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A Palestinian boy holds a poster with an image of Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan during a news conference announcing his upcoming release outside Adnan's home in the West Bank village of Arabeh, near Jenin, on Tuesday.
ARABEH, West Bank – For a moment Randa Adnan’s dark, defiant eyes, the only part of her face visible behind a white veil, softened with tears.
NBC News was at her home for an interview Tuesday and we had just passed on the news that her husband, Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner, had agreed to end his two-month hunger strike after reaching a deal with Israel’s Justice Ministry that it would release him in April.
Adnan, 33, had starved himself, refusing food for 66 days, to protest against Israel’s controversial policy of holding suspected Palestinian militants without charge. He was arrested in his West Bank home on Dec. 17 – but neither he, nor his legal team, were ever told the evidence against him.
The Israeli authorities would say only this of his case: “Adnan’s detention stems from involvement in actions that threaten regional security.”
In 2008, Adnan was convicted of membership of Islamic Jihad, the outlawed extremist group that has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks. But his family insists he has never been party to any violent act.
His wife was overjoyed at the news of his imminent release.
“By God’s will, I am proud of him. Not just as a husband, but as a leader of our people. This is a great victory,’’ she said.
Randa Adnan is the mother of two daughters, with a third child, a son, on the way.
“I swear I felt him kick inside when you told me the news,” she smiled.
Anti-terror tool
Over the past few weeks, Adnan’s case has become a cause célèbre – his face, in graffiti form, has come to adorn security walls all over the West Bank and has been emblazoned on dozens of flags flown at protest marches.
He is just one of some 300 Palestinians held without proper trial in Israel, on the basis of secret intelligence dossiers, a practice known as “administrative detention.” It is a highly controversial practice that is bitterly criticized by human rights groups, but according to the Israeli military, extremely effective in protecting the security of the state.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, retired Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, a former national security adviser to the Israeli government, explained one of the reasons why the legal loophole is used. “The first is that you know someone is planning an attack, but you can't prove it through a legal process. If you relied on the legal process, the suspect would go free, but the risk [to the public] would be very high.
Alan Baker, one of Israel’s leading lawyers and a former senior legal adviser to the Israeli military, explained another reason commonly cited for administrative detention: to protect the highly sensitive sources.
“There are times when you cannot make evidence against some individual public,” said Baker. In other words, the information is so sensitive that revealing it publicly might threaten the safety of the informant.
Mohamad Torokman / Reuters
Palestinians hold a banner with an image of Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan during a protest in his support in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday before his release was announced. The banner reads, "Freedom for Khader Adnan and for all prisoners."
But Adnan’s case, Baker said, might now make the authorities think twice about imposing detention orders. “It’ll keep them on their toes,” he said.
For his part, Adnan’s lawyer, Jawad Bulos, said the deal that will free his client is a “painful compromise.”
Asked whether he thinks the case might encourage other Palestinian detainees to starve themselves in return for freedom, he paused for a moment, pondering the personal stamina that requires. “Adnan was a special man. In all my experience of cases, I have never met anyone quite like him.’’
Adnan will probably spend the rest of his sentence in a hospital. His hunger strike has left him gravely ill. His family still fears he might not recover.
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Adnan, 33, had starved himself, refusing food for 66 days, to protest against Israel’s controversial policy of holding suspected Palestinian militants without charge.--------
Sounds like the Israeli's are using Adolph Hitler's playbook
wheels, but not Assad's or Hamas's.
are you finally admitting that they behave the same yudl2? i thought you believed Israel's crimes were always justified by virtue of the fact that they're Israel, no?
Franko, what crimes? stupid policies, stupid leaders - for sure. but crimes? Funny, how many civil rights lawyers are appearing before the Hamas Supreme court, or even Fatah's, to protest illegal detentions, torture, and murder? good old double standards here.
lol @ how infinitely obtuse you are yudl2, i thought maybe you were able to recognize some truth, my bad
pretty dang simple palestine doesnt cimite nearly has many
Wheels
You mean they've set up concentration camps and gassed millions of people, strangely enough I didn't see that mentioned in the article.
they've got the concentration camps, they prefer to do their killing with attack choppers and bombs though
Believe me, if it were a Jew detained by Palestinians, you wouldn't need to worry about a hunger strike. He wouldn't be fed to begin with.
