Accounts of the 19 month ceasefire honored by Hamas, but violated by Israel to rationalize massacre

[cpwm17]

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/25128-in-gaza-israel-coverage-new-york-times-purveys-pro-war-propaganda-on-page-one

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on July 3:

Israel's military operations in the West Bank following the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers have amounted to collective punishment. The military operations included unlawful use of force, arbitrary arrests, and illegal home demolitions.

Israeli forces have arrested about 700 Palestinians since June 12, 2014, and are currently detaining at least 450, some during the large-scale military incursions and others who are known supporters or leaders of the Hamas Reform and Change Party, which won Palestinian elections in 2006, according to Addameer, a Palestinian prisoner's rights group.

Giving more details, several of the weekly reports from PCHR indicate that Israeli forces and settlers killed 11 Palestinians and wounded 51 during 369 incursions into the West Bank between June 12 and July 2 and that Israeli forces raided hundreds of houses on the West Bank each week. Israeli forces also launched the 60 bombing attacks on Gaza and one ground incursion, wounding 27 people in Gaza during those three weeks.

While all these attacks in the West Bank and Gaza did produce rocket fire from other groups in Gaza during June - which the ITIC reports had been almost zero during the previous month - the attacks did not provoke Hamas itself to fire rockets. To predictably accomplish that feat, Israeli forces had to go further and kill the six Hamas members on July 7.

Since everything Israel does is justified, by definition, history's clock started on July 8 when Hamas fired rockets into Israel. All of the atrocities that Israel committed against Palestine after the three tens were murdered in the West Bank on June 12 are erased from memory. The Palestinians are, by definition, always at fault, which makes them legal cannon fire.

Israel's repeated violations of the cease fire that Hamas honored for 19 months is not relevant to the racists.

[KansDem]

1. Thanks for the thread, cpwm17

It helps to put these events into perspective.

And this from the article...

The July 23 article "Hamas Gambled on War as Its Woes Grew in Gaza" by New York Times reporter Anne Barnard wrongly states, "When Hamas sent a barrage of rockets into Israel, simmering hostilities, and back and forth strikes, erupted into war." That statement about the war's origin is pro-war propaganda. It has no basis in fact.

Once again, the "Gray Lady" deceives. I've never forgiven "her" for helping Bush with his invasion of Iraq. Anne Barnard must be the new Judith Miller.

[Duckhunter935]

2. yes it is a good thing that no

rockets were fired from Gaza for the 19 months prior. I think a lot were, prove me wrong.

I think Israel needs to stop and end the blockade but it is also up to the Palestinians to stop the rockets also.

[randome]

3. You know how they could do that?

Withdraw the illegal settlements, stop the blockade, come to the table. Israel is not interested in peace.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[Duckhunter935]

5. I agree but both sides are not interested yet

Hamas must recognize the state of Israel and change there charter to state this fact.

[hack89]

6. All of Israel is an illegal settlement to Hamas

When Hamas explicitly recognizes the right of Israel to exist is when there will be meaningful talks.

[randome]

7. Do other countries demand that the Tea Party agree with everything before a treaty is signed?

Hamas is practically irrelevant to the conversation. Their firecrackers endanger people but the way to build momentum to a lasting peace is for one side to at least make the effort.

Since Israel is the one with the overwhelming power, it's up to them. If 'might makes right', then they need to use their might to do the right thing.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[Duckhunter935]

8. no but they must compromise

what have they compromised on?

[randome]

9. Who? Hamas? Hamas is no more Palestine than the Tea Party is America.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[Duckhunter935]

10. so they are not responsible and should not be

part of peace talks. So how does Israel stop the rockets that Hamas is now sending over in the thousands? Can the PA stop them?

[randome]

19. Maybe if Israel had a peace treaty with the Palestinians, they would help stop Hamas.

All I know is that nothing will stop unless someone makes the effort. The Palestinians (not Hamas) have made the effort only to be refused time and again by Israel.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[Duckhunter935]

26. I agree Israel

needs to change leadership and work more with the PA and that would marginalize Hamas hopefully.

[treestar]

21. And all of Palestine belongs to Israel

Not putting that in a charter explicitly does not make it not true.

[hack89]

25. They gave up the Sinai and Gaza

the only reason Hamas can wage war on Israel is that there are no Israelis in Gaza.

[treestar]

31. They are clearly going after Gaza right now

It'll be part of their war winnings at some point.

[hack89]

34. No

I think they will try to eliminate the tunnels, withdraw and tighten the blockade to ensure Hamas can't rearm. This would be a good opportunity for the people of Gaza to choose a new leadership.

[cpwm17]

20. Hamas did their best to prevent the rockets

but out of two million highly oppressed people it is inevitable that someone is going to strike back. The Palestinians deserve no collective punishment from their oppressors, especially considering what the oppressors have been doing all along is millions of times worse than the rockets.

Israel provokes the rockets, not the Palestinian public. The rockets are Israel's fault, along with all of the atrocities Israel has committed over the last almost 70 years.

[Duckhunter935]

29. "Hamas did their best to prevent the rockets"

yeah, right "please stop, wink, wink, nod, nod."

[cpwm17]

33. They shot no rockets and there's no evidence that they participated

Israel knows that. That's why they assassinated the Hamas officials on July 7. Israel wanted to get a response from Hamas to rationalized this mass-murder campaign.

Israel can and does get away with murdering Palestinians on a regular bases, but to commit mass murder, they needed a pretext.

[malaise]

4. Might is right

Don;t yah know that?

