This is part one, here’s part two, part three and part four.
08
Jan
09
Everything WHYS
- We're live at 1800GMT every weekday.
RSS feed- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
BBC World Have Your Say 
Although Israel believes that it is beneficial to destroy Gaza, they have just created many more enemies around the world. I’m an expat living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where everyone around me is appalled at what Israel is doing. There must be millions more people around the world who now see Israel as the enemy.
Is it now likely that Israelis and those who support Israel will feel even less welcome
in foreign countries?
Israel is not seeking to destroy Gaza. With its military strength if it had wanted to then it would have done so within a few days. Israelis looking to root out Hamas terrorists and their supply lines from Egypt who are committed to its destruction and who backed this up by firing rockets into Israel – even during the recent ceasefire.
ISRAEL IS A TERRORIST STATE AND THIS IS CONFESSED BY THEIR EVIL AND IMMORAL AND INHUMAN OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE SINCE THE 1950’S I am not pro or anti jew nor islam. I am a by stander who finds your bias and this SICKENS me to the core. God weeps.
Israel is a terrorist state which had forgotten its past under the nazis of Germany.
It is israel that is in a position no one in the world can put pressure on to come to a settlement. Israel will have more Muslim enemies in the future.
Under the International Law, every country has a right of defence from any foreign aggression. It is true that Israel has a right to defend its citizens however it is also true that Palestinians have right to defend themselves as well.
But right of defence is limited by the international law. Now the question arises, whether Israel is defending itself while killing the innocent citizen of Gaza particularly women and children who have no concern whatsoever with any rocket attack on Israel. There is a big difference between defending and offending. The current action of Israel is not defence but offence.
Are Palestinians not justified to defend themselves in the current situation?
Israel is not justified to do whatever it likes but its bound by Humanitarian and International law as Hamas is.
Israel is simply protecting it’s own. Any other country would do the same. There is some weird idea doing the rounds that because of Jewish suffering throughout the centuries, they should just sit down and take a bit more. Why should Jews or Israelis (please take note: not necessarily the same), be less forceful with it’s enemies than anyone else?
Its Sooo sad Israel fell in the trap of hamas’s terroristic war-methods.
Hamas doesnt care about the civilians in ghaza,
it will gladly sacrifise innocent palestinian lifes in order to get Israel in the corner it is in now.
Israel’s reputation is down the drain because it defends its civilians?
I agree the situation in ghaza is terrible, the loss of life is unacceptable on both sides, but hamas does absolutely nothing to protect its civilians.
When will Arab’s value the sanctity of life and stop blaming others for their own irresponsible actions ?
I realise you won’t see this on the BBC but if you look at other media you will realise that the deliberate use of civilians as human shields has been a standard Hamas tactic for years now. Not that the IDF may not have made mistakes in the fog of war but there would be fewer dead civilians if Hamas didn’t launch missiles from schools, didn’t store them in mosques etc
Someone give Israel a Medal for being the world’s biggest murderer of babies and being a big Bully with a big gun. Israel and Bush please be warned that you have created more enemies than you know. Please don’t be alarmed if another september 11 happens sometime in future. Please do not be asking why people carry out such barbaric attacks. You have set a precedent. There will be no peace from now on. You talk about Terror!! Did you see the look of terror in the eyes of the litlle children and the aged? There is no reason for any innocent child to die either in Israel or anywhere in the world. Thre cannot be any justification!!
So violence against jews is now to be “expected”. How about we expect people to behave civilly? Am I going to be the first one to be executed because I have an israeli stamp in my passport. It’s time to stop teaching kids to hate Jews from the day they are born.
Fighting will not resolve anything except create continueing hatred which stays with generations with revenge in minds. All the Arab nations ought to be ashamed of themselves. Why can’t they pull their muscle with the rest of the world leaders and work toward peace in the region?
With all their obscene wealth, how can they carry on watching the children starve, freeze and die. God watches with shock!!
At this point I have no more sympathy for Israel. I am truly disgusted by their aggression. They are the ones that seem to be a ‘Murderous organisation’. Killing and violence only begets more killing and violence.
Israel’s reaction to missiles from Hamas is extreme.
The loss of life in Gaza is terrible. Israel is killing people way out of proportion to the threat. Are people in Israel that afraid that they will kill hundreds of people.
I think that a measured response on Israel’s part is reasonable.
There needs to be dialogue about the blockage and an agreement that no weapons will be smuggled into Gaza. This would eliminate the military option. Palestinians have been living in terrible conditions. These must be greatly improved. There must be justice in this dialogue.
I was really shocked by the response of the Israeli Prime Minister to a reporter who said that Britain’s voice was really irrelevant in this issue, giving the implication that only those with the Israeli mindset was the right one. Is he unaware of the numbers of Jewish people in Britain who have direct links in Israel and the potential backlash? This was naive in the extreme if that was the case. I have to say that the BBC has muted me on the HYS site but that will never prevent me from saying that the whole issue is wrong headed and can only be solved from a new viewpoint and undoing the 1948 agreement. Whatever you may say about the British political stance it is clear that it has always been somewhat conditional. This view has been trodden over roughshod time and time again with predictable consequences.
My point is that the present conflict was, and still remains, uanavoidable.
The Israeli state is non-viable if rocket attacks from various positions to its South and North cannot be averted.
Further the territory known as Gaza is non viable on grounds of isolation, and strategic location.
Under more pronoounced attack from other states in the region, Israel has to rise up like a dragon, to throw gaza into constitutional faiure.\\GH
riday, 10 Jan
Since you the journalist also have the bias in the editorial of the comments, is not it the responibility the journalist to investigate the events and educate the public how and why it is happening instead of publishing the ignorant contributors who have nothing but emotionally charged comments without full knowledge and understanding of the causes. For instance, an accurately summary of the 1947 events led to the establishment of Israel, which to me is highly questionable for the intelligence of the people involved at that time. Some digging to the people involved at that time can show that it is the problem of today. With this understanding, the power to be should try hard to correct the root cause of the problem, i.e., enforce the international law in the ownership of land not by war.
Let me, if i may, describe this situation hypothetically:
Your home is surrounded by your people who moved onto your land. Now let’s imagine they are ‘travellers’ who didn’t own any land previously and thus take possession of your land.
Now the travellers build a massive 9 meter high concrete wall and an enforced gate around your home. They only allow you to leave your home and the land you have remaining whenever they feel like it.
No one wants to help you. What would you do?
Yes Israel not allow to do whatever they want neither the Arabs and extremist Muslims. However who can protect itself with hostility Media which support always one side? which looks at use hospitals schools and innocent as a humans protections? which do not like too see the fact and always speaks with two voices.
while the young’s educations intend to be by love it creates more and more hate against Israelis and Jews without direct connections to the tragedy cause by extremist who they start in one place and then do the same in other place.
all the blames on Israel it’s not fair. it’s not fair to kill citizen too, so instead to broadcast more and more hate programs do something good for a change
If you don’t want to let the Israelis to live you have to be honest and say it clear.
don’t compare one miserable which take place in one place to another. Just remember 1 million people who live under rocket it “kill” them psychology for
ever especial after more then 8 years. but to see children which killed it makes those who like to ignore to feel better by blame intend to do something for peace and for real change,so those who wants to hate can say whatever they did it will not make the situation better but Israel must protect itself somehow and anywhere because Iran-Russia-Syria-Britain-Scandinavia can support terror but not to live with so stop talk with two voices it real not help.
Over the years my sympathy for Israel has reduced to zero.
I am white, British, and closer to retirement than middle-age. If I feel so angry with what is happening that I wonder what I can do to stop Israel, what must Muslims and Arabs around the world be feeling?
Israel must be made to withdraw to its 1967 borders and adhere to UN resolutions. Otherwise, I fear that those willing to commit themselves to action in support of Palestinians will be drawn from all sections of society across the world. From conversations I’ve had with others that will include many young British people from diverse backgrounds and heritage.
Younger generations with more liberal and multi-cultural sympathy than my peers have explained their understanding of the situation to me. On whether criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, one said,
“It’s like when a black person says you are racist because you ask them to turn their music down. They claim you are picking on them because they are black, when they are forcing their view of what you should hear. The answer is to have respect.”
I live in SE Asia and have Jewish friends.
Israel consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Now Israel and USA has no qualms in using drones and missiles to kill. So much for democracy and human rights.
I wonder how the Russia-Scandinavia-Syria-Britain-and the BBC would react to foes or terrorist who targets innocent civilian from schools-hospitals- urban area by forcing them to be as a human shelters? also show me one nation to wait 8 years with no responds. and do not try to teach the Israelis about human right. Israel has the rights to live but it seems that the world likes to have two voices especial all the Media around the globe. stop the terror before it will kill all.
Tell me please what does Hamas do to protect it own civilians? So far they ‘ve been using their own sons and to daughters to explode in terrorist attacks. Now they are using them as human shields by shooting rockets from civilian locations in order to expose them to Israeli shells. The aim is obviously to show to the world how evil is Israel. Hamas is not only a terrorist organisation but they are evil. Someone who have sympathy for Hamas surely have sympathy for AlQaida. And I think Israel is doing the right thing by acttacking gaza. I’m sorry for the palestinians civilians but the truth is that every palestinian family has at least one or two of its memebers in hamas. And since Hamas militants are all chickens they shoot and hide themselve behind their wifes, sons and daughters. They are pathetic.
I do not understand why the BBC sound surprised that they have been denied access to Gaza. On a number of occasions their reports during the Falklands war resulted in the loss of ships and the death of British servicemen. Israel have a responsibilty to minimise the loss of its own service personnel so have tried to limit the amount of damage reporters from the BBC and other news organisations could do to them.
I have just watched ‘Have your say’ and cannot believe some of the comments that have been sent in. I am totally against Hamas firing rockets into Israel but I can totally understand why they are doing it. Unfortunately the Palestinians are not experts in putting their plight across, unlike the Israelis who are excellent, they also do NOT have any support from the major players (USA – The clever Mr Bush and the UK) in the world hence the reason Israel can do as it pleases and bomb them to smithereens. If we as humans look at the death and injuries cause by this conflict in recent weeks, we would clearly see that the Israelis are coming out on top. Israel and the Israeli people should be ashamed of themselves as they are actually doing to the Palestinians what the Nazi’s did to them, I just read the book ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and once again felt extremely sorry for what happened to Jews at the hands of the Nazi’s but the occupation in Gaza is only marginally different to what they were subjected to, the Palestinians are not being gassed in huge numbers they are just being kept prisoners in their own land and surviving by the aid which Israel decides they can receive. If this was happening in any Christian or a country supplying the world with oil, there would have been worldwide outrage and the actions of Isreal would have been stopped, but unfortunately the poor people of Gaza are Muslims who will always be downtrodden.
Israel has long forgotten about its responsibility towards those who were forcibly displaced to make way for it in 1948, and in the many wars that have followed. It cannot justify the actions against Hamas which are more than a simple attempt to defend itself. Much discussion in israel concerns the worry that Hamas could become a much greater force to be reckoned with if they succeed in holding out – that is a problem of Israel’s making and nobody should pretend otherwise.
NO winners’ in war No right and No wrong every one suffers’ !!!! Peace is allways the way,If the money spent on killing was used to feed the hungry and help the poor, this world would be a true paradise !!!!!
Can Israel do whatever it wants?
Of course Israel, more or less, can do whatever it wants. Haven’t all imperialist states (and nations)throughout history, more or less, done whatever they want? It’s self-evident. So, all talk, about Hamas rockets, democracy, terrorism, etc is just beside the point. The mainstream media tend to ignore the substance and focus on the appearance.
I am amazed at how presumably people of some intelligence can blame Israel for this situation. I find it hard to imagine any country in the world that would not react to their people suffering rocket attacks from others that are committed to their destruction. It is just not possible. When you factor in that the aggressor in all this is Hamas who’s answer to everything appears to be murder I cannot help feeling sorry for Israel and the innocent Palestinians who Hamas is attempting to use as shields. Hamas should stop this despicable use of people, stop their attacks so negotiations can take place.
When it comes to military activity relating to it’s borders, Israel will (and has always done) do whatever it wants.
Bear in mind that Israel is the one ally America has in the region that is not Arab. Also bear in mind that a good deal of the American Government and supporters are Jewish – so they are not lacking support !
Finally – if Hamas want Israel to stop bombing them, they should stop firing rockets. Israel have made this quite clear. They do not wish to destry Gaza, they do not wish to kill anyone, especially civilians, but they will not tolerate rockets being fired at their people and cities whilst they turn the other cheek. They have done this for too long.
The onus is one Hamas to sort this out and provide a way out; that is what Governments do – act and solve things for the sake of the people.
Of course Hamas could just be a terrorist organisation masquerading as a legimate Government, in which case I expect the rocket attacks on Israel to continue and the Israeli responses and continue as well.
Critics of the action taken by Hamas need to be reminded of the deplorable living conditions the Palestinians have always endured in Gaza. Hamas terrorists? I see them as defenders of the defenceless.
As I understand it, this is biblical.. from the days of Moses when he led the Jews into the wilderness.. they have wandered the earth since then, often persecuted, looking for their promised land… Israel.
Having settled there from all over the world, encroaching at times on the lands which were designated as Palestinian, they will do anything to hold onto what they believe is their birthright. And perhaps what a lot of the problem now is the fact that for each one of 65 UN resolutions that Israel has ignored in the past, there was no worldwide outcry.
What we have ended up with is a state that has learned that it can do anything it pleases, and it won’t be happy till it satisfies it’s mandate to be rid of all the Arabs in Gaza and takes over all of the land… something it has been doing with baby steps for all of the 20th century.
The oppressed have become the oppressors. Compare the standard of living conditions between Gaza and Israel… a situation that has been managed for the last 2 years by Israel.
This is not even a war. Hand made mortars against Israeli fighter jets and tanks. A handful of Israelis dead vs. about 800 Palestinians.
War crimes indeed.. and only now is the UN even considering levying charges against Israel?
The Promised Land did not come with a licence to murder.
MY FATHER WAS IN PALESTINE FROM 1945 TO 1948 BEING SHOT AT BY BOTH SIDES WHILST SERVING IN THE WELSH GUARDS…
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS… NOW MADE EVEN GREATER IN IMPORTANCE BY WORLD OPINION AND RHETORIC!
THE MEDIA ARE LOVING IT , THE TERRORIST HAMAS ARE LOVING IT AND ISRAEL CAN SHOW OFF HOW POWERFUL A COUNTRY IT IS!
THE ONLY ONES TO SUFFER ARE THE INNOCENT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES…JUST LIKE ANY WAR.
BRITAIN AND AMERICA ARE IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AS WERE RUSSIA BEFORE THEM… THERE HAVE BEEN CONFLICTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, BUT WITHOUT THE MEDIA ATTENTION ,WHICH REALLY BEGAN IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES WITH VIETNAM…. WHICH I GREW UP WITH.
HOW IS IT THAT ALL THE MEDIA ATTENTION ON GAZA HAS REDUCED THE ATTACKS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN?
IS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE?
Islam is not popular religion in the west but this is beyond comprehension that the US is just watching the slaughter of innocent people and supporting their allies to carry on.This is not about Islam.
It just seems that the pain & destruction in the world is to news programmes what a fix is to a junkie.
The media seem to have no concern for the effects of their reporting, just as long as they have graphical images & exremities of horror to pronounce & show.
There are over 15,000 murders every year in South Africa, more yearly deaths than in Iraq. If Apartheid was still in existance then the media & liberalists would be screaming from the treetops. But where are they, they are very very silent when black South Africans kill & murder on a horrendous scale.
Media, including BBC needs to take a good look at themselves in a mirror. If they look closely with righteous eyes then they will see the ugliness that reflects back at them.
It is obsolutely unjustifiable for Israel to continuesly keep attacking civilians in Gaza. Shame, the world’s leaders are watching. Nigotiation, agreements and political conditions are so important over human’s life. Shame!
If the Israel does not co-operate with the UN then the why the UN does not go against Israel?
Shame to most of the media and the bbc to all the lies they give us,always in favour to israel , the gaza people and hamas are are freedom fighters fighting for there land,the truth will always come out .
It has gone beyond who started what, I am a middle-aged white English woman and I have never felt so sick in my life. I have no religion or affiliations with either party but when I see women and children denied exit over any border, denied refuge and then bombed shelled and shot at, it is nothing less than a war crime and it should be seen as a WAR CRIME. No side has justification for their behaviour but Isreal has reacted so out of proportion they should be charged.
Where is Egypt in all this? Gaza has a common board with Egypt but the Egyptians are not supporting them. It seems most of the aid required to allow Gaza to exist arrives via Israel.
Israel left Gaza and destroyed the settlements so that at least that parcel of land could be Palestinian. Why then do these people not make their own arrangements for food and other supplies either from the sea or from Egypt. They exist with money sent from Saudi Arabia and other sources as well as Israel.