There is absolutely no parallel between Hitler and the treatment of the Palestinians. The fact is, the reason the Palestinians have been in refugee camps since 1948 is because of their Arab Brothers. After the 48 war, Jordan grabbed the West Bank, Egypt grabbed Gaza, Syria grabbed Golan, and they all left the Palestinians in refugee camps. And whichever radical Muslim group dejour has been in power since, has kept the Palestinians there as a tool to try and eliminate Israel. Israel has tried to create a separate Palestinian state, and they try with the Palestinians who won't even recognize the existence of Israel.
In addition, the Palestinians that left Israel in 48, did so at the urging of the Arab nations that attacked Israel. Bad move on their part. Those Palestinians that stayed have enjoyed a prosperous life and have more rights than in most Arab/Muslim/ Islamic lands.
The only reason anti Semites compare Israel to Hitler on this matter is to stir the pot. They have no clue what happened during the Holocaust nor do they have a clue what happens today.
Give that the Palestinian population is growing these methods don't seem very effective.
Can't you see that every time someone makes these ridiculous comparisons all they do is destroy their own argument?
Believe me, if it were a Jew detained by the Palestinians, there would be no need for a hunger strike. He wouldn't be fed to begin with.
Dark One
You are correct.
Shilat was one of a handful of Jewish prisoners released alive. the rest were captured and killed. Meanwhile as the recent release for Shilat showed, the Israelis traded 1000 Palestinians for one soldier.
If you want to look up something very telling about the Palestinians look up Samir Kuntar. he killed a toddler by smashing in his head with his rifle butt after killing the father. He was arrested and imprisoned. Release das aprt of another lopsided exchange and returned to his home a hero...for killing a toddler.
Yes Israelis kill more Palestinians, but they do it in military actions aimed at terrorists who kill Israelis and then hide among the civilians. Blame the Palestinian casualties on the terrorist who uses the Palestinians as human shields after cowardly attacking Israeli citizens.
...or on the Israeli who actually killed them, but i know you think that would be crazy
Franko I understand what you said but you did not understand me. Read what I wrote. Israelis have killed more Palestinians. But the killings result from terrorist acts by Hamas in Gaza, and it used to be the PLO and Arafat. Stop the terrorist acts, like 10,000 rockets aimed at civilians, and the deaths stop. I realize that you understand numbers, you need to understand intentions.
The Israelis investigate Palestinian deaths caused by Israeli soldiers. The Palestinians lionize terrorists who intentionally kill Israeli citizens.
an occasional token investigation where no one is found guilty or held responsible is meaningless, and you fail to understand me, you say everyone Israel kills is responsible for his own death, or Hamas is responsible for it, you somehow fail to understand that Israel is responsible for the deaths it causes, no one else is, who they targeted is less important than who they killed, it amazes me that you're able to blame their actions on Hamas; an Israeli commander orders an Israeli soldier to fire an Israeli rocket from an Israeli warplane and kills an innocent man (or woman, or child), you blame Hamas for his death because they "do bad things". that's the kind of logic terrorists use, wherein they blame all their own evil deeds on their enemies, and say everything they do is justified because their enemies are bad, and if we kill innocent people its not our fault, it's our enemies fault we killed, because they make us fight. people like you serve to prove the argument that Israel is no better than the Palestinians they slaughter as they accuse all that get in their way of being terrorists subject to trial by attack chopper. Hamas acts like terrorists, i can acknowledge that because im objective, you need to acknowledge that Israel is guilty of a great many evil deeds over there as well, or be called out for the apologist you are.
Franko Relaxo
Hamas and their ilk are to blame for Palestinian civilian deaths. If the terrorists did not carry out terrorist activities, there would be more Israeli and Palestinian civilians alive.
Contrarily, if the Israeli Defense Force halted operations, there would be more Palestinians alive, BUT, there would be NO MORE Israelis alive as Hamas would continue their terrorist activities and in fact would increase their activities and target MORE Israeli citizens.
that makes no sense and has no basis in reality, ftbrgtrnd- "Hamas is to blame when Israel kills civilians, if Israel didn't kill civilians the Palestinians would kill them all cause they're all terrorists" more racist Zionist nonsense.