[sabrina 1]

11. Once again, our Corporate Media proves why it is totally not trustworthy. And they wonder why their

ratings are so low. Nancy Pelosi just told us that same story, the one where it all began two weeks ago because of Hamas, rockets, human shields etc. She delivered all the talking points which she has down pat, as do all guests on the Corporate Media with no one to counter them.

[Bonobo]

12. 19 month ceasefire? Not according to Wikipedia. Can you explain this seeming contradiction?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2014

In January, Palestinians launched 22 rockets and four mortar shell at Israel in 19 separate attacks. Two of the rockets were launched from Sinai.[4][5]

In February, Palestinian launched nine rockets at Israel in seven separate attacks.[5]

In March, Palestinians launched 65 rockets and mortar shell, in 23 attacks.[23]

In April, There were 19 rockets and 5 mortar shell in 14 attacks towards Israel. These attacks caused property damage, but no deaths or injuries. [30]

Throughout May 4 rockets and 3 mortar shells were launched from Gaza in 5 attacks towards Israel.[45]

Throughout June about 53 rockets and a mortar shell were launched from Gaza in about 17 attacks towards Israel. These attacks caused property damage, but no deaths or injuries.

In July, tensions in the area erupted into conventional warfare (Operation Protective Edge). The number of attacks launched toward Israel increased dramatically and may be difficult to count with complete accuracy.

[Nye Bevan]

13. The story was from Truthout. Always known for their accuracy cough Rove indictment cough (nt)

[totodeinhere]

15. They are generally a reliable progressive organization. Nobody gets it right 100% of the time

of course. But the point is that multiple sources have reported on ongoing rocket attacks aimed at Israel. And yes Hamas does not control all of the splinter groups and might not have been directly responsible, but rockets were being first at Israel. Is Israel supposed to ignore those attacks because it's uncertain exactly which group is doing it?

[DesertDiamond]

18. Not saying what's true or false here, but one problem with wikipedia is that anyone can post

whatever they want there. Again, not saying what's true or false here. But when using wikipedia I always look for corroboration from other sources I trust.

[Bonobo]

22. That really is not true. I mean it is, but there are powerful safeguards,

Look at this "talk" page for example.

It is serious and no, not so easy to post false stuff with others checking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk alestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel

[cpwm17]

23. The OP is about Hamas rockets

As I wrote above: out of two million highly oppressed and imprisoned people, it is inevitable that someone is going to strike back at their oppressors. Its the oppressors fault, not the two million captive Palestinians. The rockets started greatly increasing after Israel started its collective punishment campaign.

Israel is using Nazi tactics, using collective punishment against a brutalized population. If the Palestinians deserve to be murdered and have their homes flattened for some rockets that usually cause little harm, then what do the Israelis deserve for what they've done over the last 70 years?

[Bonobo]

24. Your OP makes a false claim. I think you need to address that instead of doubling down. nt

[cpwm17]

28. It's accurate. This is in my OP:

While all these attacks in the West Bank and Gaza did produce rocket fire from other groups in Gaza during June - which the ITIC reports had been almost zero during the previous month - the attacks did not provoke Hamas itself to fire rockets. To predictably accomplish that feat, Israeli forces had to go further and kill the six Hamas members on July 7.

I made sure not to leave that out of the my post, for accuracy.

[Bonobo]

32. Highly misleading. There were rocket and mortar attacks EVERY SINGLE WEEK

Sometimes several per week. There was no rest and you try to make it look like peace reigned from the Palestinian side for 19 months!

Utterly untrue. And to pretend that HAMAS was not involved strains credibility.

[cpwm17]

37. Those are by individuals, not by any Palestinian government

Last edited Mon Jul 28, 2014, 04:55 AM - Edit history (2)

And as I explained above, the Palestinian public is not responsible. Israel is. They're the oppressors.

If some outsiders expelled much of the American public from our homeland and imprisoned us on a much smaller piece of land, who would be at fault for the Americans that strike back? The American public?: obviously not.

Israel fabricated an excuse for mass murder. It's as simple as that.

If Israel can flatten houses and commit mass-murder for the rockets by individual Palestinians, then what can the Palestinians do for the millions of times worse crap that Israel has done for far longer?

[rdking647]

14. this is from the hamas charter

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).

There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it. (talking about the jews)

not to mention the part of the charter that talks about the anti semetic book the protocols of the elders of zion
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp


why would israel want to negotiate with an enemy that says that in its charter and who then launches missiles repeatedly against civilian targets?
let hamas stop firing missiles and let them recognize israels righ tto exist. until negotiation isnt possible

[Rhinodawg]

16. You mean they want Jews .... Dead ?

That might be a shock to some people.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

27. And this was in the 1999 Likud charter

Unsure if it still is in the newer ones but how can one negotiate in good faith with a party that flatly rejects what the other side wants to accomplish?

Self-Rule: The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan River. The Palestinians can run their lives freely in the framework of self-rule, but not as an independent and sovereign state. Thus, for example, in matters of foreign affairs, security, immigration and ecology, their activity shall be limited in accordance with imperatives of Israel’s existence, security and national needs.

[treestar]

35. Hypocrisy to say the Palestinians can't have a state

After all the "right to exist" stuff.

[rdking647]

39. that was the 1999 likud platform

here is the current one

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/01/08/681872/-The-Likud-Party-Platform

[randome]

30. Hamas is not all of Palestine.

Why won't Israel make a treaty with the official Government of the State of Palestine and see where that leads?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[hack89]

36. They would still be fighting Hamas

because you know that Hamas will violently resist any deal that excludes their demands.

Are you ok with peace in the West Bank and the status quo in Gaza?

[randome]

38. Yes, if it leads to something down the road.

One must first get on the road to see where it leads.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[G_j]

17. K&R!