Gaza: Thousands celebrate Jerusalem attack

[oberliner]

Gaza's streets filled with joyous crowds of thousands on Thursday evening following the terror attack at a Jerusalem rabbinical seminary in which eight people were killed.

In mosques in Gaza City and northern Gaza, many residents went to perform the prayers of thanksgiving.

Armed men fired in the air in celebration and others passed out sweets to passersby.

Hamas stopped just short of claiming responsibility but issued a statement saying the group "blesses the (Jerusalem) operation. It will not be the last,'' Hamas said in a statement.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3516031,00.html

[bemildred]

1. Apparently we have at one least claim of responsibility:

An organization calling itself "Galilee Freedom Battalions - the Martyrs of Imad Mughniyeh" took responsiblity for the attack, according to Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station. The veracity of the claim was not clear.

Hezbollah had vowed to avenge last month's assassination of its terror chief, Imad Mughniyeh, in Damascus. The organization blamed Israel for his death, but Israel denied any role in the killing.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/961696.html

[Vegasaurus]

2. Again, and WHO WANTS PEACE?

People who celebrate death? Who pass out candies to celebrate the death of innocent people?

In the midst of their "humanitarian crisis" (for which Israel is expected to provide food, fuel, medical care), they can buy sweets and guns and ammunition. Because after all, the goal of the militants and the "crowds of joyous" Palestinians, is the death of Israelis.

Were there Israelis out celebrating and giving prayers and sweets because of deaths in Gaza last week> NO. These militants and all of their thousands and thousands and thousands of followers are sick in the head.

[subsuelo]

3. And where was your anger a week ago

When Gazans were being slaughtered by Israel's military

[Vegasaurus]

4. Who was celebrating?

THAT IS WHAT I AM COMMENTING ON.

Did you hear of Israelis celebrating death of Gazans? No. This celebration of death is just sick. I hope you see that. Is Israelis did that, I would be equally disgusted, I assure you.

[subsuelo]

11. Graveside party celebrates Hebron massacre

BBC - 21 March, 2000

Militant Jews have gathered at the grave of Baruch Goldstein to celebrate the sixth anniversary of his massacre of Muslim worshippers in Hebron.

About 10,000 people had visited the grave since the massacre (this was in 2000, remember)

Ynet - 24 March, 2005

Party under way at murderer's gravesite

KIRYAT ARBA - Dozens of far right activists arrived for the annual Purim celebration at the Kiryat Arba gravesite of Baruch Goldstein, who murdered 29 Palestinian worshippers in 1994.

The Guardian/Commentisfree- November 2, 2007

For those unfamiliar with the odious, late Rabbi Kahane, he was the leader of the now-outlawed Kach party in Israel, and his politics included advocating the forcible expulsion of all Arab citizens of Israel. A former member of Knesset - until his party was banned in 1988 - he was gunned down after giving a speech in the United States in 1990. His followers have been responsible for numerous terror attacks against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians, most notably Baruch Goldstein's bloody massacre at a Hebron mosque in 1994.

At the memorial service, the mere mention of Goldstein's name received thunderous applause from the audience - all of whom were ultra-orthodox, and all of whom had not the slightest remorse at singing the praises of Israel's most notorious mass-murderer.

...make no mistake, the politics of Kach and those of the National Socialists are chillingly similar in their vicious racism and call to arms. Footage of Kahane's more incendiary speeches were shown throughout the ceremony, as he ranted and raved to his enraptured acolytes, fists clenched and raised in triumph whilst he spat his venomous message of hate.

"There is no such thing as an Arab village in Israel," he thundered from beyond the grave, "only a Jewish village that is temporarily inhabited by Arabs." The crowd went wild, stamping their feet and giving piercing whistles, regardless of the fact that most of them had seen the footage countless times before. An impromptu chant of "Kahane still lives" was started by a boy in the row behind me, and soon the entire hall was singing as one, from the youngest schoolchildren to the most gnarled and wizened old men in the room.

[pelsar]

12. thats the best you can do?

yes it is a reflection on israeli society.....a very good one.

Dozens of far right activists---thats it..24-36 people?

About 10,000 people had visited the grave since the massacre, Mr Marzel said ---- Baruch Marzel is as far right as one can go...i doubt his word has much to it.

