Nothing
annoys me more that a self-proclaimed "pro-Palestinian"
supporter who parrot the same ignorant lies we hear over and
over from the mainstream media. There are many of these lies
in circulation but in general they argue that: if the two
sides come together, then the war would be over. While that
is generally true, it does not take a genius to make such a
statement. A two year old can figure that out. This Walt
Disney movie way of thinking does nothing more than support
those who massacre Palestinians/Lebanese civilians while
giving a feel-good feeling to those who say it. It allows
them to remain stupid while taking all the credit for caring
for the "oppressed". A self-serving stance that allows them
to take rewards from both sides. For the clear headed, the
facts are uncontroversial and are crystal clear. There are
no general statements that a monkey can put together but
only specific sets of facts that are anything but
controversial.
All the
onus is on Israel to stop its hostilities first and
foremost. According to Israeli newspapers, an attack on Gaza
was already being prepared by Israel before the last
ceasefire. Hamas refused to renew it because Israel refused
to lift the blockade (in place after Hamas won the
election) which have led to further humanitarian
crisis and will predictably lead to a slow death of those in
Gaza. According to Barack Ravid of Haaretz:
"Sources in the defense establishment said Defense
Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Israel Defense Forces
to prepare for the operation over six months ago, even as
Israel was beginning to negotiate a ceasefire agreement
with Hamas."(Read more
here)
Israel
used the distraction of the U.S. election, which brought the
still silent President-Elect Barack Obama to power, in order
to bomb the Gaza Strip on November 4th. During the
ceasefire, Hamas limited the rockets fired to around 3 per
month (a 98% decrease) which even Israeli intelligence
groups recognized (download report
here
-- keep in mind that I am only referring to their numbers
and keep in mind that the entire month of November, even after the
4th, is considered part of the lull in the report which is completely ludicrous).
That being said, the rockets fired were fired by rogue
groups such as Islamic Jihad and it was recognized by
Israeli intelligence that they did a good job in handling
them (download report
here). All these have been extensively discussed in the
Israeli media and somehow we have delusional North Americans
making opposite claims, completely living in a bubble.
“Israel
has a right to defend itself” is often parroted by Israeli
supporters. Such words will defy logic if anyone has any
idea of the history of this conflict. From the way it is
spoken about in the mainstream media, it seems like it just
started yesterday. As always, it is the Palestinians to
blame and not the army that possesses the world’s most
dangerous weapons and backed by the most powerful terrorist
state in the world – the United States.
From the
way many Israeli supporters have been speaking, you would
think that the reason for the recent attack on Gaza is due
to crude short-ranged rockets being fired on Israel. This is
difficult to take seriously because according to Human
Rights Watch, “Rocket attacks have killed 19 civilians in
Israel since 2005, including those killed to date during the
current clashes.” (Read more
here) What is striking is that this number cannot even
compare to the civilian death toll on the first day of the
recent attacks. More deaths via bombings have been
accumulated in a matter of hours as opposed to years. This
should tell you something about the ridiculous comparisons
being made in the mainstream media which makes you think
that the 'suffering' of Israel is even comparable.
Such a
disproportionate response is typical of Israel, someone
throws a rock, that person would be blasted with a bazooka.
At the outset of the 2006 attack on Lebanon, there were tons
of attention given in the media for the 1,000 crude Kasam
missiles launched from Gaza into Israel which resulted in
ZERO fatalities. The 7,000 to 9,000 heavy artillery shells
that were fired by Israel during the same period on the
other hand received no such attention.
Months leading up to the 2006 outbreak of violence in
Lebanon and Israel, it was clear that Israel was not an
innocent victim as it is being portrayed now. The death toll
in Gaza back then does not even come close to supporting
such a ridiculous thesis. Between September 2005 and June
2006, according to an Israeli human rights group B’tselem,
144 Palestinians in Gaza were killed -- 29 were children –-
by Israeli forces. No Israeli’s were killed during the same
time period.
Many
people are continuing to keep their delusions alive once
again by arguing that Hamas is using human shields. Such an
argument is typical because this was used by Israel as a
justification for the large amount of civilian casualties
during the 2006 Lebanon invasion. It was argued that
Hezbollah, not Israel, was to be blamed for such huge
casualties. This absolute lie has already been shot down by
Human Rights Watch.
“Israel’s indiscriminate
airstrikes, not Hezbollah’s shielding as claimed by Israeli
officials, caused most of the approximately 900 civilian
deaths in Lebanon during the July-August 2006 war between
Israel and Hezbollah, Human Rights Watch said in a report
released today. Human Rights Watch investigated more than
500 of the deaths.
“Israel wrongfully acted as if all civilians had heeded
its warnings to evacuate southern Lebanon when it knew they
had not, disregarding its continuing legal duty to
distinguish between military targets and civilians,” said
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.
“Issuing warnings doesn’t make indiscriminate attacks
lawful.”” (Read more
here)
Israel is once again
washing its hands clean by dropping leaflets on the
population so that no conscience would be harmed once the
bombs are indiscriminately dropped on Palestinians.
Beyond these, other
farcical arguments which have no basis whatsoever in
established facts are being parroted over and over. From the
way these people are going about, again, you would think
that the only academic work and research done on the
Palestinian issue came from a Seventeen magazine. One such
topic relates to the fact that Israel is just establishing
its authority over their lands.
Every year there is a vote
regarding U.N. Resolution 242 by the international community
that demands for Israel to return to the pre-1967 borders which
are clearly defined:
Israel
must fully withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem
in accordance to the international law which states that it
is inadmissible to acquire land through warfare. In
exchange, the Arab states and Palestinians will have to
recognize Israel’s right to exist. There is no controversy
in the issue, this is voted on every single year. The only
countries that reject this resolution are the United States,
Israel and some fart in the wind U.S. puppet country that
changes from year to year which has a GDP similar to my
yearly income (Read more
here).
So before
you make a tool out of yourself on national television by
stating "If the two sides can come together ..." learn your
history first. This is not a Walt Disney film that can be
redeemed nor summarized by some vague concept that no sane
minded individual can disagree with. If Israel can observe
international law and consensus by halting its war crimes,
this conflict would come to an end. Do not look for excuses
to be a moron while still reaping some rewards from it from
other morons eager to please those in power. While they are
not the same as Alan Dershowitz who also claims that he is
pro-Palestinian, they definitely share the same attraction
to meaningless rhetoric resting on good feeling as opposed
to historical facts.
In the
spirit of resistance,
Critical Mood