All that appears to be arriving by either route is either arms or rockets probably from Iran or China.
The Palestiniaans must be stupid if they think the Israelis will sit around for ever being bombarded with rockets. It is not a question of Israels unjust treatment because back in 1967 the surrounding arab countries were threatening to drive Israel into the sea. That prompted the first war and allowed Israel to grab the land they now control. Perhaps if the Palestinians were more street wise they would take a long term view and know that in fifty years time they will out number the Israelis by a large margin. In all probability Palestine and Israel will once again become one country just as this area was for many centuries under the Turkish empire. In the short term the Palestinians can use the West Bank and Jordon as their home land and convince the Israelis they mean to live in peace.
No war is over until one side is the conclusive winner. History shows that the Armistice of 1918 prompted a re-run in 1939. The Gulf war of 1991 required a re-run in 2003. When the warmongers are weiry we can then look forward to peace.
Unfortunately that time has not yet come.
One has only to look at pro-Israel comments to see why Israel gets away with it.
A standard explanation is, Hamas uses civilians as a shield. So, if I want to kill one person without trial, and he is in a crowd, I am justified in killing everybody in that school, house, hospital or market to get him? Murder is murder, any way you cut it.
As for the basis. Israel touts itself as a UN created democracy, and portrays Hamas (read Palestinians) as useless terrorists, better put out their misery. They cite God and oppression for their superior claim to the land and water of others. Of course Hamas is based amongst the people of Gaza. All of these people have been barricaded for the past 18 months by Israel, denied access to amenities, jobs and a life, while observing the settlements built on lheir former homes. I would suggest that those who support Israel, would have done the same in Palestinian shoes. If the record is checked it will be noted that before the Intifada, there was no Hamas. Before the invasion of Lebanon, there was no Hizbollah. There is no definition of terrorism that would exclude Israel, and the US, which is why the UN cannot agree one.
Hopefully, there is a God, and I will get a ringside seat when these murderers go on trial.
This is only making the situation worse for the Israelis for the future. They have now created more enemies than they have ever had throughout the world! The Arab countries of the region are not any better neither! They should be ashamed of themselves!
The Israeli situation in Gaza is like shooting fish in a barrel – there is no escape for the Palestinians, and actually a no-win for the Israelis as they damage support for their cause across the world.
The violence is not a proportionate response to Hamas activity.
Unless and until Israel returns to the 1967 pre-occupation borders there will be no peace in the region.
Israel is a late arrival into the Middle East and needs to be better behaved – not the neighbour from hell it has become.
It is imperative that both sides realise the futility of conflict. Countless lives have been lost and the future of generations of Palestinians and Israelis have been blighted as a consequence. Why cannot the two sides bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones? Turn the page and start afresh with goodwill instead. Dignity and respect has to be sown if this conflict is ever to be solved!
I am horrified by what’s going on in Gaza and how helpless the international community is – how helpless and disguted I feel (and I am not Muslim or Palestinian!). Of course, Israel shouldn’t do whatever it wants – in terms of justifying all of its actions for the past few decades in the name of defending itself…. They shouldn’t build jewish settlements on Palestinian land whenever they feel like it (and kick Palestinian out of their home as a result either)!!! It shouldn’t break the UN resolution as they so often do!! No wonder the anger and hatred on the other side, the sense of despair that turns normal inhabitants into fighters… or human bombs… Israel’s violent and discriminatory/ condescending attitude towards civil palestinian (look at the number of children being killed in Gaza) can only fuel more anger against them in the long term. Their strategy doesn’t make sense…Unless there is a darker political agenda out there…
I am ashamed to be alive at the moment, when I see what is happening in Gaza. When Israel feels the need to attack someone or something, they do so without let or hindrance. As in the Lebanon two years ago, the international community manages to be able to turn a blind eye as Israel does what it feels the need to do.
Prime Minister Tony Blair lost all of my respect as a result of the Lebanon pounding by Israel by standing by and doing nothing. His punishment? He became a Middle East envoy.
The USA abstained at the UN whilst saying that they agreed with the wording of the resolution calling for an immediate cease fire. That abstention has allowed Israel to finish its job.
The language of reporting is that Hamas is smuggling arms and ammunition into Gaza. Why, then, do we not hear that Israel is smuggling arms and ammunition into Israel? Both are aiming at fulfilling the same objective for their own purposes: murder and mayhem. What makes Hamas a smuggler and Israel not?
I despair of the people who bring death and disaster on innocent people and who cause the destruction of so much property. Moreover, they bring terror, absolute and real terror, to the communities they infest. No one needs them.
Crimes against humanity for which no one will end up in the dock at the Hague.
Peace can only come from peace.
No longer should each side blame each other any longer. Enough is enough. Lay down your hate for each other and start to build a future of hope and love for your children.
Each man, woman and child that can do this will be heroes to their generation and all future generations. Start something now that will be looked backed on as the greatest time of peace and love.
I pray each day that my brothers and sisters on both sides will become united and truly give the area its rightful title of ‘Holy Land’
I believe the purpose of the UN is supposed to be to MONITOR countries for violations of international law. The attack on Gaza is criminal and an infringement of Human Rights on the palestinian civilians. “It lays down measures to protect the rights of children (art. 24)” Just how much more monitoring do they have to do and how many more innocent children have to die? Enough dead,time to stop the war and protect the people as they are supposed to do!
Where is your conscious people?
Why does Israel(?) choose to murder innocent civilians if it has the technology, viz ‘drones’ to spy on and target Hames terrorists? I can understand that Hamas is firing rockets indiscriminately into Israeli cities creating maximum terror and minimum loss of life, however, why does Israel have a disproportianate response to this action which appears to have no logic? Their response is irrational and childish – and sanctioned by the US of course. And we all know who runs the US.
SIMPLE ANSWER – BAN RELIGION , Holy books are all “stories” which are changed & modernised, it,s drummed in the minds. Fanatacism!!,We can all live together ,We all have different opinions/views/tastes etc The sooner we grasp this fact the better ,FOR ALL!! How boring if we were all the same ,Love your neighbor,does,nt mean you have to agree with all their views etc.PEACE!!
Rockets fired from within Gaza ? Surely if you put people in a cage and cut off food supply and not let anyone in or out, they will do something. What infuriates me is the Israeli reaction. 905 Palestinians killed for nothing. Quarter of which are children who had nothing to do with all this. Killing terrorists in the name of what ? One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. The American & Israeli governments are the real terrorists who have no regard for human lives and own a biased media who doesn’t report the truth and everyone knows why. What I find funny is that the same media can show news about how a fat couple cannot adopt a child and how some British celebrity gave birth to a daughter but they turn away from reporting news about Gaza. Israel should be ashamed of what it is doing and America should be ashmed for supporting Israel. There are plenty of graphic videos on the internet which are just horrific to watch. The world needs to do something. What good is the UN ? What human rights ? This is simply a war crime.
No honorable cause would intentinally go to battle surrounding its soldiers with their own families. To do so reveals the vile nature of the cause. No cause is so great that its children should be offered to the sword of the enemy. Isreal has the blood of the children of its enemy on its hands, Hamas now has the blood of its own children on its hands. When we invite the distruction of our children, it proves our cause is false and guarantees it has no future. A morally sound cause values and protects its children and thereby provides for its future. What Isreal is doing is horrible. What Hamas is doing is sub-human.
The middle east used to be a nice place to live in. Since the creation of Israel in 1945, the world is no longer the same. The replacement of Palestinians with Israelis and the creation of Israel after the Palestinians who lived there for thousands of years were kicked out after the new comers (the occupiers) started to immigrate to Palestine. Palestinians were and still jailed, tortured and killed. Imagine this happening to your country, what would you do? You people dont know the value of Palestine not only to Palestinians but to all arabs and muslims. Its in the heart and mind of every arab and muslim. The middle east will never see peace again until this cancer grown in the belly of the arab world under the blessing of the West is removed.
Israel always has (for 60 years so far) and always will get away with doing exactly what it wants …
it has committed atrocities and war crimes in Gaza recently and continues to do so, while governments stand by in complicity with their silence.
The BBC’s coverage has been disgraceful, misleading, shocking bias, no Palestinian side of this massacre, allowing the lies and deceit of the slick Zionist Israel propaganda machine to gives us objectivity and facts.
Zionist Israel has broke the Geneva convention and UN resolutions many many times over many many years and they get away with it, votes are taken the US veto them and the farce continues. If one day the US stopped funding Israek this might be different?
Israel must remove it’s illegal settlements and fanatics from the West Bank and stop acting like a sociopath.
Israel must stop occupying Palestine, take down it’s wall, return stolen land, stop collectively punishing the Palestinian people.
Israel must allow the right of return for the Palestinians refugees.
No justice, No Peace.
Once again as in Lebanom, the Israelis use overwhelming military force to kill anyone who opposes them. The fact that Hammas hides behind civilians simply means that they are taken out as well. I will never ever buy Israeli goods again, or support them in any way. I am ashamed to share the same planet as these child murderers from both Hammas and Israel. Two wrongs never made a right and both parties must be despised for their actions in terrorising an entire population of 1.5 million of which 200,000 are kids. I despise too, the government of the United States who time after time support Israel, this time abstaining from a majority U.N vote for a ceasefire. No moral leadership there then.
Quite a battle isn’t it?. heading for 1000 dead Palestinians, many civilians, against 15 Dead Israelis, 10 of those soldiers in combat in an invasion force. So just who are the terrorists in this conflict?. The UN again have shown themselves to be impotent in the face of aggression although they do have brave people in Gaza itself trying to alleviate suffering and protect its citizens.
I will remember the time when women and children were being killed in such callous manner by a so called western style democracy and hang my head in shame that my own Country did not condemn it. Can Israel do what it whatever it wants?. The answer is Yes, for now, but most decent people around the world will never forgive them.
You journalists are not asking the right questions. Please think about and ask the following:
1. Who do you think is going to have to pay for their war in Gaza? We the US taxpayers will be forced to pay for it. 97% of us have no choice or say in the matter. Who do you think had to pay for their war in Lebannon and for preparing for this war?
2. Today you had an article on the 6 day war. Why is it you never mention the attack on 8 June 1967 on the US ship the USS Liberty, an unarmed ship in international waters. Only when you explore this attack which killed many US sailors will you understand why we the real people can do nothing about the mess our government has gotten us into today. It was covered up and is still being covered up by our politicians today. Please, Please explore this and make it public.
who can stop Israel. UN? europe?
the message to rest of world from Israel has been received ” I don’t care and don’t recognize the UN decision to stop the war, Israel does what it needs to do” UN is just nothing then name.Hamas has the right to defend herself and her peaple as every other country. If we talk about terrorism we sure should link it with Israel as she is the only country in the world who kills civilians, creats fear and commits international crime. I suggest that all the world should united against Isreal. I believe UK could do much more to stop the war on GAZA.
Thanks for the great show, I watch parts on the provided link ….
~Dennis Junior~
Laurie,
Do you have any idea how scary your suggestion is?
Ban religion? Who would people call on and cry “God is on our side”, when they go to war.
You are actually asking people to take the responsibility for their actions, and that isn’t going to happen. It’s much easier to do it in the name of their God.
Sorry, it’s a nice idea, but it isn’t going to happen. They are not brave enough to do that.
Dave
Israel will keep attacking for a few more days, then a ceasefire will be signed, then the off and on Hamas rockets-Israeli retaliations scenario will begin again. Nothing will change because the root causes are not being dealt with. The Jews were out of Israel-Palestine for nearly two thousand years. The Palestinians were there the whole time and also were co-occupiers of the land in Old Testament times, quite a bit longer than the English have been in England, or almost any Americans have been in America. Hamas will be utterly cynical in their ceasefire talks because in their eyes the West has no moral credibility. Yes, Balfour promised the Jews a homeland in this area; no, it was not his to promise. Yes, the Holocaust happened; no it does not entitle the Jews to this land. Yes, the Torah says God promised this land to the Jews; no, the Torah is not a legal document, any more than the Koran or the Gita. Morally, the Jews have no case for their seizing this land by force in 1948. But we in the West do not see it that way because we can’t morally let ourselves see it. Westerners, especially those in N. America, took lands all over and by force from people who had been there for nine thousand years. The West in essence is saying to the Palestinians “Get over it.” The Palestinians reply is just as succinct: “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” The madness will go on as before.
Its a bit like a boy throwing stones at the windows of a neighbour who wont return his ball from the garden.
The police give the boy a ticking off and advise the neighbour to return the ball.
The neighbour doesnt give the ball back and the boy throws more stones.
The miserable old angry neighbour then overeacts and sets fire to the boys house killing his parents and younger siblings.
The police want to charge the old man with murder but cant get him into court.
No matter – the old man will get weaker and lose his friends while the boy grows older, bigger, stronger, and gets help from his cousins.
It may take a long time but he will evetually get his ball back – you can rely upon it.
There are billions of Muslims who generally support Hamas and other terrorists. There are only 14.5 million Jews, including Israel. Who do you think writes the propaganda…who do you think controls the UN. One Jewish State…more than 20 Muslim States. Get real.
I am dissapointed at the BBC news coverage on the Israeli onslaught of Gaza.You just love showing the Israeli propaganda machine with the two blondes,just to soften up your viewers.Are you sure the BBC are not on Rupert Murdochs payroll??Have the guts to show real news like Al Jazeera and Press TV….that’s true journalism
Ros Atta expressed my view completely.
Like Israel, we in Britain also lost scores of people to terrorism since the 1960s, in our case from the IRA. Yet did we bomb buildings in Dublin or elsewhere in Southern Ireland from where weapons were finding their way? Did we send planes over to kill leaders of the IRA in their own houses along with their families and anyone else who might be there(and worse, freely admit it)? Did we shoot down IRA members on their way to and from church? Did we send over bombers to destroy weapons stores and any civilians who happened to be working there or passing by? No of course we didn’t. The British people and the international community would have been apalled at such brutal behaviour. Instead we treated the IRA as criminals who needed to be caught and put on trial. We negotiated without necessarily compromising on the need for peace and the laying down of arms. Even the worst murderer and pediaphile is entitled to a trial in a civilised society. To shoot a soldier off-duty on sight or bomb them from a mile high with no chance of surrender is barbaric in my mind.
It suits aggressive nations (including the USA)to treat this as a “war on terror”, since all of a sudden you can do almost what you like to the enemy. If they are branded a terrorist they apparently do not deserve any rights or compassion at all. Trouble is ,who decides who is a terrorist? For example, I notice we always refer to the Chechnyans as “rebels” on the BBC news, never terrorists…. because they are against Russia they cannot be terrorists. The Taleban were never terrorists when they were helping to fight Russia in the 80s. I am certainly no supporter of the Taleban with their brutal regime and suppression of women, but the definition of a terrorist is someone who kills innocent people indiscriminately. If blowing up troops with a roadside bomb is terrorism, then taking out an elected Hamas leader on his way to a Mosque is at least equivalent, as of course is firing a rocket into a civilian population in Israel or Gaza.
At the moment i am studying the topic religion in sociology and i have to say at the moment the Marxist Theory saying that religion causes conflict has been proved. However this is not true for all societys or countries because where i live we are encouraged to accept people of different religions and as a religious follower myself i believe that our religion also teaches us to accept everyone from different religions and also to respect other beliefs even if it is different to your own belief. In my opinion those who are being a kraut do not understand religion because religion is meant to create peace and harmony. I do think the UK could do lots to help Gaza and I’m disappointed they have not done anything as of yet I mean we are all human beings and we all have a conscious and our empathy for the people in Gaza should be the motivation to help Gaza.
I’m sorry, but how sick is it that people can find ways to justify the deaths of hundreds of innocent lives, the maiming of thousands and the wounding of thousands of innocent families?
Even the Red Cross has spoken up about some MASSACRES – for example in one case an entire family was herded up into a house and bombed. Dozens of people including women and childred were flat out murdered.
The Israeli occupation and theft of land which does not belong to them has in the past 50 years or so resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent palestinians.
By comparison Israeli losses are very light – this doesn’t make Israeli deaths any less important but at the same time you can’t just turn a blind eye to the scores more Palestinian deaths. If you do then you’re saying loss of innocent lives is justifiable and you’re as sick as those who claimed a terrorist attack on the USA 8 years ago was justifiable.
The beginning of a Paleatinian/ Israeli solution is for the Media every day of the week to tell Iran and Syria to stop spreading poisonus propoganda, stop supplying Hamas and other organisations with arms, instead to finance Industry, business, and the economic structure, and to encourage working with the Israelis to produce a vibrant economy. The odd cursory mention of this possible solution will not do, it must be hammered out every day of the week.. Then I am sure israel`s attitude will change.
