POLITICS: The next wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, page 1

posted on Oct, 16 2004 @ 11:15 AM

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As Palestinians return to the remaining rubble of their homes and infrastructure after Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to a rocket attack on the Israeli border town of Sderot, the seeds of hatred and revenge are apparent. 109 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more were wounded, including dozens of civilians, among them 18 minors. Five Israelis, including two preschoolers killed in the Sderot attack, also died. In Jebaliya, at least 45 homes and a mosque were destroyed.

www.kotv.com
JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) _ Palestinians retrieved belongings from the rubble of homes and work crews patched up roads and water pipes Saturday in the aftermath of Israel"s deadliest offensive in the Gaza Strip in four years of fighting.

Tanks and bulldozers razed dozens of homes, uprooted crops and tore up roads and water pipes. The Palestinians say much of the destruction was wanton. The army said soldiers only destroyed homes from which militants attacked them.

Latife Abu Oudeh, 55, was sitting on the rubble as her daughter-in-law carried mattresses, children"s clothing, a pink teddy bear, silverware and a bag with cosmetics and perfume from the ruins of their house.

Abu Oudeh said her four-room house, home to 16 people, was destroyed at the beginning of the offensive. She said the family received no warning and was sleeping when a bulldozer approached before dawn. ``My daughter was in the bathroom when she found the wall collapsing,"" Abu Oudeh said.

The family fled in a panic, she said. ``When we reached the next building, I looked back and saw my house completely demolished,"" Abu Oudeh said.

Many Palestinians in northern Gaza have said that they don"t want the militants to fire more rockets at Israeli border towns, because such attacks provoke devastating Israeli reprisals.

However, Abu Oudeh said her heart was now set on revenge. ``I am happy rockets were fired, and I want more to be fired,"" she said bitterly, adding that she was pleased Sderot residents were panicking over the rocket attacks.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza said that according to a preliminary count, at least 80 houses were demolished in northern Gaza during the assault, including at least 60 in Jebaliya and 20 in Beit Lahiya. The group said dozens of homes, shops and public buildings were damaged.

Shortly before the pullback Friday, a 65-year-old Palestinian woman was shot in the head and killed by Israeli tank fire while eating a traditional Ramadan dinner in her home, Palestinian hospital officials said.

Military sources said soldiers had opened fire in the area after being attacked by an anti-tank missile. The army also said Palestinians had fired a rocket.

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While the strategic use of brutal military force can serve a number of purposes, including the positioning of politicians among their constituencies and the garnering of support for fringe political groups seeking legitimacy, the deaths of Israeli and Palestenian innocents is self-evidently an ineffective means of preventing further deaths. The stories of Israeli and Palestinian innocent bystanders killed in the offensives, and others having their homes collapsed on them without warning, are examples of how brutal policies on both sides will breed hatred and further violence. We seem to only be able to await the next inevitable wave of violence which will follow as surely as night follows day.

Related News Links:
www.theage.com.au
www.reuters.com
english.aljazeera.net
www.news24.com

[edit on 17-10-2004 by Banshee]

dubiousone

posted on Oct, 16 2004 @ 12:52 PM

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brutal policies on both sides will breed hatred and further violence. We seem to only be able to await the next inevitable wave of violence which will follow as surely as night follows day.

Your closing statement is insightful. That's exactly what the ruling Israeli's want. Peace is not on the menu. How do I know? Just pay attention to what they do and forget about what they say.

mrmonsoon

posted on Oct, 16 2004 @ 02:40 PM

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Dub,

It is clear that neither side is ready for peace.
You want to blame Israel because they are more effective at specific attacks.
If you bother to see all the shops, buses and so forth destroyed by the Palestinians it might seem a lot more equal.
Also consider that most-80% or greater of Palestinian attacks SPECIFICLY AND INTENTIONALLY TARGET CIVILIANS who have not done anything to them.
I fully realize civilians are killed as the Israeli army goes after the terrorists themselves-who often hide behind civilians. They also put civilians in danger by using their houses to build bombs and missiles as well as launch rockets from them (or close to them). They full well know what will happen; they don't care and or want civilians to be hurt-to gain sympathy for themselves.

dubiousone

posted on Oct, 16 2004 @ 03:54 PM

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Mrmonsoon generalizes that Israelis are being atacked by "the Palestinians" and therefore Israel's retaliation against all of "the Palestinians" is justified. Why do you excuse Israel's killing of 100+ including many innocent Palestinians in retaliation for the deathz of a few Israelis? I'm not downplaying those deaths. They are tragic and they are innocent people as well. Why are we spending so many of our resources in Afghanistan and Iraq when the Israeli / Palestinian conflict is the tinderbox that keeps the rest of the Middle East in its present volatile state? Why are we not in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank rooting out the terrorists on BOTH SIDES of that conflict? Wouldn't that be a better way to address the violence? What does our failure to do that tell you about what is really heppening in the Middle East? Mrmonsoon, the recent Israeli incursion into Northern Gaza is just a recent incident. Are you at all aware of the IDF's daily oppression and terrorizing of the Palestinian population that you read little about in the Western press? The present Administration, the Christian Right, and Israel have a much different agenda for that region than the one they talk about openly. Take heed of what they do rather than what they say.

G_Scard

posted on Oct, 17 2004 @ 12:29 PM

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... and counting

[edit on 17-10-2004 by G_Scard]

John Nada

posted on Oct, 17 2004 @ 12:50 PM

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Both sides are as bad as each other and it just gets tiresome, fighting over something that is meaningless and doesn't exist. It's not right though that Israel should get backing from the West, there should be no sides taken.

Personally, I'd like to see what would happen if a huge indestructable dome was to be put over the area and they were told they have 1 year to sort it out. Either sort it, one side wins so when we take it off there will be no more violence or when we get back they will all be wiped out. I bet they'd buck up their ideas pretty fast.

Djarums

posted on Oct, 17 2004 @ 03:17 PM

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The lack of capability of some people to understand that the blame lies in both sides (not one) is truly mind boggling. I'd love to put some of these pundits in one of those "Find the Cheese mazes" and see what happens.

Get a damn clue, this conflict is not exclusively the fault of any one side. Both parties have done things that are undeniably insane and stupid and have each contributed daily to the conflict getting worse. If you don't see that, you're not looking. But if it makes you happy to say otherwise, by all means don't let things like "logic" or "truth" stop you. Fire away

Netchicken

posted on Oct, 17 2004 @ 04:40 PM

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Horray!
Palastinians are finally starting to understand the situation. Just shows that Israeli heavy handed actions are working.

Many Palestinians in northern Gaza have said that they don"t want the militants to fire more rockets at Israeli border towns, because such attacks provoke devastating Israeli reprisals.

G_Scard

posted on Oct, 17 2004 @ 07:12 PM

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Originally posted by Netchicken
Horray!
Palastinians are finally starting to understand the situation. Just shows that Israeli heavy handed actions are working.

Equally possible that this interpretation is misguided. Seems to me that the cycle of violence and the increasing number of dead on both sides have not diminished the prospects for future violence.

The month over month statistics of the deaths since 1987 makes it possible for me to share neither your enthusiazm nor your interpretation of events.