Gaza Special Hot Docs: Israel, Hamas Girding for a Long Fight, Have Conflicting Strategies

To Comments labeled 'Some Analyst'

Apparently you didn't read the report which you call "tripe" since it clearly states that the analyst has spent decades in the region, and includes and reflects on data from interviews with hundreds of people there (you state the analysts did not "LISTEN to the people on the ground there," and is not an "Ivy League intellectual," nor ensconsed in an Ivy League institution.

If you read the report, or you yourself had ever researched Palestinian (or Israeli) society, you would know that HAMAS' demands during the truce were 1. a ceasefire meaning an end to attacks, detentions w/o charge, assassinations, [none of which ceased] and that its demands for a longer truce are 1. a ceasefire 2. political and human rights - meaning an end to the blockade and normal rights of movement, communication, representation 3. a significant prisoner release 4. withdrawal from the territories, or significant movement/negotiation to such from the West Bank, prior to this latest, yes "holocaust"

and resumption of negotiations over the unresolved issues (Jerusalem, refugees).

Such a peace is needed by Israel as well for moral as well as political reasons.

If you had read the study, you would know that many HAMAS members do not argue for an end to Israel, only an end to the occupation of Palestinian land, namely the West Bank and Gaza.

Hey Mike of CA

Why don't you go to USNEWS' article Why the War in Gaza Broke Out Now and look up the comments of Ms. Rotem from Israel? She offers the Israeli side of the story and she even talks about comparing this campaign to the Holocaust. You'll find that the Palestinians are not the only ones hurting right now. Also, try doing some of your own research about this issue.

realty

Holocaust is the genocidal crime against people based on their ethnicity. This genocide could be perpetrated through different means such as poison gas, guns, tanks, air raids, biological warfare, economical siege, starvation, destruction of vital natural resources, eviction into desert, and deprivation of basic vital materials among others, to produce the same result; mass deaths. For the last sixty years Palestinians have been suffering from all these methods in a deliberate programmed holocaust. The perpetrators are not Nazis, but those who claim to be survivors, and their descendents, of Nazi-caused holocaust; Zionist Jewish Israelis.

Allah s wt watching thes muslims leaders/heads

I am your witness and say shame for these poerfull nations cant stop qatil nations

The Israelis have had enough. They are tired of letting these terrorists push them around for so long. You're right Marge, USA of VA, Hamas is just an organization. But Israel is doing exactly what we did after 9/11. We alerted the military and went straight towards whom we thought was attacking us. These people do not need the courtesy of fighting on equal terms with their enemies. Hamas and other terrorist gorups have enough cowardice to hide behind civilians and use hijackings and suicide bombers to be a menace to a sovereign state like Israel and the US. With that being said, don't you think Israel is justified. And watch the news, these terrorists do have automatic weapons, gernades, and rocket launchers. Not to mention mortars and few home-made bombs lying around.

Omid of XX, Israelis are trying to give the Palestinians autonomy (the ability to govern themselves), but they are not just going to shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh, I'm so sorry that you used your right to a democracy (that we gave you) to hurt us. Here, let's talk this out together like we have been doing the past few years." No! They're tired of families hiding under beds at night, they're tired of radical/racial fanatics blowing up in public places, and they are not going to put up with it anymore.

Once again, I believe that if given the chance, Israel would be more than willing to bring her enemies to their knees. Afterward they'll calm down. This isn't hard people.

Human right

US and European nations pay tax and their governments give it to Israel to kill women and innocent children. Hammas was selected with Palestine nation vote.

I think Democracy and Human right is a big lay in West.

Khamenei Message

Islamic Revolution Leader issued a statement Sunday on the horrendous tragedy of Gaza bloodbath in the hand of the Zionists

Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei issued a statement Sunday on the horrendous tragedy of Gaza bloodbath in the hand of the Zionists, strongly condemning the heinous complicity of the criminal Bush's regime with the Zionists, adding that the silence of some international bodies and some Arab states provided for the crimes.

Ayatollah Khamenei declared Monday as day of general mourning and called on all Muslim people and free men of the world to render their duty towards the tragic issue. The text of the statement is as follows.

Bismillah-e Rahman-e Rahim

"We belong to Allah, and to Him we return"

The horrific atrocity of the Zionist regime in Gaza in which hundreds of innocent men, women and children were massacred pushed the curtain of deception from the blood thirsty face of the Zionist wolves and noted the negligent about the presence of this hostile disbeliever in the heart of the lands of Islamic umma.

The horrendous ordeal is very heavy and moving for any Muslim not to say for any free and noble human being in any corner of the world. However, the larger ordeal is the encouraging silence of some Arab governments which claim to be Muslims. Which ordeal could be larger than the fact that Muslim governments, otherwise expected to support the innocent Gaza people against the usurping and hostile regime, adopted a mood which encouraged the criminal Zionist authorities to impertinently consider them as in harmony with the large tragedy?

Which answer the heads of those countries have prepared to give to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.)? Which answer they have prepared to give to their own nations which are indeed mourning the tragedy? Indeed today the heart of the Egyptian, Jordanian and the people of other Islamic countries is overwhelmed with sorrow about the bloodshed as well as the protracted food and medicine embargos.

By his complicity in the large crime, the criminal Bush's administration in the last days of his shameful rule more darkened the face of the American regime than ever and added to its dossier of war crimes. The European governments with their indifference and sometimes their complicity in the large tragedy once more proved that their claims of advocacy for human rights are false and also showed they are present in the front against Islam and Muslims. Now, I ask the scholars and Alims of the Arab world and the chiefs of the Egyptian al-Azhar center "isn't it the time to feel the threat facing Islam and Muslims?" "Isn't it the time to fulfill the mandatory act of standing against any bullying ruler?" Is an additional, more divulging scene of complicity between the hostile disbelievers and the hypocrites of umma in repressing the Muslims than the current Gaza and Palestine developments is needed to prompt you to feel responsibility?

I have also a question to ask the media and the intellectuals of the world of Islam and especially the Arab world. For how long you have decided to remain indifferent regarding your media and intellectual responsibility?

Has there remained any more face for the scandal-hit human rights bodies of the west and the so-called 'security' council of the United Nations to lose?

All the Palestinian Mujahid and other faithful of the world of Islam are supposed to defend the defenseless people of Gaza. Anyone who is killed in the legitimate and holy defense is a martyr and is hoped to be among the ranks of the martyrs of Badr and Ohud battles in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.).

The Organization of the Islamic Conference must fulfill its historical responsibility in the sensitive conditions and form a solid front, bereft of inaction and preservations, against the Zionist regime. The Zionist regime must be punished by the Muslim governments. The heads of the usurping regime must be tried and punished in person for their crimes and the protracted siege.

The Muslim nations are able to materialize the demands through firm resolve. The duty of politicians, Alims and intellectuals in this juncture is much heavier than others.

I declare Monday a day of general mourning in commemoration of the Gaza tragedy and instruct the country's authorities to fulfill their duties regarding the sad incident.

"And those who do wrong shall surely know by what overturning they will be overturned"

Sayyed Ali Khamenei

December 28, 2008

ISRAEL SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES

Israel is committing war crimes in attacking the Gaza and killing over 400 defenseless, palestinian civilians, and destroyed most of Gaza. Israel's action is a crime against humanity and a violation of International Law. Israel's action cannot be justified or excused. Israel must pay for its crimes against the Palestinians.

Israel is ignoring the fact that Hamas is an organization and not a state or country. Israel, as a state and the 4th most powerful military in the world, cannot justify using all its military power and sophiscated weapons against an organization. Israel has airplanes, bulldozers, tanks, armored vehicles missiles, hand guns, shot guns, AK47, F16s, and the most sophiscated weapons available. Hamas is a self made military with no airplanes, tanks, bulldozers, armored vehicles, or sophiscated weapons. Hamas has hand guns, shot guns, rifles, and antiquated missiles and rockets.

Israel's so-called war is one-sided and comparable to adults killing young children. Israel's leader must be brought before International Court and tried for war crimes against the Palestinian people.

freedom

Israeal and platain can not represent to each other, each one mast be free from the ather

i bleave the problem is a third hand, that alowed israeal to posses an advanced weapons to conquer plastain while plastine not allowed to posess such weapons iven to defend itself.

do the world comunity say the death for plastain and the victory for israel, i think that is not a fir and would say whenever it comes the trouth will come.

Some analyst

After reading this tripe, one has to wonder if the author and/or the "experts" quoted, have ever bothered to visit the area or LISTEN to the people on the ground there.

Ask yourself this question. What could Israel give to Hamas that would result in a final peace? Given that Hamas' reason for being is the destruction and elimination of the nation of Israel, which Israel is unlikely to offer; ..the answer becomes 'nothing'.

Next, ask what Hamas could give Israel that would result in a lasting peace. The answer to that is simple: recognition of the Israeli state, and a termination of hostile activity.

This simple exercise serves to identify both the problem, and its solution.

Anyone concluding otherwise is either a Harvard Grad, a Yale Grad, a demonstrable fool, or some combination of the three.

Only when the Palestinians come to hate war more than they hate Israel is there any chance of resolving this, and only time AND war will ever move them to that position, and the sooner, the better.

Further, Iran no doubt prompted Hamas' escalation in an effort to forestall any impending Israeli attack on their nuclear facilities until after they have achieved a bomb. If they believe this will achieve that end, they too fall into the Ivy league intellectual pool described above.