My friend, Dr Sonia Robbins, a British citizen, is on the Free Gaza Boat, Spirit of Humanity’ which left from Cyprus yesterday. She and the others on the boat are on a humanitarian mission carrying medical aid and food, not any threat to Israel.
I understand that Israel plans to bomb this boat today. This must not be allowed to happen. There has been enough senseless killing.
This violence will solve nothing, only ensure anti-Semitism until the end of time.
Barbara Faibish
And barbara faibish got this information from ?
Ironic, that the rockets which Hamas fire land on palestinian land occupied by Isreal. now, that is something that doesn’t get reported very often. Neither is the fact that Israel receives probably in excess of 6 billion dollars aid from the USA to arm itself to the teeth (with american munition, it must be said). That’s quite a lot for a country which is roughly one third smaller in size and population than the german state of Baden Württemberg, which is where I live. War is great for business, it must be said. To be honest, both sides are to blame for the crisis. Netherthless, the core problem is with Israel, it’s contiued definance of Int. Law, occupied land, settlements etc. The vast majority of arabs want to live in peace with Israel, but not on US/isreal terms -and rightly so. The whole situation is an uneven playing field tipped in the favour of Israel, and backed up with the rhetoric of the neo-cons in the US + a hefty wad of cash. The palestines just want their land back. Do this, and you can appease the tensions in the middle east overnight (ok, a little too optimisitic, but it is a start). shalom…
I think a very important over-looked point to this conflict is the blockade on Gaza which is considered an act of war under international law. I am not referring to the closed land-borders with Israel, I am referring to the blockade of the seas and skies of Gaza which belong to Gaza not Israel. As part of the ceasefire truce, Israel would ease the blockade on Gaza. Unfortunately it did the opposite. It broke the truce by tightening the blockade and then some more with bombing members of Hamas.
If a foreign country were attacking ships in British seas, or shooting at planes flying into British skies, we would call this an outrageous act of war. Yet when Israel does this to ships and planes in Gazas seas and skies, our media ignores it.
The attacks on Gaza’s people, its land, its skies and its seas is what needs to end. This is what the Palestinians are asking for, it is what Hamas is asking for, and this is why rockets are still falling into Israel.
On 27 June 2007 it was announced that Tony Blair is was become a Middle East envoy working on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU.
Am I the only person in the UK who keeps wondering why we have never heard from him during the current Gaza conflict?
Where is he?
The Israelis are fighting against Hamas (a terrorist organisation) and all the muslims in the world are up in arms about it and causing demonstrations (in some cases including violence) in the Western world which we have to pay to have policed – however when the sunnis were fighting with the shiates in the middle east there were no demonstrations by the muslims because they were fighting against each other – can’t anyone with half a brain see that they are so biased???
(BBC won’t post this as they never do when there is another side to the perspective)
Shame on Israel. Killing innocent men women and children. Shame Shame Shame.
Yes, Israel in a position to do whatever they like to. Given the overwhelming support from US, all the millitaty power, they can do anything with Hamas. But what they are doing right now is not the right option. With such a power, Israel can go in and single out every millitant in Gaza region while providing food and shelter to the good citizens. Man, so much of un-ncessary distruction and then allowing the aid agencies to recontruct those. While Hamas who are ready to blow themselves, should try Gandhi’s principles. Go on hunger strike untill death right on the border. This will send the message more effectvely that doing suicide missions.
Many supporters of Israel claim that all those against Israel’s actions are Anti-Semite. How shallow, to assume that you are either Pro-Israel or Anti Semite.
I am tired of people assuming that every muslim naturally ‘supports the terrorists’ because ‘they are so biased’. I am muslim, I am not anti-semite, but I am against Israel’s actions because of the absolutely disproportionate reaction that they have shown, and the complete disregard for the loss of innocent lives. Obviously Hamas was in the wrong, and loss of Israeli lives is just as tragic, but Israel is no longer acting in defence. Claiming that 900 lives is justifiable makes them as sick as those who claimed 9/11 was justifiable.
I have absolutely no faith in humanity any more.
in basic terms the gaza attacked isreal so they have the right to attack their missle sites and destroy them to protect their own people
gaza has been acting out of hand and now that its turned sour are pleading that isreal are in the wrong
On account of the innocent lives lost they are unfortunate and very few set out to kill innocent people but when cowrardly terroists hide behind them sometimes a few caualties are unavoidable
What Israel is doing is the most uncalled for operation of this age(since Bush Iraqi invasion)
There is no way that they will succeed in ‘rooting’ Hamas out, it seems they are just revenging for the resounding defeat they had when they tried to ‘root’ Hoezbollah out.
The Arab world has let everyone down, Egypt has even done worse.I strongly feel that the other countries of the world should follow Libya, Iran, south Africa and Venezuela in strongly condemning the attacks and should even consider using millitary force to bring about sanity to Israel.
The UN is another mjajor culprit in this issue, they should do justice, period!
Obama too should show that he is an international president and he should comment on the brutal attacks.He should not follow the parochial and the very narrow minded decisions that Bush and the other US presidents have been making.
Long live the Palestinian children long live the Palestinian women long live lovers of fairness
If anyone can come with a solution to solve a conflict of such biblical proportion I’d like to hear it. Two thousand years of conflict tells me it’s not going to happen. It is a totaly dispairing situtation, mirrored by events all over the world on a regular basis. Just STOPPING might be a beginning…
Just two headlines from Haaretz israeli daily:
“Deadly road accidents down since the Gaza operation begun” Military radio says.
“Tzipi Livni: The Gaza offensive is good for the palestinians”
Sarcastic cold blood? We are approaching a 1.000 dead, 5.000 injured toll and they simply don’t care.
I just cant understand why people are calling this aggression on Gaza a war!
Is the so called war on hamas worth it?
How many Hamas members have they killed and
how many children have they killed?
Speaking as an observer, I think it’s odd that over the last 8 years there was no protest over rockets fired into Israel. But when Israel strikes back there’s no end to the rightuous indignation. Further, the fact that Hamas is allied with those sworn to eliminate Israel gets little mention is also rather strange. Hamas is not some innocent organization. Surely their aim warns us to the likelyhood that they will lie, distort, dissemble, and do anything to make Israel look bad. The fact that during the recent truce they dug tunnels and imported weapons says that they have no intention of ever accepting Isreal’s existence, let alone sitting down at a table to discuss terms. Israels critics should remeber that the only difference between Hamas and those we are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan is the name. They all desire the same end, to eliminate Israel and to strike at the entire ediface of Western culture, a culture they do not understnd yet claim the right to judge.
The truth is Isreal cannot stop hamas from firing rockets into Isreal.
Why begin a war that you know there will be a large number of civilians?
The simple answer is the wipe out the palestinians.
It wouldnt work!
as barbara said,she got the information from her friend.
I do believe her because i see something similar to what see said on al jazeera.
The isreal army were firing at an ambulance driver just to stop him from getting innocent injured people to the hospital.
Is there really a justification to the so called “war oh Hamas”?
how many hamas members have they killed compared to the number of children and women they killed?
I pray we find a lasting peaceful solution to this palestinian -isrealis problem soon.
It is out of order that the attak in Gaza is still continued, shame! shame for the world’d leaders for not standing against Israel.
I dont see Hamas as a terrorists organisation but as freedom fighters.Though,i dont belive in their ideologies bacause PEACE is a powerfull tool and strongly believe in it and nothing can be achived through violence.
What Isreal is doing is outrageous!
This is not a war on Hamas but a massacre of the palestinian people.
Palestine,may God give you more patience,
You shall over come.
No Israel does not have the right to do as it pleases, but as America is its major backer and never criticises Israel they can get away with it. However, don’t forget that Israel was founded by terrorists i.e. “The Stern gang” Israelis of course consider them freedom fighters, but they where, and in the eyes of anyone with an ounce of intelligence still “terrorists” It is about time the rest of the World grew up and got off the guilt trip of the treatment of the jews during the Nazi era. We are now dealing with 21st century Nazis who learned their trade under the old Nazi regime of the last century.
Arabs, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims are all human beings, if one race considers themselves superior to another, they are only fooling themselves. Perhaps a little soul searching and humility on the part of the Israelis instead of asserting their questionable rights over other less unfortunates would be the start of the solution to this mess. Should their be no resolution soon, The USA may find that the oil supplies of the Middle East will no longer be made available to them.
America and Israel live in a dream world where they still think “might is right”
which might explain the deep mistrust that the world has with both America and Israel.
What strikes me are the one-sided comments from most of the bloggers. The majority are totally ignorant of the situation, choosing to ignore the reason for the current conflict, the others are Muslims, the latter are always under the illusion that they do not have to assume responsibility for their actions (9-11 was America’s fault).
I was born just before the 2nd world war and lived through the London blitz. What is going on in Gaza pales into insignifficance compared to the mid 1940’s.
I believe most of the skewed criticism is due to entities such as the BBC who use Palestinian reporters and photographers who, by their very beliefs, are strongly biased. It is obvious from many of the images splashed accross our screens, many stories are contrived, blood smeared on childrens faces, the child in no obvious discomfort, women crying without tears etc.
The main argument seems to be that Israel’s response is disproportionate. What is the answer, whenever Hamas and/or friends fire a rocket into Israel’s populated areas, Israel fires a rocket back into Gaza city. Is this proportionate? (a stupid argument at best). If someone slaps my face I will punch them on the nose trusting that they would not want to do that again
There is no support whatsoever for the statement that Israel is engaged in an act of revenge against Hamas for the war against Hezbollah in 2006. Nothing could be further from the actual truth. Hamas is an internationally recognized terrorist organization (by the US and EU) that is responsible for the crisis currently going on. Israel withstood daily rocket attacks for years without response. But enough was enough. Israel’s aim is stop the terrorist rockets. In 18 days Israel has tried to carry out its objectives as carefully as possible. True, over 900 people have been killed (many of whom are Hamas terrorists), but the population of Gaza is over 1.5 million people. In this light, I believe that Israel is trying to be as careful as possible to avoid civilian casualties wherever possible.
Israel are doing their best to stop the terrorist threat once and for all…they are not deliberately targetting civilians, they are trying to destroy the Hamas infrastructure and there is no other way to do it. They actually care about non-combatants, and go out of their way whenever possible to minimise their deaths.
Hamas has one goal…to erradicate all Israelis, and they have proved to be one of the most formidable and murderous regimes on this planet. Many of the ‘innocent victims’ are taught to hate Jew’s from about the age of two, not because they are invaders, but because they are Jews….
What Hamas are doing to their children is far worse than anything they might suffer at the hands of the Israelis, and yet no one objects, no one cries for justice, all anyone sees is exactly what Hamas want them to see, and most of the journalists are not interested in the real plight of these children, just in painting as bad a picture of Israel as is possible….it is ‘hot news’ and it sells well at this time.
In the long run, Israels objectives could also be a start in freeing the Gazans from the yoke of evil around their necks, and ultimately liberate their children too.
When Israelis say they are fighting a ‘just war’ for their survival-they make it clear that they want this feeling to spread all around the world. But remember the thief always fears-Israelis declared the state of Israel by force-by expulsion of native Palestinians-now they complain that those displcaed native want their land and lives back. Why should they not want it back? and what moral right has Israel-who are more majority settlers and immigrants from all over the world-to push Plaestininas out of their land-then block them in all ways and then complain, and kill their children-when they send their message of disgust-the rockets, across to their former birth places?
Occupation is a reality that must be dealt with by the whole world-otherwise the Occupiers will keep making this ‘fight for survival’ the problem of the world, which in fact is false justification, by force, of Occupation.
hey people live a better world let othere’s live and you will live in peace too.nobody want’s pain do the people in gaza and the israel want?
it is predicted that the third world war will be started with the issue of the religion esp between the christians and the muslims.
what are you doing don’t act that each and every individual with a muslim name is a terrorist and that other(race,religion,tribe,nations) is the only good one.treat them well.
“WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU RIPE”
you all the world acting as the only civilized,democratic,well educated etc people or nation and making them(muslim) as the garbage is not fare evey human should respect each other then there will be love and respect between each other which would be long lasting and the peace will commence automatically.
many bloodshed in that area esp the woman and child.
please stop it
where is UN where is the ICRC where is the name called HUMAN
OBAMA help those people out
When the people of Gaza voted in a terrorist group sworn to destroy Israel they must have had a vauge idea there would be trouble. It is not a matter of winning the hearts of people because Arab countries hate Israel unconditionally. Israel knows the UN, one day some country will actually obey a mandate, will talk and do nothing else so they took the matter into their own hands. Both Israel and Hamas refuse to stop fighting and the world can do nothing to stop them just like they cannot stop the wars in Africa. Israel have nothing to lose in world / Arab opinion so they might as well please the Israelies and punish if not defeat Hamas. If Hamas gave a damn about the Gaza people they could stop the pathetic rocket attacks and sort the economy out. Even Eygpt will not open its borders with Gaza so maybe the people of Gaza should put their own house in order.
What Israel is doing today will not in anyway stop the anger and hatred against them. In killing Palestinian children and women they are now facing anger from other nations as well, we must not forget that with Bush holding hands in this killing field no one else have any say.
I hope that things will take a different turn once Obama is in power. America has for too long supporting the killing of innocent lives such as the Palestinians and the Tamils in Sri Lankan war.
THERE MUST BE A STOP TO THIS.
“THERE IS NO ONE TO WIPE THE TEARS OF OUR CHILDREN”
As far as I can see, Israel wants a war with Iran,but of course they want america to do there dirty work.Lets face it ,with the number of jews in top positions of the American government this is highly likely.If the Israelis continue their disgusting genocide in Gaza,I fear that Iran will retaliate.If the tables were turned,and thousands of Israelis were being murdered after an invasion by the Palestinians,what do you think America would do
This will then give America and Israel the excuse that they have been wanting for years.Of couse the general public will get fed,as it is always has been, one sided information through the Jewish owned media.Already BBC radio 4 is running a week long series on how Iran was much better when it was under the control of the Shar,and how bad it is now,well surprise surprise!! getting the hatred going before the attack happens.
There’s nothing better for a depression than a war,and I think thats the way we are heading unfortunately.
not only the US and Jews around the world by their support of the Israeli invasion but the likes of the BBC and other partial Western media which describe the attrocity all can themselves see it on screen to be as well as hear it from the heads of the UN, Red “VERY” Cross and other Humanitarian groups as but another War or Arena of Conflict whilst describing the Democratically elected, like it or not, Hamas resistance as Militants even though they are now supported by Al Fatah et al in needs of self preservation against the White Phosfor shelling and Chain Gun straffing of civilian occupied areas from helicopters (plus plus) killing-machine are is the combined batallions of Israels Air, Sea and Land Forces will feel more than just the draft when the tell-tale white smoke finally settles. The BBC in not being able to bring itself to quote near 1000 near entirely civilian Gazan dead of which 300+ are children against a declared 13 Israeli deaths of which only 3 are civilians on Front-Line News programmes tells all!
don`t you mean CENSORSHIP!
Well, this is the third time I try to have my message/opinion posted without success. I wonder what part of this content is unacceptable and what BBC regulations it contravenes?
Israel can do as it pleases. The reasons:
1) USA sponsored (militarily, Economically, at the UN – no UN resolutions enforced due to US veto/abstention)
2)Israel lobby in US. Can’t get elected in the US without promising to back Israel no matter what.
3) Any public discourse on the Israel lobby’s influence on US foreign policy is quashed by claims of anti-Semitism.
4) EU and other US client states have to tow the US political line.
5)Arab states are paralyzed by their focus on maintaining their own little dictatorships and hegemony to unite and face down the US/Israel leveraging their economic power.
6)Whether we admit it or not, Arab blood is worth less than Western blood. We are used to them being slaughtered. They look strange and foreign. Israeli’s are mainly European in appearance and we can relate to them more easily.
7)In the EU, politicians are generally more interested in keeping their jobs than pursuing a moral argument. Why else, when all the independent aid agencies have confirmed war crimes and genocide, has not a single politician come out and accused Israel of war crimes and genocide (accept George Galloway – and we all know he was thrown out of his party for speaking the truth about Iraq II – the sequel)?
Merouan – A British born Arab Muslim married to a Mexican Catholic with Jewish, Protestant and atheist close friends and colleagues.
Israel is using chemical weapons – I can see the phosphous emitting from bombs.
This alone is a barbaric and illegal act.
No matter what the conflict is about – we have the ability to negotiate and use reason to settle differences.
Israel will suffer for this continued unjust attack as the swell of support for the Palestinians is growing by the day.
I expect Israel intends to provoke other Arab nations to come to Gazans aid. This will start WW3 – on your head be it ISRAEL.
Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza killing many innocent civilians should be condemned in no uncertain term.
