Genocide in Gaza

[ktlight]

His political advisor confirms Abbas is to go to Gaza before month's end, but Israel puts a wrench, blocking Fatah’s envoy from crossing into Gaza three days before the reconciliation agreement is to be signed in Egypt

Abbas's personal envoy for national reconciliation has been prevented from entering Gaza strip from Ramallah Sunday morning through the Erez crossing. This is, in fact, a second for Mohamed Abou Tir, Abbas's envoy.

As an alternative, Abou Tir is considering entering through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian Gaza border.

Abou Tir's visit was expected to precede the signing of the national reconciliation agreement to be signed in Egypt on Wednesday 4 May to put the Palestinian house in order.

Meanwhile, Palestinian presidential political advisor, Nemr Hamad, confirmed Abbas's intention to go on with his planned visit to the Strip before the end of this month.

Abbas is expected to discuss all problems related to the formation of the new Palestinian government during his visit, as well as means to protect and resolve any blocks that might emerge for the agreement, Palestinian news agency, Qudsnet stated.

Interestingly, Saeb Erekat, a member of the executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation declared that the PLO is undergoing contacts with world powers to ensure international support and legalities needed for the new government to be formed as the agreement states.

source
http://uruknet.info/?p=m77328&hd=&size=1&l=e

[ktlight]

The Cast Lead Operation commander speaks bluntly on the Israel's view of Gaza as an 'ideal training zone' for its soldiers and weaponry

May 4, 2011

Israel used the war in Gaza in 2008 as a training opportunity for its armed forces to test new weapons, designate Israeli military chief of staff has revealed.

In a speech at the Begin-Sadat Center of Strategic Affairs at Bar-Ilan University, Major General Yoav Galant said that Gaza was an "ideal training zone" as it lacks a strong enemy that could inflict serious casualties upon Israel.

Galant was the operation commander of Israel's Cast Lead Operation on Gaza between December 2008 and January 2009 in which more than 1600 Palestinians were killed. Most of the fatalities were among women and children.

Under his command, the Israeli armed forces openly used white phosphorus shells fired from 155mm artillery guns in the crowded Gaza Strip which were .

"Although Israel's military capability is much stronger than [that of] Hamas, we consider them as our fiercest enemy," he said.

Galant added that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had improved their rocket firing capabilities, asserting that firing rockets "isn’t only an act of terror, it is a challenge to Israel's very existence."

With regards to the wave of Arab uprisings, Galant expressed his view that that none of the ongoing revolutions in the Middle East have any positive short or long-term potential for the future of Israel’s security.

Galant expects that the region will represent a major instability threat as in his opinion it will be ruled by radical "Islamic extremists."

source
http://uruknet.info/?p=m77433&hd=&size=1&l=e

[Lord Sidious]

Great, the madness deepens.
As if not enough hearts bleed in the region.

[777]

I'm really holding back from an anti-Israel post here that could be percieved as racist to the untrained eye. This holocaust disgusts me.

[Krullenjongen]

What new weapons were tested than?
The article only speaks of white phosphorus which is in my opinion a terrible weapon but not new by any definition.
So what is that terrible weapon that they were supposedly testing that the head of this article implies???

[Lord Sidious]

Posted by 777 (here)
I'm really holding back from an anti-Israel post here that could be percieved as racist to the untrained eye. This holocaust disgusts me.

There are many in israel who are sad about this too.

[777]

Posted by Lord Sidious (here)

Posted by 777 (here)
I'm really holding back from an anti-Israel post here that could be percieved as racist to the untrained eye. This holocaust disgusts me.

There are many in israel who are sad about this too.

Absolutely mon ami. Important to remember that.......

[Lord Sidious]

Posted by 777 (here)

Posted by Lord Sidious (here)

Posted by 777 (here)
I'm really holding back from an anti-Israel post here that could be percieved as racist to the untrained eye. This holocaust disgusts me.

There are many in israel who are sad about this too.

Absolutely mon ami. Important to remember that.......

It is sort of like the government of the us corp, the ones who suffer it in a big way are the Americans.
Same with the israeli corporation. The israelis of good character suffer because of it too.
That singer I love, Ofra Haza for example, I saw an interview where she was asked about a tour of the middle east.
She said that she would love to, she had gotten invites, but because her passport was israeli, she couldn't get into those nations.

[loveandgratitude]

Buses will depart from Cairo’s Tahrir Square at noon on 14 May and then meet up with more protesters in Suez.

In the wake of youth-led uprisings across the Arab world, several international activist groups are calling for a “march of millions” into Gaza. The march is scheduled for 15 May, the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel – commonly referred to in Arabic as the Nakba, or catastrophe.

The march seems to have resulted from simultaneous calls for a large initiative to mark the anniversary made by several unrelated international activist groups, including some inside the Palestinian territories. Since its announcement, the initiative has been described by various online groups as “The 2011 March of Return,” “The Palestinian Refugees’ Revolution,” and, in some cases, “The Third Palestinian Intifada.”