Which was proven in 2009 when israel killed 1500 men women and children.... And managed to keep pics videos out of the press including this MSNBC, thanks to all the jews controlling the media.
Israel has approved new settlemnts, but you could not hear it at MSNBC...
You're referring to operation Cast Lead which was in response to years of Hamas attacks totaling thousands of mortars and missiles fired into Israel from Gaza
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Israel_strikes_back_against_Hamas_terror_infrastructure_Gaza_27-Dec-2008.htm
it is amazing that you are not capable of acknowledging that Israel is responsible for anything it does.
That is huge problem with israel. Even some jewish guy from S Africa working for UN said in its report that it was 21st century "genocide"..
israel harrassed the guy (By telling him he should ignore the truth and think like a jew) 1.5 years until he caved in and said he was wrong.
Israel said, "see, he said everything is dandy"... and moved on.
All these injustices will catch up with israel sometime (I hope soon, not 40 years later).
But, the way isarel is freaking around with iran, they may get it rather soon..
Abdallah Abdallah
Your antisemitism is clear from your statement:
It substantiates all of your obtuse commentary as you fail to distinguish between a Zionist and a Jew, as well as the fact that you can't even support your comment that the "Jews" control the media.
Franko Relaxo
You have failed to recognize a countries clear right and responsibility to protect its civilians. The IDF attacks Gaza with the pure intent of killing Hamas terrorists responsible for targeting Israeli civilians. You have trouble distinguishing the intent of Hamas terrorists and IDF commandos. That is sad that the terrorist PR has claimed you.
read my post in 1.15 in response to Israel's "oops! sorry we killed you!" mentality, which it seems you espouse.
There are several factors that lead to Palestinian deaths
Hamas commits terrorists acts and hides among civilian neighborhoods
Hamas wants Palestinians to die, to point the finger at the IDF, just as you do
Israel has a right to target Hamas and although they try to limit Palestinian casualties, by warning Palestinians of ensuing attacks, send in ground troops rather than carpet bombing Gaza, holding IDF soldiers responsible for civilian deaths, they still happen. That is what happens when a terrorist organization or Arab nation attacks Israel. And it has happened countless times since 1948.
The IDF does not take Palestinian casualties lightly. Meanwhile, the Palestinians make terrorists who target civilians heroes. I can't keep repeating that. I suppose you also blame the Americans for killing Japanese civilians even though the Japanese attacked the US.
the Americans were at war with the Japanese, Israel is supposed to be perpetrating a peaceful occupation, though i guess you recognize that its actually a 40 year war on Palestinian civilians.
Yeah right!
Anybody criticizes israel, jews, call them "Anti-semi"
If that was not sufficient, say, "Do you know what jews have been though in WWII?"
That is not a defense, that is BS in any language.
I cannot wait Paul becomes president and drops the unreasonable support we have been giving to israel...Then, israel will behave...
I hope it will not come down to Ahmednejad will have to adjust israel's attitude.
Give me liberty or give me death. People this is NOT by any means a conflict between two equals. You'll never see the Palestinians exhibiting the same suppression tactics that Israel does under the banner of security. It's almost comical and sad in that if one looks at the facts/static’s Israel is by far the aggressor. I can only compare what's taking place to the poor Indians that were literally raped in our country (USA) under similar pretexts that Israel uses.
but Omar, The Jews have been the natives in the land of Israel for over 3000 years.
ya, and Israel's excuse for detaining people without trial (aka kidnapping/disappearing people) is the exact same rational fascist and totalitarian regimes use for doing the same thing, the exact same
no they bloody havent the zionists live in isreal not the flippin jew natives. And the palestinians are natives 2
Omar
Really?
I suggest you read this.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2009/04/20/gaza-hamas-should-end-killings-torture
he's lucky that he even got a trial.... he starved HIMSELF. this is stupid news.. what's happening in syria?!!!
Gee, what a sterling example of why our education system here in the US suxs. I guess reading skills went out with Civics and Geography. He -didn't- get a trial, dude. That was the point of his hunger strike. Holy crap.
missed the point JC, there is no point to a hunger strike. it's self-defeating. Let any idiot that wants to starve themselves do so at their own risk and feel the consequences.
yudl2-"The Jews have been the natives in the land of Israel for over 3000 years."