However, “when you tell the dog you you must tell the bone”. The international community should equally condemn Hamas for delibereately using innocent civilians as human shield in its fight in order to gain international sympathy and support. Such military strategy is inhuman and should be classified as war crime as much as Israel’s attacks on civilians is.
The international communities’ silence on this aspect of the war is therefore regrettable and only succeeds in encouraging Hamas to use civilian settlements to launch attacks, and Israel to continue killing innocent Palestinian civilians with impunity.
i really feel that if israel does not do what they are doing then hamas will regroup and start firing more rockets in to israel.i feel that the palestinian people have been fooled in to thinking that hamas would help them but the truth is hamas are just terrorists and there motto is live to kill that is why they must be stopped.
what about all the suicide bombers that kept killing innocent people in israel on a constant basis.did the israel people go in to palestine with bombs strapped to there backs no they did not that’s why israel people are sick and tired of theses evil hamas swines.
It is written in the Bible that God will continue to protect Israel. There’s nothing anyone can do about it.
I think the media’s also biased. We are at a point where it’s cool to be a muslim.
Overall, we can whine all we want about how Israel is so evil, but even Barack Obama stated, “If someone was firing missles near the window of my daughter’s bedroom, I’d fight back too.”
The concept of “Israel” has pretty much ruined my faith as a Christian. To see the Christain Bible uesed to defend and even promote this political-religious-financial fraud in the 21st Century leaves me sad and empty. The more I have read about the formation of Israel and the 3000 year history behind it, the less I believe most of it is true at all. It all appaears more of a Roman-Jewish hoax on real history to save the last of the Roman Empire than true religion and real history. Many things tell me that the propaganda of the past 60 years has not taken hold to date. How America and Britain were left holding the bag of Israel’s problems, must have money and power at it’s root. Certainly the people of Britain and America, given a vote would not be supporting “Israel” today. This jewish invasion of America policy, has caught most US citizens by surprize and really helped destroy traditional America since the 1950s or more. None of this seems American, it has been thought up and promoted from outside, but it is sold as American. The rumblings in Europe tell us, jews are once again making themselves very unpopular. As a American British Protestant, I find that Israel taking center stage in our news and often foreign service is not right. Why should one very small group of mixed people, often not religious at all, take this much time from our own affairs, how did this even happen? This whole mess seems to be nothing but a “tail wagging the dog” story that is way out of control. Jews were far from the only ones who suffered and died from the war years all over the world. It seems if there is ever to be world peace it must start in Palistine with truth, fairness and forgiveness. The time is now.
“It is written in the Bible that God will continue to protect Israel. There’s nothing anyone can do about it. ”
If that is the sum total of your argument, it goes a long way towards explaining what is wrong in the world, whether you be Jewish, Muslim or anything else.
Besides, God’s not doing such a great job on it so far. For the first few thousand years, he’s dropped the ball quite a few times…
Who said anything about an argument?
Presumptuous, aren’t we?
Are the lives of the palestinian children worthless?
Over 300 children killed in 19 days.
Where is our humanity?
Irael should be able to do as it likes to protect it self from terror as any other country should
Why, BBC, is Hamas’s procurement of rudimentary rockets through tunnels to Egypt constantly referred to as ‘illegal’, while nothing is said about Israel’s procurement of the most sophisticated weaponry available from the US and her allies? Israeli politicians are allowed to say again and again that ‘Hamas should not be allowed to rearm,’ whilst they themselves blithely assume the right to command one of the most fearsomely equipped military services in the world, its hardware all procured from overseas, chiefly the US. I have yet to hear this contradiction highlighted in the mainstream British media. The British media’s, always oversold, international reputation for objectivity is being put in dire jeopardy.
The American Christian right are appalled at abortion but seem quite sanguine at the slaughter of born, loving, breathing, children. I only hope they can square this with their God.
It is the duty of the United Nations to bring about a satisfactory resolution to this terrible mess they created in the first place in giving away Palestinian land to foreigners of Jewish decent.
How anyone saw logic in this utterly illogical proposal (of partitioning Palestine) in the first place astounds me. If Israel will not come to its senses (as the victor and show mercy as it should, and never has) then the UN should enforce it’s mandate through whatever means (as it did with Korea,Iraq etc), including blockades and military intervention.
It doesn’t matter if the West doesn’t like Hamas, Arabs or Muslims it’s about equity, fairness, impartiality and recognising the full rights of the Palestinians as the true owners of Palestinian land.
The Israelis have portrayed the Palestinians as something other than human but they are human after all !
The Palestinians are fighting for their very survival as a people. I hope the West Bank Palestinians (who have not helped their fellow Gazans) are watching very carefully to see first hand the manner in which their eventual demise will also unfold, at the hands of the Israelis.
60 years of Israeli occupation and no progress whatsoever for the Palestinians, isn’t that message screaming at you, telling you something. Should Palestinians keep watching impotently as the Israeli settlers take more and more of their land pushing them further and further into extinction. The true long term agenda for the Israelis is taking land and exterminating the indigenous peoples.
The “A” team in action tonight.
Keep it up guys.
Long letter follows to BBC Word
Last night on the news, Britain was referred to as an ally of Israel. This can be misinterpreted to mean that we support the atrocities that are going on in Gaza. I am disgusted by the terrorist bullying tactics of Israel and take offence at being called an ally. I agree that there are a few fundamentalists in Gaza that are wrong, but to kill a thousand everyday normal people should be described as one of the worst atrocities of recent times.
A flower surrounded by thorns is made to look even more beautiful. Despite the presence of thorns, the flower continues doing what it is suppose to do ie. spread its fragrance.
For a moment, accepting that Hamas has provoked you to wage war amidst the Palestinians, just like a flower, your war should spread love and compassion and not anger, hatred and one of despair.
Then, I am very convinced that the so called “evilness” that you feel you are surrounded with will be converted and replaced with love and trust where every heart will be at peace and the feeling of calmness.
Don’t be guided by your “past” or what is right or wrong for it will only hasten our own destruction ultimately.
Let us teach our selves to create love and hope around us and not be a tool or slave of violence and destruction. There is no Israelis or Palestinians but we are all children of God and the ultimate reality is that we will all have to go one day taking nothing with us except love, mercy and kindness. It is then very important as to how we live and not how we die or cause death.
Let your love and humility light up the skies of Gaza. We need your strength to heal Gaza and the West Bank.
Praise the Lord who dwells within everyone.
The answer is very simple – stop firing missiles and the air and ground bombardment will stop. Israelis have a right to live in peace and tranquility. My friends have had to leave their house with their 4 children and move up north because last week 2 missiles landed on their farm.
I’ve not seen or heard any explanation anywhere by anyone as to how Israel could get Hamas to stop sending missiles, other than by military means.
Hamas has said often and has written on their website that they have no interest in negotiation, only in the destruction of Israel.
It is astonishing to me that more people cannot see the cynical, ruthless brutal way that Hamas, who are effectively the Taliban of Gaza, are deliberately putting Gazans in harm’s way, simply to make the actions by Israel look worse.
Consider the actions of NATO, the US, the UK armed forces in recent conflicts. No army has tried harder not to put civilians at risk than Israel, even though its own soldiers are put at much higher risk because of it.
It drops leaflets, issues warnings and even phones civilians to warn them to get out of target buildings – is this the action of a careless and brutal aggressor?
Even Arab leaders and Arab peoples have begun to realise that organisations like Hamas and Hezballah are a danger not just to Israel but to the entire region, and so to the world. They thrive on death and destruction, whereas most normal people just want to get on with their lives.
Stop the condemnation of Israel – stop the missiles and the fighting will stop.
I do not want to change my statement , I see dead children on my screen I see children in hospitals injured and scared for life , I see illegal weapons being used to bombard Palestinian civilians. I can not be moderate I feel it is time to call a spade for a spade and stop being so gentle with the Israeli Government that is using and abusing it s power to collective punish the people of Palestine. It is not just this war, we have to remember that Israel is occupying this land and is expending its settlement on daly basis choking the Palestinian people for the last 60 years. The moderation time is over we need to be just only than will can start of a better tomorrow.
By using white phosphorus on civilians Israel is committing open WAR CRIMES.
UN has failed completly to do any justice or have their resolutions implemented and stop the agrression. Israel’s Army may be able to stop Hamas’s rocket attacks as a result of this ruthless operation but I fear that their approach & disregard towards civilians will result in Terrosits using Chemical Bombs with in Israel. They will use these pictures of burnt children & women to recruit more extremists and will carry out more attacks. Can there be any peace in the middle east when Israel is occupying Palestinian Lands for over 4 decades ?
Whilst smoke billowing out of the UN relief compound at this very moment isnt proof enough nor UN director John GING words loud enough for you to hear that the Israeli onslaught is beyond all conscience then surely direct witness calls for mercy in reporting the very recent collapse of a civilian packed tower block and the streets full of those still able to run as the tanks advance upon them behind heavy bombardment under the cover of illegally used smoke and fire causing phosphour bombs the BBC sadly is still talking to the Israeli propaganda machine about the accuracy of statistics which even at their lowest call (in defiance of the all too visible evidence available to all)are more than gross enough. Can anybody blame the victim of the strangley for at least trying to kick him where it should hurt whilst he still has breeath in his body? david. PS no I havnt!
It is such a shame that you do not care for all the civilians that you have killed, their blood is on your hands in Gaza. I am a normal Englishman who has no religious beliefs, who up till now I respected the right of a country to defend herself but when 13 people have been killed and 1000 people killed in Gaza (most of them women and children) it cannot continue. I have always respected the Jewish people, especially after WW2 and the gross injustices done in the Nazi name. Now I see that you are in effect the agressor, keeping Gazan people in their large camp that is the Gaza strip. You are doing exactly what Hitler did to you during the war, this time all in the name of defence (which how many rockets have actually killed people?) You say that any state who is under attack would do the same…..did the UK government close the Northern Irish borders and start shelling the IRA terrorists in order to win? No they did not and had to enter into dialogue to reslove the issue. If it is making me angry as a non-Muslim I can imagine the damage that you are doing in stopping the terrorists recruiting new people. There will be revenge attacks and bombings I would expect and all down to the agression shown to the Gazan people by the Israeli state.
Why is it that the rest of the world has to listen to the UN or adhere to International norms but Israel does not? The US government should be ashamed of its support of killing women and children in this way. If you pen people in like you have done in Gaza, no access to food, water and electricity on a daily basis then a people will rise up against you.
Its such a shame that you didn’t take the moral high ground and show the rest of the world you are not like those in WW2, instead you have shown the same contempt for a group of people.
I’m in my mid ’50’s. Served in the military for 12 years and saw extensive combat operations.
What the Israelis are doing is inexcusable – no ifs, buts or maybes. There is no excuse for shooting non combatants……… So, don’t listen to the Israeli apologists.
My father was Polish, his mother Jewish and he escaped from a camp, his brother didn’t. I’ve worked on a kibbutz in Israel. On going to the West Bank with the Israelis their attitude towards the Arab population would have shamed an SS officer.
The Jewish state was founded on terror (few people remember the Stern gang – and British soldiers hung, and a range of atrocities performed by the founders of the Jewish state). Israel needs to realise that they need to behave by western norms. Not the norms of the ghetto or the camps – of various sorts.
I certainly do not support Hammas, but believe that an international boycott of Israeli goods should take place to show them that they cannot treat fellow humans as vermin…….
Sham on you BBC. Sham on british and american governemtns for their double standards. I wonder if 1000 british/american or western citizens would have died in any conflit , what would be the respnose of offical, public and media in western countries.
I think Israel and the USA are in danger of becoming the terrorists. The response from Israel is extremely disproportionate to the attackes from its neighbours, its a terrible sad time for us all.
ISRAEL IS WRONG!
It is that simple. Wrong for killing innocent people. Wrong for using a hammer when they have the technology to use a needle to acheive their objectives. Israel, one of the most powerful military entities in the world , funded by the most powerful(USA)and yet persisting in this lie of victimhood and continued ineptness and ‘accidentally’ killing civilians. How many of the 1000 dead are hamas…yet pro-israeli’s are blinded and will say in essence these palestinians deserve it! Hitler prior to his subjugation of jews made them seem subhuman to justfiy their treatment and now Israeli’s are doing the same to palestinians. SHAME!
The ceasefire was broken on November the 4th by the Israeli’s. Why is everyone ignoring that. That is why Hamas responded with their crude and inaccurate rockets. As Avi Shlaim said this is more like a eye for an eyelash by the israeli’s and they have the one who have consistently broken ceasefires. Israel does not want peace, it wants victory by annihilation. At least admit that to yourselves, israeli’s.
I came to watch this WHYS programme with interest and was so hugely dissappointed at its obvious bias. Ross Atkins is a great journalist and presenter but the agenda is set against Palestinians even before the show starts. Why is it that you have 3 pro- Israelis on the programme and one, obviously tongue tied Palestinian whom we hardly hear from and who is not invited to reply to the nonsense that the two guests in Jerusalem and Washington spout? Why was he outnumbered>? Where was the editorial balance here? I can only imagine that the producer or editor of the programme had their own agenda, or they have been bullied into this position by the Israeli lobbies who launch calculated and co-ordianted campaigns in the media to ensure that the BBC receives thousands of ‘complaints’ and warnings about anti- semitism. Even the emails that were picked out to be read by Chloe were more from pro-Israelis than the other side.
Israel brings shame on itself and it’s God. The persecuted becomes the persecutor.
How ironic that Israel tanks have just damaged the UN building in Gaza. This war was brought to you by the US taxpayers. USA: proud sponsor of Israeli terrorism.
Gaza has always been at war. The last war was between Fattah and Hamas
which ended by the murder of many palestinians of the Fattah and the expulsion
of hundreds . The present war with Israel has been orchastrated by Hamas with the firing of thousands of rockets on the isreali cities . Hamas is a terrorist organisation which does not recognize the right of Israel to exist. Consequently ,
the israeis have every right to defend their citizens. . Now all the news of this
defensive war are exagerated by the newsmedia and the killing of innocents is due mainly to hamas fighters hiding behind their women and innocent children .
Every country has the right to defend its citizens and noone has the right to blame this country .
Hamas has been at war in Gaza with Fattah leading to the killing of many palestinians and the expulsion of the Fattah from Gaza. Hamas started the rockets on israeli cities and Israel had to stop this which lead to the invasion in Gaza. Hamas fighters always hiding and it is difficult to find them. Many of these fighters are in homes , mosques and schools hoping to shoot withour being shot at . Had Israel wanted to kill civilans in Gaza , it would be easier to bomb it
with rockets and not put their soldiers in harm way but they have chosen to kill the Hamas fighters not civilans . Every country has the right to defend its citizens and no one can deny this right to Israel. .
Israel is a sovereign state recognized by all world Powers and now by
some Arab states.Eventually more Arab States will recognize the long-term
benefits of a modern Democracy that Israel represents in the region and will
want the same for their people.The Arab States who reject Hamas are not
sell-outs but saviours of their own people.The palastinian arab conflict of Gaza
is no more important than the millions of people who laid down their lives in WW1/WW2 or conflicts since.This perspective is lost by biased,emotional
media coverage and reporting.The arabs continuously harbour grievences partly
due to the political nature of Islam.The world may critisize Israel,but they abhor
the Islamic Jihadists and their hysterical sympathizers more.The Arabs were offered a State of Palestine by the UN,but said no.Maybe its time for them to try ‘yes’.
What is a proportionate response to eight years of constant bombardment from rockets fired from Gaza? Israel has already tried other tactics, including a six month so-called ceasefire during which hundreds of rockets continued to be fired from Gaza
Sharon took a tremendous political risk in withdrawing from the area in 2002. For several years, many inhabitants of Gaza got jobs in Israel and brought the money home. This source of income stopped after a multitude of terrorist murders by Palestinians in Israel.
If the Palestinian leadership had spent a quarter of the money they have used for rockets on social and financial improvements in the area, the inhabitants would be far better off.
I have great sympathy for the Palestinians of Gaza. They have consistently been severely let down by their own leaders.
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians have a right to behave like Terrorists and kill innocents. But I do know one thing – I would rather live next door to Israel than Hamas, I have some trust for Israel but NONE for Hamas.
Hamas has had so many chances to join Civilisation but continue to insist that ONLY their way must be considered. THEY are making this a Holy war – along with many Muslim States.
Hamas has never had any regard for Human Rights – even towards their OWN People – yet they bleat for Human Rights for themselves…
how mu ch longer is the world just going to watch the bombing of the gaza strip ?
children old people are being killed at will . the state of israel are no better than the
nazi party killing people taking land .the bbc should give both sides of the story .all in the name of religion….god help us all….ha ha
Israeli military offensive action is limited by time. Factors may well be the inauguration date of the new American administration.
The shelling of the U.N compound would not of helped their case. Neither would the violation of using outlawed W.P White Phosphorous artillery shells…if this is found to be the case! The civilian casualty rate is also an area of concern.
