What did Hamas hope to accomplish by shooting inefective rockets into Israel?
Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, is a psychiatrist, founder and president of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program and a commissioner of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights. His years of work in the heart of the nightmare that has been Gaza has brought him recognition and respect from a distuinguist list of westerners familiar with the difficulties endured by the people of Gaza for decades.
In a receint op-ed carried by several newspapers, including the Boston Globe and the International Herold Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/opinion/edsarraj.php) Dr. Sarraj shares with us his concerns for his 14 year old stepdaughter. She has been an outstanding student at the American School in Gaza, speaking both Arabic and English. He tells us proudly that she was intending to continue her studies in the United States.
However as a result of the current hostilities the American School was bombed and destroyed. In addition her best friend was killed.
Dr. Sarraj shared with his readers his attempt to respond to her statement/question: “She criticized Hamas because they should have considered that Israel would use the rocket launching as a pretext to invade Gaza and destroy it” Dr. Sarraj explains to her, “by confiding to her that Hamas will survive this test by merely holding on. I relayed a conversation I had with Dr. Zahhar, long time member of the “collective leadership” of Hamas, in which he was predicting, almost precisely, what Israel is doing now.”
In other words, Hamas with malice, purpose and forethought launched rockets at Israel knowing that the result would be widespread physical destruction and the deaths of hundreds of innocent Gazans in order to pass a test that would confirm Hamas as leader of the Palestinians. From the point of view of the organization all the blood and misery was worth the ego building effect of “holding on” in the face of an Israeli attack.
I have since learned of an even more pedestrian motivation from interviews conducted with Hamas leaders and shared in the International Herold Tribune sibling rivalry; (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/opinion/14goldberg-1.html?_r=1)
Hamas and Hizbollah children of the same Iranian parent are in competition for the approval of the parent as well as of the larger (Muslim) family. Which one of them can withstand the assault of the Israeli army longer. Hizbollah did it for over a month. Can Hamas allow itself to display weakness and stop in less than six weeks? If it weren't so deadly we could also enjoy rooting for our favorite in this cross-town rivialry like, between deadly distructive sports like competition
So, its on this basis that hundreds of innocent men woman and children must suffer, for the glory of Hamas and its standing as number one on the Top Ten survivers list of Arab/Muislim orginatations fighting Israel.
Yoram
In a receint op-ed carried by several newspapers, including the Boston Globe and the International Herold Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/opinion/edsarraj.php) Dr. Sarraj shares with us his concerns for his 14 year old stepdaughter. She has been an outstanding student at the American School in Gaza, speaking both Arabic and English. He tells us proudly that she was intending to continue her studies in the United States.
However as a result of the current hostilities the American School was bombed and destroyed. In addition her best friend was killed.
Dr. Sarraj shared with his readers his attempt to respond to her statement/question: “She criticized Hamas because they should have considered that Israel would use the rocket launching as a pretext to invade Gaza and destroy it” Dr. Sarraj explains to her, “by confiding to her that Hamas will survive this test by merely holding on. I relayed a conversation I had with Dr. Zahhar, long time member of the “collective leadership” of Hamas, in which he was predicting, almost precisely, what Israel is doing now.”
In other words, Hamas with malice, purpose and forethought launched rockets at Israel knowing that the result would be widespread physical destruction and the deaths of hundreds of innocent Gazans in order to pass a test that would confirm Hamas as leader of the Palestinians. From the point of view of the organization all the blood and misery was worth the ego building effect of “holding on” in the face of an Israeli attack.
I have since learned of an even more pedestrian motivation from interviews conducted with Hamas leaders and shared in the International Herold Tribune sibling rivalry; (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/opinion/14goldberg-1.html?_r=1)
Hamas and Hizbollah children of the same Iranian parent are in competition for the approval of the parent as well as of the larger (Muslim) family. Which one of them can withstand the assault of the Israeli army longer. Hizbollah did it for over a month. Can Hamas allow itself to display weakness and stop in less than six weeks? If it weren't so deadly we could also enjoy rooting for our favorite in this cross-town rivialry like, between deadly distructive sports like competition
So, its on this basis that hundreds of innocent men woman and children must suffer, for the glory of Hamas and its standing as number one on the Top Ten survivers list of Arab/Muislim orginatations fighting Israel.
Yoram
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by rspwan on
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“She criticized Hamas because they should have considered that Israel would use the rocket launching as a pretext to invade Gaza and destroy it”
Her premise is incorrect; Israel did not need a pretext to attack Gaza.
CNN Confirms Israel Broke Ceasefire First
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4
Israel admits: "No Hamas rockets were fired during ceasefire"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfFMZ7Y-s_c
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Permalink Reply by Yoram Getzler on
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First of all "Tel-Aviv" has NO firepower!
Second over the years the population of Gaza has grown, unlike the Warsaw Ghetto where the population was totally destroyed!
Gaza borders on more than one country (Israel). Over these past years as Israeli trucks deliver goods to Gaza they are shot at by Hamas.
Fuel transfered to Gaza disapears into Hamas storage facilities. So the people are forced to go without.
Continuing to obscure truth will not lead to a positive solution to any problems, personal or national.
If you really want to know what has been happening in Gaza, I suggest you read an exclusive interview with Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, Director of Gaza Community Mental Health Program which can be found on
www.IsraelSeen.com.
