A chilling piece of reporting from Amira Hass, in Haaretz, on the disgraceful treatment of civilians, including wounded civilians, following an Israeli attack on a neighborhood south of Gaza City shortly after the new year.
only on Friday,
January 9, almost seven days after they had been wounded – after
exhausting negotiations on the part of Physicians for Human Rights and phone conversations
conducted by Hussein al Aaidy himself with soldiers or officers in the
Coordination and Liaison Authority for the Gaza Strip – was the first
evacuation allowed: four of the wounded and four escorts.
They walked for about 1.5 kilometers, the healthy ones carrying the
seriously injured on stretchers: The wounds of the children Ragheda and
Nur, who were injured by shrapnel all over their bodies, were beginning
to become infected; they began to lose consciousness. Before their
evacuation, Hussein had cut into Ragheda's flesh with a knife – two of
his brothers held her as she screamed and cried – and sterilized the
wound with salt water. The grandmother, Kamela, shakes her head as she
tells us this, as though she wanted to chase away the memory.
The next day, Saturday morning, a week after they were shelled, the
healthy ones and the two wounded women also left. They understood that
it was dangerous to remain in the area, as "every moment we expected
another shell to fall on us, to be wounded again, perhaps killed,"
explains Hussein, almost apologizing for "abandoning" the house. Their
departure was preceded by negotiations over the phone conducted by Al
Aaidy, who speaks Hebrew, with an officer or soldier in the liaison
office.
"They wanted us to take a six-kilometer detour: I refused," he
recalls. "They demanded that we go south, to the area of Netzarim. I
refused. In the end, they agreed to let us go north, near the Karni
Crossing. But there were conditions: That each of us would be a meter
away from the next person. That we wouldn't stop. That we wouldn't put
down the children, whom we adults were carrying on our backs. That we
wouldn't put down my mother, whom two of us carried together. They told
me: If we can't count the 22 people who left the house, anyone who sees
you from a helicopter or a tank, will fire at you."
Where did the headline for this come from? From the same story, the same quote, a relevant headline could have been "Israeli liason office HELPS Gazan family negotiate dangerous situation". All the time when I was inclined to start thinking in agreement that "Yes, Phil does provide a great service in illuminating and reporting, rather than spinning or worse, distorting."
Richard, how can you disregard all that is horrifying in this, to instead focus so fixedly on point of view? It's almost as if one can see you saying, I will consider only this aspect of what occurred, will stare straight ahead so that I am not confronted with what I don't want to see. How can you?
Well, presumably, they pay them, Margaret. Some people can do anything for money.
He feels that's the least he can do since USA MSM coverage is so pro-Palestinian. Somebody has to stand up for the starving and maimed, homeless, voiceless Israelis. Quite a guy!
"presumably, they pay them, Margaret." Come on, Rowan, this is bullshit. Margret gets it right. Balance for him means seeing the good on the Israeli side or at least putting it in a positive pro-Israel headline and the bad things somewhere at the end of the article.
You think Richard Witty spends what must be endless hours writing out these deathly boring pieces of 'balance' because he feels a personal urge to pursue justice? I don't. I think he is a paid hack.
Palestinian flavored salt water taffy has become quite popular at Israeli seaside resorts.
Witless is a polite fascist. He could care less about non-Jew blood – especially when his disease of a State is spilling it.
I write here in contrast to the gullible here that give themselves the permission to think and speak that every word, every action, that comes from Israel is inhumane. I don't disregard the suffering of the Gazans. I interpret the cause and signficance of that suffering differently than you, or than Phil. In conditions where I'm in a room with a majority of equally obtuse Zionists that site in any way "bomb the Arabs" or other trash, I contest it, even where it is uncomfortable. I promise you that the settings where that occurs for me it is far more dangerous to do so, than any comments that you anonymously make on this blog.
Richard, I know you're not that far away, but I would like to reach
consensus with you that these things are repugnant, and that the
physical experience of the people is more important than who owns the
land and has access to the water, etc. Israel has got to give its
terrorism up.
I'm wondering if there couldn't be a reverse aliyah, to bring all the
settlers home to the US. Then the supporters of Israel could continue
to contribute to their support; the sense of community could be
retained if desired – all it takes is accepting Zionism without a
Jewish state.
http://themagneszionist.blogspot.com/2007/08/zion... />
(Please note, none of what I say should be considered to represent his
point of view. Rather, he explains his experience of Judaism in terms
I can understand.)
Of course, a lot of people would be poorer and I do mean the
investors, including in the US, who would lose their unequal economic
opportunity , but if the population of those in Israel and Palestine
was in proportion to the land, and everyone had room to live, and
safety in which to do so, all of them, what a different place it would
be.
It would be a use of post-modern COIN, peel the settlers off; the
funds could be used to resettle them as favorably as could be
accomplished in the States, the Eu, or Down Under – whever ever people
wanted to go..
I know that it is arrogant of me to make suggestions regarding their
living arrangements. Consider, though, the only group that would be
adversely affected would be the settlers – it seems to me the economy
already is so fouled up that the economic consequences wouldn't be
move than a rivulet joining a stream. (And of course unintended
consequences; but that's going to happen anyway.)
Which would be balanced by in part by the revitalization of
Palestine's territory – under their control. As has been suggested
before, the military aide could be redirected to reconstruction in
Palestine.
Actually, I consider it a workable plan for a one state solution -
Israel/Palestine, the 52nd State, with liberty and justice for all.
What happened in Gaza is nothing short of war crimes. Apart from Israeli leaders, US leaders and politicians should be held to answer for this crime. Yes, also Hamas leaders . Hamas entered into this fight with less than an iota of preparation which on itself is a crime which caused the death of 100s of civilians. All their boasting about Gaza streets will be a graveyard for Israeli soldiers were nothing than empty words from cowards who did not even face their enemy and put up at least a basic fight and become the martyrs they always said they would love to be. Hamas lost its moral hold on ruling Gaza and should step aside and let Abbas seek peace at any cost to save their people. If they're not willing to die for their cause, then step aside and spare your children.
.. "bomb the Arabs" or other trash, I contest it, even where it is uncomfortable. It is laudable that you do so. I do the same whenever I hear anti-semitic remarks. In every non-online instance the offender has apologized or otherwise acknowledged error, almost always with obvious embarrassment. Usually they have associated actions of the Israeli government with Jews in general, making it very clear to me that actions of the Israeli government are a primary stimulus for anti-semitism. I have reported several comments on this site which have crossed the line. Rigid opposition to AIPAC and the colonial-Zionist-driven policies of the United States and Israeli governments in and of themselves do not constitute anti-semitism.