An alternative homeland for the palestinian people in perhaps a neighbouring land may be a future option once a ceasefire is established. This would be an initiative to make way for more native Jewish descendants returning to their homeland.
How the Israeli people of all peoples fail to comprehend what it is to be persecuted beggars belief.
They are the ones seizing land , increasing their settlements, building barriers and ever increasing the pressure on their neighbours.
The image I have of the Israelis in this conflict is a David and Goliath one and I have yet to see pictures of Israeli children throwing stones at tanks.
All military and political support for Israel and this illegal attack on a civilian population should be withdrawn immediately.
Children are children in any country and of any faith and armed aggression that results in children being shot, killed and injured as is currently happening cannot be excused.
Is it any wonder that countries strive for independant military muscle and wish to develop nuclear capability when actions such as this are strongly supported by those who already have the military capability?
People expect Israel to uphold a higher standard than anyone else in the same position whilst always believing the very worst of her. see how Hamas propaganda and casualty figures are taken unquestioned. See how old libels against the Jews are mirrored in present libels against Israel. As for the Northern Ireland analogy, were UK forces on holiday in Korea, Falklands, Aden, iraq, serbia, Afghanistan etc. None of whom attacked or even have a border with UK let alone desire its destruction?
“With great power comes great responsibility…”
Irresponsible use of WMDs should never be an option.
With the recent action of Israel in the Gaza strip, the World should ask the following questions:
– Should Israel be allowed to continue possessing WMDs?
-Does Israel have the moral maturity, patience, prudence, humanity, and the wisdom to ensure that such power is not unleash even under the most intense provocation and will be used only as a last resort?
-Is Israel able to control its temperament at all times and will not break even under extreme pressure?
The World has a stake in what is going on in the Gaza strip. Israel’s action in Gaza portends its action to the rest of the World. Israel is a lethal military machine with a global reach that is growing more devastating by the day. Today it is Gaza. What about tomorrow?
just learned of the Israeli targeting of a U.N relief supplies depot with White Phosperous munitions. Its getting worse folks and the international community stands by and does nothing to protect the innocent in this conflict. The feelings building up around the globe for this evil regime of child killers makes this a one sided battle Israel cannot now morally win, and they have succeeded in creating more enemies than they had before. The government of Israel have made their citizens unwelcome in most areas of the world as most of us will always remember the lack of mercy shown to the innocent of Gaza.
I am not religious but if I was,
I could not live in my home,
knowing underneath a river of innocent blood did flow,
I could not live with hatred in my heart
for another race, since hate is an ugly cowardly thing to create
and so vulgar to hate so much and all for what?
For the land which you covet, or the black gold that flows under the earth or the golden calf,
for in the first religion, Moses made reference to that.
And if I was a Jew, surely history would show
An arab never persecuted a Jew when they were without a home land
Indeed, 2000 years of Jews and Arabs living at Peace is in history books and well known. Indeed your Jewish religion is not about greed and murder and coveting land, so maybe you went back to your roots but lost your Jewish religion on the way?
So why kill young Palestinian women, children and babies
for what?
your home is replaceable with bricks and mortar,
but a dead baby, dead child or dead mother is not
And all politicians who are human should know, that humanity and ethics and moral duty is within their power, and so is the opposite, and it is their responsibility to choose.
I would like to question the BBC why they have shown a sanitised version of what they believe to be the truth. Why is it we have to turn to Arab news like Press TV and Al Jazera in order to see what is really going on. I urge the BBC not to be bias and let the British public make their own mind up!
How ignorant are the people of the world to the entire situation of the Gaza crisis. We must understand that Hamas was the FIRST to bomb Israel. Israel retaliated in Defence. Israel does however need to review its approach to its attacks on Hamas in order to illiminate further civilian casualties. For those who believe Hamas is rightfully fighting against the Israely Invasion, must look into who invaded the original land of Eretz Yisrael. Why cant we just jave ONE STATE for muslims and jews.
I listened early this morning to audio diary from Gaza and Israel. After t he Israeli woman expressed her sadness at events and loss of life a Palestinian named Omar Shaban spoke. He made statements that were absolutely untrue such as. “The rockets launched from Gaza are homemade”. Made in people’s homes. He must know this is a lie.
Some rockets are made in Palestinian factories not private kitchens or garages.
The longer range rockets now the majority are supplied by Syria and Iran.
The fact that so few Israelis have been killed is because Israel protects it’s citizens by having a red alarm system giving 15 – 40 seconds to find a shelter.
That is why hundreds of deaths have been avoided; most of the destroyed buildings are evacuated before being hit.
I invite your numerous anti-Israel writers to try and live day and night in such circumstances.
In contrast Hamas has received hundreds of millions of dollars in aid but does nothing to protect its citizens. On the contrary knowing the propaganda value of dead bodies to a gullible world media it does not evacuate women and children but conversely their soldiers remove their uniforms to appear as civilians and attack from domestic housing making it targets for Israeli response. Further detail is available but does the BBC want accuracy in its reporting.
I can’t believe anybody, except the Israelis themselves can still be so blinded at what is going on in Gaza. But we have always deluded ourselves that the ‘present ‘ times are better than our bloody past. Whether we have killed others for the sake of ‘unity’, ‘religion’, ‘freedom’ or ‘punishment’ the fact is that we have always been killers throughput history. The only difference is that nowadays that we can enjoy the bloody spectacle from the safety of our living roons, shake our heads a bit, and then make sure we build even higher barriers to keep unwanted asylum seekers out, lest all these abused and battered families get it into their heads to want to emigrrate and leave it up to the young men to fight for their land.
But among this movement’s greatest crimes, is that it has claimed to carry out these nefarious actions in the name of holiness, in the name of the Almighty, in the name of Judaism and the Jewish people! “Judaism forbids and rejects Zionism and the existence of the State of ‘Israel’…”We must tell the world that self rule, sovereignty and all the rights of the Palestinian people must be restored throughout historic Palestine! This is a requirement of Jewish ethics and values! Jewish justice demands the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes, towns, villages and cities throughout Palestine!”
One of the issues that Gaza has had to face is its use as a political pawn by many of the coutries in the region. It has needed proper economic suport for many years which those around it, who could afford to give funds to make a difference, have not made available (or it has allegedly been made available but has reached the wrong pockets).
When Israel left in 2005, unilaterally, it left beind some of the most technologically advanced greenhouse faclities in the world, funded by benefactors from elsewhere (I think it was the US). These could have been used to help the Gazan economy grow but instead they were destroyed from within. It just suits the destructive aims of terrorist groups to keep the territory desperately poor, rather than allow it to grow a stronger economy. That cannot be blamed on Israel.
It is ironic that this week one of the oil-rich countries that, with others in the region, could afford to invest in the economy and the people, (rather than in the weapons that Hamas has plenty of money for), offered over $150m for their newly acquired football team to buy a new player.
Instead of blaming Isreal for defending itself, the Gazan “leaders” and its people should be looking to their supporters to help them grow a real country that can benefit everyone.
Disregarding the dplorable waste of life , on both sides, can we say that Israel cannot not do what they are doing and yet allow the USA and Britain to invade a country on the back of a lie “Weapons of Mass Destruction” in Iraq? Oh! it was a humanitarian invasion, then why do they not invade Zimbabwe and end the humanitarian crisis there? Oh! NO OIL.
The World allowed the Jews to set up a State of Israel in1948. on Arab land. The boundaries were clearly laid out. Rather than be grateful, Israel wanted more incomers and more land. Despite all the open undeveloped land t, hey started a land-grab ploicy which was not stopped and has therefor increased. Their God promised a ‘Promised Land’ and their history displays all the attemps to grab ald, their success and their failiurs. I feel sure that had the Jews remained gratefull and satisfied, this problem would not have occured. Can one blame the Arabs for being angry and wanting to stop Israels expansion and even pullback to the original boundaries? It is not a simple case of either side wanting to protect their citizens, a smoke screen. Israel should stop its expansion and promise and start returning to the original agreement. If it needs more land and I can’t see why, let them agree with the Arabs, to buy land and not feel they have the right to simply ‘GRAB’ it.
Less than 20 Isrealis have been killed. 1500 Palestinians have been killed. For those wanting to know which ones are suffering, look at the figures. They speak for themselves.
I cannot believe that the world can watch the Israeli’s continue their massacre of the muslim population. Hamas are not hiding amongst their people. They have nowehere else to go.
Israel have continued their combat as this is exaclty something that Bush has not opposed – this is their time to wipe out their poor muslim neighbours.
And wait. What is this? It is the worst combat I have ever witnessed in history. Where is the combat? oh, a small bunch of people called ‘hamas’ and their civilian population.
Why? why are Israel being allowed to do this to the Palestinians? why do muslims always have to be discriminated against, all around the world? Please, please give money to Islamic Relief as they are the only charity working on the ground there at the moment. The dying children need help.
I watch BBC News 24 on a regular basis and I am looking at footish which was brodcasted two weeks ago. The message that sends is BIASED BBC! I know that The Beeb are not allowed into Gaza by the Israels, but for God’s sake They are beginning to look like ITV with there repetative viewing tactics. The fact of the matter is that Hamas have deliberately brought about this conflict purely for the propaganda that television companies, such as yourselves gives them and adds to the main problem………TOO MANY GODS. Religion is the evil which influences these people to act whithout Question and that leads to fanaticism. The Beeb may not win any awards for their coverage on this conflict but it would get my vote for the best propaganda advertisement. Get it balance and do not loose your worldwide popularity!!!
What makes anyone think Israel is doing what it likes to do? Israel would prefer not to have to fight Hamas, or anyone else for that matter. That country would like to be left alone to do what it can do to prosper. The Palestinians could have had their own country generations ago, if they had accepted the Jews who came to Palestine.
Now Muslims are streaming into Europe and the Americas, and I am sure they don’t want to be treated the way Arabs treated Jews.
Hamas, if it cared about Palestinians, could find a way to stop the violence in their region. It has chosen not to, preferring to sacrifice its people while its leaders are in hiding.
I do feel sorry for the Palestinians who have to suffer under such miserable leadership.
Hello
I have never spoken openly about anything before but with the recent events in Israel and me being threatened today already while I was peacefully getting on with my school work. I am not even Israeli but I am Jewish and I am being threatened. Israel has put up with rocket fire for too long and so they strike back.
If Gaza launched an attack on Israel would anyone actually care? Obviously not as the UN hasn’t done anything over the years where Gaza has been launching rockets at Israel.
No country is in a position to criticize Israel as they are not in constant attacks by a terrorist organization.
Imagine if London was getting hit by several rockets everyday by France for over a decade?
Would Britain accept it? The answer is NO!
I have been to Israel and things are not how they seem on TV. I got a Taxi with a Palestinian man, a friendly person as most Palestinians are who only wants peace as well.
Yes what Israel is doing is going too far and the loss of life is unacceptable and no one can understand the pain of the Palestinian people but all Israel wants is to co-exist in peace along side Palestine. It will end soon but it will never end in future if Hamas can’t accept Israel.
Osama Bin Laden is a coward and the recent message is part of a way to spread his propaganda and I think to raise money for his campaign.
In end were all Human beings so lets treat each other in the right way.
The Isrealis must note that the world is changing, and the number of superpowers in the world is increasing with time.
If they are doing this today because America will protect them, then they will be shocked tommorrow when the whole world will say no, and they will be punished for all that they have been doing over the years.
How did aljazeera get into Gaza and not the other international media?
It saddens me to see children being killed but i cant help but watch the News.
I hope this will end soon.
The problem lies with the Arabs. If they were united they would throw the Israelis at the sea within 48 hours, no matter what their technology. We all die once, we should die with dignity instead of crying like little girls.
Israel/US should be charged with war crimes for the unnecessary massacre of the Palestinian people. What right does terrorist Israel have to expect Hamas to disarm having no method of defence the next time Israel decide to show their might and power.
Israel blame Hamas for using civilians as a shield, they forget that the Palestinians have been squeezed into a narrow strip, home to millions with no choice but to live in a tightly compacted situation, they no longer have wide open land to spread out because it was illegally occupied by Zionist Israel for their settlements.
What are the UN and world countries thinking of, shown constantly meeting, smiling, shaking hands with the Israeli terrorists while the slaughter continues. It is crazy, there is no way Hamas will give up their arms or stop weapons entering Gaza, to defend themselves and rightly so. This is not a war against Hamas, Israelis want the Palestinians to enter Egypt so the land can be claimed by them, but Egypt knows this and does not allow them entry, they want Palestinians to have their own rights and freedom to become a state in time. The longer Israel continue the barbaric killing, the more Muslim hatred they create and it will come to bear in due course.
Lets hope its the Americans that push for war crime courts against Israel. Now that bush is out lets hope the new guy does something about the mess bush made. The free reign of murder by the kurds and the israelis must come to a end if this world is to go forward.
You have to laugh at Israel they throw bricks at a hive then want to burn down the forest when the bees sting them back.
If the motives of the Israli army are thus: to root out and destroy the weapon storage facilities of Hammas, in an attempt to prevent them fireing Rockets Into Gaza then their chosen stratagie is one which is narrow minded. Are they unable to realise that if you bomb the homes of the Civilians of Gaza then the palistiens will strengthen there support for and feel that Hamas are the ones who are their protecters from the military oppressor which is Israli.
I Do not wish to sound anti-Israli, as I strongly am not, I feel that it deserves to exist as the jewish homland, a land of freedom. However the international community needs to give it a “metoporical slap” with regard to its, as described by some, ‘over use of force’.
I was almost encouraged when I began reading Leo Roverman’s earlier contribution in which he started by criticising the Israeli prime minister’s dismissive comment regarding Britain’s opinion.
Then I got to this sentence:
“Is he unaware of the numbers of Jewish people in Britain who have direct links in Israel and the potential backlash?”
His motivation therefore seems not to based on a sense of moral justice but rather simply selfish concern for his own interests. I should have known better!
In todays world where war is big buisness, unfortunately there is not time for meaningfull deplonicy and negeotition mankind should not endure consistant bombing for days at a time killing inocent children in the process, world leaders should get involve and try to bring about a peacefull solution, there is an old saying that says those who trun their backs would be turned upon, let’s hope history don’t repeat itself.
I am not a jew, a christia n or a muslim so I am not biased by any religious persuation.
I have however studied the history of Israel and of course this story is more than two thousand years old.
The problem is that two people want the same land and for now the Israelis with the Americans are holding on to it becuase they are incapable of sharing. Look at what the Americans did to their own indiginous people the comparisons are startling.
Why are the Israelies complaining about rockets into Sderot, Sderot is an illegal encampment by Israeli fundamentalist many of which have been shipped in from overseas (some even from America).
I recently visited Israel. There is no denying that the Israelis have turned much of a near-desert into a green and pleaasant land. I found them to be delightful hosts. But across the walls and barbed wire I could also see the conditions in which the Palestinians live, on tiny patches of land, in near- ghetto conditions. I was taken to a big hollacaust museum near Jerusalem and the irony struck me like a sledge hammer. Where the Palestinians are concerned Israel has an amazing national ‘mental block’.
So it seems that everyone wants Israel to stop what they are doing, sit back and let Hamas and other militants fire rockets into their country without retaliation strikes.
Cloud Cuckoo Land comes to mind.
Hamas and the other militants are determined NOT to have a cease-fire under any circumstances, they don`t want peace and never will. They use the Israel1 strikes as propaganda. Hamas are cowardly in the way that they invite strikes on themselves knowing that they are cowardly hiding in civilian houses and that the families will be killed.
Hamas are cowards and thugs and deserve no sympathy untill they stop being cowards and stop inviting bombs onto innocent families….
Hi….. Israel why stop?
Just find your humanity or just tire of killing children and women ?
I think israel just run out of amo, and asking uncle sam some loan for it,
There is No international Law as long as United States of Amerika had the veto right for israel.
The towns that Hamas was firing their useless home-made rockets at aren’t even in Israel ffs!! according to UN Resolution 181 they’re in UN Mandated Palestine. Why then is the BBC reporting occupied territory as belonging to the occupiers? The lack of justice sucks. It’s the illegal Israeli occupation, stupid.
I find it intresting the number of comments about what the nazis did to the jews and claiming that this is what the jews are doing to the palestinians, it is total nonsense , it is what happend to the jews at the hands of the nazis that is limiting israel`s response to the hamas rocket attacks, all the hysteria about israel trying to wipe out the palestine people is just so much uneducated hysteria, if israel wanted to wipe out the palestine people it could have done so many times over. only by talking to each other can this conflict be sorted. the bottom line is that as long as hamas are driving the iranian agenda the people of palestine are going to be in the middle and lose out
The BBC have a page on the site right now “Views on Gaza Ceasefire. On that page there are fotos of Israelis and Palestinians giving their opinion on the war This is from Saeda, a Muslim student, E Jerusalem….