Celebrating Kahana----whos party has been outlawed as racists
_________

if thats the best you can come up to compare Palestinians in Gaza celebrating killing israelis in the streets..i would say israel has the better values as a society (in western terms)

[subsuelo]

13. The question was answered.

Try and deflate it all you want. It is a direct comparison, and the question was answered: Did you hear of Israelis celebrating deaths of Palestinians? -- Answer is Yes. Some Israelis have celebrated a terrorist killing spree of Palestinians, and those celebrations obviously continue to this day.

Sorry you don't like to face the nasty reality, but nothing can deflate the facts.

[Vegasaurus]

15. Since when does "dozens"

equal thousands and thousands? Especially when those "dozens" was once, not every time Israelis are murdered.

There are a bunch of right wing kooks in Israel, more than dozens, but a small minority, who might celebrate deaths of Palestinians. It is not IN ANY WAY rampant across the nation. There are no rallies and marches of celebration and shooting off of guns, handing out of sweets, lowering prices, when Palestinians are killed. There aren't. Yet this is COMMON and usual in the territories when there is a suicide bombing. Read about Dimona. Same thing with the celebration.

Your efforts to conflate the two responses are absurd.

[subsuelo]

21. I guess you missed the "About 10,000 people had visited the grave since the massacre" part

[pelsar]

27. guess you missed who claimed it..

baruch mazal......

[eyl]

62. Do you consider the

Israeli Comittee Against House Demolitions to be Kahanists? Beause they offer a tour of Hebron which stops at the grave...

[pelsar]

17. i dont doubt the facts....

some israelis do infact celebrate Palestinian deaths....unlike the hamas govt, it is however not sanctioned nor celebrated by the israeli govt.

those are also the facts......sometimes little information like that sure does put the bare facts in to perspective. Though i do understand why you prefer to leave it out....it would ruin your narrative.

[subsuelo]

20. There's no "narrative" to answering someone's question.

[pelsar]

26. there is always context....

to assume that the context is irrelevant is simply a way of avoiding the reality and sticking to ones preferred fantasy......nothing more than that.

[aquart]

5. No. That's way too easy an explanation.

They are people who have been told they are entitled to the land of Israel and that it is really theirs. They have been used as pawns by rulers and religious leaders who are horrified at the thought of open and friendly borders with a western-style democracy. When one of them notices he's been used and says so, they kill him for being a traitor. So there's no upside to being reasonable about Israel, it means death. And probably a bit of torture.

Lots of public support for hating Israel and cheering murder and suicide bombings and all of that.

Kind of like what happens here with Obama. Lots of support for adoring him but you are set upon by dogs if you notice a flaw.

[Vegasaurus]

6. And even weirder are "progressives"

who excuse people dancing around in the streets, handing out candies, and giving prayers to celebrate the death of innocent human beings.

Where is the outrage? This isn't "resistance" (which is stupid too), but literally celebrating death.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

7. It is interesting that this fires you up more than the actual loss of life. nt

[Vegasaurus]

8. The actual loss of life is horrific

but I find celebrating it unconscionable.

Amazing that more don't.

[hifalutin]

9. I do believe this celebration

business is going to turn away a lot of support for the people of Gaza.

ALL loss of innocent life is horrific but celebrating by the thousands in the streets of Gaza is also horrific.

[Vegasaurus]

10. The photographs were chilling

How can people celebrate death?

It is absolutely sick.

[Violet_Crumble]

22. From what I've seen here, it's only people who didn't support the people of Gaza in the first place.

You do realise that the majority of Gazans didn't celebrate? Or do you think the population of Gaza only numbers a few thousand?

What I find utterly hypocritical is that Americans who haven't shown the slightest bit of *outrage* (seeing that word gets bandied round here a lot, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon) over the deaths of over a hundred Gazans in the past week are all hot under the collar about celebrations. This from people who live in the same country where people celebrated the deaths of innocent civilians in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasake, the same country where the crew of a US ship that shot down an Iranian commercial airliner killing 290 innocent civilians was given a hero's welcome and commendations on their return to the US, and where the killing of innocent civilians when the US invaded Baghdad was a cause for celebration among Americans.

