ATLANTA— As Israeli ground troops and tanks push deeper into the Gaza strip, Barack Obama’s continued and deliberate silence on the matter is stirring debate across the globe. The hysterical left and much of the Arab world are calling the actions by Israel genocidal- a very serious (and erroneous) allegation. Why isn’t Mr. Obama taking a stand?
In my personal opinion, Israel has a right to defend itself against continued rocket attacks on its cities- particularly given that Hamas continues to deny Israel’s right to exist and explicitly seeks its destruction. In my view, Israel has been far from perfect in its dealings with the Palestinians over the years. Nonetheless, the unilateral removal of Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and their subsequent pursuits of peace talks with moderate Palestinian elements tells me that Israel is the party to this current conflict that has truly sought peace. The Palestinians who favor Hamas, while living in obviously miserable conditions, nonetheless have pursued a condemnable hard-line and confrontational approach to the Israelis. I believe Israel is within its rights to move into Gaza to disable their ability to fire rockets and to dismantle Hamas. I believe there are unfortunate times for a nation when negotiation is no longer a viable option and armed conflict is the only remaining alternative. I believe now is such a time for Isreal- given rocket attacks on their cities in recent weeks.
Barack Obama on multiple occasions throughout the presidential campaign affirmed Israel’s basic right to defend herself. He did so in unequivocal terms. Yet here in the hour of Israel’s need, he is silent on the matter. This tells me that Obama realizes that he is at political impasse- a fork in the road at which point he has to stake out a position. And he seems unwilling or unable to do it.
Like the Jeremiah Wright scandal, the Georgian invasion, and his initial reluctance to address the Rod Blagojevich debacle, Mr. Obama seems unable to take a quick, decisive stand on controversial matters. It is in my view a continuing character trait that is disappointing and disruptive. Mr. Obama gave conflicting views of his opinions on the Israeli state- many of his most fervent early political supporters are overtly anti-Israel (including Mr. Wright), yet he reached across the aisle by affirming Isreal’s right to self defense.
I think Mr. Obama’s silence stems most significantly from this. In early December, his transition team announced Mr. Obama would give a major speech in an Islamic capital sometime within the first 100 days of taking office. At the time, this sounded like a way to take advantage of Mr. Obama’s popularity in that part of the world (relative to past presidents) and to possibly change their perspectives of America. It also probably sounded to him like a way to make good on his promise to “change the world” during his campaign. I still believe Mr. Obama was deluded enough to think he could change the world on the strength of his unusual name, his charismatic personality and his speaking ability alone.
This Israeli conflict brings all of this crashing down, in my opinion- thus Mr. Obama’s silence. He knows much is at risk in taking a decisive stance. Should Mr. Obama favor the Palestinians, his appeal in the Middle East would know no bounds. But it would be virtual political suicide here at home. I believe many Jews would flee the Democratic party and turn against him. Further, how much worse would the reaction be from the many Americans who still believe he is a closet Muslim?
But should he support Israel in this conflict- he will have erased all of his political capital in the Middle East. He will be to them no different than any previous United States president. His opportunity to change the world will be finished- even before he takes office.
What a worldview crisis this must be for Mr. Obama. His idealistic and romantic vision for the world could be coming so quickly to an end, so soon after his election. He seems handcuffed.
Mr. Obama’s indecisiveness in the face of adversity is another reason I did not vote for him. John McCain would likely not be hemming or hawing at this point in the game. But Mr. McCain is a part of the past. Mr. Obama is our future. And it is time for Mr. Obama to take a decisive stand- and prove to me and many, many others he is capable of handling the job he so boldly put himself out there to do.
TennesseePaul
Stephen VanNuys
Brooklyn Daniel
The Freedom Thinker
Israel is a Talmudic facist state no different from Sunni Islam, in fact they are sister faiths. The difference is the Talmudist have occupied Washington.
Interesting read. I was reading the other day about the tunnels into Egypt that were being bombed. I didn’t know there were as many as there are. I figured there’d be a few tunnels, but it sounds like the border between Gaza and Egypt is hallow underneath.
Yeah – the tunnels are pretty wild. I hope this thing comes to a close soon. I really hope Israel is able to squealch the missile fire. That would send a strong message to Hizbullah that Israel has learned from the Lebanon war. Israel doesn’t look like they are going to be pushed around this time.
