Reply #226: Some answers...

[Violet_Crumble]

For instance, "will Israel keep stealing land?" implies that Israel is currently stealing land, which I don't believe it is. What land have they been stealing? Who has it been stolen from?

Here's a recent article from Ha'aretz on land theft in the West Bank. In this case it's very clear who's doing the stealing and who it's been stolen from...

Court case reveals how settlers illegally grab West Bank lands


West Bank settlements have expanded their jurisdictions by taking control of private Palestinian land and allocating it to settlers. The land takeover - which the Civil Administration calls "theft" - has occured in an orderly manner, without any official authorization.

The method of taking over land is being publicized for the first time, based on testimony from a hearing on an appeal filed by a Kedumim resident, Michael Lesence, against a Civil Administration order to vacate 35 dunams (almost 9 acres) near the Mitzpe Yishai neighborhood of the settlement. Official records show the land as belonging to Palestinians from Kafr Qaddum.

Lesence's lawyer, Doron Nir Zvi, admitted at the hearing that the land in question was private Palestinian property. However, Lesence claims ownership on the grounds that he has been working the land for more than a decade, after he received it in an orderly procedure, complete with a signed agreement, from the heads of the Kedumim local council.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/964843.html

Who are "they" anyway? And when have "they" dropped cluster bombs on civilian neighborhoods?

From reading the post "they" would be the IDF, which is a real easy guess seeing as how the IDF would be the only organisation with cluster bombs in its possession. When have they dropped them on civilian neigbourhoods would be during the second Lebanon war. Again from Ha'aretz:

IDF admits targeting civilian areas in Lebanon with cluster bombs

The Israel Defense Forces discovered that there had been "irregularities" in the use of cluster munitions, even before the end of the recent Lebanon war, sources in the defense minister's office said Monday. As a result of this information, Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered an "extensive inquiry" into the use of these munitions before the war's end.

Meanwhile, for the first time Monday, the IDF admitted targeting populated areas with cluster munitions. In a statement released by the IDF Spokesman's Office, "the use of cluster munitions against built-up areas was done only against military targets where rocket launches against Israel were identified and after taking steps to warn the civilian population."

The statements released by the minister's office contradict Israel Defense Forces' claims - made both during and after the war - regarding the use of cluster munitions.

One IDF version, which remained unchanged until earlier this week, held that the firing of cluster munitions was done in accordance with international law.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/789876.html