Unlike you, I'll only speak on my own behalf. While I am appalled by the carnage over the past week and condemn the killings of ALL civilians that has happened, and find any celebrating of civilian deaths to be nasty, I have not lost a shred of sympathy for the people of Gaza. Just the same way as I haven't lost a shred of sympathy for Israelis affected by rocket attacks or the attack on the seminary even though I've seen some calling things like 'death to Arabs' and wanting to bomb the shit out of Gaza in revenge...

[msmcghee]

23. About those other millions of Gazans . .

. . who are not celebrating. Perhaps you can provide a quote from one of them about how sad it is that those Jewish students were murdered and how murdering civilians is not moral behavior and should be condemned by all good people.

[Violet_Crumble]

25. Are you arguing that ALL Gazans supported this?

Coz if you aren't, then why are you asking me to go off and look for something you could look for yrself if yr so interested in it?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

66. How did other seminary students react when their classmates were killed?

"Death to the Arabs" was their chant I believe.

Anger and revenge aren't pretty, but they're pretty human.

[Vegasaurus]

70. Revenge is dangerous, and perhaps human

but celebrating death really isn't. It is not a regular or normal human response.

Again, conflating students saying "Death to Arabs", after eight classmates have been killed, with thousands and thousands of people in the street shooting guns, passing candies and cheering and praising G-d, are really not at all the same.

If you want to conflate the "death to Arabs" with Palestinians burning of an Israeli flag, or yelling "death to Israel" that's a more apt analogy. Nothing that happened in Israel after any Palestinian deaths is the same as the celebration we have seen this week (and after every suicide bombing, including 9.11).

[Vegasaurus]

36. WHo are you saying celebrated deaths of the bombings of Hiroshima

or innocent civilians in Baghdad?

Did you see Americans or British people out handing out candies and dancing in the streets?

I did not, so if you have photographic evidence (like there is of the Palestinians, after every terrorist attack against Jews, Israelis or Americans), please post it.

I said it earlier, but I would be disgusted by any group celebrating the death of another groups innocent civilians, including Israelis. It just isn't common practice, although it is in Palestine.

Sorry, but I don't feel sorry about deaths of Hamas members and other militants. I would be happy for them all to die (although I still wouldn't hand out candies or celebrate).

[Violet_Crumble]

44. I said very clearly that Americans celebrated those things...

I didn't realise that you think the only way of celebrating something is to dance in the streets, fire guns in the air, and handing out lollies. So, having a quiet celebratory drink in the pub or doing a 'yay!!!' in front of the telly is okay with you? Why not just fast-track it all and narrow the definition of *celebrate* even more so that if someone celebrates something that causes a lot of civiian deaths, it's only celebration if they're Palestinian...

You don't even have to venture far from DU to spot celebratory posts still happening after all this time about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasake. And when it came to the invasion of Baghdad, I was online and wandering round the net and saw the celebratory posts from Americans who acted as though Christmas had come early...

Let me get this straight. You want anyone who's a member of Hamas dead? It doesn't matter if their involvement in Hamas is one where they don't plan or execute any violence against Israelis - you just want them dead? That's creepy...

[Swede]

14. They also got free candy.

Lovely bunch.

[hifalutin]

16. One thing I did notice,

none of those doing the celebrating looked hungry, skinny or starving, they all looked strong, sturdy and well fed.

Nothing at all like the images we come to expect from the suffering of Gazans.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

67. There but for the grace of God go you.

If there is karma in this world I do hope you come back born in the poorest refugee camp on the planet.

[hifalutin]

71. I did not say

all Palestinians looked fat and well fed, only those doing the celebrating, how come?
Seems the militants have a different standard of living than the regular folks.


'If there is karma in this world I do hope you come back born in the poorest refugee camp on the planet.'
That comment was uncalled for.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

72. Your ignorance of life in Gaza Strip knows no bounds. nt

[msmcghee]

18. Here's the video. These folks do know how to party it seems.

I guess it just takes the right motivation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMxPUzEBWDU

Did you see the guy with the bagpipes?

Maybe it's me but I didn't see any underfed sickly people there - did you?

[hifalutin]

19. My point exactly

they all look pretty robust!

[subsuelo]

24. The Baruch Goldstein Fan Club members aren't exactly undernourished either n/t

[Dick Dastardly]

31. Comparing the Goldstein nutters

to the Palestinian terror celebration as an equal example is dishonest IMHO and shows a lack of a credible argument. Its the equivilent of using the Phelps nutballs in a comparison to slander America the same way Goldstein is used for Israel. The Goldstein comparison shows a willingness to not care about the truth because slandering and demonizing Israel is more important. There is no reasonable comparison in any way shape or form.