I can’t seem to understand what an nation like Israel is thinking they are doing. Its no different than what the Nazis did in World War II it is genocide. This mask saying that Israel say that are just trying to get Hamas to stop shooting rockets is a lie. When they are done killing all of the Palestinians in Gaza what are they going to say. As for Barack not saying anything I think he dose not want to say much until he is president because he dose not want to give a message to Hamas that Israel is in the right and Hamas should stop firing their rockets. As President elect his can not be as effective I what he says as when he is President
If this is genocide wouldn’t they need to be targetting all Palestinians, including the ones in the West Bank and throughout the rest of Isreal?
I think Nicholas is speaking to the broader base of the fact that Israel has been pretty well opposed to any form of Palestinian state other than lip service at the request of global superpowers. Talk to a few Palestinians and you will learn much more about what it is like in the Christians’ religious homeland. Heck, even ask a Palestinian Christian. Even Jimmy Carter came out on this one guys, wake up. He may not have been an ideal President but as a Humanitarian he is second to none. Neither side in this dispute is innocent, but this blog posting does seem to ignore much of the history that goes both ways here.
Oh, Barack’s silence is a direct result of the fact that he supports exactly what is happening. Interesting, he was willing to grandstand during the Russia/Georgial conflict, but he won’t utter the slightest word now? It sure isn’t because of being the legitimate US President, because he wasn’t during the Georgian conflict. It is either he doesn’t want to appear “Presidential” or he is content to not take a stand or he is content to watch the age old battle continue. Be prepared for more escalating oil prices due to this new round of turmoil. Rather interesting that there isn’t a mass public outcry from neighboring Arab nations as well? Hmmm… supply-side shortage maybe?
BaldMan,
Noted, that is a good point, however we dont give Georgia or Russia over 20billion dollars a year. Let us not forget we wanted a democracy, that was one of Bush’s big I did so goods, and the people voted Hamas as the power. I guess it backfired. so I believe it is a little bit more politically sensitive.
I dont use a car i ride a bike so have no need to worry about gas prices.
Israel has been pretty well opposed to any form of Palestinian state other than lip service at the request of global superpowers.
From what I can tell, the Middle East (Syria, Iran, Iraq, and so forth) has held quite a similar view of Isreal, paying only lip service (and not too much of it at that) to the idea that Isreal should even exist (and for that matter that the Holocaust actually happened).
Talk to a few Palestinians and you will learn much more about what it is like in the Christians’ religious homeland.
Rather sharp tongue there BaldMan. I think the Jews would take offense to a label of “Christian’s religious homeland” seeing how the “Zionist” call it the “promised land.” I also believe Islam holds some claim to this land as a source of religious homeland, hence an added layer of unwillingness to let it go. (note I said “added layer” recognizing there is more to it than this one particular point).
Heck, even ask a Palestinian Christian.
There are some of these in my neighborhood, a few at my church and we have several missionaries in that region we support. They all tend to see this as a war between the State of Isreal and the group Hamas as the State of Isreal has allowed these individuals to move freely within their boarders. Of course, I could imagine there are those of another persuasion existing in the world. So how do we decide who is the official authority on this group’s particular point of view? The Palestinian Christians that live there and view Isreal favorably, or the Palestinian Christians that live there and view Isreal unfavorably?
Even Jimmy Carter came out on this one guys, wake up.
Jimmy Carter came out?!? Sheeeesh. Guess I was asleep. I always thought his voice was a little ifeminate but I didn’t realize he “came out”. Rather odd he chose this issue as a spring board for his coming out…
I do recall his meetings with Hamas. Those went so well. He reached an agreement only to land back in the US and find Hamas really didn’t agree to anything he had initially reported.
He may not have been an ideal President but as a Humanitarian he is second to none.
Even Mother Teresa? She gets a bad wrap for not being able to pick up a hammer and build domiciles for the destitute, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care.
Neither side in this dispute is innocent, but this blog posting does seem to ignore much of the history that goes both ways here
I’d agree here. Neither party is without some level of blame. But this comment seems to think there was a Palestinian state to begin with. Never in history was there a palestinian state. From 1517 to 1917 the Ottoman Empire of Turkey controled the area. After WWI (dubya dubya eye), the French and British controlled the lands. And by 1946 the “Palastinian” area, divided in two by the British to a Jewish Palestine (West of the Jordan River) and an Arab Palestine (East of the Jordan River), had settled on official names, Isreal and Jordan. In 1947 UN Resolution 181 further divided the “jewish palestine” into two states granting more trouble than was planned. And from there, and actually prior to that, they’ve been at each others throats.
