Gaza

[PiercedPixie2]

So the war in Gaza is going on, and as if it's not bad enough - Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes...which is not good.

I am half surprised they have not accused America of war crimes either, considering the shady things American soldiers have done there...

Link to a local newspaper which talks about Amnesty International and Israel


One kind of humorous thing about it all is that 'Joe the Plumber' is reporting in Israel for some online blog XD

* Is anyone else keeping up with the Gaza news?
* Do you think this problem can be solved peacefully? (Ex Prime Minister Blair thinks it can)

 

[Verderbnis]

No for both:

I am not keeping up with the news, since both involved parties are dirty in their ways:

Israel:
-Uses radioactive armory
-Takes land with illegal settlings
-Treats palestines like animals
-Censors reporters

Palestine:
-Uses population as human shield
-attacks Israel with rockets
-does not accept Israel as an own state
-politicises every casualty

I just don't want to hear about it anymore. They should finish their s**t fast. Egypt does not have stress with Israel anymore, maybe because Egypt accepts Israel.  

[Britomartis-the-Valiant]

Most of my friends are completely outraged about it and call it a genocide. I wish they'd at least try to know the issues and the causes. I tend to be pro-Israeli, but by no account do I think the Israeli government is perfect or wonderful as some people do.

Over-simplifications presented by the media and clung to by people are really harmful. Ignorance doesn't help anyone. Blind judgmental hatred is ugly no matter which side you take and cannot lead to peace.



So just to attempt to explain some things to the best of my ability:

Verderbnis

Takes land with illegal settlings

I'm assuming that this is a reference to the West Bank. Now the reason that that territory is occupied is to avoid disaster. There used to be towns near the Gaza area. These towns are empty; the Palestinian forces fired on them from their own territory. Those who didn't leave, died. Now, within reach of the West Bank is the most populated area in Israel; Tel Aviv and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Israel annexed the rest of Jerusalem in the past. Arabs living there have all the same rights as Jewish Israelis. Now the reason Israel doesn't annex the West Bank is because many people want to keep a Jewish majority in Israel (and yes, there are extremists who want Israel only for Jews just as there are extremists who want Israel only for Palestinians).

Verderbnis

Treats palestines like animals

Well, it depends on who you're talking about. Yes, there are some very shocking laws in Israel. Apparently Palestinians need a permit to build houses and appeals for these permits are usually refused. Outside of Jerusalem, the houses of Palestinians are bulldozed to make room, leaving them homeless.
And there are those Israelis that come and help the Palestinians rebuild their houses and work with them side by side. Or they stand around houses that the government is trying to demolish.

I'm not saying that Israel is correct, but these were just some examples of how complex it really is. Nothing is done irrationally and purely out of spite.

And by the way, congratulations Verderbnis on your neutral stance! I wish more people had a balanced view of things. smile  

[RubyLight]

I'm not really surprised that there is another war going on in Gaza. I read an article from time to time when I'm online. I don't think they will quit any time soon. Palestinians and Isrealies have fought heavily since the state was made after World War II. Personally, I think that Isreal's government is the majority of the problem. If they start treating Palestinians as human beings, I think that will clear alot of it up. The only way they will stop fighting is if they accept that they share the land and cooperate. If the Palestinians and Isrealies united, they could easily become a superpower as influential as Saudi Arabia.  

[Im A Little Pea]

Since I live in Israel, I'm keeping up with the news; I live right on the other side of the country, but I have a good friend in there and there have been several pretty minor attacks directed to my area from Lebanon and Syria since the beginning of the operation, so everyone is at higher alert; there isn't much of a choice but staying updated.
As for peaceful solutions - very sadly, I think there aren't any. There could had been, the solution of a joint ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state would had been great of course, but I don't see that happening any time in the near future simply because both sides are way too filled up with bullshit to give up their silly pride, or what ever it is they seem to be holding to when they refrain from doing the simple, obvious, right thing. Too bad people pay a price so big for their irresponsible decisions.

I'm pretty tired, so I apologize in advance for any typos and general bad use of language. XD  

[Verderbnis]

Britomartis-the-Valiant

...
And by the way, congratulations Verderbnis on your neutral stance! I wish more people had a balanced view of things. smile

A friend of mine of course solidarised with the palestines, because everyone has to solidarise with the beaten dog. I simply have enough of that crap, there are children shooting on each other, just because their fathers don't want to get along.

Every war is killing the youth first. It breeds new hate and supplies generations with enough irrationality to go out and kill everything which fullfills the image of the enemy. And the old geezers who caused all those bad things of course stay at home and guard the television screen.

