Israel mounts air attack on Gaza and Lebanon

[julianer]

The Israeli government has dramatically escalated its offensive against the Palestinians, with war planes mounting attacks on the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon. Both attacks were carried out on the pretext of responding to rockets fired by Palestinian militant groups.

The attacks on Gaza, which began on the evening of Wednesday, December 28, came after a declaration by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s cabinet imposing a buffer zone in the north of the strip. The order creating a buffer area 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) deep, covering territory formerly containing Jewish settlements, came into effect at 18:00 hours and within minutes shelling began.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) dropped leaflets over northern Gaza reproducing a map of the “security zone,” stating that it will be enforced “until further notice” and instructing people to keep out of the area.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave an interview in which he responded to accusations that Sharon’s Gaza disengagement plan had been a mistake. He stressed that it had in fact provided for a more flexible military response. In chilling terms he declared, “The prime minister has no limitations. No one is stopping him. No one is blocking him. He’s not afraid of ‘what they will say.’”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/isra-d30.shtml

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Behind the Aegis]

2. And?

"Both attacks were carried out on the pretext of responding to rockets fired by Palestinian militant groups."

Perhaps, Israel should just be bombed?

[julianer]

3. Does Israel only ever 'respond'? n/t

[pelsar]

4. confused?

israels received 30 missles the day it left gaza...and everyday since.....perhaps the palestenains in gaza might want to try NOT trying to kill israelis?...or is that not conceivable...

but of course if your game:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x109261

[julianer]

5. And????

The point of the article is not that attacks on Israel or by Israel are justified - rather it is an analysis of the political situation in the region.

However you are only able to deal with the 'conflict' in terms of Israel as a victim of aggression - you are totally unable to see Israel as a perpetrator of aggression. So you can't really contribute to any debate which isn't just a straight blaming of the 'other' for the last act of agression or reprisal (whichever your take is).

Any analysis which seeks to understand the interaction between various powers and forces in the area must be ignored at all costs because it involves a recognition of Israel as a part of the problem rather than the virtually defenceless victim of unreasoned attacks - the imaginary position you find solace in.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. And? redux...

The point of the article is not an analysis of the political situation in the region, but rather an ill-conceived, unbalanced article trying to blame Israel's responses.

However you are only able to deal with the 'conflict' in terms of Palestine as a victim of aggression - you are totally unable to see Palestine as a perpetrator of aggression. So you can't really contribute to any debate which isn't just a straight blaming of the 'other' for the last act of aggression or reprisal (whichever your take is).

Any analysis which seeks to understand the interaction between various powers and forces in the area must be ignored at all costs because it involves a recognition of Palestinians as a part of the problem rather than the "eternal" victim of unreasoned attacks - the imaginary position you find solace in.

[julianer]

7. Actually I do accept that some Palestinians

and Palestinian groups are aggressive toward Israel but I haven't any evidence that the PA is responsible for such aggression. There is no denying that Israel's aggression is ordered by the Israeli government.

With regard to international law - the Palestinians have a right to resist occupation and Israel has a duty to obey the law. There is no question of equality of blame so long as the occupation continues - so even if the PA were arming itself to attack the IDF it would be acting completely within the law, whereas everything the IDF does in the occupied territory is illegal, since the occupation itself is illegal. But, as I say, the PA is doing no such thing - it is actually doing Israel's bidding in trying to 'control' groups resisting the occupation, yet this does nothing to stop the Israeli clamour for a Palestinian civil war against the 'terrorists'.

So you are trying to compare apples and oranges in that regard. A bit like claiming there was equal blame for French resistance attacks on German troops and German reprisals on French civilians - something not supported by international law, as I'm sure you know).

I will take it as a backward compliment that you best argument is to repeat my words to me (with added distortions, naturally).