Barack is silent on this issue right now perhaps because Barack is struggling to figure out a response to Barak. There’s an Abbott and Costello routine (Or Costanza/Steinbrenner) running through his head every time he tries to come to grips with this Gaza war.
But seriously he was late on the Georgia issue as well. He changed his message on the Georgia issue once he spoke up. He moved as fast as he did on the Georgia issue because there was a campaign going on and an opponent calling him out on it. Barack can take as long as he pleases now with nothing to lose on the political scale here in America. Once in office he’ll have to have a more concrete message. But I’d imagine it will be a different message than anything he has had prior.
I don’t think the war in Gaza will drive up gas prices. At least not more than OPEC and Russia cutting off oil supply. Those two chopping into supply will have more impact on prices than a war in a non-oil producing heavily sanctioned area of a population of 400,000 (i.e. the Gaza strip).
Man that was long. I should keep the serious and the jokes in seperate responses…. but I’m in a hurry. Gottago.
Good debate everyone, thanks for dropping by.
I had a few comments I wanted to zing in here myself.
I think it’s interesting whenever there is a conflict involving Isreal that the world always blames Israel. I think it stems from this general pop culture view that the “weaker” party is always right. Palestinians are weaker and thus should be favored in this conflict. I disagree with this mentality in general terms, and paricularly here. First, I think peole who frame this as Jews versus Palestinians take the focus off the reality of the present conflict. I’d agree with TP- this conflict isn’t about Palestinians- it’s about Hamas.
Second, Israel is not perfect (reference my brief acknowledgement of the history of this conflict at the beginning of paragraph two- I did not expound on it b/c that wasn’t the purpose of the post). But Israel seems to me to have done much more to try for peace in their conflict with Palestinians than Hamas has done. In fact, what sacrifices has Hamas ever made in this conflict? Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and has been negotiating with moderate Palestinians for years. Hamas is the hardest of the hardliners in all of this. So – the “weaker” party view on this is grossly misleading, I believe.
On to my other thoughts – I think Jimmy Carter’s heart has been in the right place on some significant social/moral issues. But his head more frequently is not, in my opinion. His hugging the Hamas leader was a debacle. It clearly did nothing for this conflict and it legitimized a terrorist organization. Some might say it was a Christian thing to do- that it was a demonstration of Christ’s principle to love your enemies. I would disagree here though b/c Hamas and Jimmy Carter are not direct enemies. Carter had no skin in the game and thus his gesture was meaningless. Israel and Hamas are enemies. Having Benjamin Netanyahu hug a Hamas leader would be a much more stunning and intriguing thing (and possibly more respresentative of Christ’s teaching). But as for Carter? I disagree with him on this one.
Finally, I find it interesting that Israel is portrayed as the genocidal one. Spend a little bit of time googling “Palestinians, Jews, kill” and you’ll find a lot of very interesting speeches and words about hard-line Palestinian indoctrination of youth that Jews are inferior and should be killed, etc. Highly racist. Despite it, Israel negotiates with moderate Palestinians in the west bank (i.e. they do not project the views of some to the entire population). Hamas, on the other hand, shoots missiles at all Jews. It’s interesting too that the hard-line Palestinian movements were inspired by Hajj Amin Al Husseini (Yasser Arafat’s mentor), who was highly influential with the Nazi army and urged Hitler to extend the “Final Solution” to Jews in Palestine during the early 1940′s.
I do not for a minute believe Israel is perfect in their dealings. But Hamas and the hard-line Palestinian Islamist movement is much worse, in my view. I think Israel is within their rights to move in and crush the Hamas movement.
Does the fact that the Palestinians live in a virtual prison state in an extraordinarily oppressive environment have a place in this dialog? Does the fact that the Palestinians live place where food, water, oil, gas, electricity, medical supplies, etc. and all of the necessities of modern life get routinely cut off with the flip of a switch have a place in this dialog. Does the fact that they have to pass through militarized check points to go to work have any effect on the human spirit? Does the fact that their infrastructure is once again being destroyed and will drive thousands into refugee camps to live in tents and that children will once again have to deal with being shell shocked (think of the horrible toll on the children’s mental state), have no water, electricity, schools and watch their friends, families and neighbors slaughtered in the streets have any place in this conversation? The death toll is as it always is here hundreds to 1. I had a friend who was a photo journalist for the AP and Time, Life, US News and World Report when those magazines meant something. I saw photographs upon his return from the street wars in the Gaza Strip in the 80s and believe me neither side has any leg up regarding humanity.
