Why I object to this military campaign, even as missiles fall on my city

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://972mag.com/why-i-object-to-this-military-campaign-even-as-missiles-fall-on-my-city/93246/

I keep running into Israelis who don’t know, for example, that we still control Allenby Bridge (which connects the West Bank to Jordan), and with it each entrance and exit of a every Palestinian into the West Bank; or they don’t know that the IDF still operates in Area A, supposedly under the full control of the Palestinian Authority; or that there is no 3G network in the West Bank because Israel doesn’t permit the Palestinian cellular providers to use the necessary frequencies; or that we imprison of Palestinians hundreds without trial for months and years; or any other factual, undeniable aspect of the occupation. If all this is unknown, then perhaps this is all just a big misunderstanding.

Most of the time I try to correct misconceptions and argue over such details, but if I had to explain the whole thing briefly, I would use the following metaphor: we’ve built two giant prisons. Let’s call them “West Bank Prison” and “Gaza Prison.” The West Bank Prison is similar to a minimum security facility, where prisoners get to run their own affairs as long as they behave. They are entitled to vacations from time to time and once a year they are even taken to the beach. Some lucky people get below-minimum-wage jobs in nearby factories, and when you consider the low prices in the prison canteen, it’s actually not a bad deal.

Gaza, on the other hand, is a maximum security facility. It is difficult to visit and impossible to leave. We allow in essential food, water and electricity so that the prisoners don’t die. Apart from that, we don’t really care about them – that is unless they approach the prison fence; or the “forbidden” perimeter, where anyone who wanders too close is shot; or if they try to throw something over the fence.

Indeed, they occasionally throw some homemade bombs made of things they’ve managed to smuggle into prison, and when they fall on our heads it really is unpleasant. So we send our snipers to the watchtowers built around the prison and shoot them like fish in a barrel until they calm down. And when they finally do calm down, we cease firing because we are not the kind of bastards who shoot people for fun.

[salib]

1. K & R

[Babel_17]

2. Afaik there is a large minority of Israelis who are eager to change things (nt)

[Israeli]

6. of course there is .....

another example :

http://972mag.com/watch-a-voice-of-peace-on-the-gaza-border/93278/

PS .... shira thinks we all think as she does

[shira]

3. 91% of Israelis support Gaza operation. 47% against ground invasion.

http://reshet.tv/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/News/Politics/Security/Article,156618.aspx

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Is that the same percentage that advocates / endorses colonization of the West Bank, occupation

of Palestinian territory and apartheid in general?

[Israeli]

7. Nope ...

Support for West Bank settlements dropping among Israeli public, poll indicates
Israeli public less opposed to territorial concessions.

By Yarden Skop | Jun. 16, 2014

A public opinion poll on settlements in the West Bank, conducted annually for the past six years, shows a trend of decreasing support among the Israeli public for the settlers.

The poll also reveals the public is less opposed to territorial concessions and more concerned of international boycotts, and conditions its support for settlers on their combating Jewish lawbreakers in the territories, including so-called “hilltop youth.”

The poll, conducted by a think tank led by Prof. Yitzhak Katz, was ordered by the Samaria and Jordan Valley Research and Development Center, and presented at Ariel University. Profs. Miryam Billig and Udi Lebel, who conducted the research, state that the poll shows a drastic decline in public support for settlers since 2009.

The 550 individuals over the age of 18 who participated in the poll do not reside in the West Bank, and reflect a cross-section of Israeli society. The poll revealed that 59 percent of those questioned believed the settlements harm Israel’s relationship with the United States government. Half of those polled agreed with claims that the budget for settlements come at the expense of education and social welfare, and 40 percent believe that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are a waste of the country’s money.

Seventy-one percent stated that settlers’ clashes with the IDF prevent them from identifying with the settlements, and 54 percent claimed the hilltop youth prevent them from identifying with the settlers as a whole.

The polls also revealed that a small minority supports perpetuating the status quo (12 percent), while 31 percent would support partial or full annexation of the West Bank, though the majority of the Israeli public (51 percent) would support partial or full disengagement as part of an agreement with the Palestinians.

At the same time, public support for a peace agreement hinges upon a complete cessation of terror (84 percent) and a Palestinian declaration to end the conflict (82 percent), according to the poll.

Source: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.599003

[Babel_17]

4. I can't help thinking of Gitmo

There's the argument that even if some prisoners were mostly innocent when they were tossed in, well, they're hell bent on killing us now, after being there.

Edit: Point being, governments should avoid getting into that situation.