Israel Invades Gaza
I am watching the coverage of the ground operation that Israel has launched into the Gaza strip. I just watched a report from CNN Interntional, where a Gazan was being interviewed by phone. During the interview, an Israeli rocket slammed into his neighborhood. His windows shattered and he had to get off the phone to go track down all of his family. It was very intense.
Perhaps I will get a chance to view the video that Liz has sent to me and post it, but I have a good bit going. A very interesting way to follow the happenings (although it is hard to get a handle on the signal to noise ratio) is to follow the events on twitter. Close to on-the-ground real-time chatter on it.
Tags: International
First!
I think that this will probably turn out to be like the Lebanon incursion. The longer Hamas “wins” by not losing, the worse it will be for Israel.
I don’t get how these can be precision attacks in the dark of night with air strikes…
Most likely they are attacking government buildings at night to limit casualties.
Dunno. I’m not sure how the civilian authorities are supposed to crack down on rocket launches when their buildings are in thousands of parts.
Either Israel has taken Hamas’ bait or they have some kind of non-Bushian plan.
What I know about the region could be written on the margins of Randy Smith’s campaign manager resume.
I just feel like this is being done before Bush is done, because he is even more useless now than ever before.
I just feel like this is being done before Bush is done, because he is even more useless now than ever before.
Not that we have even the slighest indication at all that the next administration would do anything different.
True. But they know what they are getting from Bush… Carte Blanche.
There is an upcoming election in Israel and apparently this action is helping the numbers for Labor/Kadima.
So, in the end, it looks like this thing is going to benefit the Israeli and Hamas politicians at the expense — again — of the citizens of Israel and of Palestinians.
True. If nothing else, perhaps this will keep Bebe out of the PM spot.
lg,
Bush had the same do-nothing response to the Lebanon/Israel situation.
There are no corporate reporters in Gaza. You can get some coverage at: aljazerra…in English. Friends who have satelite are screaming at the horror. They say that Palestinans are crying that Hamas leaders are telling them to fight and they have nothing to fight with. The streets are littered with bodies and parts. Everything is destroyed. When the Israelies make the ridiculous claim they are going after Hamas…its a damned lie. They are killing women and children and destroying homes. Yes, this was a Bush Plan in the works for more than 6 months.
Another mess left by the Bush regime for Obama to deal with…along with all his other messes.
During the interview, an Israeli rocket slammed into his neighborhood.
Did he say what the rocket hit?
I suppose whether one thinks it matters or not is a Rorschach test of where you stand on the conflict.
Geek: it might keep Benny out..but puts Livni in…the twit who claims their “warehouses are full in spite of the UN NGO’s who claim they are not permitted in the region. UN Relief agencies depend on Gazans to deliver the supplies once they get inside…there have been no trucks permitted in 8 days…confirmed by our own corporate media CNN.
Steve: how right you are. CNN reported that no one really knows what Obama will do, but….this is a Secretary of State matter. How’s that for change in foreign policy, we all know where she stands.
jason: just sent you and geek the video. it should be the last one I sent you. Since this am…700 more wounded…they cant count the dead. No updates from Gaza on the dead…I dont trust the corporate media here…Also, they are not counting among the dead boys over the age of 16.
This just in: Palestinan Telecomunicatons Company has been hit. Israel has blocked all foreign correspondents from the entire Gaza. If all communications fail, they will be able to complete the genocidial killing without the world seeing all the bloodshed or hearing the screams of 800000 + children.
The towers for cells phones Paltel and Telco are all severally damaged. Teams have been working around the clock, but some of the workers are dead. They have a loss of fuel, buildings destroyed.
The ultimate in the final solution. Notice not a word on corporate media…
Queen Noor of Jordan telling the truth on CNN Wolf Blitzer right now. Palestinans have been living in destitute circumstances for years, and the blockades of food and basics for last 18 months is horrendous, and that sufferering is empowering radicals of the world community. Israel bombing and blockade are making Hamas look good.
Israel is using dispropionate force against Gaza and it is a loose loose proposition for Israel. The solution must be found in negiotations, and the killing of innocent civilians on both sides must stop.
Her response to the missile attack: During the truce Israel broke truce by killing Palestinans, and Hamas broke the truce by firing rockets.