At the founding of the Mandate of Palestine in 1918,Jews made up 6-8% of the population.In 1948 at the birth of Israel,Jews made up 30% of the population.Most of them immigrants or the children of immigrants to Palestine.Maybe 3,000 years ago Hebrews made up a large part of the population of the area.But during that time,most of them either left,or converted,first to Christianity and then to Islam.Even today as I type,there are less than 6,000,000 Jews in Israel,almost 5,000,000 Palestinians in Palestine/Israel and another,over 5,000,000 Palestinians in surrounding countries.Where,when they were expelled from Palestine,they were forced to take refuge.There isn't even a question,except to Zionists,who the native inhabitants were.
David
The alternative to AD would be liquidation.
he didnt get a trial that was the point, the Israelis feel that they (like soviet russia, communist china/cuba etc) can just grab people off the street and detain (imprison) them permanently for secret reasons
Please note I said the alternative to AD, I didn't say he had a fair trial, his case was reviewed by a military judge.
The Hitler comparison hasn't worked so you've moved on to the Communists, fine show me the re-educational centres, show me the millions that have been starved to death. As you can see this comparison doesn't float either.
both of your made up facts are wrong
Please check post #4.2 I clearly use the word alternative
Please check post #4.2 I clearly don't say he had a fair trial.
Please check post #4.2 I do say "his case was reviewed by a military judge."
AD cases are overseen by military courts this is a fact.
it is not a fact, there is no court involved, that is the problem with AD, its subject to a periodic "review" which is not in any way the same as a trial, these reviews have no public records, no accountability and the only way we know they supposedly happened is that the prisoner is informed it will be x number of years or months till his next review. so like i said, both of your made up facts are wrong, also, its not just communists/totalitarian regimes that use AD, Israel does it too. im not moving from anything to anything, nazi's were fascist, communists obviously communist, both are totalitarian, and that was obviously my point.
There are military courts involved
a military court is not a court, it is not subject to any of the qualifications that define a court.
"Suspects have been held as long as three years at a time without charge, according to Israeli human rights groups."
is the part you should have read.
Did I say he had a civilian trial? No I didn't.
Sorry but I have to ask if you can read, I said
The Hitler comparison hasn't worked so you've moved on to the Communists, fine show me the re-educational centres, show me the millions that have been starved to death. As you can see this comparison doesn't float either.
The highlighted parts are the actions of the various Communist states, the Israeli AD system isn't in anyway shape or form directly comparable to Russia's Gulag system
http://gulaghistory.org/nps/
"There are military courts involved"
Were you trying to made a joke.If you were serious,then you have problems.Even here we have problems with military courts.But in apartheid societies,military courts are used by the state to oppress minorities.Israel has been condemned over,and over,for human rights violations over this very type of thing.
I direct your attention to the words Military Court, is it a civilian court, no but it is still a court.
http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520241947
Bob
Try to keep up, I'm not saying they're fair, I'm saying they exist.
Got it?
exactly bob, and as far as you parsing words Mess, you're getting into semantics, you mentioned courts several times, you stated they got a review by a military judge, implying there was some kind of court setting in which he was given some kind of trial, which is the exact opposite of AD. Also, no one is mentioning gulags except for you, there arent gulags in china, there arent reeducation centers in cuba that millions of people get sent to, that doesnt change the fact that they're both totalitarian and gross violaters of human rights. apparently you're saying that israel will only be in the wrong when it has gulags and reeducation centers where some exact number of millions of people went to. my point about communist/totalitarian regimes, which you obviously missed, is that when the government gives itself the power to do whatever it wants to people in secret under vague pretenses of national security, there is no recourse for the victims. what you're saying makes no sense, you keep changing your argument, then making up so called facts that we are all supposed to discredit. you bias is crystal clear, thank you for making it obvious to everyone.
This is what happens!
How many times do I have to say "I've never said he had a fair trial" before it sinks in.
You have stated that
I have proven that there are military courts involved and military Judges, you might not like them but they are a fact.