[Violet_Crumble]

28. Indeed! Proof that Gazans aren't suffering and a multitude of international experts are wrong!!

Surely I don't need to stick a sarcasm tag on my post?

[msmcghee]

29. It's not proof of anything.

But it is rather compelling evidence that "Gazans aren't suffering and a multitude of international experts are" probably lying or twisting the truth to serve their political agendas.

[Violet_Crumble]

30. I think the only compelling evidence here is...

...that some folk think they're more credible and have more expertise than actual experts in the areas concerned and are prepared to lie and twist the truth to serve their own particular political agendas...

[Dick Dastardly]

32. You mean like

trying to compare the Goldstein celebratory nutcases to the Palestinians celebratory nutcases as actually a equal and valid comparison

[Violet_Crumble]

33. Huh? What are you going on about?

If you want to turn this bit of the subthread into an argument about whether or not people who celebrate the deaths of innocent civilians are different depending on who the victims are, I don't mind, but I fail to see what it had to do with the post yr replying to...

[Dick Dastardly]

34. Sorry

I posted it wrong, it was to Subs comments

[Violet_Crumble]

35. That's cool...

It's easy to do that, especially when threads start getting long :)

[Vegasaurus]

37. Absolutely disgusting

I notice no commentary from a good number of posters, who must not see anything wrong with the very public display of celebrating death of innocent people.

[azurnoir]

38. On the public celebration

I have to wonder here, Palestinians celebrate publicly dancing in the streets candy ect, however is possible some of that is because they are Islamic ie do not drink, go to nightclubs or other places were people gather in western culture? Is it possible that Israeli's especially IDF are/were doing the same after last weeks Gaza incursion, in bars or nightclubs? I am sure the owners of these establishments would really be happy to the media there filming the celebrations, not. And yes it is a extrapolation and I am "making it up" meaning wondering if.

edited to add: I am speaking of Gaza where reputedly places that serve alcohol and nightclubs are few and far between to put it mildly

[Vegasaurus]

39. This is painfully ignorant

Israelis are not partying in clubs and bars after deaths of innocent Palestinians.

This post borders on the bizarre.

[Behind the Aegis]

40. Not bizarre...typical.

[azurnoir]

47. of the military yes n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

63. no, of your posts. n/t

[azurnoir]

41. So your are saying that no IDF unit ever celbrates victory

or mission accomplished, or to sugar coat it "blowing off steam"? ever know anyone in the military?

[Vegasaurus]

42. Do you know anyone in the IDF

or a single Israeli?

[azurnoir]

46. Israeli yes several

former IDF yes again several, so you are seriously going to tell that IDF is different from pretty much every other military on earth, including the US, oooookay

[pelsar]

48. israelis...

arent much in to drinking......and after missions they're stuck on their bases cleaning up equipment (no beers etc are sold on IDF bases). In general after missions there is relaxation that its over and time to get some sleep...

[azurnoir]

49. Maybe its America

but Israeli's here are some of the partyingest I know of.

[Violet_Crumble]

50. I think Pelsar is talking about immediately after missions...

Not Israelis in general, coz my experience of Israeli backpackers here is that they like to party just as hard as any other tourist...

[azurnoir]

52. Thought of that so I made another post n/t

[Vegasaurus]

54. "Partying hard" and celebrating death are quite different nt

[Violet_Crumble]

57. Not if the partying hard is a celebration of a successful incursion...

..where many innocent civilians have been killed. But we all know thanks to yr random spot-checks on Israeli nightclubs and pubs that NO-ONE and I repeat NO-ONE gets celebratory at all after a successful Israeli incursion...

[Vegasaurus]

58. Who said NO ONE? nt

[Violet_Crumble]

60. Oh yeah. I forgot about that sole Israeli you found in the latest spot-check!

Yr own words 'Israelis are not partying in clubs and bars after deaths of innocent Palestinians.'

[pelsar]

56. after the army....

they kinda "let loose" (get the hell out of israel)...and join the rest of the world.....