They had to stop the war in Gaza. They were killing boys and girls without reason. Sure Israel is stronger, but it’s our land and Hamas must defend it. I hope there will be peace. But I think the Israelis will continue to kill children. Israeli soldiers are killers and don’t like Palestinian people. I don’t know if Hamas will stop fighting…..
This statement is made by a citizen living within and by the rules of Israel, What other country on earth would allow their citizen, living in EAST JERUSALEM make such a remark to foreign journalists. Israel is a democracy swimming in a sea of despotic Arab states.
There are parallels with America’s land grab of the 19th century when it forcibly displaced native American Indians.
The Israelis are not content with the bit of cake they took and they will not be happy until they have stolen the whole bakery ! Yes we did not mind a wee bit, because they had been undisputably badly treated as Jews by the Nazis.
Regarding the present blitzkrieg in Gaza, it is no surprise to me that the Israeli army is killing civilians and children, During World War Two the Nazis acted in a similar fashion after being attacked by the underground fighters. In my class at University a few years ago, a good percentage of the students were Israelis, most obviously had served in the Israeli armed forces. They were very friendly and in conversation with many of them I came to the conclusion that they regarded the Palestinians as a sub-species
A ridiculous situation.
Nearly 60% of Gaza population is under 16 according to BBC news so another generation of hatred is being cemented as we speak
I think the fact that the Americans have so much to do with Israel existing and definitely its ability to act as it wishes with no conscience and no accountability just makes the situation so much worse
Its time the world woke up and stopped Israel from its continuing massacre of the palestinian people. Give palestinians their land back, stop the seige and the improsenment of an entire people.
It is now hoped that the new President of the USA will be his own man and provide some hope to the Palestinians who have suffered a great deal in the last 60 years under Israeli occupation. In doing so he will make this World a better place not only for Palestinians and Jews but for all us.
Israel has a right to self defence.
The following are the points Hamas should look at before it cries foul
1.Recognise Israel as a Sovereign state
2.Stop firing rockets at Israel
3.Stop smuggling weapons into Gaza through Egypt
4.Allow the ligimate organisation like PLO to negotiate with Israel through the middle east UN ambassodor Mr Tony Blair.
If the above points are met then Israel shall respond accordily
correct me if i’m wrong, hamas said every jew around the world is a legitemite
target, and that’s including jewish children. israel should destroy hamas once
and for all. the israeli government has to protect its citizens by law.
hamas is a terrorist group who want to destroy every religion, so that there is only
islam
I am 100% sure, that if the inhabitants of Gaza were cuts and dogs, Israel wouldn’t of dared slaughtering them like it did to the Palestinians children, women and men.For the whole world headed by USA and Europe would’ have stood up against it. Unfortunately, in the eyes of Israel and their allies animals are more valued then Palestinians.
I don’t want militairy action against israel I feel the only way to stop the conflict make a treaty CLEARLY saying what belongs to Israel and what does not. for that is the root of the conflicts and not those loos treaties that the israelis and gazans think up full of loop holes. the UN needs to draw the treaty
This was not a war. The statistics are:
More than 1,300 Palestinians killed
More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, over 20,000 severely damaged
50,800 Gazans homeless & 400,000 without running water
13 Israeli deaths (10 soldiers)
In the UK, the Birmingham pub bombings 1974 killed 21. The 7/7 attack killed 52.
However awful these were, nobody in the UK would have accepted our Government taking retaliation which resulted in the figures coming out of Gaza.
I repeat. This was not a war.
I am asking you; How a human being could even watch this massacre, seeing those innocent little babies, children being killed and those injured kids crying? How could this called as ‘defence’? and there goes answers by heart of so called ‘jews’, their target was Hamas but they knew that there were civilians inside, saying indirectly they killed civilians in purpose, and bombing un place, crushing peace-keeper in purpose…they have something inhuman in their mind and just destroy whatever, whomever(even from their own nationality) againts their aim, period!
After the cease fire of Israel (which was perhaps such gesture for Obama) the killers on tanks posing with v signs, are happy with and proud of for what they left behind destruction, deaths,homeless…is this any relation about being human? if so, this will suit to those well that your understanding of being human has been upside down!
Not a lot more to say regarding the rights and wrongs but I have lots of sympathy with the view that Israel has been losing world support for many years and has now probably blown it. Looking to the future, who pays to rebuild the West Bank now it is reduced to a pile of rubble. It may slow Israel’s future desire to rush to war if they were made to pay for the rebuild. The loss of money to rebuild their neighbour every time they caused damage would really focus the mind of a country better known for getting help than giving it.
Why not draw a comparison with the IRA and Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein were elected to representative and local government positions at a tinme when the IRA were killing British civilians with bombs.
Just like Hamas, they were a protest organisation.
If the British Government had responded by freely bombing republican areas in Northern Ireland, killing hundreds of inoocent people including children, could it have lead to a Peace Process?
Of course not, this is not how a country with any pretensions to civilisation behaves.
There is no possible excuse for Israel’s killing of these people and Obama’s first action should be stop re-arming Israel to prevent this happening again.
Whilst I agree whole heartedly with Catherine (see above) I fear that Obama will continue with the same old policies as before. He has already refused the opportunity to criticise Israel for its actions.
I read with horror the targetting of the house of Dr Izeldeen Abuelaish (see this site for coverage). Dr Abuelaish worked on both sides of the border and was highly respected. However, he appears to have had the temerity to provide live news to the Israeli media from his home inside Gaza. Was this the reason his house was shelled and members of his family murdered and mutilated?
This also raises a larger question about the targetting of media correspondents in conflicts. A disproportionate number of “un-embedded” journalists appear to have been killed in the Iraq invasion, particularly when in low risk situations. Is this a new means of controlling the flow of information from areas of conflict?
Looking at the dead and casualty figures from Gaza it makes me wonder why the world is so slow to condemn Israel?
Is Europe suffering from a collective guilt about the Holocaust that stops them from condemning Israel when they perpetrate an outrage?
1300 Palestinians have been killed – that is more than 1/3 of the number killed in the twin towers attach – but why are we not hearing a similar condemnation ?
How many Palestinians would Israel have to kill before the world finally condemned them? Why the inequality?
Graham Folkes – just a few thoughts:
1. Because around 700 of theme were Hamas terrorists?
2. Because no army in history has taken the steps the IDF has to avoid civilian casualties?
3. Because much of the Arab world recognises Hamas guilt in starting this conflict?
4. Because Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas missiles targeting Israeli civilians is widely accepted?
5. Because there are bigger death tolls to worry about elsewhere (Congo – 4-5M, Darfur 400k)?
Can anyone explain why the Israelis are indiscrimenately shelling Gaza’s beaches?
I thought the Israelis had declared a cease fire.
Looks like Israel has returned to the “normal” status quo; control (borders and air space are effectively closed to all but essential aid), intimidation (shelling the beaches to keep people off them), suppression (preventing the rebuilding from comencing). Or are they just being vindictive and prolonging the misery of the Gazans to drive home their message about supporting Hamas?
Mike, rahter than criticising Graham Folkes, perhaps you should think about your comments.
1. What source are you quoting that can provide evidence that the 700 were Hamas fighters?
2. At least 50% of the casualties appear to be women and children; hardly a surgical intervention. The use of White Phosphorous shells and (allegedly) toxic gas in tunnels are not signs of the IDF trying to minimise civilain casualties.
3. Are you suggesting that the IDF did not bomb Gaza during the ceasfire?
4. You are correct, Israel does have a right to protect itself from Hamas firing missles at its citizens. And Hama have a right to protect their own citizens from abuses mediated by Israel’s policies.
5. There are indeed biger death tolls elsewhere in the world. Does that make Israel’s actions legitimate? If, as you suggest, it is a case of numbers, than 3 Israeli civilian deaths are not worth anything. Is that what you are saying? Or is it that 3 Israeli civilian deaths are worth more than hundreds of Gazan civilian deaths?
War is a terrible, dreadful, eveil thing. No normal-minded person can but be moved by pictures of ordinary people being killed, wounded, traumatised, made homeless etc whether that be in Gaza, Israel or anywhere else in the world.
I do feel, on balance, though, that the media coverage in the UK is biased. Both sides have killed innocents in this conflict – Palestinian and Israeli alike. Watching the news though, you’d think Israel had attacked the Gaza Strip just for the hell of it. Hamas’ obsession with firing rockets into southern Israel started this catastrophe.
The cycle of wars in the Near East seems to be a smoke screen used by people to air anti-Jewish feelings.
I am also troubled by those people who call for ‘proportionality’ in terms of collateral damage and deaths – are they saying they would feel better if more Israelis had been killed ? If so, this is deeply disturbing. My hope would be for no deaths or injuries or collateral damage on either side.
The problem here is one of extremism. I daresay the majority of Gazans want to co-exist peacefully with the Jewish state, however, are unable to do so because Hamas, a radical paramilitary organisation, wants perpetual war.
We Indians, tragically, had another taste of extremism and terror in Mumbai last year. Several days of mindless carnage and slaughter. Israel has to live with this threat every day !
Let’s hope and pray that Hamas can be neutralised and more moderate Palestinians are able to take over Gaza. Egypt and Jordan have prospered in making peace with Israel, the Palestinians would do well to follow this path.
R. Patel, thank you for a balanced and sane view. I could not agree more. Both the Palestinian Authority and Israel have already agreed on a two-state solution – Israel and Palestine living in peace. It is extremists like Hamas that prevent peace from being achieved. The only solution is for the international community to re-install the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. For those who claim that Hamas has been ‘democratically elected’: don’t make me laugh! ‘Democratic elections’ when each ‘party’ has its own armed militia in the streets?? I think we’ve seen a few of those before. I wonder why is it that the one with the strongest militia always wins? Must be a coincidence, methinks.
FIRST GAZA, THEN THE WORLD Since the establishment of the State of Israel, close to 12 million Arabs and Muslims have been butchered, most of them by Arabs and Muslims. Israel’s “contribution,” since its establishment, is 60,000, and that includes all the wars and the two Intifadas
NATO also makes mistakes In Kosovo – On April 12th NATO planes killed, accidentally of course, 12 civilians. April 14th saw the death of 70 refugees. On May 1st 23 died when a bus was struck. On May 6th 16 were killed by a cluster bomb. On May 19th a Belgrade hospital was bombed. 3 died. On the very same day an old age home was hit and 20 inhabitants were killed. ”We are sorry about the mistake” was the regular response of a NATO spokesperson.
Jordan and Syria can and Israel can’t? In the beginning of the 80’s the president of Syria at the time, faced an Islamist uprising against his regime, conducted by Muslim Brotherhood. Asad knew only one way to deal with the problem – between 20,000 to 40,000 people, kids and women and innocent people were butchered, in the name of defeating radical Islam.
In 1970 it was King Hussein of Jordan, who had to face a Palestinian uprising. Huge populated areas were bombarded. Between 7,000 and 25,000 people were killed.
Why can Syria and Jordan use brutal measures to uproot this radical Islam? Why can Europe go half way around the world to kill thousands of fighters and civilians in the name of the same anti Jihad cause? Why is Israel not allowed to do the same even though she faces a greater threat?
Most violence in the world is perpetrated by radical Islam.
Correction
Dear Censor, I have made an effort to shorten my contribution as you have requested
I believe that by President Obama saying, “Israel is sacrosanct” he has made Israel a permanent target.
The USA (with its imploding economy and its need for Arab oil to survive)with the emergence of other super powers with increasing oil needs, makes it a different ball game. where past events similar to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, could become commonplace in the near future.
By sustaining Israel as its Middle East policeman and ignoring the atrocities it has committed can only result in more US isolation with worsening international relations where trust and integrity atre to be quetioned.
The USA government cannot make wars, on its own; Iraq proved that when it had to beg assistance from Tony Blair to legitimise it agression with the excuse of WMD that was later proved to be a lie, after refusing to listen to its own experts.
I am at a loss why TV and other journalists were not already in Gaza to expose what the ghouls were up to,before the blitzkrieg started.
Apparently, many more women and children were butchered because the journalists were standing on the sidelines.
How these gutless “professionals” sleep in their beds at night is beyond belief
As in Lebanom, the Israelis use military force to kill anyone who opposes them. Hammas hides among civilians but they are taken out as well. I will never buy Israeli goods again . I am ashamed to share the same planet as these child murderers from both Hammas and Israel. Two wrongs never made a right and both parties must be despised for their actions in terrorising an entire population. I despise too, the ruling government of the United States support Israel, this time abstaining from a majority U.N vote for a ceasefire. No moral leadership there then.
Quite a battle isn’t it?. heading for 1200 dead Palestinians, thousands injured, against 15 Dead Israelis, 10 of those soldiers in combat in an invasion force. Who are the terrorists in this conflict?. The UN again have been ineffective in the face of aggression .
I will remember the time when women and children were being killed in such callous manner by a so called western style democracy and hang my head in shame that my own Country did not condemn it. Can Israel do whatever it wants?. The answer is Yes, for now, but most decent people around the world will never forgive them.
(a shorter version as requested to consider for publication)
So Hamas claim victory in Gaza? If that is victory then what would their idea of defeat be? The fundamentalists are always deluded and this is a sure sign that they are bound for defeat. Truth will out and it doesn’t come from the lips of mediaeval shamams. They have bled their people to death with threats of damnation and promises of a non-existent paradise. BBC correspondents are being fooled by a stage managed picture of innocent children and crayoned messages on walls. It is all reminiscent of post-war Germany when it was difficult to discover any Nazi supporters. When will journalists stiop being so naive? Hamas have had years of practice at propaganda and will always manage to turn military defeat into a whine of victory.
what a load of double standards. the us , uk and the rest of the world do exactly what they want when protecting thier national boundaries. check out russia’s little action a few months ago. hamas and all that fund/side with her are terrorists and vow to eradicate israel and anyone else who stands in their way of domination by force. shame on you bbc, for being so duped into thinking you are protecting the victims when you are aiding the despots.let israel and any other sane nation try and keep the mentally derranged far away and impotent. they are vile and evil ;those who reign there and the sooner you wake up and start defending democracy the better.
I’m wondering why most people want a two-state solution (which by the way, senior Hamas members have agreed to)? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have one-state that can be a homeland for both the Jewish and Arab (Muslim and Christian) populations and promote reconciliation? We would be able to create a liberal, secular democratic state in the Middle-East, which would serve as a model for the other states. I’ve been called naive in the past for thinking this would work but a two-state solution has not worked very well in the past (India and Pakistan comes to mind) and when there are two peoples that have been through so much, there will always be mutual suspicion and hatred if it is not tackled from the beginning.
Most of the people who are supportive of killing children in Gaza fall in to 2 camps. They regurgitate the lies that our AIPAC controlled politicians and war profiting media give them or are racist against Arabs. Very rarely will you see any facts discussed. The base cause of this problem is hundreds of indigenous Palestinians having their homes and land stolen. Many were massacred by Zionists. Any worthwhile discussion will include this basic cause.
The current flare up is caused by Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. The Geneva convention says that it is illegal to collectively punish civilians. One and a half million people have gone without necessities for 18 months. That is an illegal occupation. The June ceasefire had 3 parts. Israel agreed to dramatically reduce the blockade which it never did. Hamas agreed to not shoot rockets in to Israel. Since there were around 120 rockets a week into Israel before the agreement and only 2-3 after the agreement it’s probable that the few rockets fired were from other factions that Hamas actually arrested. Lastly Israel agreed to no military intrusions into Gaza. According to the Israeli paper Haaretz, Israel broke the ceasefire on Nov. 4 when it killed 6 Gazans and later in the month killed 2 more. That is when Hamas resumed the rocketing. Why is this not reported more? Why did Israel break the ceasefire? Because it controls the area and the U.S. and wants all Palestinians to leave. Israel and the U.S. are masters of marketing. Unfortunately they have little skill in justice and compassion. Write your politicians and send money to “If Americans Knew”, Amy Goodman and other truth tellers.
As an American christian, I fully support Israel’s right to defend itself from the cowards calling themselves Hamas. I watch the BBC and see what is happening. Hamas deliberately targets civilians. Where are the war crimes investigations against Hamas going to start?
The terrorist biggots in Palestinian territories use innocents as shields, so when Israel tries to defend herself, she unavoidably ends up with civilian casualties, dont get wrong, Im no fan of Israel, she murdered British troops in the 1950s. Palestine voted for Hammas, whos agents use these sickening tactics, time to take some responsibility Palestine
Is it not interesting that Israel chose to call a unilateral ceasfire
just a couple of days before Obama took over as president ?
Are Israel any better than the Hamas, considering what they have
done to civilians in Gaza?
Shame on Israel !
