number of discrepant versions of Biblical borders of the Land of Israel, which rabbinical authorities interpret as ideally belonging to the Jewish state, are in circulation since the inception of Israel. What we see today is just what Golda Meir and Menuhin Begin promised many decades ago. In other words, Israel aims at imposing hegemony on other Middle Eastern states, by protecting the stability of some Arab regimes and guaranteeing the stability of the Middle East.
“Machiavelli at least apologised for the methods which he thought necessary in politics. He regretted the necessity of force and fraud and did not call them by any other name. But Plato and More sanctified them, provided that they were used to sustain their own Utopian republics” (by Hugh Trevor-Roper on Sir Thomas More and Utopia)
To say that Hamas broke the ceasefire is simply an outright lie and a flagrant distortion of the truth. Many months ago there was a debate about the Israeli blockade of Gaza on “Global Voices” and our friends from Israel were nowhere to be seen.
Israel is a nuclear power and the military super-power in the region. Also, Israel is the 6th undeclared permanent member of the United Nations. The Israeli use of sophisticated weapons against occupied civilian highly populated urban concentrations is nothing but a war crime. After the strangulation of the Palestinian population for many years, and starving them, these glorified fireworks were a scream for help. The cynical Israeli response was to open the crosses for 2 days then unleash these coward barbaric attacks on people that cannot respond with anything but these very inaccurate primitive home-made fire-crackers. Whereas western media reports these events as a response to Palestinian rocket attacks, they fail to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people and represent the sequence of events leading to these desperate rocket attacks. Also, the use of words like “missiles” is not only misleading but seems to me a misrepresentation of the inexistent treat they truly represent. This is propaganda at its best. The situation is created by Israel not just responding to it and if the Israelis wanted peace as they claim the solution is very simple. The destruction of Gaza has nothing to do with Hamas. Israel will accept no authority in the Palestinian territories that it does not ultimately control. Any individual, leader, faction or movement that fails to accede to Israel’s demands or that seeks genuine sovereignty and the equality of all nations in the region; any government or popular movement that demands the applicability of international humanitarian law and of the universal declaration of human rights for its own people will be unacceptable for the Jewish State. It is that simple. This Israeli ethnocratic theocracy with Universal Suffrage will stop at nothing to realise their biblical aspirations of full land judaisation dreams and the total inhalation of any real Palestinian authority. The question that remains is what will Israel deem necessary to eradicate a militarily inexistent treat?!!
Thankyou, the above statement by Manus, is the prevailing Arab opinion, ” Stuck on Stupid”, it matters little how much fire power the Israeli’s have or have not. Israel has used less than 5% of their military options, and already the Hamas turns into cry babies begging for help from the International community, that they have been and still are condeming. Hamas made their bed now they have little options but to lie in it. Too bad they had to send rockets to S. Israel, too bad that they kidnap IDF soldiers, too bad for them siding with Iran to wipe out Israel just plain too bad, How did Hamas attract this present moment Humanitarian crisis? You know how, by not recognizing their neighbour. The Israeli blockage was the only way to stop suicide female, handi-cap remote control bombers. Children bombers threatened, kill a Jew and go to heaven is taught in their schools. There is no Jew who believes in heavenly rewards for killing anyone. Rememeber this. “Mr. Arafat, I may be able to forgive you for killing mine, but I will never forgive you for making mine kill one of yours.The Arabs, muslim majority needs to re-educate their children with truthfull history, not this hateful historical lies. Islam has been abusing the entire world long enough with their 16th century Koran and false beliefs of the illiterate One. Read your history Manus and weep for the truth that you and others like you have never heard. For centuries you have been censored and brain washed by admission to paradise for killing non Muslims. Shame on you and your culture of no compassion and tolerance. You started the bomb throwing, now Israel will bring it to a new reality. Thankyou Peter Knopfler.
I really enjoy the educated appearing yet negative and biased response I have read thus far. If one want to reference biblical mappings then lets not forget that as the only reason Gaza and West Bank exist is due to Israel letting them and the Palestinians wanting that land as it is “biblically” referenced.
Forget the biblical references and mappings. I today as well as everyone here and all who live there now have NOTHING to do with it except stories/propaganda and hatred passed down to generations of our peoples. Stop or Move out of the Israeli territory and just let people live. Israel again is just defending its boarder with what it has. Has Israel made mistakes? Everyone does. Israel NEVER went on TV and declared its hatred to Palestinians and its Arab/Muslim countries and communities. Israel has its back against Water and is surrounded by Pit Bulls who want to tear and eat it alive. What would you do? You act and write as if you the Arab/Muslim Community don’t hate Jews and Israelis. So no matter what the truth is. Everyone on that side is either sadly blind or lying. Do reference my previous response where I stated that Palestinians aren’t allowed into other Arab/Muslim Countries. That is due to no one in those governments care and it is a tactical strong hold/entrance. To Manus question: “what will Israel deem necessary to eradicate a militarily inexistent treat?!!” that is fairly biased and can not be answered as you have to change the question to a less biased sense. Israel will stop when there is peace. Also when the Palestinians can go to any of the surrounding countries and just let this be or simply STOP attacking/hating. Sad truth is, even if Gaza and West Bank weren’t there, this will not end until this ignorant and misplaced pride stops. It is time to change from the past and move forward with a changed vision. It is sad to read all the biased responses and things said to a country that is just trying to live. Before Israel it was Canaan. For instance what reason does Iran’s leader and people have to hate Israel and all Jews? What is wrong with you?