[azurnoir]

59. India? Amsterdam? n/t

[azurnoir]

51. it is the same with American military in combat zones but

within days that changes and then....... I do know this from a brother who was in Vietnam and a couple of my SO's cousins who are in Iraq where those kind of outlets are not commonly available

[Violet_Crumble]

45. How the hell do you know? Do you visit every pub in Israel and do a spot-check? n/t

[Dick Dastardly]

68. What the hell does

unfounded comparisons of IDF troops partying in bars after a succesful incursion have to do with the irrefutable fact that thousands of Palestinian civilians and terror group members celebrated in the streets the targeted murder of kids. Why is there a need to make up things to demonize Israel when the Palestinians display such horrible displays. Even if it were true how does that excuse the horrible public celebration of the murder of kids.

[Violet_Crumble]

69. WTF are you asking me for??

And what exactly have I made up??

[ohio2007]

43. Looks like the candy they handed out in celebration will have to be given back

Hamas NOT claiming Jerusalem attack
Hamas backtracked Friday on its claim of responsibility for an attack on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem that killed eight Israeli students. Ibrahim Daher, head of Hamas' al-Aqsa radio, said his station put out an earlier claim of responsibility prematurely. The attack was earlier claimed by a senior official of Hamas.



"Hamas is responsible for the attack. The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades will officially claim the attack at the right moment," a Gaza official told AFP.
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing, however, stressed the group was not taking responsibility for the attack - at least yet. "There may be a later announcement. ... But we don't claim this honor yet," he said, according to the AP.Immediately after the attack, the Lebanese Hizbullah Shiite group said it was carried out to avenge the death of its senior commander, Imad Mughnieh, assassinated in a Damascus bombing on Februaury 12.



Meanwhile in Jerusalem, Israeli police arrested more than 10 relatives and friends of 25-year-old attacker, identified as Alaa Hisham Abu Dheim of the Jabal al-Mukaber area, where a mourning tent was set up.



http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/223237

We did it...we didn't do it...well...we think we may or may not have done it.....hat are they afraid of ?

They worried it may have been a disgruntled employee or do the feel pressure (from somewhere outside of Gaza ) to distance themselves from the current PR blowback ?

[IndianaGreen]

53. There is nothing to celebrate when the innocent are slaughtered in the name of a god

I grief equally when the victims are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or what have you.

Bush has given us nearly 8 years of inaction in the Middle East, except when it comes to invading Iraq or threatening to bomb Iran.

Time to turn the page!

[ohio2007]

55. Hamas wages Iran’s proxy war on Israel (and for the party of god)

A Hamas leader admits hundreds of his fighters have travelled to Tehran
snip
The Hamas commander, however, confirmed for the first time that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been training its men in Tehran for more than two years and is currently honing the skills of 150 fighters.

The details he gave suggested that, if anything, Shin Bet has underestimated the extent of Iran’s influence on Hamas’s increasingly sophisticated tactics and weaponry.

snip
The most promising members of each group stay longer for an advanced course and return as trainers themselves, he said.

So far, 150 members of Qassam have passed through training in Tehran, where they study for between 45 days and six months at a closed military base under the command of the elite Revolutionary Guard force.

Of the additional 150 who are in Tehran now, some will go into Hamas’s research unit if they are not deemed strong enough for fighting.

According to the commander, a further 650 Hamas fighters have trained in Syria under instructors who learnt their techniques in Iran. Sixty-two are in Syria now.

But what Hamas values most is the knowledge that comes directly from Iran. Some of it was used to devastating effect by the militant group Hezbollah against Israeli forces in Lebanon in 2006.

We send our best brains to Tehran. It would be a waste of money to send them and then have them come back with nothing.”

They travelled to Egypt, flew to Syria and, on arrival and departure from Tehran, were allowed through without a stamp for security reasons.

“Anything they think will be useful, our guys there e-mail it to us right away,” the military technician said. THE latest spiral of violence, which has killed 130 Palestinians and 12 Israelis, including eight students massacred at their seminary in Jerusalem last Thursday, was triggered 10 days ago by a chance event.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3512014.ece

I think Iran has told them not to be so fast to claim responsibility for the latest attack for obvious reasons...afterall....didn't the Iranians claim Israel will soon be wiped off the map?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

61. Anyone who claims that Palestinians dont' have reason THEMSELVES to fight Israel

or resist the occupation needs their head examined.

They fight no one's proxy war. That's absurd.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.