I am disgusted at the way the bbc have been following this story it is not only biased towards palestine but is also making stories from peoples misery. I agree that israel is a bit extreme in its methods but put yourself in their shoes, hamas are firing rockets further and further into their country and as soon as they try to take action to stop them the whole world suddenly calls them baby killers. civilian casualties always happen in conflicts such as this and at least they warned the palestinians about the attacks which is a lot more than a lot of countries would do.
As an Englishman, I fully support Palestines right to defend itself from the cowards calling themselves Israelis. I watch the BBC and see what is happening. Israel deliberately targets civilians and UN buildings. Where are the war crimes investigations against Israel going to start?
Killing people is wrong.
That’s a full stop at the end of the previous sentence.
If you think ANY of what’s going on in Gaza is OK:
go and live there.
Though disgusted I am about the actions of both sides I have the idea that trying to resolve disputes with fundamentalist crackpots is an impossible task.
I listened to an interview with the then Israeli foreign secretary back in the mid late 90’s on Radio 5 which was a phone-in. Nearly all calls were people suggesting “infidels must die by the sword”, “Allah is great”, “Allah will have victory over non believers” etc etc.
The man said this was exactly what they have to deal with on the negotiating table which makes it near to impossible to negotiate peace accords with people who continually fire this kind of rhetoric at you and have no interest in getting down to real business.
Sorry but until BOTH side remove religion from the equation, they will never find common ground.
If the citizens of Israel did not agree with collective punishment in the last war why are they not speaking out at the collective punishment metered out to the citizens of Gaza by their Government in the name of citizens of Isreal.Cant they even condem the War Crimes committed in their name.Please people of Israel look at what your government is making you party to.
I always thought that a blockade meant closing off all borders. Israel only partly closes off the Gaza-Israel border (with hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid still going across every day), and Gaza sea border. The Gaza-Egypt border is nothing to do with Israel, and yet I don’t read disparaging comments about this “illegal” blockade.
On the other hand, Hamas doesn’t recognise Israel, wants nothing to do with Israel, so may I ask why does it want the Gaza-Israel border open?
The vulnerable camp-ground that is Gaza has now suffered much too much. Defenceless civilians became the target of horrible weapons that have caused human suffering and not unnaturally the call that war crimes have been committed here.
The orchestration of a cease fire window, to pave the way for Americas’ new president only serves to magnify how unnecessary was the use of force.
Whether or not these crimes are brought before a UN tribunal, the damage Israel has brought upon itself and now condemned worldwide must alert peacemakers everywhere to view Israel in a different light.
When I watch Israeli govt spokespeople like Mark Regev on C4 news I am reminded that often the abused grow up to be abusers.
The really shocking thing about the way the Israeli government handles questiones about the use of for example phosphorus ordinance in Gaza, is that if you close you eyes you can easily imagine Goebbels justifiying the final solution during WW2. Abused becoming the abuser…
Israel needs a peaceful settlement with it’s neighbours – but it is clearly not capable of doing this on it’s own. The rest of the world including the US needs to now insist that peace is established – and that also means using sanctions to prevent Israel obtaining the weapons which allow it to breach the Geneva Convention, as they have done in Gaza.
Perhaps the US should rebuild Gaza – and then Israel may be less likely to embark on another destructive bloodbath – after all they appear to think that the US will turn a blind eye to anything they do. Obama must change this perception.
Carnage, massacre, slaughter- all words used by the media to describe the situation in Gaza. What was the death of 2000 in NY 9/11? I remember the muslim world celebrating. No two wrongs don’t make it better, but there certainly are doble standards going on here.
What a corus of condemnation against Israel. Where was the outrage whilst up to 80 rockets a day were landing in Israel!!
The BBC has spent hours every day showing Palestinian children injured., but not even 5 seconds of Israeli children killed or injured by Hamas rockets and terrorist bomb attacks.
What balanced reporting, what editorial integtity.
From the Guardian:
The BBC [forcing Sky and ITV to follow suit] has refused to broadcast a national humanitarian appeal for Gaza, leaving aid agencies with a potential shortfall of millions of pounds in donations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/22/gaza-charity-appeal
If you feel this is wrong, please complain:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
A suggested text follows:
I want to complain that the BBC has refused to support the DEC appeal for the survivors of the recent conflict in Gaza. I read about this story on the Guardian website ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/22/gaza-charity-appeal), and I think the reasons given by the BBC are incredible to say the least. There are two reasons given.
Firstly that the BBC is “concerned about the difficulties of getting aid through to victims in a volatile situation,” and secondly that the BBC “did not want to risk public confidence in its impartiality.”
DEC appeals are almost always in volatile situations (that is what most emergencies are). In Burma (the subject of a recent DEC appeal), the BBC was satisfied that, even when the military junta was dening access to the affected region, an appeal was worthwhile. The BBC has supported DEC appeals in Sudan and DRC. Are these not volatile? Perhaps aid agencies are better judges of where aid can be effectively delivered?
In terms of impartially, I understand the BBC’s concerns. But the DEC appeal is not based on the rights and wrongs of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is based purely on the humanitarian principles that a group of people, their communities and their infrastructure have been virtually (and often literally) raised to the ground. I cannot see why the BBC, with its motto “let nation speak peace unto nation,” sees any problems with impartially in helping civilians who are currently survivors of conflict, and will become victims unless they receive vast amounts of aid very quickly. To not support civilians who face this fate strikes me as less impartial than supporting them. The DEC has impartially written into its constitution, and this is enforced by UK charity law. Why can you not support them?
Please reverse your decision and support the DEC appeal as soon as possible.
———-
http://www.dec.org.uk/item/200
Yes, Israel can and will do what it wants, I have lost count on UN resolutions it has not enforced and no action was taken against it, simple, powerful friend and pet US. Israel is above the ‘International law’. It has nuclear weapons, and will not allow anyone else to have it. Also why do any US President to be has to go to AIPAC? Is it to get their endorsment? Imagine if they had to get endorsement from Hamas(occupation resistance)?? Would it be possible? Why doesnt US give Alaska or Hawaii, either to Israel or Palestinians to live in? In a stroke the world would become a better & safer place, and US would save $trillions of aid it gives to Israel in weapons and others….Finally, I have noticed on several ocasions when bbc reporters or others say something against Israel the satellite connection is lost, Why? Israel can do what it likes, but remember what goes round will surely come round. Shame is that innocents will pay.
Its jan. 24/09 – we have just been informed that US drones have killed 14 innocent civilians in Afganistan
Where are the cries of the BBC to indict the USA on war crimes -including Barack Obama
Where are the BBC reporters investigating the suffering of the Afghans
Where are BBC reports on terrible suffering of the Afghan people
where is the Arab League denouncing the terrible atrocities committed by the British and the American forces in Afganistan
Where is the UN’s call to investigate US and British war crimes in Afghanistant
Where are all the human rights activists, UNRRA. Amnesty international decrying the terrible war crimes of the USA
Where is the UN Secretary General – why is he not travelling to bAfganistan to investigate the war crimes, the carnage
Israel has reached its objective, namely bombing Gaza’s infrastructure back decades. This was carried out in a last minute panic as Israel was desperate to get the job done before Obama’s inauguration.
Israel’s aware that they won’t be able to take such measures during the new administrations time in office, hence the massive levels destruction.
The media is sold the line “self defence”, and buys it, hook line and sinker. The BBC naively swallows whatever line Israel feeds it. Additionally the BBC’s decision not to cover Gaza relief appeal borders on obscenity.
Shame on you BBC for not defending the right. Your credibility lies in tatters. Again.
So now the BBC also run scared of the Zionist entity. Lets not help ( transmit appeal) to seek aid for homeless innocents and kids shot in the head – but continue to peddle the filth that is Brand and Ross.
As a viewer and avid fan of the BBC news for 40 years, I am pleased that the BBC has at last decided to try and be impartial over Gazza, This is a huge shift. As it has been plain that they have blindly taken sides with the anti Semitic attitude bouncing about the world.
Did people forget the holocaust ? did they forget that Israel is right smack bang on the front line of hate from Arab states. They had to endure rockets for a very long time and bombs from people who would use any underhand method to kill Jews. We expect Israel to behave in an above board manner dealing with this barrage of hate, almost tying their hands, Whereas the extremists would use even a child to bomb and kill Jewish people, They have no qualms or rules of engagement .
That the extremists would use any method to kill . Hiding behind women and children does not bother them one iota.
[I think Israel has been quite retrained over the last year. Israel has every right to live in peace and the land they occupy was given to them . Its not the right of Hama’s or the like to rob Israel of the freedom they deserve.
How can the BBC imagine that by not showing the charity video aout the suffering in Gaza it is being impartial?? It seems to me quite the reverse. By not helping the victims of this outrage against humanity surely the BBC will be seen to be on the side of the invaders.
It’s no wonder that Israel does what it likes. It seems to have the support of all of the British media.
Why do they insist on vetoing a plea for humanitarian help. Is the jewish lobby in these institutions so great?
When i was growing up my gran used to say to me this little quote “there is none so blind as those who cant see” for many years i really didn’t understand what she meant but if ever there was a better example it has to be those people writing on here trying to justify the unjustifiable Israels over the top aggression and total lack of respect for human life. If it wasn’t so tragic it would be laughable watching the Israeli government spokes people trying to defend the indefensible its like watching a robotic machine completely devoid of human emotion like empathy and compassion.
It must be a hollow victory for Israel to realise it has turned its own children into cold blooded murderers devoid of emotion, if there is a god he must be holding his head down in shame at what he created. The only thing that makes life worth living is the joy of love and understanding the simple wonders of nature what quality of life can anyone have when your heart is full of hatred. I am not anti semitic although i freely admit to having compassion love understanding sympathy and empathy with the Palestinian people because they are still people but for Israel i don’t have hate just Pity.
as an israeli i am dissapointed to see how world opinion eats willingley the hamas terror spin. if the palestians refuse a two state solution that israei already agreed to and shoot rockets into israeli cities after recieving land. isarel only attacked after all diplomacy finished. only when hamas decided to shoot dosens of rockets a day. i am proud of the idf it is the most moral army in the world. all the critisisers are either ignorant, naeive or subjective liers. we are bad in pr cause the other side lies. (-:
what a sad day for the BBC. Its decision not to air the Gaza appeal cannot be justified and shows a lack of moral fibre somewhere in its organisations decision process.
The thin excuse for its decision is shown by its protestations that the aid may not reach the people in need. This is surely the case with all appeals.
I have long supported the BBC against its independence being undermined but wonder why when such an indefensable decision has been made.
Israel now scares the bbc into abject surrender. What a disgrace to stop the request for humanitarian aid appeal for Gaza. How many children will die because of that decision and the lower income for DEC.
Please contribute to the DEC Apeal at any post office. I heard Tony Benn on Radio 4 this morning. Brilliant. Brilliant.
I heard this morning that the BBC has decided not to publish an appeal for the people of Gaza. I am so furious about this. Why cannot the BBC allow charities to appeal to people to give money for humanitarian aid? How can this affect their impartiality. If the people of Israel were starving, their houses damaged and destroyed would they not allow an appeal for them? Would the BBC have agreed to allow an appeal if an earthquake had caused the death and destruction?
I hope those in charge at the BBC will reconsider. The only person I have heard of by name is Caroline Thompson (I hope spelling is OK. Apologies if it is not). I appeal to her to reconsider this crass decision.
Thank you, Tony Ben and Douglas Alexander for highlighting
the BBC’s duty [ and stupidity ]and the plight of those in need in Gaza.
The BBC should note that MPs speak for the people.
One: The Hamas Charter calls for the destruction of Israel.
Two: Why do you not believe them?
Three: Watch Hamas TV for children – it is child abuse of the worst sort.
I am shocked, saddened and perplexed as to why the BBC refused to broadcast a request for relief fund contributions to alieviate the dreadful situation of the ordinary people in Palestine. The BBCs excuses are indefensible and I’m sure everybody at the BBC knows it.
Dave Bush
I was appalled by the BBC’s decision not to air the Gaza Appeal.
Surely it will appear as bias if they do not now change this decision.
Roger Davies
Abergavenny
I think the decision by the BBC not to show the Gaza Appeal is a shameful disgrace and basically in practice on humane & moral principals a very wrong decision . They claim to want to be impartial but this decision is not impartial on the basis of how many Palistinians need urgent help compared to how many Israelis need urgent help after the mass killings Isreal has committed
The BBC’s decision not to broadcast the humanitarian appeal reeks of Israeli interference. When Mugabe banned outside reporters, when Idi Amin did the same and during apartheid the BBC made its point about interference with the freedom of the press. Where is that fierce defence now?
The ones who plotted the strikes using white phosphorous, perhaps also taking a side swipe at a UN Official who was frustrating them, must now be smiling and thanking their God for the BBC’s lack of balls.
You cannot lose what you don’t have and oh for a few Jon Snow’s on this emasculated rump opf independent news report ring.
Justice is justice which always overcomes. Evil is evil which is always paid for. Britain must understand that its institutional endorsement of terrorism against Israel will only cause more repeats of 07/07.
Please look at the statistics? If Israel was fighting militants in Gaza as the BBC & other MSM assert, how come the Israelis themselves killed most of their own soldiers & lost only four to so called militants fire? While of course killing 1200 Palestinians! The mind boggles, the BBC is no different from other MSM sites, biased in favor of the Jewish lobby & AIPAC.
All I know about the conflict is what I’ve heard on the BBC news, and a brief history of the area from The Guardian website. However, the impression I have is that Israel is not being held to the same standards of international behaviour that other countries are. They seem to have been guilty of war crimes in the current conflict, but will anyone be tried in court? And if not, why not?
In the 1970’s mainland Britain suffered several terrible bombings at the hands of the IRA, but didn’t respond by bombing all the Catholic streets in Belfast (just in case they might have housed IRA members). If they had, I doubt very much there would be peace now.
Israel is not only in the wrong here, they are sowing dragon’s teeth.
I note with amazement that the BBC thinks they would violate the trust of their audience if they show the appeal for the Charity agencies involved with helping the innocents caught up in this mess. Now we really see which side they are on. This appeal is nothing to do with journalism or news broadcasts. It is to do with integrity, humanity and compassion. Obviously something that the BBC is not willing to share with the people of Gaza. As a fee payer to the BBC I am disgusted by their attitude, although their bloody mindedness did send me straight to the DEC website to make a donation which was money far better spent than on my licence fee.
The BBC needs to be criticised for not transmitting the Gaza appeal. The people of Gaza have suffered enough already at Israel’s hand, being starved of food and denied medicine for months and attacked mercilessly with missiles and phosphorus bombs which were used against unarmed civilians. Politics aside there is a great humanitarian crisis in Gaza that needs to be addressed and the BBC is doing very little to help. Pro right wing and pro Israel one might say.
It is rare that I see any reference in the media to the rockets fired by Hamas,
by men + women + children,
intended to kill, maim, and harm – at random-
men + women + chitdren in Israel
Les –
not a jew – not an Islamist
the BBC position not to show the DEC Gaza appeal, presented as an objective position, simply shows the power of the Israeli propaganda machine. This is a pro Israeli stance which is masquerading as neutral but is the Western norm.
Still the recent attack on Gaza has been so viscious that people like me are now for the first time questioning Israel’s right to exist.
war is always insane. but the constant aggression . lies, bad manners and aquisitousness of the Israelis simply reinforces all the racial stereotypes that the Jews, of all people should avoid. Now I suspect they are trying to influence the BBC. Which had the effect of increasing my donation. They are an invading people; they may suceed in time, but not by thwese means. OS
Hamas still live in the middle-ages with their rhetoric and ideas as do many in the Arab world.. They don’t belong in a modern world. Israel did what any other country would have done when attacked and lets face it they’ve been pretty patient.
Hamas have let their own people down by allowing the rockets to be consistantly fired at Israel. They will keep doing it and time will past until Israel reacts again, and who can blame them ?
Re the Gaza appeal on TV please note that Islamic Relief shop in Albert Drive, Glasgow, and the Central mosque and Glasgow mosques distribute a news paper urging muslims to boycott British, American and Israeli products and jewish businesses, and putting British jobs and companies in jeopardy. I have copies of this paper.
Frank J Dougan
Israel has been hated by the rest of the Middle East for years, now I understand why.
They are all fighting for their own causes but after this atrocity Israel are going to lose so much of their much needed support.
The USA marches into any country it feels like but they are far too powerful to be stopped. Israel is surrounded by enemies which are sure to retaliate in a very aggressive manner. I think we had all better keep our heads down because the worst is yet to come.
The real names for gaza and the west bank are Judea and Samaria.
God commanded the Jews to conqueror these area in ancient times otherwise they would always be a thorn in Israel’s time.
The world is in such a state of deception that it believes these lands belong to the people who currently live in them.