Now you will do what you have done for centuries. You will read through what we the Israeli supporters wrote and pull out parts and make them apply as needed. Then feed that back down to your less educated and so the cycle just re-iterates itself.
Keep listening to your fore fathers as you only make things worse on yourself. Lies and deception as well as crying wolf only float for so long. Eventually the whole world will fall on top of you as your extremists will sadly be your demise and maybe all of ours.
Also how do you condone and support your extremist groups that walk into your house. Strap a bomb to the Husband and Son hold a gun to the wife/mothers and sisters heads and say go in town to the Bus station/Air Port (you name it) and take out 30 Israelis and who cares about the Arabs surrounding them, this is war and Jihad so you will be rewarded for your self sacrifice. Also if you don’t take out that many Israelis everyone in this household will die. Serious! What is wrong with you. Why aren’t there more Muslims/Arabs in line to do this? Why do they have to be forced? I will ask again. What is wrong with you? Faith is one thing but it is 2009 and I am not saying don’t have faith, but I am saying stop misapplying your religious believes as they are just a scape goat. Why don’t the Muslim extremist leaders sacrifice them selfs?
Answer is simple as it is all not true and your hierarchy is based on lies. All you do is lie. Israel along with every sanctioned and recognized nations lies but that is for certain protection of action and they are trying to make it through this world and give us a fighting chance.
We have been hunted, slaughtered and banned from everywhere. It is time to stand up. It is time to say no more. Leave Israel in Peace, let us be. Give us a place to call our own. Let us exist. Let your hatred go as it is only your own demise.
Where does Mohamed the merciful show his mercy? How can God preach hatred? You are descendants of Abraham and you blame all Jews, for Abrams mistake. Without us you wouldn’t be. Throwing out words like Neo-Zionist, war crimes, genocide! You realize that a Jew invented that word during WWII and you use it more than anyone now.
Sarcastic Statement:”Shame on you for using a Jew’s words as you are now a traitor to your believes and you will be prosecuted by your own people.”
Tell me how limited this nonsense is?
Never have Jews hunted/enslaved a people or a race!
again…
What … is wrong with you?
If there were no Jews the Christians would be next.
If there is no one in the world left. You would stab your own brother just to achieve some minuscule goal or favor.
This is what you reduced yourself to. Why?
every time israel attacks and kills arabs they play the ” holocaust card”. the fact that you lost your family is sad but no sadder than the families now lost murdered by israelis…. rememeber a jewish life is not worth more than any other. Also sad are all the other holocaust victums– the turks, the greeks, the blacks during slavery, the native americans.. the list is long and doesn’t justify 2 eyes for one eye- which frankly seems to be the israeli foreign policy. open your eyes the hatred is deep on the jewish side and extends to many non jews not just palestinians, not just arabs. which pit bull should we fear the one financed by the US or the one who can pay its own way. A Pitbull is a Pitbull its relegion or culture doesn’t matter to me, nor does its history of loss.
I feel sorry for you guys with all your “flip-flopping” and hiding like rabbits behind “The Politics of Anti-Semitism” and labelling others as Arab nationalist vowed on the destruction of Israel and going on a tangent as usual. What we are witnessing today is the worst scientific psychological experiment since the demise of the 3rd Reich on a civilian population. The Gazeans are trapped in an area the size of a neighbourhood of any European city, and are continuously being bombarded, for few years now, from land, air and sea. Moreover, they are being humiliated, starved and collectively punished as and when the Israeli government feels like it. This is the Middle East version of the apartheid but more vicious and perverse. I would like also to inform you that people all around the world are starting to see through this masquerade, including many of our Jewish friends. This is a stand between barbarity and humanity. These people I believe in my opinion are human being, maybe you believe otherwise, that an Ishmaelite is nothing but a Shaygetz.
@Erik
I think if you are assuming that I am a MOHAMMEDIAN IDEOLOGY disciple you are absolutely bonkers. You do not need to a Mohammedian to realise that classical Judaism is used to justify Israeli policies that are as racist, as totalitarian and as xenophobic, as the worst excesses of Anti-Semitism. Nowhere can this be seen more clearly than in Jewish attitudes to the non-Jewish peoples of Israel and the Middle East. So please, cut the propanganda.
I can’t disagree with you more. I see the Palestinians as people as apparently you have only read and understood what you want. Just the fact that you used Totalitarian and Xenophobia to describe Israel is absurd as Arabs, Americans, Ethiopians and all sorts of other people live in Israel and amongst the Jews.
So since your view is so skewed what did a Jew do to you and how is it everyone else’s fault? Obviously this debate is pointless as you can’t change the KKK from changing their mind about their views and hatreds so why be able to speak to a Extremist Action supporter?
You don’t say anything about that? You don’t speak about taking responsibility? You don’t recall where The King of Jordan killed 6000 Palestinians to stop them from entering when Arafat was at the helm? Facts my friend. You don’t talk about what Saddam did to his own Country men. As previously stated, in your view its all Israels fault and we are responsible for it all.
Jews were always the fall guys. What is the point of arguing whit that kind of hatred.