Yoram
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If Israel broke the cease-fire above ground it was because below ground tunnells were being dug from Gaza into Israel with the expressed intention of kidnapping another soldier, exactly as had been done with Gilad Shalit three years ago. NOTE: Shalit has been refused visitation by the Red Cross. This is a gross violation of international human rights law as is the indiscriminate targeting of civilians by rockets fired at random at exclusively civilian targets, as Hamas has been doing for YEARS.
Have you considered that the Palestinian condition has continued to deteriorates every day, and that they have some responsibility for that. Or do you believe that they are children who no one expects to be responsible.
The condition of the Palestinians has deteriorated ever since Oslo when, their chosen leader, Yassar Arafat took control of them. Up until then the life expectency of an Arab in Gaza was the third highest in the Middle East. Only the Arabs of Israel and the West Bank lived longer.
As to the world turning its back; according to the UN the Palestinians recieve the highest foreign aid per person in the world. The problem is what they do with this vast resource.
One example::During his rule, Yassar· Arafat allocated at least $45,000 during two months for terrorist activities carried out by the Popular Struggle Front, when this sum could have been used to pay the salaries of nine additional nurses for an understaffed hospital in the West Bank ($4,200 per nurse per year). This is only one example, I can provide more if you need.
While the Palestinians complain that they have no gas for their cars, African refugees in the Congo live outside covered by plastic, a quarter of a million people in Sri lanca(sp?) exist between two waring armies, Darfurians can only pray that their killers would be Israeli.
Yoram
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Permalink Reply by Alex on
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Tatiana, my new friend. When will you open your eyes? When will you admit that Israel isn't the only demon here? Is you hatred so absolute?
Please read what Amnesty (who you give your money to) is saying about your friends.
Amnesty accuses Hamas of eliminating opponents
GENEVA (AFP) – Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Hamas of waging a campaign to kill or maim scores of Palestinian opponents in the Gaza Strip since the end of December.
The human rights group said in a report that at least two dozen men have been shot dead by gunmen from the Palestinian militia that governs the Gaza Strip since December 27.
"Scores of others have been shot in the legs, knee-capped or inflicted with other injuries intended to cause severe disability, subjected to severe beatings ... or otherwise tortured or ill-treated," it added.
"Hamas forces and militias in the Gaza Strip have engaged in a campaign of abductions, deliberate and unlawful killings, torture and death threats against those they accuse of 'collaborating' with Israel, as well as opponents and critics," the report said.
The victims included members of Palestinian Authority security forces and members of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, Amnesty said.
The campaign began shortly after the beginning of the three-week Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip on December 27 and continued after the ceasefire on January 18, according to Amnesty.
Palestinian human rights groups and victims first made such accusations at the end of last month, saying the Hamas rulers of Gaza were persecuting members of the rival Fatah movement to quash any opposition.
Taher al Nunu, a spokesman for Hamas, denied the charges at the time, dismissing them as "lies spread by Ramallah," where Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are based.
Amnesty International said the targets included former detainees who were accused by Hamas of collaboration with Israel after escaping from Gaza's central prison when it was bombed by Israeli forces on December 28.
Some were shot dead in hospitals where they were being treated for injuries suffered during the bombing raid, sometimes in front of distraught relatives, according to the testimony gathered by the human rights group.
"The perpetrators of these attacks did not conceal their weapons or keep a low profile, but, on the contrary, behaved in a carefree and confident -- almost ostentatious -- manner," the report noted.
Amnesty said there was "no doubt" that the victims were abducted, killed, shot and tortured by Hamas security forces and armed militias, adding that the evidence was "incontrovertible."
It called on the "Hamas de facto administration" to immediately end the campaign, accept an independent and impartial investigation and guarantee that victims and witnesses would not be targeted.
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Jan, The evolution of Israels borders?
First there were those set by the UN, which Israel accepted, and which the Arab League invaded. At the end of that war, the Arab world refused to agree to borders, and would only sign on "armistice lines" ie, from 1949 onward there were no borders. While you are looking at the maps you might consider that Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon & Gaza three times, and from Sinai four times after being attacked from these places.
You might also add up all the children whose lives have been saved by treatment in Israeli hospitals.
While you are at the check points you may want to view the films and photos of the dead and maimed men women and children who were not protected by check points from the suicide bombers.
However humiliated Palestinians are by the check points, its not as serious as being humiliated by being killed or maimed by a smiling young or old man, or woman who blows themselves up in a cafes, or bus line where you are standing. It is humiliating to be killed by someone who does not know your name, or that you are a member of Peace Now, or that you are a doctor who treats Palestinians with cancer at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem or that you may be a volinteer in a Jerusalem children's' hospital that treats Palestinian children, (which is supported by American Jews)..
There are many people who despair in this world.
Do you hear of people from Darfur killing at random anybody? Or people from the Congo? Or any of the other people in the world who have difficulty surviving?
Israel has not killed as many Arabs in sixty years as have been killed by Arab Muslims in Algiers (100,000)? Or by Muslims in Iraq.
You might consider diluting and sharing your anger and outrage...
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Dear Tatiana
I am curious, why are you so willing, even enthusiastic, to ignore your intellect in order to “choose in a heart beat, Palestinians over Israelis”? When you say your choice is “in a heart beat” you are saying that you make this choice without a pause to think, without taking the time to question, without any doubt. I am really curious what it is about the Palestinian cause that you find so compelling?
Would you make the same choice “in a heart beat” in other areas of your life? In your relations to your family? Or to other people?
Do you have direct experience of Palestinians?
For the sake of our mutual education and enlightenment
Yoram
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