I really recommend reading or watching the movie "Johnny got his gun" by Dalton Trumbo. It reflects a lot of my points and is one of the least anti-war movies, which can be applied universally on almost every war.

Another time, a friend who joined the army for a long time and I had a conversation, where he outed himself as nothing more than a cheap a** mercenary:
He: "You know I have to go there and kill something"
I:"a*****e, in that case it's equal on which side you stand!"
Since then he's dead to me and honestly I hope a bullet will teach him.  

[PiercedPixie2]

Im A Little Pea

Since I live in Israel, I'm keeping up with the news; I live right on the other side of the country, but I have a good friend in there and there have been several pretty minor attacks directed to my area from Lebanon and Syria since the beginning of the operation, so everyone is at higher alert; there isn't much of a choice but staying updated.
As for peaceful solutions - very sadly, I think there aren't any. There could had been, the solution of a joint ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state would had been great of course, but I don't see that happening any time in the near future simply because both sides are way too filled up with bullshit to give up their silly pride, or what ever it is they seem to be holding to when they refrain from doing the simple, obvious, right thing. Too bad people pay a price so big for their irresponsible decisions.

I'm pretty tired, so I apologize in advance for any typos and general bad use of language. XD

Pride can be such a terrible thing...
I dont see how anyone can equate pride with so many deaths =S  

[RubyLight]

Verderbnis

I really recommend reading or watching the movie "Johnny got his gun" by Dalton Trumbo. It reflects a lot of my points and is one of the least anti-war movies, which can be applied universally on almost every war.

I agree, alot of people can learn from that book. 3nodding  

[Verderbnis]

During my time in the army I have been thinking a lot (I live in a country with charged service):

Of course, I'll shoot that guy in front of me, because he would shoot me first. But why should my enemy be my enemy? It all made no sense, because your enemy is your enemy, just because someone told you what he looks like. That's a contradiction to my pick of enemies: My enemy is everyone who wants me to do things against my self chosen dogmas.

Thankfully I am not allowed to handle weapons anymore, since I admitted to smoke pot from time to time. ^^  

[Egrus Dam]

RubyLight

I'm not really surprised that there is another war going on in Gaza. I read an article from time to time when I'm online. I don't think they will quit any time soon. Palestinians and Isrealies have fought heavily since the state was made after World War II. Personally, I think that Isreal's government is the majority of the problem. If they start treating Palestinians as human beings, I think that will clear alot of it up. The only way they will stop fighting is if they accept that they share the land and cooperate. If the Palestinians and Isrealies united, they could easily become a superpower as influential as Saudi Arabia.

This. heart

What bothers me the most is seeing the other countries not lifting a finger for the Palestinians, just talking a lot. What does making an ONU resolution serve if you already know that the Israelian government is going to refuse it? And no, if you disagree with Israel and try to scold them you're NOT a nazi, get over it!!! I just get really pissed when people use that argument to shut you up AND when a country can do anything it likes without anyone doing anything. evil cry
Of course, I'm not saying Hamas is right, but killing hundreds of people to "avenge" a relatively low death count on their side is foolishness. sad
Why can't we get all extremists (from both sides), send them to the moon and let them beat the crap out of each other until they have enough? I'm pretty sure both countries are fed up of this war.  

[Herb Bread]

Sending the extremists to the moon, sounds like a great idea! :3 If only it was that simple, all this idiocy would be finished.

This war is so completely irrational, that I absolutely abhor listening to the news stories. I just recoil inside when I hear about more people dying and those higher up being stupid and arrogant again.

Admittedly I've stopped paying attention since the ceasefire at the beginning of this year was broken.

I'm also neutral on the whole affair. I've been wanting to read up on why this whole issue came about in the first place...haven't yet had the time.

Definitely all the innocent and sane people would be fed up.

It's horrible seeing the suffering of so many people, who constantly live in fear of being killed by some rocket attack or air strike. I can't imagine having to live like that.

I wish there was something that could be done, a lot of people probably do.

And I hate that its just a few weeds (they shouldn't have the right to call themselves human) that manage to wreak such disastrous havoc. Who poison future generations with their hatred.

I agree, that they should be trying to co-operate with each other.

But instead of co-operating and trying to rebuild their countries, they just continue to destroy themselves.

That's the other bad thing, while it takes years of hard work to build something up, it takes just minutes to destroy it and none of those arrogant weeds ever seem to think about that side of the war.

The innocent people, the ones who want to get on with living, get to clean up that mess.