People can oppose each other but not God, and these lands belong to the Jews but yet they still diobey God and now it has become so much harder to fulfill these commands..yet they still stand and must be carried out.
Those who oppose Israel oppose God, and those who oppose God, He Himself, them shall oppose and if God can turn the corrupt financial institutions of the world upside down…He certainly will do the same to those who oppose Israel!
The rest of the world needs to take a leaf out of Israel’s solution to being threatened constantly by its enemies who know no better than to persistently provoke war and terrorism. We need Israel to sort our Afganistan, Iraq and Iran cos no other wus is going to do it.
No one is above the law and has the right to do whatever they wish, including Israel!! They sound so much like the United States in this bullying attitude and it needs to end. Everyone should be held accountable for actions, no matter what.
I have a Palestinian friend who said that even before the most recent Israeli incursion it was always advisable to avoid Israeli soldiers. He said Israeli soldier are routinely abusive–both physically and verbally–of Palestinian civilians.
Israel is not behaving as a great nation and they know it. As an international community who value justice and equality we can not let those responsible for the war crimes committed in Gaza simply hide behind the skirt of the state.
I think its fair to say that this arguement between the Israelis and the Palestinians is never going to stop – at least not in the near future. Even if the land of Ancient Palestine was to be shared equaly the two will still find a way to argue about it. I am not biased.
Israel cannot do as it likes, but will do what it must.
Too many people inside and outside the region are taking sides as they have done for centuries. It is time ALL these people realised that the situation is not acceptable, and started to work for a solution. The first requirement is an end to hostilities and a process to seek out the warmongers on both sides. These people are little more than gangsters who have deprived the people of the region of financial resources, civil development and the peace to enjoy them.
I just watched the video of white phosphorus being used, and then injured kids crying and being treated in hospital. It just brought tears to my eyes and made me shiver. I know no one can punish Americans and Israel now but I am sure one day they will have to answer to someone.. if not to humans then to the Almighty GOD.
Is there a nice way to be melted, fragmented, burned, disfigured , killed ? War is unnaceptable, never mind war crimes. And war is one of the major functions of capitalism – of how it works. Though this is blazingly obvious to most of us it is a theme that is well avoided by the ruling classes and their media. The excesses of war will only cease to exist when we democratically decide to move on to a better model than capitalism. In this particular war its hard to say who is deserving most of condemnation – Hamas who have knowingly invited a retaliation against their citizens, or Israel only too happy to retaliate in extremis. A curse on both their houses, and their allies who stand in the background calculating. One wrong never makes a right.
Come on bbc, save your bias, help the innocent and civilians who have been bombed to the stone age. For once listen to the majority, and act accordingly. This is an appeal for homeless, hungry, injured and blitzed peolple who happen to be as you know innocent civilians. Leave the lobbies alone, show that you care and do the right thing….
The trouble with being ‘impartial’ is that it’s impossible. When one side commits outrageously disproportionate acts of violence–by any rational standard–how can being ‘impartial’ be in any way reasonable or justifiable? Sadly the BBC’s position is quite clear. Sometimes in subtle ways. My own contribution here was cut by two thirds, although I was reporting on an actual recent visit. to Israel. Now maybe it was considered uninteresting–but there are others above who complain about their comments, critical of Israel, being cut short. On 21st January two very long pro-Israeli reports appear (R Patel & D Seder). It seems that being ‘impartial’, means allowing the few pro- Israeli reports to appear in their verbose fullness while others are ‘cut and shut’ to avoid repeating the same message. Sometimes, however, repetition of a’ tedious’ message is itself very meaningful. I’m wondering if this will be published!
since the UN mandate of 1948 the country of israel was formed and occupation forces forced to leave what was then a volatile area, you cannot blame the jewish people of israel the mandate was pushed by the mighty americans and since then the americans have backed every thing the country of israel has done.
we the UK were forced out in 1948 and can honestly claim neutrality due to the mandate so why are we suffering the problem now, leave it to the UN to resolve any issues and pay the price.
if the government of the UK are so inclined to involve the UK in this area the government should be replaced before they do any damage.
Israel proven to be non-compromised as they disobeyed international UN and committed war crime. They should be punished by Interational Court of Justice.
The fact that the BBC decides not to broadcast the cry for help by the DEC, is utterly disgusting. Objectivity is not the reason, it’s cowardness.
But hey, the BBC did not notice that the DEC was all about offering help in Israel as well as in Gaza…
It is therefore clear that the BBC is over-compensating for the actual stance of the majority of its journalists: that Israel indeed is a terrorist country committed to ethnic cleansing.
Merely the psyche of the weak at work…
If all the “God Botherers” and all the “God Damn Do Gooders” from every racial and spatial group would just shut up, grow up and face reality the rest of us could enjoy our lives in peace. Israeli, Muslim, Christian – all a load of tripe – there’s only one law of god and that is made very clear in the law of nature. Who’s surprised that we each look after our own and the man with the biggest stick gets his way? Only an idiot ! Who sets the rules in your own country – the men with the biggest stick, and only to suit themselves and line their own pockets and keep themselves better off than the rest of us. Leave this bunch of idiots to their own devises and let them slaughter each other if that’s their will. Only they can stop it and certainly the Palestinians don’t seem to want it to stop – they elected the rocket launchers to power and now they’re surprised at the result – serves them right.
Israel have again systematically destroyed any resemblance of structured society the Palestinians have tried to build. History has shown that they will not allow any form of Palestinian society to establish itself. At least Hamas are honest when they state openly that they seek the destruction of Israel. Israel do not state that they seek the destruction of Palestine, they just do it.
How do they get away with it? Because they are supported in their barbarism by the most powerful country in the world, and why do they get this support from the USA? Simply because there are more Jewish voters in the US than Arab ones.
If the Israelis want Hamas to stop sending rockets into Israeli territory, then give them their land back, allow them access to and from their land, give them control of the water on their land, etc … in short, start treating them like human beings and be serious about reaching a two-nation agreement.
A day will come when both the USA and Israel will be held accountable for the last 40 years.
Besides expelling the bulk of the Arab inhabitants of Palestine, and besides constantly attacking the neighboring Arab States, Israel has also consistently harassed the United Nations observers and other personnel stationed along the Armistice Demarcation Lines: It has assassinated the first United Nations Mediator and his military aide; it has detained some truce observers; it has militarily occupied and illegally searched the Headquarters of United Nations personnel; and it has boycotted meetings of the Mixed Armistice Commissions?…
Israel has additionally imposed a system of apartheid upon the Arabs who stayed in their homeland? More than 90% of these Arabs live in “security zones;” they alone live under martial law, restricting their freedom to travel from village to village or from town to town; their children are denied equal opportunities for education; and they are denied decent opportunities for work, and the right to receive “equal pay for equal work?”
The BBC’s refusal to air the DEC Appeal has received so much publicity, that it will have the opposite effect to what was intended. Thousands who would have disregarded the appeal if it had been routinely broadcast, will now make contributions to show their displeasure at having majority opinion over-ruled by the hubris of BBC top management – yet again! You don’t have to be partial to either side to want to relieve suffering wherever it exists and whatever evil or folly brought it about.
what about the illegal occupation of a country for almost 61 years? hmmm? is that not \\\\\\\”terrorism? israel drove people out of their homes, demolished them, and took over. israel is the source of terrorism.
1st choking Gazans by besieging it for two long months how could Israel expect Palestinian resistance elements to pocket all the humiliations and submit to the her dictates? If Zionists want Israel to survive they must allow Palestinians to have their own state. By organising massacres through its armed forces Israel is losing even her own right to exist. How long will it survive as a terrorist state?
Even if you dettach yourself from underlying politics here,looking at the facts,innocent thousands dead killed by israel.A completly irresponsible,brutish and aggressive tactic.I feel this country/state does not deserve to have it.IN the 60 or so years Israel has been there it has not made or invested in absolutley no civilized progress with its neighbours it can speak of.The facts today,show us that clearly.Its tactic is to menace its big stick aquired from the west ,at its neighbours.How could they ever hope for stability?Like this,they hold absolutely no more moral ground than their arab neighbours.They are a bully with a weapon in the playground.I feel that to completely withdraw western military support is the way to go.They are such a liability.But of course,they themselves having invested so poorly in local relations ,would now just be torn to bits.I dont support either side.But I see this.
I think it is wrong that the BBC is refusing to broadcast an appeal to help the Palistians I wonder what the BBC’s reaction would have been if the Israel had asked for an appeal for themselves.Israel’s attack on Palastine may now mean more terrorist threats to the West ,the USA’s support of Israel may suggest that all the countries in the West support them, this is just not so the Israelis are just legalised terrorists who have killed many men women and chidren.Perhaps the millions of dollars of aid receives from America could redirected to the Gaza appeal.
So Steve thinks dissenters to Israel’s offensive behaviour teach people to hate Jews.
Why bother? It seems to me the Israeli Governent is doing a pretty good job in that department already?
Israeli Zionists will murder Palestinians and steal Palestinian land (as they have done for the past 60 years) untill the US no longer needs a nuclear battleship in the Middle East.
When the ‘Masters of War”, i.e., Roosevelt, Churchhill.etc., decided to set a new world order didn’t the Israeli’s reject their offer of land in Germany… but had to have their ‘Holy” site?
One of the biggest mistakes in recent history as I see it.
Some have said the 1948 agreement should be banquished.
The Israeli Nation has been overwhelmingly greedy…a tribe of people whom continually publicize their past tragedies.
What other nation is doing this? (As if life is fair and there were not equally tragect circumstances for others.)
Are we to sympathise that funds are needed for the upkeep of the Auschwize extermination camp…aren’t there better uses of precious land than exhibits of deteriorating hair. (How about Israeli contributions to the World.)
If the tribe called Israeli’s were given a legitimate homestate then so why not the Palestinians.
Let the Israeli’s take down the homes that they have settled in wrongfully and feel the suffering as was caused by ‘the creation of Israel.”
Hopefully, President Barach Obama can see through ‘this childness foolishness”.
This war is beyond avenging the daths, it’s the unfolding of the Isaraels’ long term plan to de satbilise the Palestinians and hence gradualy subdue them . It’s a failure of the U.N.O. for which it should be dissolved. T
This war reflects what a toothless U.N.O. we have. A veto on such a bloody war does not legalise the loss of a thousand lives. If now the U.N. does take any major step to stop this, the death toll on tommorow’s preventive war will increase ten folds and we will find ouyrselves unable to stop it. WE don’t cross two hurdles at a time.
Everyone in the Muslim world hates Jews anyway. They say they only hate Zionists and Israel, but their rhetoric implies they all believe the Protocols, they only replaced the word Jew with Zionist.
No point talking to them, they think using human shields and attaching civilians is acceptable if it’s directed against Zionists that “rule the world”.
If you really want to get good information in English about Israeli thinking (NOT from the Israeli giovernment point of view) , go to http://www.jcpa.org.
Also–you can read about what one Israeli soldier experienced at http://jerusalemdiaies.blogspot.com
No one is asking the question: WHY is Hamas sending rockets over into Israel? Could it be that what the Palestinians are fighting for is a homeland of their own, exactly like the Jews now have in Israel but are denying the Palestinians! Palestine was in existence long before Israel, I just don’t understand why the Israelis can’t see this.
If it is right for Israel to do what it does to Gaza then perhaps the UK should have bombed and bulldozed Dublin during the troubles there?
Or pehaps it would have been OK for Britain to have raised the Jewish settlements in Palestine in 1948?
WORLD HAVE YOUR SAY – More propogandist drivel from the BBC – Why moderate posts that are inoffensive?
Twice, possibly three times, you have ‘moderated’ my posts, which were quiestioning and polite
‘Moderation’ is a euphimism for your kind of fascism….so that, in the words of Bush, the propoganda can be projected.
Israel has turned itself ito a pariah state by its actions.It no longer recognises the rights of others to exist in areas of land it now occupies.It is a great pity that this self-inflicted wound continues,unhealed
From “Israeli”: “Everyone in the Muslim world hates Jews anyway. They say they only hate Zionists and Israel, but their rhetoric implies they all believe the Protocols, they only replaced the word Jew with Zionist.
No point talking to them, they think using human shields and attaching civilians is acceptable if it’s directed against Zionists that “rule the world”.”
This is nonsense. I am an Arab Muslim and do not hate Jews. There is a vast difference between Jews and Zionists. Jews follow a religious ideology. Zionists are mainly interested in land appropriation and many are willing to use deadly force to carry out their secular objectives. Many self proclaimed Zionists, indeed, their leaders engaged in terrorism as early as the 30’s and 40’s. I reference “The Stern Gang” and other groups responsible for bombing the Kind David Hotel and the lynching of British service men. Its interesting that Zionists defend those actions in giving birth to their state but they complain about Hamas’ use of rockets to defend the illegal occupation, starvation and murder of Palestinians. I guess when you are armed to the teeth, you don’t need to engage in traditional terrorism. You can legally rain down terror from 10,000 feet.
Israel’s actions are unacceptable and I don’t believe they appreciate the extend of negative opinion towards them in London now. There has been a very high loss of civilian life (especially children) in Gaza and this is unacceptable.
America may have turned a blind eye to Israel’s actions whilst Bush was around, but Obama has a bit more integrity.
I have been to Israel on holiday and thought the people there were welcoming and friendly. However, this is a PR disaster for Israel and has been totally counter-productive. I no longer have a high opinion of Israel and support the Palestinians in their hour of suffering.
The BBC today on their home page invited viewers to revisit the holocaust, we only have to look at gaza for that. Let the war crimes trials begin.
It is high time that the BBC realise thatt Israel is an occupying force on Palestinian Teritory.
The Europeans fought the Occupiers (Nazi Germans).
The Palestinian must equate the same rights to drive off the occupiers off their land.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian have no armed forces or defensive capability.
Finally, The Israeli is the 5th Most Powerful Military Power in the western Hemisphere, a very vicious aggressor with the inttent to exterminate Palestiniian.
Thank you
Ranjit Choolun
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Jewish state believes it can behave as it wishes to behave. Unless the international community actively tries to stop it, it will continue to behave negatively.
After hearing and seeing what the UN and many other aid organizations have found, I am strongly in favour of war crimes charges being laid against the state of Israel.
I also believe that law suits should be filed all over the world against Israeli assets as a method to collect compensation for these crimes against humanity.
There is nothing left to say… when you kill innocent human beings by the hundreds, it is a crime against humanity!
Our Labour government should shrug off the strings of the US apron strings for once and call for an independent inquiry into the murder of hundreds of Palastinians during this disgraceful episode in the sad history of Palestine. Israel wants the smuggling of arms to be stopped. Well why has Israel being allowed to be massively armed by the USA including may I add the atom bomb. What hypocrocy.
I have speant the last few weeks reading the opinions of people on the BBC website. As someone who has studied the Middle East history and conflict in great depth I can honestly say that I am amazed how many people can manage to comment when they do not have all the facts at hand. In the whole, the comments people are making are pure opinion and not backed by fact. These comments can shape and influence the thoughts and opinions of others and before you know it you have a society of people who believe something which isn’t even the true. I trust the BBC will look into this and take neccessary action.
Let’s be direct about this..
Palestine (as it should be known)has been under the shadow of the IDF and Mossad for the best part of 50 years, who in turn have been backed to the hilt by the US State Department, who have given the Israeli’s all the most expensive training, armaments and Political support they could need.. any time a UN resolution came to try and stop Israel from breaking international law, the US used its Veto in Israel’s favour. They have STOLEN land from their neighbours, denied the existence of their own nuclear arsenal, and consistently murder civilians reactively in stratospheric numbers every time a Palestinian as much as sneezes in their direction.
I’m sickened to know that my country is allied with such a disgusting clique.
No wonder the west is getting anxious about Iranian Nuclear development – with Isreal flouting every law there is – having no regard for innocent lives outwith their own – they deserve it
Lous Michel the EU official visiting Gaza place responsibility for this affair at the door of Hamas and the EU has not exactly been Pro-Israel down the years. That alone should give people pause for thought.
The Arab neighbours of the Palestinians do little to lift a finger to assist their “brothers”, perhaps the experiences of Syria in respect of Hamas and Jordan in respect of the Palestinians informs their judgement.
So let me get this straight:
– many of you ‘BBC Have Your Sayers’ feel that Israel should have stood by and accepted Hamas raining down rockets indiscriminately on their population for years;
– you feel that it’s reasonable that Hamas (the party that the Palestinians elected for themselves by a significant margin) doesn’t recognize Israel and includes Israel’s destruction in their charter but that Israel should open its borders to them;
– you feel that Israel is guilty of war crimes but it’s OK for Hamas to fight while using their civilian population as human shields despite the fact that it is impermissible under the rules of the Geneva Conventions.
Now I understand.
I don’t really expect this to pass the BBC moderators, just thought I’d pen my thoughts.
hi friends….