Israel - Palestine Conflict. **Mod note in OP - updated 1st August**

eeepaulo wrote: »

It would appear Hamas has backed a bid to join the international criminal court.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hamas-kills-11-suspected-informers-israel-25080623

hamas admits kidnapping and killing three Israeli teens

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/22/342318367/hamas-finally-admits-to-kidnapping-and-killing-israeli-teens

hamas kill 18 Suspected Informants

https://news.vice.com/article/hamas-kills-18-suspected-informants-a-day-after-israel-killed-three-hamas-leaders


and they want to join the International Criminal Court(ICC)

Nearly choked on my egg and bacon roll when I read they wanted to join the ICC. oh the irony

Holocaust survivors condemn Israel for 'Gaza massacre,' call for boycott


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.612072

"…we are disgusted and outraged by Elie Wiesel’s abuse of our history in these pages to justify the unjustifiable: Israel’s wholesale effort to destroy Gaza and the murder of more than 2,000 Palestinians, including many hundreds of children. Nothing can justify bombing UN shelters, homes, hospitals and universities. Nothing can justify depriving people of electricity and water."

Full text of letter:
"Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of Nazi genocide unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza
"As Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine. We further condemn the United States for providing Israel with the funding to carry out the attack, and Western states more generally for using their diplomatic muscle to protect Israel from condemnation. Genocide begins with the silence of the world.
"We are alarmed by the extreme, racist dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli society, which has reached a fever-pitch. In Israel, politicians and pundits in The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post have called openly for genocide of Palestinians and right-wing Israelis are adopting Neo-Nazi insignia.
"Furthermore, we are disgusted and outraged by Elie Wiesel’s abuse of our history in these pages to justify the unjustifiable: Israel’s wholesale effort to destroy Gaza and the murder of more than 2,000 Palestinians, including many hundreds of children. Nothing can justify bombing UN shelters, homes, hospitals and universities. Nothing can justify depriving people of electricity and water.
"We must raise our collective voices and use our collective power to bring about an end to all forms of racism, including the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people. We call for an immediate end to the siege against and blockade of Gaza. We call for the full economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel. “Never again” must mean NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE!"

Israel's Humanitarian side -- NOT

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/starve-or-surrender-cut-all-food-and-water-gaza-says-israeli-general

getzls wrote: »

A rocket is fired into Israel every ten minutes.
Come on folks, what response would you have?

it certainly wouldn't be raping and slaughtering women and children, bombing UN facilities and then crying anti-cemitism when people don't agree

old_aussie wrote: »

Most certainly, both sides should be brought to account.

Both israel and the united states have withdrawn from the icc and continuosly deny any attempt to monitor or investigate

'truth never damagaed a just cause'

This is the second time in the last few days I have read that Israel made up the story of Hamas rockets breaking the ceasefire last week as they had received information on the whereabouts of Mohammad Al-Diaf, the Hamas leader and wanted to take him out.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/13686-former-israeli-ag-our-government-staged-the-assassination-of-al-daif

The general son ,his father was Israeli general and he became an activist pro Palestine .Miko Peled .

Tuisceanch wrote: »

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.612085


"After the first child, nobody batted an eye; after the 50th not even a slight tremor was felt in a plane’s wing; after the 100th, they stopped counting; after the 200th, they blamed Hamas. After the 300th child they blamed the parents. After the 400th child, they invented excuses; after (the first) 478 children nobody cares. "

It's a pity this sentiment is not reflected in the western mainstream media or at least not that I'm aware of.

