Home > Opinion > Sam Dealey > The Blame Game: Israel, Hamas, and Civilian Deaths in Gaza

The Blame Game: Israel, Hamas, and Civilian Deaths in Gaza

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garredrose of KY 7:03AM April 27, 2010

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soundtracks of AL 8:02AM July 17, 2009

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swine flu disease of MS 3:49PM July 05, 2009

WTF?!
I personally don't think that we should blame hamas, they aren't the ones shooting innocent people and didn't kill about 1400 people; 50% of them are children and about 80% of the rest never held a gun!! it's massmurder nothing more!

colleteral of MT 8:56PM January 18, 2009

Uri Avnery, an Israeli writer says:
It would be more accurate to call it “the the Election War”.
In the past, too, military action has been taken during election campaigns. Menachem Begin bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor during the 1981 campaign. When Shimon Peres claimed that this was an election gimmick, Begin cried out at his next rally: “Jews, do you believe that I would send our brave boys to their death or, worse, to be taken prisoner by human animals, in order to win an election?” Begin won.
Peres is no Begin. When, during the 1996 election campaign, he ordered the invasion of Lebanon (operation “Grapes of Wrath”), everybody was convinced that he had done it for electoral gain. The war was a failure and Peres lost the elections and Binyamin Netanyahu came to power.
Barak and Tzipi Livni are now resorting to the same old trick. According to the polls, Barak’s predicted election result rose within 48 hours by five Knesset seats. About 80 dead Palestinians for each seat. But it is difficult to walk on a pile of dead bodies. The success may evaporate in a minute if the war comes to be considered by the Israeli public as a failure. For example, if the rockets continue to hit Beersheba, or if the ground attack leads to heavy Israeli casualties

Fighter of no War, Dweller of Nowhere 4:19PM January 15, 2009

Honestly,I am a younger person who is quite cynical about the aspirations of the United States and their actions to achieve these aspirations; and I believe that the United States has no place in this conflict. I do believe, however, that Hamas is a terrorist organization that strategically puts Israel in a position in which they cannot win.Israel fought to obtain it's land, and though it seems unfair, the way that the world works is that if you fight a war and win, you have claim to the land of the fallen. It also most be noted that what is now the land of Israel is historically Palestinian, however it is also historically Jewish (also inhabited by the Hebrews). The Jews (Hebrews) lived in the land for thousands of years. It is now legally the state of Israel, clearly many are not happy about that, but that's how it is. As for the issue at hand, it is a shame and terrible that Israel is attacking in a way where there is mostly damage to civilians. But lets be honest, Hamas is a terrorist organization which builds schools and hospitals in order to achieve favor in the eyes of civilians.The ugliest part of this plan is that Hamas places themselves in areas that will cause a huge amount of innocent deaths if they are attacked. They do this on purpose! How do you fight a group like this? The only way that Israel can avoid killing the innocent in Gaza is to not fight at all, and that is no an option. These Gaza deaths are terrible, but remember what Israel has gone through. They are under constant attack, and what they are doing know are defensive measures. Imagine what would happen if Canada attacked the USA the way that Gaza attacks Israel, Canada wouldn't exist. However, Isreal is the underdog in most of it's conflicts, and if it did not fight back it would cease to exist. What Israel is doing is terrible, but what about what is being done to them? Israel is not a perfect nation, but whatever some say they are not terrorists, they are in a situation without much choice. Also, though these attacks are in no way brought on by civilians or deserved by civilians, remember that many of them are not completely innocent. After Israel gave up Gaza, the new citizens required that all Jewish graves be dug up. This is against the Jewish religion and was a huge embarrassment for many Israeli's. After this their were reports on dancing on the now empty graves because the "Jewish scum were finally gone". I am in no way suggesting that Israeli's don't have prejudices against people of Arab descent, but if you look at comments wishing death on a certain group, there are many more wishing death to Jews than to Arabs. Israel has it's faults, but what are they supposed to do? Do nothing and be destroyed? Or take a stand for it's citizens safety? Maybe they are brutal, but be honest, if you were in there position you would fight for yourself too.

Hannah of MI 9:54PM January 12, 2009

"Palestinian residents, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution, said several militants ran toward the crowd, trying to use it as cover, when the first Israeli mortar shell missed them."
So the Israeli military started snipping at the "militants" within the crowd with mortal shells picking them off one after the other until all "militants" in civilian clothing within the crown were dead and then the Israelis went around interviewing the dead "militants" who dutifully gave their names and rank.

David Malcolm of NY 7:31PM January 09, 2009

Whatever Israel says, they are just killing more unarmed civillians than Hamas. Stop killing, move out from Gaza.

A human-being of TN 3:25PM January 09, 2009

Lets see Mr Adam of XX
you claim the folowing:
"Come on people, let's get real... America has tried to export its "virtues" for the last hundred years, and I challenge you to find me a single successful instance.
yes ? let me ask
how did world war 2 end?
acording to you: germeny wins the war only blue eye blondys are aloud to live, jews blackes and other minority's
are kept in concentration camps till they dye out of hunger
what happend to soviet union?
acording to you:
still in power threatening milions of Russian citizens sending them to Siberia for crimes that dont exist
you want me to go on?
its clearly abvios that your mind is twisted & full of hatred against israel that you are blinded to see the truth that strikes and shines like the sun in midlle of the day

of 11:30PM January 08, 2009