One can not look at Gaza in isolation ,the outlines for a peace agreement exist in the Arab Peace initiative, and the Clinton Peace accords and are frameworks for peace between Israel and Palestine.
more ridiculous comments from the leftie left.
Hamas is killing Jews, and Israel is taking steps to protect its population from murder. The UN has yet another proposed resolution that fails to mention Hamas starting this war by ending the cease fire and shooting hundreds of missiles at Israeli civilians. Typical of the UN and apparently typical of the people on this blog. For decades the Israelis have sought peace and the return for their unilateral withdrawal from Gaza? Attack. Kill the Jews. Kill them All. You people should be ashamed, but you’re not. And that’s the precise reason the Israelis are taking care of their people, regardless of ‘world opinion’ which is always to be silent and let Jews be murdered.
Both sides are in the moral gutter here, no matter how you look at it.
But Hamas had the chance to take constructive, peaceful steps here. If they had, there’s a VERY good chance this situation wouldn’t be happening right now.
Can you zionists count? Hundreds of dead palestinans, thousands wounded….many women and children….and 4 Israelies. Get a grip!
First they starve them for 18 months. Egypt gets a truce. Israel breaks the truce on Nov. 4 by killing 6 palestinans and refusing to let ANY aid in since Nov. 4. Only then did Hamas send up their homemade rockets. And you idiots dont want to admit..there is no real assault on Israel, as Bush delivered a missle tracking system to Israel 6 months ago…its a ruse to make this out to be Hamas fault. Both are guilty of crimes, but one (Israel) is one hundred times more brutal.
Again, the US sits in the UN with veto power…vetoing ALL the security council. And you wonder why this country is so despised.
While the US corporate media censored all the “blood bath”, Europeans, middle east and Asia SAW it all. Thanks George WAR Bush for your continuation of sick, paranoid, schizsophrenic foreign polices that will take generations to overturn.
Liz you are so right.It appears to me that the raid Israel staged into Gaza back in November broke the cease fire first.
Hamas targets civilians, Israel does not.
Hamas is comitted to Israel’s destruction, Israel is committed to recognition of a Palestinian State.
You, Liz, and people like you are the ones who suffer from moral blindness, because you equate terror with the legitimate right of a government to protect its civilians from attack.
But as I have learned over the years there is no use in trying to reason with people like you. In the end, there is only the right of self defense which once exercised results in Arab Muslims seeking peace(for a time). That is all that this is about; nothing more and nothing less. Body counts do not confer the moral high ground on Hamas or its supporters. What determines morality is who started the violence and who has sought peace. Who has targeted civilian populations, and who has not. That simple.
It appears to me that the raid Israel staged into Gaza back in November broke the cease fire first.
Nope. The cease-fire was broken by Hamas digging an infiltration tunnel under the border with Israel (note: the smuggling tunnels are on the Egyptian border). The Israeli raid was to destroy the tunnel. Hamas objected to the raid and tried to defend. Israeli forces returned fire and killed the tunnel defenders. Hamas responded with artillery fire on Israeli positions. Israel responded with air strikes on Hamas artillery. Hamas responded with rockets against population centers, some of which reached too far into Israel to have been home made.
Looking back, that tunnel wasn’t really worth it , was it?
The locals in Gaza demonstrate the utter stupidity of the “Arab Street”. They tolerate the launching of mortar rounds into Israel from civilian locations. Do not these morons know that the projectiles follow a mathematically-predictable path and that the incoming rounds can be tracked back to the point of origin with technology that is over five decades old? Counterbattery fire has a slight probability of error, so there will be collateral damage.
How does one spell ‘no snitchin’ in Arabic?
Those who would advocate a rather unilateral ‘cease fire’ would do well to review some wisdom in the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip that involved Charlie, Lucy, and a football.
Every Muslim in the world would view this incident as something genocidal for Palestinian, they will use every means to show the whole world, that the punitive action of Israel to Gaza is a mass slaughtering of the Palestinian. But wait, which side started it first, Israel is just reacting to Palestinian long range missile bombing to Israel. If Israel really wants to annihilate every Palestinian in this planet he can easily do so, but he is just surgically picking only the involve one. But like every war that involves powerful armaments you cannot discount that there will be innocent casualties.