When the traditional pro-Zionist media can't spin or sell their lies, best not to say anything at all. Say nothing and it never happened.

old_aussie wrote: »

hamas admits kidnapping and killing three Israeli teens

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/22/342318367/hamas-finally-admits-to-kidnapping-and-killing-israeli-teens

hamas kill 18 Suspected Informants

https://news.vice.com/article/hamas-kills-18-suspected-informants-a-day-after-israel-killed-three-hamas-leaders


and they want to join the International Criminal Court(ICC)

Nearly choked on my egg and bacon roll when I read they wanted to join the ICC. oh the irony

http://normanfinkelstein.com/2014/positive-development-2/

"Since the start of the Gaza war, Abbas has come under growing domestic pressure to pave the way for a possible war crimes investigation of Israel. Last month, he told senior PLO officials and leaders of smaller political groups he would only go ahead if Hamas supported the bid.
If Abbas were to turn to the court, Hamas could be investigated for indiscriminate rocket fire at Israel since 2000. Israel could come under scrutiny for its actions in the current Gaza war as well as decades of settlement building on war-won lands the Palestinians seek for a state.
Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said on Saturday that Hamas was not concerned about becoming a target of a war crimes investigation and urged Abbas to act “as soon as possible”.
“We are under occupation, under daily attack and our fighters are defending their people,” he said in a phone interview from Qatar. “These rockets are meant to stop Israeli attacks and it is well known that Israel initiated this war and previous wars.”
But it is uncertain whether such arguments would hold up in court. After the last major round of Israel-Hamas fighting more than five years ago, a UN fact-finding team said both Israel and Hamas violated the rules of war by targeting civilians.
The Hamas decision to back a court bid came after meetings on Thursday and Friday in Qatar between Abbas and the top Hamas leader in exile, Khaled Mashaal."

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I would be really interested in hearing the military significance of that apartment block

It was acting as a human shield.

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I would love to know what constitutes exceptional circumstances in the eyes of the Irish Government.

America says we can,

Tuisceanch wrote: »

Interesting article that might interest you.

How Politics and Lies Triggered an Unintended War in Gaza

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/201764/how-politics-and-lies-triggered-an-unintended-war/?p=all#ixzz3B870MDU1

"But Netanyahu had no such intention. The last attack on Gaza, the eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012, targeted Hamas leaders and taught a sobering lesson. Hamas hadn’t fired a single rocket since, and had largely suppressed fire by smaller jihadi groups. Rocket firings, averaging 240 per month in 2007, dropped to five per month in 2013. Neither side had any desire to end the détente. Besides, whatever might replace Hamas in Gaza could only be worse.

The kidnapping and crackdown upset the balance. In Israel, grief and anger over the boys’ disappearance grew steadily as the fabricated mystery stretched into a second and third week. Rallies and prayer meetings were held across the country and in Jewish communities around the world. The mothers were constantly on television. One addressed the United Nations in Geneva to plead for her son’s return. Jews everywhere were in anguish over the unceasing threat of barbaric Arab terror plaguing Israel.


This, too, was misleading. The last seven years have been the most tranquil in Israel’s history. Terror attacks are a fraction of the level during the nightmare intifada years — just six deaths in all of 2013. But few notice. The staged agony of the kidnap search created, probably unintentionally, what amounts to a mass, worldwide attack of post-traumatic stress flashback."




"Amid the rising tension, cabinet meetings in Jerusalem turned into shouting matches. Ministers on the right demanded the army reoccupy Gaza and destroy Hamas. Netanyahu replied, backed by the army and liberal ministers, that the response must be measured and careful. It was an unaccustomed and plainly uncomfortable role for him. He was caught between his pragmatic and ideological impulses."

Here is an interview between J.J Goldberg (the author of the above article) and Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olsgHPHf_mQ

Now,in fairness, J.J Goldberg author of the quoted article is not the most unreasonable apologist for Israel that has darkened the door of humanity, but as is shown here he has some way to go before he sees that any distortion,lies and euphemisms are no longer acceptable. However you get the sense that he knows this as is shown by his discomfort, as at heart I think he's a decent man trying to defend the indefensible. I think it's clear that there are large cracks appearing in the US.

As an example look at this video which is quite funny because just as they think they've got rid of one bunch of protesters...

-
Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago disrupt Stand with Israel fundraiser


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98LkxgwxjXE