One Israeli dies and we get.....

ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
edited November 2006 in A Moving Train
Living in the line of fire

Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 21:25 GMT

Living in the line of fire
By Martin Patience
BBC News, Sderot



Ofer Kurtzberg returned to the town of Sderot from America five days ago where he had been on a year-long teaching programme.

Early this morning after pulling himself from bed, the 24-year-old heard a loud crash a short distance from his house.

The car alarms in the neighbourhood all started ringing, triggered by the explosion. Then ambulance sirens filled the air.

One 57-year-old Israeli women was killed and a man was injured after they were hit by shrapnel from a rocket fired from the nearby Gaza Strip.

"When I left here 12 months ago it was bad," said Mr Kurtzberg, standing at the site where the rocket landed, a gloomy path running alongside a small woodlands.

"But now I think the situation is growing more desperate.

"The rockets are falling and no-one seems to have a solution."

Here in this small Israeli town lying 10km from the Gaza Strip there is growing frustration and fear among its residents at their country's inability stop the Palestinian rockets from landing in their town.

Although there have been extensive Israeli military operations into Gaza since June - in which about 400 Palestinians, a mixture of militants and civilians have been killed - Palestinian militant groups continue to fire the rockets.

These weapons are crude and homemade - and only occasionally kill.

But residents in Sderot talk about living a life under siege.

The sirens - or red dawn, as it is called in Hebrew - signal an imminent rocket attack making people scurry for cover.

One resident said parts of Gaza should become a 'no-go area'

Mothers talk about their children wetting their beds.

Some residents talk about leaving but say they are unable to sell their houses.

"Who would buy a house here?" said one man.


Most say they want an end to it all.

The Israeli government at the highest level is trying to deal with the problem.

Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has a house in the town and one of his bodyguards was injured in Wednesday's attack.

The minister's neighbour, Shaul Zeigler, 67, said that the Israeli government needs to do more to protect the people.

"Every day we fear it will get worse," said Mr Zeigler sitting in his living room.

I think we need to talk to the Palestinians and get some sort of a truce

Like many of the residents in the town, Mr Zeigler wants a large Israeli military action into Gaza that he believes will end the problem once and for all.

"We need to go into Gaza and clear a security buffer," he said.

"We have to make the northern parts of Gaza (the area where the militants fire their rockets from) an effective no-go area."

But only last week, the Israeli army carried out a military operation in Beit Hanoun that left over 79 Palestinians - militants and civilians - dead.

But the rockets keep flying.


Palestinian militants say that they are retaliating against the Israeli killing in the Gaza Strip.

In the Israeli press there has been talk that the Israeli government will order a large- scale ground incursion into the territory.

But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seems wary about a large-scale troop deployment in Gaza again, a territory that Israeli withdrew from September 2005.

But a minority of residents in Sderot believe that the only way to resolve the problem is politically.

"I think we need to talk to the Palestinians and get some sort of a truce.

It's the only way," said Orly Sarousi, 26, and a student at a local college.

"This is what it sounds like living here," she says, whipping her phone out of her pocket and playing a taped recording of a siren blaring.

"We need it to end."


Almost 400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have died since late June 2006.
Post edited by Unknown User on
«1

Comments

  • Eighteen Palestinians killed last week and it gets called a 'technical error'.
    One Israeli is killed and the IDF are talking about a full scale occupation.

    Disgusting.
  • OpenOpen Posts: 792
    What a f'n joke; the goverment of Isreal is a POS.
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    maybe if they stopped firing rockets less palestinians will be killed.
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • I saw this too, and laughed. The media doesn't even report single Palestinian deaths. I guess it happens so often that its not newsworthy, or, you know, its only a Palestinian death. The double standards are revolting.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Eighteen Palestinians killed last week and it gets called a 'technical error'.
    One Israeli is killed and the IDF are talking about a full scale occupation.

    Disgusting.