Wrong again
http://www.pri.org/theworld/?q=node/14433
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/26/opinion/china-s-gulags-deserve-no-favors.html
http://www.jstor.org/pss/654306
They don't send millions but the see below
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11147157
I'm saying that the crimes of the Communists are comparable to those of the Nazis, what's happening in Israel is in no way comparable to either, your desperate smear tactics are laughable.
Show me where I've changed my argument.
I have provided proof that military courts and military Judges exist.
i think you proved my argument more perfectly than i ever could, you can cut and paste bunch of out of context sentences and then respond to them in an inaccurate way (again) but im done responding to you, i proved my point, and then you proved my point.
Feel free to runaway.
So far you've been proven wrong on the following.
Gulags exist in China
Re-Educational camps existed in Cuba
There are Military Courts
There are Military Judges
k, one last time just to waste my own time, the gulag was a government agency in soviet Russia who's job it was to administer the forced labor camps, its an acronym for the Russian Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies, it does not exist in china, "there aren't reeducation centers in Cuba that millions of people get sent to" is what i said and its still correct (once again you've taken my words out of context and responded inaccurately) "there are military courts, there are military judges", what does that mean? you mean in the world? the cbs article you linked made a reference to a "military court" which is not a court, it is simply a term used to describe inadequately something we dont have here in America, administrative detention, which is itself just a fancy way of saying that the government can grab anyone (any Arab anyway) off the street and hold them indefinitely WITHOUT TRIAL since you seem to not be understanding the meaning of the very concept we've been discussing. dont confuse the two simply because you saw the same word, sometimes a word means two different things. nowhere in this article does it refer to any judge, you made that part up, it doesnt even say court for that matter. now im done, not running away, just not going to waste anymore time responding to your misrepresentations and outright lies.
So much for not responding to me
Gulag has entered the English language and no longer refers just to the specific Russian system.
gu·lag also Gu·lag
(gläg)
See what I mean?
So yes they do exist in China.
If you'd read my reply you would have noted I said "They don't send millions but the see below" so they did
have re educational centres.
The crimes of the Communists match if not exceed those of the Nazis, to liken Israel's crimes to either is nonsensical.
Within the context of the debate the above question is foolish.
I have clearly shown that it is a military court system, you don't have to like or agree with it.
I suggest you read the Patriot Act, I believe that gave provisions for a form of AD.
The Palestinians are such hapless fools it is impossible to have any empathy for them. How long do we have to hear them whine about everything they want and the nothing they will concede? How long do we have to suffer to hear them complain endlessly about Israel but place no blame for their predicament on their Arab "brethren" or the Kingdom of Jordan that lost the West Bank in 1967 in the first place. If the Palestinians want peace, it is there for the taking, but no one is interested in all their lame demands. THe losers don't get the spoils.
The jews are still whining and trying to get money for the holohoax. How long do we have to hear them whine about everything they want and the nothing they will concede? Lets talk about real mass killings of the jewish bolsheviks in the 1930s who killed over 30 million russian christians in the Holodomor.
Really liar?
Do you enjoy disrespecting the suffering of others in this way or are you just a complete moron?
When the Palestinians adopt non-violent civil disobediance, they will be joined by the Israelies who love justice to change the political situation. Until then, there is no call for moral righteousness to guide the political struggle.
This concept of illegal detention is just state sanctioned terrorism. It exists throughout much of the world - from Israel to Gitmo. It's the state's way of justifying the violation of human rights in the name of "national security."
Palestine is a figment of Arabic ego. It never existed as an independent state. it's more like a region, more akin to a U.S. county, as part of a larger imperialistic statehood. And the people are just refugees that no other country wants, refusing to live by the laws of the government and people that conquered the land they were hiding out on.
In 1948 the war cry was PAN ARABISM. Today its Palestinian rights. The arab league was all for take all the land did not matter how was on it jew or muslum in 1948. What they got was thosand of refugees form the war they started and who they did not want. Than the they dump the mess in Israel telling them they need to clean up the arabs mess. How about Jordan taken back all the settles there place in west bank from 1948 to 1967. Under the 4th genive anyone that held a Jordanian passport fro 1948 to 1967 has no right to west bank land. The UN ruled the jordan rule from 1948 to 1967 as a occuipation and against the 4th G. Any claim based on occuiption is void does not matter who it is. If the palestinain want to make a claim based on pre 67 lines than Isreal claim is vaild also whitch means stall mate.
Its time both sides stop making claims and just sit down and split things up in a way that can work for both sides. Israel can not go back to 67 lines, the lines were crap and cause the war in the firsts place. The Pal's need to run there own lives but also accept blame if and when some idiot straps on a bomb and blows up a school bus of children.
I thought with the blockade all Palestinains are on hunger strikes. Since jews claim that paintings of Jesus Christ where stolen by the NAZIs from them(which would be a sin for them to own), Palestinains should be able to make less baseless claims for the land and wealth stolen from them. Funny thing is Isreal treats the lesser jews such as shepardic and kooshim so badly that jews are willing to still live in Iran with Tehran hosting one of only 4 jewish charity hospitals in the world.
Iran executes people who believe in Jesus. When they get the nuclear bomb are they going to execute nations which believe in Jesus? Iran is doing what the Quran teaches them to do; kill unbelievers. The Quran is not a peaceful religion. The Arabs are not a peaceful people. They never have been in their history. But the nuclear facilities will be for peaceful purposes. The Iranians have always been fond of negoitiating and hostage taking to deceive people until they are finished doing what they want to do. With Russia and China supporting them what do they have to be afraid of?
Patty-2128951
Iran does not and never has executed people who believe in Jesus. You've probably never been there. I lived there for 8 years. The Quran does not teach them to kill non believers. Try reading it some time. It's available in English. The Quran is not a religion anymore than the Bible is a religion. And the Bible is more violence prone than the Quran (also called the Koran). And the U.S. is equally fond of negotiating to deceive people (read Henry Kissinger's last book). As far as hostage taking is concerned, that is exactly what we do when we kidnap people, throw them into Gitmo without due process and all in the hope that they will implicate someone who is really guilty. Once they identify someone else, they are set free because they were never a "theat" in the first place.
You are entitled to your beliefs, however misguided others may feel they are. But you come across as uneducated and holier than thou when you speak from dogma. If you took the time to learn and study the facts, from an unbiased position, your opinions might be more respected.
"Iran executes people who believe in Jesus."
What a crock that is.Iran,whatever its faults,allows Christians and Jews the practice of their faiths.You might want to see the slideshow here on MSNBC on Iran,the Jews praying in the Synagogue,and the Christian woman shopping in the store for Christmas decorations.
Found a story on an Israeli site that reminds me of posters here:
It is impossible to ignore what is happening to us: Palestinian children die in an accident, and many Israelis are happy about it - and are no longer even ashamed of it.
By Gideon Levy
The all-clear was sounded as soon as the news came that the school bus was Palestinian.
Only the most perceptive viewers of Thursday's accident - in which nine children and one adult were killed when their bus collided with a truck north of Jerusalem - could make the distinction. But something in the manner of the coverage intimated at it immediately.
Then the reports and images started flowing in. The coverage was workmanlike overall, if faceless and depersonalized. It is not difficult to imagine how such a horrific accident would have been treated had the children been Jewish: with a lot more blood and tears. There is no disputing that, as the Talmud says, "Every person is partial to himself" - and to his own people, we might add. One can also excuse the ridiculous way the Jerusalem-Ramallah road by Aram, near the north side of the capital, suddenly became "beyond the Israeli border," in the language of reporters - the Green Line springs to life when it suits us.
But what came next cannot be excused. The Internet roiled - not with the usual anonymous comments, the last refuge of boors and perverts. This time they revealed their names and their Facebook photos, spewing forth nauseating, hate-permeated racism that seemed to exceed anything seen here previously.
"Relax, these are Palestinian children," Benny Dazanashvili wrote on Twitter. To which Tal Biton responded, "It seems these are Palestinians ... God willing." Itai Viltzig offered up a prayer: "I hope every day there is a bus like this." Dozens, if not hundreds, of Internet surfers said a prayer of thanks - for the terrible death by fire of young children on a school field trip - and the responses were featured on the web pages of the prime minister and the Israel Police and the Walla! web portal.
"They'll want money, because money is more important to them than the children who were killed," one person wrote. Others commented, "Can we send another truck?" and "I'd have sent a double semi-trailer to obliterate all those @!$%#s."
On the official Facebook page of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was actually quick to express his sorrow from faraway Cyprus over the accident, the comments are still visible like some mark of Cain on their authors and their host. From Yisrael Ohana: "I don't care; for my part every Palestinian child is a future suicide-bomber candidate. Tomer Ben Haim: "There is just one thing that anyone who attacks Judaism deserves." The only light came from Meira Baruch, who wrote: "I'm 63 years old. Only a few times in my life have I been ashamed to be a Jew. Today I am ashamed. How can anyone rejoice over the death of little children?"
No longer can all this be waved away with the argument that these were the responses of a handful of crazies that do not reflect the whole. Perhaps we should also give thanks for the democracy that allows these responses to be published, and to flood public awareness. But it must be recognized that the sentiment they express is common and that it runs deep in Israeli society.
Enemies, a hate story. In the past few years, anti-Arab hatred and racism have reached monstrous proportions and are no longer restricted to a negligible minority. Many people dare to express it, and many more agree with them. All the discriminatory, separatist laws of the past few years are an authentic expression of that hatred.
When Netanyahu's Israel demands that the Palestinian Authority stop the incitement against Israel, it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Perhaps it is difficult to measure precisely, but after 25 years of covering the Israeli occupation, and after innumerable meetings with ordinary Palestinians, I think I can safely say that the hate and racism on our side is not matched on the Palestinian side. I repeatedly find myself astounded by the fact that the majority of the thousands of Palestinians I have met over the years, all of them victims of the occupation, speak about their dream of living together in peace (while the majority of Israelis dream of "the separation" ). Yes, there are those who hate, those who carried out murderous attacks against Israelis - and only a few protested against it. But the Palestinian hatred is focused mainly on the Israeli occupation. During the Carmel forest fire of December 2010, the PA dispatched fire trucks to Israel, and apparently no one protested against it. It is doubtful that Palestinians rejoiced over the Israeli deaths then in the way that Israelis are rejoicing over the Palestinian deaths now.
But even if I am wrong, even if I am blind to the facts and the hatred is indeed mutual, nevertheless it is impossible to ignore what is happening to us: Palestinian children die in an accident, and many Israelis are happy about it - and are no longer even ashamed of it.
This reminds me of posters here:
Abbas's Peace Process
by Ayman Masri
February 24, 2012 at 5:00 am
http://www.stonegateinstitute.org/2878/abbas-peace-process
Abbas's peace process will only lead to a Palestinian government or state controlled by Iran or the Muslim
Brotherhood.
Who says there are no peace talks going on in the Middle East?
The peace process is underway in the Middle East, but not between Israel and the Palestinians. The only peace talks
that are taking place these days are between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Abbas has chosen to talk to the enemies of peace who want to destroy Israel and replace it with an Iranian-backed
Islamist state. On the one hand, he says he supports the two-state solution. On the other hand, however, he is seeking to
form an alliance with all those who are vehemently opposed to the two-state solution.
Just last week Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, during a high-profile visit to his friends in Tehran, reiterated his
wish to "liberate Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. Those who think that Hamas and Islamic
Jihad would ever recognize the right of a Jewish state to exist are engaged in self-deception and are living in a world of
fantasy.
Abbas spent the past few days in Egypt negotiating with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other radical Palestinian groups that
are strongly opposed to any peace process with Israel. He held lengthy talks with Hamas's Khaled Mashaal and Islamic
Jihad's Ramadan Shallah about ways of achieving "national reconciliation and unity" among Palestinians.
The peace talks between Abbas and the radicals will not bring about a two-state solution. This is a dangerous process
that will facilitate Hamas's takeover of the Palestinian Authority, whether through violence or free elections.
Abbas is working hard to convince the radical Palestinian groups to agree to the formation of a Palestinian unity
government under his leadership. He seems to be naive enough to think that Hamas or Islamic Jihad or the Marxist
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine would change their ideologies and strategies and abandon their dream of
wiping Israel off the face of the earth.