Jimmy Carter has many Jewish supporters both here in the US and in Israel and he is a man of the highest integrity when it comes to human rights. He’s forgotten more about this very complex issue than all of you together will ever know.
Please do not invoke the name of Jesus into this debate with anything but he would find this entire situation evil.
Yes. Those things belong in the conversation. Just as the fact that Hamas hides among children when they plan and instigate attacks. And the fact that they send mentally challenged kids in as suicide bombers. And all the other egregious activities that Hamas pulls.
As has been said on multiple occassions in this discourse, neither side is totally innocent in all their dealings with each other.
Yeah – I agree the Palestinians live in absolutely miserable conditions. But I think Hamas is much more to blame for that in recent years. Israel has mistreated Palestinians for a long time, but I think they were making good steps towards peace. Hamas instead has used their power to do nothing but amplify the misery of their people- turning that tiny strip of land into a militarized zone. They’ve done nothing for their economy- it’s almost twice as bad since they took power. They’ve just made hateful, zenophobic, genocidal statements about Jews and have spent their time shooting missiles at Israel while their people suffer. Then they have the ghastly nerve to put weapons stockpiles near mosques and schools to increase the civilian casualties in this war to illicit international sympathy. It’s disgusting in my view. If Israel hates Palestinians, I still don’t understand why they are not invading the West Bank, which is much more moderate at the moment. As always, I hope this war ends soon with as few civilian casualties as possible. But I also hope it ends with Hamas completely dismantled and a chance for more rational people to take control of Gaza to help it out of its misery.
#13 Those are facts that are front and center on every single major newspaper and internet news site I read. Are you suggesting that the news reports (news papers, websites and broadcast media and magazines and journals, etc. of this country and the world are even handed in their coverage and treatment of both sides of ongoing problem between Israel and Palestine?
I put right into my first response to this piece, “I saw photographs upon his return from the street wars in the Gaza Strip in the 80s and believe me neither side has any leg up regarding humanity.”
I just read last night that 1 in 4 of the casualties are children. I also grew up in what was once and to this day remains the most populated four square miles in the United States and the pace where this war is taking place is even more densely populated than that so finding space away from people is almost impossible to do which is why I would imagine so many civilians and children are being killed, no? You can’t have it both ways fellas. I am not defending either side here just filling in what the two of your are not including. Can either of you make the same claim?
Honestly what would Jesus think fellas?
Thanks for filling in some of the open spots. These missives are ment for a topic of conversation so they couldn’t possibly cover the entire detailed history of every topic they are written on. It’s good to have some one bring up other points to discuss.
Here is another point. Islamic fundamentalist are now being funded by Iran (Hussien used to throw money at them as a means of causing havoc, but obviously he is out of the question now). Hamas is backed by Iran. Hezzbola is backed by Iran. Insurgents in Iraq were backed by Iran. They have a strategy to hide among civilians, even when not in “densly populated areas”. They even bribed contractors of a school construction project to rig the entire building to explode when school was finally in session.
I know missionaries in Isreal who write on a semi-regular basis. They have set up a place of out reach that is within rocket range of the Gaza strip. In their area they are merely teaching children and, as medical assistance, helping the needy. They send pictures of the devestation that is not really shown here in America. Pictures of the Hamas rockets that don’t just land in an open field. They land in non threatening areas populated with women and children.
There are tons of details and angles to come at this topic. Like I said, we couldn’t possibly cover them all in one missive. Not even one book can contain all of this information. But it’s good to have some one drop by and offer some other information.
And, as we’ve said many times, neither side is entirely blameless in this age old conflict.
And yet again your focus is exclusively one sided.
Yes. As I’ve stated in my points, most of my direct source knowledge is from Palestinian Christian missionaries. So it would be from their point of view I would learn about it. And of course, I have other methods and outlets for learning about it. One being this missive and this conversation which you have also provided some insite.
History has shown Israel has attempted to live peacefully with Arab-Palestine. When they continue to be attacked what alternative do they have?
As for Obama, of course he will side with Israel, in his silence he already has. Playing the no two presidents at once card is the smartest thing he can do. As Hamas is being trampled he can still some what uphold his middle east popularity. He is probably hoping the major violence has subsided and Israel has occupied Gaza by the time he actually needs to take a side. Hopefully Hezbollah stays out of it, that would really sir things up.
Thanks for reading and commenting Solar Badger!
