Israel’s Initiative Only in Self-Defense
By the News-RegisterOutrage in the world community about Israel's invasion of Gaza ignores - possibly intentionally - the fact that Tel Aviv had a good reason to send troops into the Palestinian enclave. It is that Hamas terrorists have continued to mount rocket and mortar attacks against Israel. From sites in Gaza, Hamas has fired thousands of rounds into Israel during just the past few months.
Israeli air strikes against Hamas targets failed to knock out enough of them to ensure that the terrorists could not continue their assaults. That prompted the ground invasion, which began a few days ago.
Sadly, hundreds of Palestinian civilians have died in the fighting. Many perished because of Hamas' tactic of locating its strongholds within civilian neighborhoods. The terrorists' cynical policy is that if Israel can be provoked into killing civilians accidentally, Hamas wins a public relations victory.
Until and unless the world community unites against Hamas as so many members of it do against Tel Aviv, the Israelis cannot be blamed for defending themselves.
Instead of demanding only that Israel end its offensive, the world community, acting through the United Nations, should insist that Hamas cease its terrorist assaults, too.
And, as President Bush has pointed out, that needs to be accompanied by a reliable method of monitoring whether Hamas is complying with such a deal. Only if that happens will there be long-lasting peace between Palestinians in Gaza and the people of Israel.
|
richardwhee
|
|
|---|---|
|
01-06-09 1:57 PM
|
Nice to see that a word was blocked out. I think the reader can see what was intended.
|
|
richardwhee
|
|
|
01-06-09 1:55 PM
|
Israel has been a problem since it's creation in 1948. During the years of the Ottoman Empire the mideast was pretty much at pease.What stirred things up was the return of **** from all over the world who starting taking property from the Pals and other citizens.
|
|
atoddh
|
|
|
01-05-09 6:51 PM
|
Israel failed to abide by the terms of the prior truce with Gaza which was to open the border check points.Accordingly,the truce ended and the rockets were again fired by Hamas.Israel - and the pro Israel US policy - is and has been the problem.
|
|
TruthSeeker
|
|
|
01-05-09 6:04 PM
|
Sounds like they are practicing the "Bush Doctrine".
|
|
richardwhee
|
|
|
01-05-09 2:11 PM
|
Rock-- You are right. I, for one never thought Israel as a Democracy. In the late 40's when the started taking property and kicking the Pals out, they started turning the world against them. Since then their methods and goals haven't changed. They put out so much propaganda that some believe them. Not me.
|
|
UNCOMMONSENSE
|
|
|
01-05-09 11:56 AM
|
Israel is being drawn into the same kind of hand to hand and door to door ongoing war that has cost this country more than 4,000 troops and trillions of dollars. Rockets are being launched in neighborhoods where civilians will be killed by counter strikes. The individuals who launched the rockets are long gone before a counter strike happens. The only solution will be ground troops going door to door and the troop losses of such an undertaking will be high. Israel like the United States has tremendous air power, nuclear, and heavy artillery with the best technology and training in the world. But the Hamas tactics make all this might useless.
|
|
RockEReputation
|
|
|
01-05-09 11:16 AM
|
A clear distinction needs made between Israel's right to exist and its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. A deal such as the one Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak outlined needs pushed to ease tensions. Israel can't stay a democracy and occupy and militarily rule millions against their wishes. The ramifications are bad for everyone.
|
|
ConservativeKaty
|
|
|
01-05-09 11:16 AM
|
Everyone in Israel serves their time in the Israeli military. That should happen here too instead of an infrastructure boondoggle. This paper has a good balanced view on world affairs -- the editors can tell a hawk from a handsaw no matter what the wind direction.
|