The number of similar groups, both online and on the ground, multiplied shortly after Facebook, at the request of the Israeli government, shut down one of the earliest Palestinian-based pages calling for the march.

In Egypt, the movement is being organized by a coalition of groups, including the seasoned pro-democracy movement Kefaya, a new pro-Palestinian group called Kollana Makawma (or We are All the Resistance) and two contingents of hardcore football enthusiasts, or Ultras.

Buses will depart from Cairo’s Tahrir Square at noon on 14 May and then meet up with more protesters in Suez. Planners say they hope to reach Gaza by the evening, march on the border crossing, and participate in the marches and protests inside the Palestinian territory scheduled for the following morning.

Though many of the logistics of the trip remain unclear, activists say they are not concerned about the feasibility.

Besides the march, protests are also scheduled to be held outside the Israeli embassy.

Egyptian activists are using the opportunity to push for local demands regarding Israel as well. “Through this initiative, we are calling for the cessation of gas exports to Israel and the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Egyptian jails,” explains Salma Shukrallah, an Egyptian and founding member of the Kollana Makawma movement, which is helping spearhead the local campaign.

Other demands agreed upon by the coalition of participating Egyptian groups include the permanent reopening of the Rafah border, the normalization of Egypt-Gaza trade relations, and the cancellation of the QIZ (Qualifying Industrial Zones) agreement between Egypt and Israel.

First and foremost among their demands, and one shared by all international groups participating in the march, is the “assertion of the right of exiled Palestinians to return to their homeland,” as stated on the press statement by the Egyptian coalition.

“The former [Egyptian] regime was largely responsible for driving and enforcing the sanctions on Gaza, even when international agreements called on Egypt to keep the Rafah border open,” said Halim Heneish, a founding member of the Youth Movement for Justice and Freedom.

Heneish believes that after the toppling of the former regime it is now possible to achieve the coalition’s goals.

Moreover, Heneish insists that the call for the liberation of Gaza will, in a way, help ensure the formation of an Egyptian government that represents Egyptians’ concern for and allegiance to the Palestinian people.

“The Zionist government,” he says, referring to the current Israeli regime, “will never be satisfied with the formation of an Egyptian government that properly, and truthfully, represents the Egyptian people since, by definition, such a government would not be an ally to Israel, or willing to meet its demands.”

“Israel is the source of the counter-revolution now taking place in Egypt,” Heneish said, reiterating his belief that the Israeli government will do whatever it takes to prevent the formation of a regime that reflects Egypt’s largely anti-Israel constituents.

Meanwhile, plans for the march do not seem to have been affected by the news of a reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas, signed last Tuesday in Cairo.

“The Nakba is marked by commemorative events every year, all round the world,” Shukrallah said. “Due to the recent revolutions, people expected this year’s commemoration to be larger and more effective.”

In response to suggestions that the march to Gaza might complicate or hamper the reconciliation, which stipulates the formation of a new technocratic government and could potentially lead to the revival of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Shukrallah said, “There’s always a reason to criticize or delay initiatives such as [the march]. People have different opinions.”

“When people voice their demands and put pressure on the ruling powers, it makes a difference when the time comes for political changes,” Shukrallah said. “If anything, this march will hasten and assert Palestinian unity.”

But the success of the 15 May march is far from assured. Activists say they are unsure “whether or not we’ll be granted entry into Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Israel has received news of the march with growing concern. Israel National News, the online version of Arutz Sheva radio, has described the march as an “assault” with the intention of “intimidating and embarrassing Israel.” Last year, a flotilla of ships bringing international aid to Gaza was attacked by Israeli commandos, leaving nine pro-Palestinian activists dead.

The online news source also reported that in anticipation of the march, Egypt’s army has heightened its alert and intensified its forces in areas around the border, reportedly planning to seal off all entries to North and South Sinai.

Meanwhile, even some who are sympathetic to the cause question the potential of the 15 May march.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/430027
Gaza in Plain Language—Revisited. Honoring the March to Gaza.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TxdaHM7rgag

[Zepheriah]

Can't say i agree with this action.

The palestinians say its their land and the Jews stole it, yet they stole it off the Jews in the first place. Who has more right? Neither and both.

But, from a strictly moral view, We British promised the Jews their homeland, and with some help from the like minded Yanks we set up Isreal. Its pretty clear to me that if you set up a state, your responsible for it. So it should fall to the British and Americans to defend Israel.

Of course life isn't ever that simple is it. I know a good few Israeli's and they are amongst my favoured friends. They are kind, grateful, compassionate and are by and large morally superior people to most western nations. Of course, that is the pople, not the state.

Its taken abotu 3000 years to create this problem, a march and some shouting isn't going to help it in any way, infact, it smore likely to get a good many innocent people on either side of the fence killed. Oh and factor in the uttelry retarded "peace flotilla" planned for around the same time..........gonna be a fun summer

[loveandgratitude]

Posted by Zepheriah (here)
Can't say i agree with this action.

The palestinians say its their land and the Jews stole it, yet they stole it off the Jews in the first place. Who has more right? Neither and both.

But, from a strictly moral view, We British promised the Jews their homeland, and with some help from the like minded Yanks we set up Isreal. Its pretty clear to me that if you set up a state, your responsible for it. So it should fall to the British and Americans to defend Israel.

Of course life isn't ever that simple is it. I know a good few Israeli's and they are amongst my favoured friends. They are kind, grateful, compassionate and are by and large morally superior people to most western nations. Of course, that is the pople, not the state.

Its taken abotu 3000 years to create this problem, a march and some shouting isn't going to help it in any way, infact, it smore likely to get a good many innocent people on either side of the fence killed. Oh and factor in the uttelry retarded "peace flotilla" planned for around the same time..........gonna be a fun summer

Wow, I can see this is going to turn into an epic. Too tired to go into it in detail. Will wait until tomorrow. We will have to take a look at history here. Just to kick it off, the Jews never owned the land in the beginning. Then take a look at the Balforth Declaration - the most criminal act in modern history. Any way, will continue tomorrow.

[Zepheriah]

We could always argue the semantics of land owner ship

Neither of them have any right to claim it in that sense, probably the best way to look at it. Neither have a moral right to claim it given the last few thousand years of hate and immoral action.

I'm not for or against either side, like i said, i have Israeli friends, and they are the salt of the earth, but i don't agree with their state's progroms of hateful action, and as apoint, neither do they. I have deep compassion for the palestinians too, i think its easy for the western world to ignore them, imagine if they were kicked out of their homes and had to watch them bulldozed, but the palestinians also lose their morality with the acts they perpetrate in kind.

It is the proverbial powder keg and everyones lighting their own fuses, lets just wait and see who's ignites the keg.

[Lord Sidious]

We could indeed speak of land ownership, but that won't solve the issues.
''They'' want you to argue about the ''facts'' so that you can justify each side.
Meantime, innocents die.
So, the past is gone, dead as a doornail.
Let us walk hand in hand into the future, whilst letting go of the past and the disputes that took place in it.

[Zepheriah]

Posted by Lord Sidious (here)
So, the past is gone, dead as a doornail.
Let us walk hand in hand into the future, whilst letting go of the past and the disputes that took place in it.

Couldn't agree more my Sithy friend.

[Davidallany]

Let us walk hand in hand into the future, whilst letting go of the past and the disputes that took place in it.

Agreed 100%. I can't say the same thing about those who identify with their country's history or their group of people's history. Aside from actual causes of events getting acknowledged and accepted as they are without attachment to the 5 W's. I think we are all one family as long as we are Humans and the land belongs to all of us, there are no countries, borders or groups of people except in the mind of the beholder. But if we must say that there are differences in people' habits and attitudes or self images then we can also say that such things exist even among families. If you go to a Buddhist monastery and live there for a while you'll meet different people from allover the world vibrating at a similar level. Thus transcending physical conceits.

[ktlight]

Israeli forces backed by tanks and bulldozers have crossed into the Gaza Strip, destroying Palestinian farmlands in north of the enclave.


Israeli soldiers apparently entered the Palestinian territory from Karni crossing on Wednesday and advanced hundreds of meters toward the east of Gaza City.

According to Press TV's correspondent in Gaza, Israeli soldiers dug a series of holes in the area and filled them with explosives.

Israeli soldiers then blew up the explosives, causing loud explosions in the area, our correspondent added.

Israeli officials claim that the troops were searching and destroying "possible tunnels" in the area that could be used by Palestinian resistance fighters to enter Israeli posts and capture Israeli soldiers.

But analysts believe the Israeli attack aimed at provoking Palestinian fighters into firing on Israeli troops, which could have escalated the situation.

It was the first Israeli attack on Gaza after the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, signed a unity deal.

Israel has repeatedly voiced anger at the reconciliation accord signed between the two Palestinian groups which aimed at forming a Palestinian unity government.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Fatah which rules the West Bank, have been at odds since the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006.

Differences between the rival groups peaked in June 2007 when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a bid to "foil a coup plot" by some Fatah elements.

Fatah in response sacked the Hamas government and set up a parallel cabinet in Ramallah.

source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179435.html

[Zepheriah]

Concepts of ownership wether of an ideal, land or object are the single cause of human strife.

However, it is so ingrained upon our species that there really isn't a lot we can do about the world of possesion except learn to get along with solid values. Shamefully, the majority would rather be blind and ignore the problems they help perpetuate.

[Lord Sidious]

Great, so both sides are winding their own up for the next round.

[Lord Sidious]

Posted by Zepheriah (here)
Concepts of ownership wether of an ideal, land or object are the single cause of human strife.

However, it is so ingrained upon our species that there really isn't a lot we can do about the world of possesion except learn to get along with solid values. Shamefully, the majority would rather be blind and ignore the problems they help perpetuate.

It is power that is the sole cause, the money and land are symptoms of this.

[Zepheriah]

Posted by Lord Sidious (here)

It is power that is the sole cause, the money and land are symptoms of this.

In my view, the "power" comes from teh beholders view of implied ownership of "X", either way, its a false paradigm