I live in a country where there is minority Muslim populace. They (the Muslim) justify the killings and beheadings of their Christian countrymen, while our weak government turned their head on another side, just not to antagonize the Muslim. I envy Israel as a nation because they can stand up against anyone, even at the expense of worldwide condemnation. I envy the people of Israel in spite of their racial. religious, and ethnic differences they rise up and defend their nation in unity. And lastly, I envy the Israel leaders who served their country unselfishly, and not to their personal political advantage and enrichment of their own pocket.
Cruzader @ 28
“I live in a country where there is minority Muslim populace. They (the Muslim) justify the killings and beheadings of their Christian countrymen, while our weak government turned their head on another side, just not to antagonize the Muslim.”
Well, I live in a country where there is minority Zionist populace. Zionists justify the killings of non-Zionist human beings, while our weak government turned their head on another side, just not to antagonize the Zionists.
you know what sucks about war? Is my fucking advertising budget goes out the window. CNN charges more! total horseshit!
I love when they show the bombs and stuff. it is so cool to not have to think about the body parts splattering against walls and the civilians being killed.
I live in a country that tortures and imprisons people without charge for years while people turn away. I live in a country that invades other countries on trumped-up charges that not only kills American soldiers, but kills many innocent civilians and creates more people that hate America.
As awful as this is, I am most intrigued by what obama will do/say about this conflict.
“I live in a country that tortures and imprisons people without charge for years while people turn away. I live in a country that invades other countries on trumped-up charges that not only kills American soldiers, but kills many innocent civilians and creates more people that hate America.”
Honky please, if you would trade our lives here for anywhere else, or gift our power and any foreign nation you are a fool.
Tom offers a red herring in #33 that doesn’t actually address the points being made. Shocking.
Steve Newton wrote Not that we have even the slighest indication at all that the next administration would do anything different.
Can you wait until January 20th, please.
No, I can’t wait until January 20th because, though I voted for Barry O., I’m in full agreement with Steve Newton. Of course, if I’m proven wrong, then I will be buying a round of drinks at a Drinking Liberally around summertime, once I’ve given Mr. O a full six months to prove his mettle.
Liz wrote Steve: how right you are. CNN reported that no one really knows what Obama will do, but….this is a Secretary of State matter. How’s that for change in foreign policy, we all know where she stands.
Please wait until Jan. 20th.
How’s that for change in foreign policy, we all know where she stands. nemski
The Secretary of State carries out policies generally defined by the president. Truman properly sacked Stalininist Appeaser Stettinius. Policy does come from the top.
Free-wheeling cabinet members do not last that long. Or has Obama agreed to a multi-faceted ‘co-presidency’?
No, I can’t wait until January 20th because, though I voted for Barry O., I’m in full agreement with Steve Newton.
Constitutionally, you do have to wait. Besides, whatever he has to say now can either 1) not make one whit of difference since he has no authority now to carry that out; or 2) simply interfere with whatever BushCo is or is not doing now, which is just not kosher. As much as I’d like the guy to have been President 2 months ago, any demands for Obama to speak now are just about trying to inventory ideological points — not really about getting to any solution.
While peaceful American muslims supported Obama…they couldnt speak out about their support, for fear the zionists and evangelicals in Amerikkka would bait him.
Anon, if you had any facts on what happened on Nov. 4, it would be dramatic. Unfortunately you don’t. Matter of fact, I will bet that not one on here commenting was even following the situation in Gaza on Nov. 4 or the 18 months before while Isahell tried to starve them death.
The news media in this country has sanitized any news..even the cell phone photos that got out of Gaza. So Israhell bombed their radio stations, tv stations and towers to prevent “any” photo’s or any information from coming out while their genocidial, night time bombings continued to massively and brutally pound the area. Israhell has aTransponder System on every air force base donated by George Bush 6 months ago that tracks the rocket from Gaza.
Look at the number of wounded and dead on the Gaza side compared to the Israelie. Its about 1000 to 1….anyone that has the nerve to call this horror a fair fight is immoral, and without a concience.
Here’s a link to a video showing just one of the IDF attacks on the Gazans. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3b3_1230864719
Israel and Israeli banksters who control the Federal Reserve as well as Israeli dual citizens in our government are setting America up for the fall. America has sent out most of her manufacturing jobs overseas. Most of the world doesn’t like us much anymore due to our pre-emptive wars and support for Israel (google: USS Liberty), plus they blame the coming worldwide Depression on us!!! IMF and World Bank docs have stated that they want to take America down beginning with the bursting of the housing bubble. Does it occur to anyone that America and ISrael look a little like A German man with a funny moustache??? Start listening to infowars.com for some analysis of where this is taking us in the world. Boycott Israeli goods and for God’s sake get your money OUT of the Zionist controlled banks and into a credit union (which actually helps the community).
Cassandra,
Should Obama remain silent when 1.5 million people are being systematically slaughtered, because it is “not kosher” or won’t make a difference because “he has no authority”.
By such logic, no one without “any authority to carry that out “should say anything …. about anything.
To quote Dante Alighieri from his “Inferno”
“The darkest place in hell is reserved for those who remain silent during times of great moral crisis.”
“Israel and Israeli banksters who control the Federal Reserve” Cindy
I didn’t know that “The Protocols” had gone through another printing. There are always some folks eager to buy into time-worn conspiracy theories. Lets hear it about Passover matzoh made from slaughtered Christian infants or some other silliness. When will we see a revival of the Anti-Masonic Party? How about duPont and the so-called “Merchants of Death”?
There was a satirical ditty from the 60s that began:
“The First World War, the Birchers did say.
Was for certain rich bankers to get their way”
The tune was ‘The First Noel”. The collection was part of the “Rat Fink Songbook” and it even included some expropriated Trotskite tunes including: “My dear old Party Line” to the tune of “Darling Clementine”.
The tunes were popular in YAF and (anti-establishment) YR circles.
“A very interesting way to follow the happenings (although it is hard to get a handle on the signal to noise ratio) is to follow the events on twitter. ”
I thought Jason had decreed that only loosers use twitter (because his man crush continues to ignore him in yet another medium)
Also, how has Isreal blockaded the Gaza strip when they do not control the border with Egypt?
and why is Liz upset that the evil corporate media has been excluded from Gaza? Aren’t they just zionist tools?
San Francisco Gaza protest on December 30, the Palestinian protesters (according to this post at the “At the Back of the Hill” blog) chanted the following slogans in Arabic:
“Itbach al Yahud” (slaughter the Jews)
“Falastin balad’na w’al Yahud qalab’na” (Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs)
“ba ruh, ba dam, nafdeek ya Falastin” (with our soul, with our blood, we will cleanse you oh Palestine),
“al mawt al Yahud” (death to the Jews),
“Khaybar Khaybar ya Yahud, jaish-Muhammad saya’ud” (Khaybar Khaybar oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return).
At the Back of the Hill noted,
While the Arabs screamed their desire to exterminate Jews, the English-monolingualists simply stood there happily smiling their
while I am pondering the unfathomable,
i find it curios that the left fringe here sides with the theocratic terrorists Hamas(oppressors of women, executioners of homosexuals) and against the Socialist Democracy of Isreal.
The “Socialist Democracy of Israel” has killed over 400 Gazans this past week. versus 6 zionists.
So stop your whining about what your victims SAY and think about the crimes that Israel DOES.
Don’t whine about the speck in your neighbors eye and pull the plank from your own.
from the Zombie:
“I’m a little spooked”: Palestinian protests bring Gaza fighting to San Francisco
Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 4:43 pm
For nearly every day of the last week, San Francisco has seen street protests about the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds of Palestinians, as well as left-wing activists organized by ANSWER, have marched and chanted in and around downtown San Francisco starting on December 30, and continuing (with a break on New Year’s Day) every day since, with no end in sight.
I have been unable to attend and document these protests in person, but KTVU Channel 2 filmed the protest on January 2, 2009 and made some of the raw video available on its site. Because the KTVU video page does not display or load properly on many computers, I have downloaded the raw video and, after editing out a section at the beginning where not much happens, uploaded it to YouTube so more people can get a flavor of what these protests are like.
Here is the YouTube version of the KTVU video of the January 2 protest:
Note in particular the moment at the 0.22 mark in the video when the Palestinian protesters reach across the barricades to attack the five pro-Israel protesters, and have to be restrained by police. At the end, one of the pro-Israel protesters, who were vastly outnumbered, declined to be interviewed by the cameraman, saying, “I’m a little spooked.” After watching this video, I think we’re all a little spooked! It’s as if the battle in Gaza has come to San Francisco.