This would be a totally different conversation if Hamas took a Gandhi approach to Isreal.
Before I start I by no means think that Hamas is in the right. Although it may seem that way. I am still trying to do as much reading on the history of this situation
After WWII some of the Palestinians land was taken from them and given to the Jewish people so they could have there own state. Now I would be mad if some other county gave my land to other people and told me “to bad leave this is no longer your land.”
Then some of the countries that took your land is now giving billion of dollars to the new Israel state and blamed your people for the majority of the problems between the two people.
As for Hamas hiding in civilians quarters and firing rockets into civilian areas.
The US did the same thing as Israel is doing during the Vietnam War. The Us bombed villages because they thought that they were holding Vietcong and weapons. So one cant say well Hamas is hiding within the civilians what else is Israel suppose to do. If you do you justify what the US did in the Vietnam War
Im not sure ware I am going with this. Its just that this whole thing up set me people so quick to blame the Palestinians.
People saying If Hamas would just stop firing rockets the Israels would not be here.
Is Israel just going to leave, if or once Hamas is defeated or at least under control?
That is it for now sorry if some of it doesn’t make sense.
No worries Nicholas. We enjoy the conversation. There is always time to learn something new.
I am a little curious about your comparison of Hamas and the Vietcong. Perhaps my earlier statements weren’t as clear as I’d hoped.
I wasn’t justifying Isreal’s attacks and the death toll by pointing out that Hamas hides with the civilians. My intent was, I think it is cowardly that they hide with the civilians. Islamic extremists do this everywhere they attack. They’ll launch an attack, and then “blend in with the crowd”. It’s another means of using human shields. It’s cowardly and it results in a lot of collateral damage. War is awful. It is messy. It is ugly. But this type of cowardly action makes it all the more ugly.
I think Hamas’ militant stance against Isreal, justified or not, is something in their right (I suppose, “right” could be the wrong word for what I’m attempting to say). But the means of which they go about it is disasterous for those who merely want to go about their lives, or are not entirely behind the approach Hamas is taking. As the elected leaders of their people, they should take a more responsible military stance in this. That would require not hiding among the people, daring their enemy to harm all of them.
I would hold this view regardless of who is acting this way though, Vietcong, Hamas, Hezzbolla, al-Qaeda, France, Russia, Chechen Rebels, Isreal, the USA, or those filthy Canadians, or any one else.
It’s interesting the different perspectives we all come from. I think everyone on here has agreed to one degree or another that neither side in this is perfect. But there is obvious bias among each of us towards one side or the other.
Nicholas- it’s interesting you say you were reacting b/c you think people always blame Palestinians. I think I tend to jump on the Isreali bandwagon for almost the same reason- my perspective in these conflicts is that people always blame Israel and blame them for being bullies, etc. That accusation is true in some of their dealings in the past- I won’t deny it. But I thought they had turned a big corner. I have was actually optimistic a while back that a time of peace may be coming, once the moderates came to power among the Palestinians. But when Hamas vaulted into power a few years ago, I just cringed. I just simply cannot find an argument to favor them in this conflict. I think they are beligerent and have demonstrated no desire for peace. Isreal has been a bully some – yes, but they have taken part in peace talks, reached out to Mahmoud Abbas, withdrew from Gaza unilaterally, etc. They’ve done what I thought would be some very positive things and in return, they have gotten indescriminate bombing from Hamas and contempt from much of the world. I think there’s still a lot of latent anti-semitism out there, in many parts of the world. Anyway – it’s for these reasons I find myself favoring Israel in this present conflict and thus the “one-sided” bias of my above post. But I do recognize war is not pretty, that innocent lives are lost and I hate that. I guess what I’m saying is I believe Israel is right to defend themselves. But the conduct of that defence (including where they drop their bombs, how many children die) may be part of a different debate. Obviously, I favor a war that is fought in such a way as to take great pains to avoid civilian casualties. I think Israel does this, but it is made very hard by Hamas (and the tight conditions in Gaza- I agree with you there Jim).
Try to imagine yourself being born a Palestinian in the West Bank or Gaza?
What a dissapointment it would be. To be born into a “nation” ruled by thugs who shoot their guns while hiding behind my mother, and then, when medical aid comes, they do this:
Solar Badger: Barack’s popularity in the Middle East is in the pits right now because of his very reaction. I have been around a number of folks from the region during this week and they view him as a coward for not coming out either way, but they view his silence even more as siding with Israel. They just think he doesn’t have the stones to say anything. I can definitely see the Muslim apostate thing heating up when he takes power.