Some Westerners also appear to be naive enough to support Abbas's peace process with radicals and terrorists. This is
the same Abbas who for the past few years has refused to sit and talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
about achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas prefers to talk to Muslim fundamentalists instead of negotiating with
Israel about achieving peace in the region.
But Abbas's peace process with the radicals will only embolden Hamas and Islamic Jihad. This is a peace process that
will eventually lead to the creation of a Palestinian government or state that would be controlled by Iran's Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad and Muslim Brotherhood.
If the US and EU want peace, they should be urging Abbas to negotiate with Israel, not with those who openly call for
the destruction of another state and have aligned themselves with Iran.
If Abbas truly wanted a two-state solution, he would be negotiating with Israel. By preferring to negotiate with the
enemies of peace, Abbas is sending a message that he, too, does not want a two-state solution.
Americans seem to equate criticism of Israeli policy with anti semitism. Jews and Arabs are both semitic people. Speaking out against Israeli domestic and foreign policy does not make one anti Jewish any more than speaking out against U.S. domestic or foreign policies makes one anti American (anti U.S). This being said, it has been a long practiced tactic of Israeli supporters, attempting to silence any opposition, to cry anti semitism. As I see it, this is a worn out excuse. Trying to make generation after generation of the entire western world guilty of the Holocaust between 1938 to 1945 is like trying to make every Christian guilty of atrosities committed by the European Crusaders in the 13th and 14th centuries. All of these events were true and despicable, but not something for which my generation is responsible.
The Israeli Palestinian conflict is happening now, in our generation. The solution has to happen in our generation. And the solution must be equitable, not one-sided. The stalling techniques used by the current Israeli government are simply guaranteeing that this conflict continues for another generation and another. Calling Israel the only "democracy" in the Middle East is absurd as long as they have a disenfranchised population and deny civil and human rights to anyone they deem irrelevant.
As far as our press being controlled by Jews, I think a more accurate statement would be that a preponderance of our press is influenced by a pro Israeli position. It is unfortunate that Americans don't have easy access to European news sources. Americans would see a very different, more honest reporting of what is really happening in the Middle East, from both positions.
Palestinians are not Arabs, I have to say, and also Im more pro-American than some Americans as I support US foreign policy and stuff...
But I have to say, while I tend to lean more to the Israeli side of the issue (even tho I know they make mistakes too), I disagree with ppl who say its the "only democracy" the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, some of the richest and most peaceful countries on Earth (also pro-USA, mind you) have Parliaments and there are even female members of Parliament there!
Before I make my comment, I must make it clear that I, as a person from the wealthy, peaceful, pro-USA Arabian Gulf, have nothing to do with Palestinians or Israelis, and I usually like to avoid the topic altogether, but since there is soooo much buzz about it everywhere and everyone talks about it all the time, there is so much disinformation and confusion and I have to step in sometimes to clear away ppl's confusion...
First of all, it ticks me off when ppl say Palestinians are "Arabs", they are not. Lets examine all the ways they differ from us.
With all due respect to all ppl, Im not racist or anything but I get bothered when MY OWN RACE gets associated with ppl who are completely unrelated to us, in fact, were more like Indians than we are like Palestinians, who are a Mediterranean race descended from Ottoman Turks and Greeks...
They have a completely different culture, ethnicity, political reality, etc than ppl from Arabia, and even though I could write a whole book on how they are very different to Arabs, I wont get much into the topic because thats not my point.
Now that we have established that they are not Arabs, let us analyze their problem. They were living as a people populating land shared by Jews with little conflict, then Jews from Europe started settling there en masse and the land was owned by the British who gave it to them to become the world's first sovereign Jewish state. Ethnically and culturally, Palestinians are related to Jordanians, Lebanese and Egyptians, and Palestinians should have relocated there, because they got more than 3 times the land area that Israel ever had! Then the Palestinians were attacking the Jewish settlers and vice versa, and for the past 60 years, the situation became such that BOTH sides have done terrible things to eachother and every time one side makes one step forward for peace, the other side does something that sets back the process 5 steps! But even though I think BOTH sides are wrong, I find Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah more disgusting and disturbing than anything else, they preach a visceral hatred of the Jews and brainwash small children into hating, and also do suicide bombings and launch rockets into cities which I find totally disgusting and unacceptable...