Cyprus-Forum.com

[denizaksulu]

Has anyone asked why the million and a half or two are crammed into the Gaza strip?

[saravakos]

Israel break Lebanon ceasefire...did you hear about it?? Of course not

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/aug20 ... -a21.shtml

Israel breaks Gaza ceasefire...still think Hamas broke it first?? Wakey wakey...lets see what you have to say now as Hamas are clearly protecting themselves, no?

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 61,00.html
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9937.shtml

It puzzles me as to why Israel breaks ceasefires as Saravacos points above. Does it by any chance have anything to do with stopping rocket attacks aimed indiscriminately at its southern cities, or do they just decide to go Pale bashing for a giggle.!!
This nation will not remain idle and accept that Hamas has a right to launch rockets against it.

Are you being serious now?? Can you not actually see that Israel broke the ceasefire first and the rockets were a REACTION to that?!

Ksipna file! and smell the coffee as the englezi say.

OK OXIPNE , tell us why Israel is breaking the ceasefire just out of the blue, go on then and do your best mate !

Do you not bother reading any links??



What You Don’t Know About Gaza

By RASHID KHALIDI
Published: January 7, 2009
NEARLY everything you’ve been led to believe about Gaza is wrong. Below are a few essential points that seem to be missing from the conversation, much of which has taken place in the press, about Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.
Ronald J. Cala II

THE GAZANS Most of the people living in Gaza are not there by choice. The majority of the 1.5 million people crammed into the roughly 140 square miles of the Gaza Strip belong to families that came from towns and villages outside Gaza like Ashkelon and Beersheba. They were driven to Gaza by the Israeli Army in 1948.
THE OCCUPATION The Gazans have lived under Israeli occupation since the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel is still widely considered to be an occupying power, even though it removed its troops and settlers from the strip in 2005. Israel still controls access to the area, imports and exports, and the movement of people in and out. Israel has control over Gaza’s air space and sea coast, and its forces enter the area at will. As the occupying power, Israel has the responsibility under the Fourth Geneva Convention to see to the welfare of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
THE BLOCKADE Israel’s blockade of the strip, with the support of the United States and the European Union, has grown increasingly stringent since Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January 2006. Fuel, electricity, imports, exports and the movement of people in and out of the Strip have been slowly choked off, leading to life-threatening problems of sanitation, health, water supply and transportation.
The blockade has subjected many to unemployment, penury and malnutrition. This amounts to the collective punishment — with the tacit support of the United States — of a civilian population for exercising its democratic rights.
THE CEASE-FIRE Lifting the blockade, along with a cessation of rocket fire, was one of the key terms of the June cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. This accord led to a reduction in rockets fired from Gaza from hundreds in May and June to a total of less than 20 in the subsequent four months (according to Israeli government figures). The cease-fire broke down when Israeli forces launched major air and ground attacks in early November; six Hamas operatives were reported killed.
WAR CRIMES The targeting of civilians, whether by Hamas or by Israel, is potentially a war crime. Every human life is precious. But the numbers speak for themselves: Nearly 700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the conflict broke out at the end of last year. In contrast, there have been around a dozen Israelis killed, many of them soldiers. Negotiation is a much more effective way to deal with rockets and other forms of violence. This might have been able to happen had Israel fulfilled the terms of the June cease-fire and lifted its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
This war on the people of Gaza isn’t really about rockets. Nor is it about “restoring Israel’s deterrence,” as the Israeli press might have you believe. Far more revealing are the words of Moshe Yaalon, then the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff, in 2002: “The Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people.”
Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Arab studies at Columbia, is the author of the forthcoming “Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East."

More Articles in Opinion » A version of this article appeared in print on January 8, 2009, on page A31 of the New York edition. [/b]

[Get Real!]

Israel Also Fighting the UN
http://www.antiwar.com/ips/frykberg.php?articleid=14038

Criticism of Israeli War Crimes Mounts
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cook.php?articleid=14028

[miltiades]

Any ideas on how this latest war should come to an end and a permanent peace be established . Both you and GR have all the links , it will be interesting to see any reference made to a ceasefire that would lead to a permanent peace , lifting of the blockade , even demolishing the Wall.

I Endorse this statement a billion % :WAR CRIMES The targeting of civilians, whether by Hamas or by Israel, is potentially a war crime. Every human life is precious. ""

[denizaksulu]

Who has the power to make Israel go back to the legal, internationally recognised borders? Who can make them withdraw from the West bank?

As long as the USA will not chastise this 'spoilt brat' of a nation, their is no hope. Our hopes lie with President Obama; but being 'part' Moslem might be held against him. Lets see what stance he will take.

[miltiades]

Who has the power to make Israel go back to the legal, internationally recognised borders? Who can make them withdraw from the West bank?

As long as the USA will not chastise this 'spoilt brat' of a nation, their is no hope. Our hopes lie with President Obama; but being 'part' Moslem might be held against him. Lets see what stance he will take.

I think that the Palestinians with the sympathy of most of the world have an opportunity right now in putting Israel into a corner politically and negotiating a permanent piece with honour .
Renouncing their commitment to the destruction of Israel , recognising Israels right to exist and demanding an Israeli reciprocation , as well as as a commitment to peace with honour for all will go a long way towards getting Obama on their side. Regretfully Hamas does not have the acute diplomacy skills required.

[saravakos]

You're so one-sided miltiades...what about the jew woman on BBC news yesterday who admitted being a bit fascist and wanting the Palestinians wiped out?! You seem to go on and on about Hamas saying this but its ok for the jews to say it??

Very hypocritical...

[Jerry]

Has anyone asked why the million and a half or two are crammed into the Gaza strip?

It's obvious Deniz, the more densely packed the population the more the israelis can kill with one bomb, I suppose you could call it "economical extermination"

[denizaksulu]

Who has the power to make Israel go back to the legal, internationally recognised borders? Who can make them withdraw from the West bank?

As long as the USA will not chastise this 'spoilt brat' of a nation, their is no hope. Our hopes lie with President Obama; but being 'part' Moslem might be held against him. Lets see what stance he will take.

I think that the Palestinians with the sympathy of most of the world have an opportunity right now in putting Israel into a corner politically and negotiating a permanent piece with honour .
Renouncing their commitment to the destruction of Israel , recognising Israels right to exist and demanding an Israeli reciprocation , as well as as a commitment to peace with honour for all will go a long way towards getting Obama on their side. Regretfully Hamas does not have the acute diplomacy skills required.

There is nothing there that I can disagree with Miltiades. If Israel. would make a 'statement of intent' and show that it would mean it, I think or rather hope that Hamas would see the light and behave in a more responsible/civilised way. There is no way that Israel will be 'extinguished'. Is Israel willing to issue such a statement and pull out (asap) of 'illegally' occupied areas?

[saravakos]

Some interesting graphs to look at....speak for themselves really.

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/