I agree with the BaldManMoody.
To be honest after hearing part of Obama’s speech to AIPAC a number of months ago I’m hardly surprised that he stands where Reagan, Bush # 41, Clinton and Bush #43 stood before him on the matter. Makes me wish there was more transparency regarding Obama’s record-breaking haul of cash for his campaign.
More than anything I wish we had men and women of character running our country again. I think there’s some validity to the observation that Obama is saying nothing to stay in the good graces of AIPAC/Israel and hiding behind the one President at a time mantra thinking the Palestinians are some how going to buy it. I would buy Obama’s one President at a time mantra if it was consistent meaning if he held his tongue when Russia invaded Georgia but it seemed you couldn’t shut him up when that happened. I’ve grown tired of people who call a move like that smart politics I prefer to think of it as it should be a lack of character bordering on cowardice.
I must say that I’m disappointed but not surprised by Obama’s decisions as of late. It seems that people of character are a very rare thing indeed these days. Is it any wonder the world is falling apart?
TP,
Really, that is sad.
http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_11459239?source=rss
Israel shells UN headquarters in Gaza. I don’t particularly care for the UN, but this seems a little questionable…
PAY ATTENTION TO PARAGRAPH 12…
GAZA WAR DOCTOR GRIEVES 3 DAUGHTERS
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – The Palestinian doctor provided Israeli TV viewers with regular updates on Gaza fighting’s human toll. But Friday’s report was different — with sobs he told how his three daughters and a niece were killed by an Israeli shell.
“I want to know why my daughters were harmed,” Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish said on Channel 10. “This should haunt (Israeli Ehud Prime Minister) Olmert his entire life.”
Throughout the 21-day war, Abu al-Aish has brought accounts of war’s tragedy to Israeli living rooms, making him for many the voice of Palestinian suffering.
During the broadcasts, Abu al-Aish also often spoke of his fears for his eight children as Israeli shells punished not only the Hamas militants they were targeting but civilians who live in the crowded enclave. His wife reportedly died recently of cancer.
When Channel 10 called him on Friday, he answered his cell phone crying that his house in the northern Gaza strip town of Jebalia had been hit by Israeli shells and his daughters killed. Eighteen members of his extended family were in the house at the time.
Gazan officials identified Abu Al-Aish’s slain daughters as 22-year-old Bisan, 15-year-old Mayer and 14-year old Aya. His niece was identified as 14-year-old Nour Abu al-Aish.
At least two other daughters were injured.
His tragedy prompted numerous calls of concern to the station, many from people who know him.
“We all know and love him well at Soroka, and we really hope the situation gets better,” Dr. Shaul Sofer, head of the ER at Soroka who taught Abu al-Aish.
Abu al-Aish, a 55-year-old gynecologist, is a rarity among Palestinians, a Hebrew speaker who trained in two Israeli hospitals. He is also is a known peace activist who was involved in promoting joint Israeli-Palestinian projects, and an academic who studied the affects of war on Gazan and Israeli children. He works at Gaza’s main Shifa Hospital.
Israeli TV said initial reports indicated that a sniper had fired from either the family’s building — which friends quoted by TV said they doubted — or nearby, and the Israeli infantry responded with a tank shell.
Abu al-Aish was able to arrange the transfer of two injured daughters to Israeli hospitals — something that has been extremely rare during this conflict. The Israeli army also for the first time allowed a Palestinian ambulance to go straight to the Erez border crossing, where the injured were transferred to Israeli ambulances.
From there, they were taken by helicopter to Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.
“Everyone knew we were home. Suddenly we were bombed. How can we talk to Olmert and (Foreign Minister) Tzipi Livni after this?” Abu al-Aish told television reporters at the border crossing.
“Suddenly, today when there was hope for a cease-fire, on the last day … I was speaking with my children, suddenly they bombed us. The doctor who treats Israeli patients.”
Yeah- that’s very sad. I wonder what made the tanks shoot the building. I hope there are serious inquiries into the conduct of this war after it is over- into target selection, etc. War is never a pretty thing and it is sad this man had to suffer. I genuinely hope that Hamas falls by the wayside, though I’m sure in the interim people are going to ralley around them. I only wish they could see how much easier it is to compromise. Watching this situation over the years, I get a sense many of them eye Israel with nothing but suspicion, even when Israel makes overt moves towards piece (i.e. unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza).