It’s really sad… we are all God’s people- Israelis and Palestinians and every other individual in this world. And I’m pretty sure God’s not ‘rooting’ for anyone to win…. I’m sure he’s pretty sad about all the pain and grief and bloodshed of his people.
But whether you’re religious or not, atheist or not, the fact remains the same.
The world can be a very scary place, but hope for humanity still needs to remain.
?

Unfortunatly this is an area where what happened in Biblical times ocurred a few days ago in people psyche. It will forever be so.
Jews pray every day and the exodus is mentioned almost daily.
Both Jews and Muslims remember the bilical tale of Sarah giving birth, of the half brother of the baby and his birth mom being forced to leave the protection of the area. It is forever in peoples memories. Regardless of Sarah and Abraham breaking up due to what happened to Issac or not. The possibility that is was both boys or not or either-the Muslims believe it was the Arab boy it happened to. All this does not matter. Nor the fact that the boys were somehow in contact enough so that both buried the father.
There is enough here for bloodshed to conntinue forever according to the ways of all those involved.
The Crusades adds Christians into the mix.
You would need people who forgive and forget or at least forgive on all sides to have peace.
Due to religous ways this will NEVER occur.

>>>”Where is the calculus between 10,000 missiles falling on civilians in Israel”
A correction: no “missiles” fell on Israel. Rockets did. There is a world of difference. The rockets were home-brewed, similar to what you’d buy in any child’s hobby store. Israel has Missiles, with satellite guidance systems and enough high-grade explosives packed into each one to blow a hundred civilians apart. And they frequently do.
The Rockets fired into Israel killed no-one. There were reports of a few injuries, and I’d never defend or condone the action in itself, but at the very least get your facts straight.
Of course Israel has a right to defend itself, but this is overkill. Hundreds of civilians, children, dead and injured… and they think this will end anything?
An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.
And as a final insult Israel is flipping the middle-finger to the international community. They know the masses of innocent civilians are starving, without food or water, medical care, basic necessities of life. Still they continue.
I pray to God that Obama cuts all American support to Israel by 100%.
Think of all the time and money the world has wasted on conflicts just like this. If it was not for babysitting backward, violent little nations like this we’d be populating space by now.

Once again Your Name makes up facts – it would more accurate to say he makes up Lies. Facts which are invented are Lies.
Israelis have been killed by the Hamas rockets and misiles. Even Hamas acknowledges this fact. It is strange that the anti-semitic attacks on this thread make claims so outrageously false that even Hamas a terrorist organization does not make them.
The Iranian made GRADs, which Hamas uses to target Israeli towns, are missiles. The most elementary research would have revealed that Hamas uses both rockets and missiles.
So far the UN has not issued a statement; the Arab states of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan are not condemning Israel. The US has placed the blame where it belongs on Hamas. Israel is not giving the finger to the world. Most of the world recognizes that Israel is protecting them from Iranian terrorism.
The Hamas rockets are imprecise, and for Your Name that some how is better than Israel’s using missiles with guidance systems so they can try to avoid civilians is bad. Thus, according to Your Name’s twisted thinking, it is better to direct rockets without guidance systems are civilian areas, but it is wrong to use guidance systems to target military spots which Hamas hides in civilian area including turning mosques into weapons depos.

Hamas is a terror regime that must be stopped, they are seeking and aiming to hit civilians only, they hide is civilians areas and is a regime, not an army, they can not fight Tank vs Tank, all they can do is risk their population, they are very weak right now, soon all will end.

This article’s title is very strange. It implies, at least to me – “well, if not as many people die now as did in the Holocaust, then nobody should complain”, as if the Jews have a credit on numbers of people to be killed before they’re in any way liable.
I’m not saying that Israel is not justified in stopping the attacks being staged from the very territory they yeilded a few years ago.
I think that the title to this article at least suggests a kind of system of rationalization that is bizarre… especially because the people being killed now had nothing to do with the Holocaust. For that matter, the Holocaust happened over fifty years ago, so even if it was somehow Germany being attacked by Israel today, that logic is very odd.
This kind of historical memory (Never Forget!) and apparent “keeping score” implied by “Ground War in Gaza, no Holocaust” I don’t think is healthy for anyone alive today… and definitely wasn’t healthy for anyone who was alive yesterday or a few days ago and is no longer alive today.
Of course the Holocaust was an atrocity foisted upon humanity, but I don’t understand how that can at all be used as a justification for more murder perpetrated by the Jews.

“An Israeli minister gave warning yesterday that the Gaza faces a “holocaust” if Islamist militants there do not end their daily barrages of home-made Qassam rockets, and their increasing use of Iranian-built Grad missiles.”
The above is from the linked story about a year ago. Israel later retracted the use of the world holocaust, but I don’t think they would have used this word lightly in the first place. They are also not allowing any reporters into Gaza, as reported tonight on the NBC nightly news, saying they need to control the images people see from the area. If this were any other country we would have cut off their aid long ago. It disgusts me to see a government committing state terrorism this way.
http://www.moiz.ca/coffin2.htm

I actually agree with you and nothing I write suggests, let alone says, otherwise. Did you even read past the title? Clearly not!
But I thank you for proving, along with the commenter above who prefers made up information to actual facts, that people generally see what they believe, rather believe what they see.
Will anyone actual take up my challenge/plea and articulate what they would do if they were in charge of either Hamas or Israel? Or, will we all just use the suffering of others to shore up existing identities and opinions?

It’s always a good idea to begin at the beginning, and equally good to point ones ideas towards a desireable, tolerable and realistic conclusion.
We have to look at human rights. These are based on the idea of mutual respect. This, not family values, not religion, not national pride is the basis of society. Violating this principle is a crime. Murder, manslaughter, vandalism…These are crimes. Criminals destroy themselves as well as their victims.
When a person is agressed, and then killed. It is a tragic crime. That crime has to be investigated. Justice must be done. Some kind of repair must be attempted.
It’s no use talking about Israel, about Hamas, about Palestinians, Jews, foreign policy, history…
These things are meaningless compared to the fundamental social issue of murder, or crime, of the individual’s right to life, peace, growth.
If we destroy that, there is nothing, nothing human, and soon there will be nothing at all.
Nations and societies that stand by and allow their public officials or fellows to wantonly destroy innocent life, without any recourse to law condemn themselves.
The most important thing in these problems is to forget about nations, and to concentrate instead on the rights of individuals, as well as the responsibility of individuals, no matter how highly placed in governments these people may be, before the law.
Before the law, murder is a supreme crime.
Of course, their are victims of wanton violence on all sides. But, murdering more innocents, will not improve things.
We need to keep track of these deaths, on both sides. Then we need to prosecute culpable individuals on all sides. Finally, it is neccessary to indemnify victims and families of victims.
This would put an end to the slaughter, and be much less costly then the trillions that have been poured into the wars of the last 10 years. These deaths can be prevented, if we administer justice fairly and accurately. If we cannot beleive in the power of merciful justice to regulate human behavior, and implement this belief, then humanity will destroy itself.
The military does know how to administer justice, nor can it truly keep the peace.
The military is a fighting machine, designed to kill.
Killing Hamas leaders will not bring peace. Killing civilians, and children will increase the power of Palestinian paramilitaries by increasing recruitment and moral.
Solving problems by using force usually just increases friction and counterforce.
Shooting at a forest fire won’t put it out.
If Israel wants to have a meaning and continue to exist, then it needs to reposition itself as a beacon of law, human rights and reform. These bungled excursions into military machismo are beneath the dignity of an intelligent nation.

What would I do if I were in charge of either Hamas or Israel?
First of all, I’m not entirely sure anyone is, and I certainly do not mean to suggest I should be, but here’s my thinking nonetheless.
If I were in charge of Israel I would direct a response to each and every missile sent into Israel from Gaza. But I would use my magnificent technology to hit missile sites, not Hamas leaders’ children.
If I were in charge of Hamas I’d probably be doing exactly what Hamas is doing–not that it is morally right. But a bankrupt leadership can only stay in charge by uniting the Palestinian people against an Israeli enemy. And Israel seems only too willing to play that role.

Being against what Isreal is doing in this particular situation and speaking out against it is NOT antisemitic.
When somebody does something wrong, the right thing to do is to
talk about it, not being silent because of fear of being labeled as something you are not.
Israel DO have a right to defend itself against the rockets that are thrown over their borders. But this can be done in a much more effective way than bombing all over Gaza. Close to 500 Palestinians have been killed and thousands have been injured, including women and children and others who are not members of Hamas.
That is not the way you bring peace.
This is NOT going to get less people to sign up to BECOME members of Hamas or terrorists, it´s not going to make anyone LESS violent.
Israel are letting foreigners leave Gaza, they have to show papers that they are in fact not Palestinians, families have been broken up because only the foreigners can leave. By doing this Israel is saying that ALL Palestinians are terrorists and no matter who you are you are to stay at a place that is not safe.
Yes Israel have recomended that the civilians should leave there homes so that they are not in danger. Where are they going to go?
Also if they ask them to leave for their own protection then they are presumed innocent right? So then why do they have to leave their houses so that they can bomb them?
Maybe this is not a holocost, but it sure is like the Gettos. “Show your papers if they are fine you get to leave otherwise not.”
I have been to Dachau, there is a plaque there that says “NEVER AGAIN”
It is insulting to the memory of those who died in world war 2 to murder others in the name of those who were murdered then.
If you speak a language other than english, read some newspapers from around the world and see what the rest of the world thinks that Isreal is doing right now.
OM SHANTI
Maya

Golda Maer (sp?) said it best.
“We will have peace with the arab when they love their children more than they hate us.”

Rabbi Hirschfield,
These are very complicated questions. But I dare to give my answer.
Loving each other as brothers and sisters, and doing this unconditionally. Forgiving each other as brothers and sisters, and doing this uncondtionally.
In my personal life there were individuals that brought harm into my life. And it was really hard for me to let them all go. But I chose to love and forgive in spite of what happened. I realized that love and forgiveness was for my own good. I had to learn to bless my enemies and wish them well. That was a way for me to let go of all the negativity and avoid wasting my precious time on retaliation or hatred. Love, forgiveness and letting to go are all easier said than done. But they are tasks to be fulfilled if we want to see peace and unity. Sorry, if all of this sounds like straight from the textbook of harmony. But I guess that we need to go back to making life more simple. So, here is my answer to what I would be doing if I were on the side of the Palestines or the Israelites.
God bless the Jews and Arabs in this world. I still believe and pray for the day where there will be perfect peace in Jerusalem, Israel and the rest of Middle East.
Thanks.
Eric

HYPOCRISY OF ALL THE WORLD LEADERS
What will you do or how will you respond if for 8 years your principals cities where just civiliens lives are under dayly bombarding
The restraint of Israel government until now is an exemplification for you to learn
NO COUNTRY IN THIS WORLD WOULD BEHAVE LIKE US

Wars are easier to start than end.
I live on the other side of the border. I live in fear for myself and my family. We are within the range of these … which kill and maim.
I call on my leaders to respect the boundary between “us” and “them.” I can only hope and pray their leaders do too!. Borders, if respected, can make for good neighbors, that is exactly why we have them all over the world, to separate people of different nationalities and ideologies. To respect each others way of life and view of life.
If we respect each others boundaries, maybe we will respect each others lives, and live in peace.

Resort to war is mental bankruptcy. It makes no difference who goes bankrupt first.
We really ought to be bright enough to find new solutions after thousands of years. Constantly replaying the past simply means we have not learned to change our minds, to begin to live differently.
What to do, now, without first consciously learning to think differently?
One solution is to take the leaders from both sides and lock them in a room together until they begin to talk to each other and they come up with solutions.

Golda also said:
“We will never forgive the Arbas for making us kill them”
She was a horrible woman which should not be taken as an example for future generatios.

You know, it just confounds me how one sided many of these comments are. Hamas is still playing the same old tunes and backing up their rhetoric with deadly fire power. ‘Israel does not exist’ and one of my favorites, ‘All Jews should be wiped out.’
And don’t go dissing one of the most noble heroic women of the 20th century. Golda was right. No country should be forced to justify its right to exist under such a heinous threat that has existed since Israel became a state. Firing back is not a choice – it’s the choice between life and death.

The leaders of both factions have to recognize that there is no victory possible by either side. When two warring factions are at fault in a geo-political sense, and mediation is not an option, it is the responsibility of the general population of of both factions to replace their respective leaders using due process. America is now paying a price for eight years of poor domestic and foreign policy decisions. The replacement of leadership was the only way to regain stability.

The good rabbi essentially asks everyone to close their eyes to reality. The reality is that some people are psychotic lunatics. Should we let Charles Manson out of prison and negotiate with him as he recruits new members to the Manson Family and stock piles more and more weapons? Shall we ignore Charles Manson when he kills a few of the people living a few streets over and then stock piles larger bombs? Shall we look the other way when Manson throws his neighbors from the roof tops and shoots others in the back because they protest the way he is destroying their neighborhood? When we send the police to re-arrest Manson should the police back off because Manson deceives naive fools filled with religious bigotry into defending him?
For some people, there is no crime so horrendous that people don’t exonerate Hamas and blame the Jews. This has been Europe’s pattern for over a 1,000 years. Whenever anything bad happens ignore the real causes and murder more Jews. We can trace Europe’s anti-semitic blood lust back to the first Crusade in 1096 where they murdered Jews on their way to the “Holy Land” to murder Muslims. Now, Europe sides with the Muslims to finish the extermination of the Jews. For Europe, Israel’s right to defend itself does not allow it to shoot the people trying to murder the Jewish people.

It is truly naive to think that there will ever be peace in the Middle East. Obviously a signifigant part of the population there doesn’t want peace or there would be an accord already in place. I just wish that everyone would stop asking the US to intervene in the Middle East. Grow up and solve your own problems.

What will work? Both Eisenhower and MacArthur as well as Truman knew the answer — unconditional surrender by Hamas.
Gaza is one place where the war on terror can result in an unconditional surrender.
The world is a terrible place, especially Europe who throws stones at the backs of the Israelis as the Israelis defend the West from Iran’s proxy terrorists.

Well, in retrospect it seems Israel should never have been implanted into the Middle East. To think Arab and Muslim people “should get over it” is really naive.
Think if somehow a country was just forced upon the United States… the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is even more complex b/c of the religous history and emotional charge surrounding both sides’ points of view.
It seemed like a kind of consolation that the Jews were given Israel after the Holocaust, but those behind the idea seemed to not at all concern the vast area of people who would be disrupted both physically and religiously.
The truth really is that the idea of “rights of Muslims” was not even a concept. The Judeo-Christian world just thought they would have to deal with it. And this is how it’s being dealt with. Who’s to blame?
Personally, I think it’s despicable that Hamas fighters and leaders use civilians as shields and then flee underground leaving the innocents to face the bombs and bullets.
But to not look back at how this got started seems odd.

Let me get this straight. You believe that Israel should not be fighting back? What planet are you from?
In the real world someone punches you in the face you don’t walk away you hit them twice as hard so they never forget and never think of doing it again.
We will win because HASHEM is on our side.

B-H
I never cease to be amazed at how naive people can be. The previous election in the “occupied terrories” confirmed that Hamas is the choice of the peoople. Hamas was elected to power democratically by the Palestinian Arab community.
And along with that choice, comes indoctrination about Jews coming from pigs and dogs, and how our presence in the Middle East is a tumor that must be eradicated.
When will we learn that the only solution is self-respect, and respect for the Torah that says the land is ours?
Sharon’s expulsion has yielded the most rotten of poison fruit, alas…

I have no sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza. They knew that Hamas would provoke and attack Israel ~ why did they elect them?
The only solution is to execute all Hamas, outlaw all weapons in Gaza and impose severe sanctions on all Palestinians for any violations.

Dev,
In the real world, if you are an adult, you gauge your position. Your response to a threat or provocation probably depends on what you believe your capabilities are in comparison to the person or situation threatening you. And then, if you are an ethical adult, you consider whether the action you are leaning toward is one likely to achieve the security goal you set for it or whether it is gratuitous.
But to say, “We will win because HASHEM is on our side,” is naive at best. But let’s go with this. The only win worth attempting is the achievement of security for the greatest number of people within one’s sphere of action. I do not consider that we have won until there is security. While tactics may necessarily be ruthless, tactics must at the earliest opportunity give way to strategy. Strategy sees the big picture and can reasonably evaluate what results may follow what actions.
If you set a strategy aimed at the greater good, you may find yourself on HASHEM’s side. It’s not very likely that we will ever find HASHEM on OUR side against other humans.
Peace,
Pavvel

It is sad that the Children of Abraham are out to kill one another, whether with rockets or bombs. Will Allah/ Elohim be proud of his “children”? Is the commandment ” Thou shall not kill”,valid in both the Judaic and the Moslem faith, an optional sort of a commandment?
Where does our God given intelligence and creativity at finding solutions come into play? Moslems and Jews are cousins and fellow human beings. What a shame that each side has recently failed to acknowledge the humanity of the other. I am hoping that this will change, somehow, sometime in the near future.
I suggest trying to get to really know a person from a different faith community, with different sympathies in this conflict. You might be surprised to realize that the enemy is you, wearing a different skin.
Peace to all.

As a born again right wing conservative christian, I believe that the Bible is inerrant. Therefore, when it says that peace will only come when Jesus Christ (The Messiah) returns to Earth, I have to believe that this is the case. Many well intentioned people have tried to resolve the conflict over Israel’s existence in the Middle East by political means. This, however, is not a political war. It is spiritual in nature and can only be resolved in a spiritual manner. Either the Muslims are right and Allah will destroy the Jews or Jehovah is right and the Messiah will destroy the Muslims. Each of these people hold these beliefs to be true, but only one (at most) can be right. It is a hard reality and I personally wish that there was another solution, but I don’t have one, and obviously neither do the leaders of the world. God himself will have to solve this one.

Phil,
“Either the Muslims are right and Allah will destroy the Jews or Jehovah is right and the Messiah will destroy the Muslims.”
You have misunderstood Gods message, God do not choose a certain group of people and destroys another.
We are all the same.
Maya

glORA,
your post is totally irrelevant to the truth of her statement that Israel will only have peace with arabs when they love their children more than they hate jews. What kind of sick mind hates so much that it celebrate a child’s suicide because he took some jews out in the process.

It’s not so simply to bring a nice already written essay, especially if you are intent. I advise you to notice <a href=" buy”>http://www.qualityessay.com“>buy an essay and to be free from scruple that your work will be done by essay writers