If you want to watch the full five-minute video, you can see it either here on the KTVU site, or (if that doesn’t work) here directly on its own page (which may display more easily for most users).
This full KTVU video shows how, after this incident, the police were forced to escort the pro-Israel protesters inside a building — to keep them safe from the Palestinian protesters, who could not be controlled.
There are protests all over america…by both sides. There are more protesting against the Isrelies than for. Those protesting are christians, jews, muslims and non secularists. They are anti war, and peace groups…come on.
anone: its not just american reporters refusing to be admitted…its ALL foreign media..even though the Israel Supreme Court told the guvmnit to let them in. Did not read the post?
Turn on any corporate american TV, where are they reporting from…from Israel…none of them have a clue whats going on inside Gaza…that is exactly what happened in Panama by our guvmint and in Iraq…the american people have sanitized news, we never see the blood and guts or the wounded and dead…Not son in Europe, Middle east or Asia…they show it all. Which is why all this is going to come back to bite America in the butt…because the world views american/Israel as the terrorists who are terrorizing everyone with their super power weapons of mass destruction.
Its true that Wolf Blitzer, Christiane Amanpour and others on CNN are zionist supporters. If you go on any of their blogs while corporate media is broadcasting…they censor out any blog that is anti Israel…try it yourself.
So Liz, what is the link for the “right” news? Or do you have some special newsletter you depend on? Surely you have some super power to have all these facts at your disposal that nobody else seems to know, instead of just scouring multiple blogs and media sources like the rest of us.
Just because we criticize Israel’s actions doesn’t mean we support Hamas.
To all you liberal humanitarians…did you view the post Cindy put up…the same post that was sent to Jason and Geek two days ago…but they were too “busy” to post?
Did you see any of that on your corporate TV amerikka? Can you watch it and not see how all muslims around the world are not going to react with complete hatred and how it is fueling the world against Israel and America? Can you watch it and no puke, not have any emotional reaction whatsover? If you can and not react at the humanitarian horror, chances are you are a rascist zionist. I have seen hundreds of these videos in the last months…but these in the last few days, frankly make me vomit. I cannot watch any longer as it is making my pacemaker work overtime.
Where is your humanitanity? Forget the politics on either side of this bloody hell…think of the women and children who have no place to run or hide from the horror being rained down on them nonstop, with no food, no fuel, no medicine, and the UN controlled by US and Israel refusing to call for a ceasefire! Has the whole world gone mad?
This is Bush/Cheney/and the zionists doing this was planned more than 6 months ago. All of this is to draw Iran into it, so the zionists both in our government and in Israel can get to the next war. Iran. After all war is big business it will help our economy?
No Anon. no super power…just contacts from Jewish Voices for Peace, Peace Now, and groups inside gaza who send out “through their cell phones” the action on the ground, which your media here cant seem to find.
Did you know that you can buy satelite link to all the middle east TV stations. Do you know that most muslims here have such hookups, so do peace groups, anti war groups and others who want a permanent solution to the horror in the middle since 1948. Do you not understand that it is our press that has censored all our wars…they learned a great lesson in Vietnam, when we saw a lot and hit the streets by the millions. Every war we have created since, was sanitized…”for our own good”. So was Iraq with its embeds with the military. However, middle east televison showed it all. Thats why they knew all about Abu Ghareb and the 16 other prisons the US set up to torture people. Wake up.
Ah, the apparatchiks have a awakened. Aren’t there some football games on today? Or is the Zionist media interupting coverage of sports?
Here we go…
Don’t mind me – I’m just the running dog, imperialist, Zionist pig who parties and dances on the graves of innocents.
I think I’m just going to sit back and let others have some fun on this thread.
Is the real target, Hamas. NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com.
Hey, here’s a concept: – Israel should complete the exercise and simply annex the entire region.
Then grant full citizenship to all and pour in development funds and re-build all structures as a legitimate province of the state of Israel.
In time it will be better for all and who knows, perhaps a Palestinian majority political party could be voted into Tel Aviv one day.