    A technical error that they apologized for. militants routinely hide in civillian homes. gaza points their rockets at any and all Israeli civillians they can find. on purpose.

    until hamas recognizes Israel, innocent people will die.

    innocent death on both sides is disgusting
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,447
    I thought all lives were important?

    The bitching and moaning about Israel killing Palestinians and then a thread basically about 'Who cares if 1 Israeli dies' is sick....typical around here, but still f'in sick.

    You all jump all over people here that do the same thing about Palestinian deaths and now you do this?

    Wake up kids.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • CollinCollin Posts: 4,931
    I thought all lives were important?

    I think this is exactly what this thread is about.
    The bitching and moaning about Israel killing Palestinians and then a thread basically about 'Who cares if 1 Israeli dies' is sick....typical around here, but still f'in sick.

    Who said "who cares if one israeli dies" ? I think you are twisting words and opinions here, which is also typical around here.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední
  • OpenOpen Posts: 792
    miller8966 wrote:
    maybe if they stopped firing rockets less palestinians will be killed.

    Is your mind that small that you think its the people that are killed that are shooting the rockets? Maybe if Isreal didnt exist then there would be no killings, there's your logic.
  • yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Open wrote:
    Is your mind that small that you think its the people that are killed that are shooting the rockets? Maybe if Isreal didnt exist then there would be no killings, there's your logic.

    Except that it is reasonable to ask/demand the Palestinians to stop firing rockets. Its not reasonable to say that Israel shouldn't exist.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    I thought all lives were important?

    The bitching and moaning about Israel killing Palestinians and then a thread basically about 'Who cares if 1 Israeli dies' is sick....typical around here, but still f'in sick.

    You all jump all over people here that do the same thing about Palestinian deaths and now you do this?

    Wake up kids.

    I didn't say that I didn't care that 1 Israeli has died. The point was that over 400 Palestinians have been murdered over the past few months and no one gives a fuck. One Israeli is killed and and we get an article from the BBC entitled 'Living in the line of fire' which describes how hard life is for Israeli's. Nevermind Palestinians recognising Israel's right to exist Jlew. As long as they're continuing the illegal occupation then no country should be officially 'recognising' them because they are acting outside the law.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    yosi wrote:
    Its not reasonable to say that Israel shouldn't exist.

    Yes it is. Israel should not be allowed to continue existing in it's current form because in it's current form it's engaged in a criminal occupation of Palestinian land as recognised by International law.
    It's the equivalent of saying that Afghans should have recognised the U.S.S.R's right to exist whilst it was occupying parts of Afghanistan in the 1980's, or like asking the Poles during the 2nd World War to recognise Germany. Balls to that!
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Byrnzie wrote:
    I didn't say that I didn't care that 1 Israeli has died. The point was that over 400 Palestinians have been murdered over the past few months and no-one gives a fuck. One Israeli is killed and and we get an article from the BBC entitled 'Living in the line of fire' which describes how hard life is for Israeli's. Nevermind Palestinians recognising Israel's right to exist Jlew. As long as they're continuing the illegal occupation then no country should be officially 'recognising' them because they are acting outside the law.


    nevermind? so you agree with Hamas. I got it.
  • yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Byrnzie wrote:
    As long as they're continuing the illegal occupation then no country should be officially 'recognising' them because they are acting outside the law.

    Part of the UN Resolution 242, which calls for Israels withdrawal from Gaza. I assume this is what you are refering to when you say "illegal occupation". What you are leaving out is the part of the resolution which calls for the recognition of Israel. Hamas is not recognizing Israel, and that too is illegal. So by your logic, no one should recognize the Palestinians either, and then your left with nothing.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    From the above article:
    'But residents in Sderot talk about living a life under siege.'

    These people should swap places with those living in the occupied West bank for a month or two. The Palestinians would no doubt regard their neighbours situation as a virtual paradise.
  • yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Yes it is. Israel should not be allowed to continue existing in it's current form because in it's current form it's engaged in a criminal occupation of Palestinian land as recognised by International law.
    It's the equivalent of saying that Afghans should have recognised the U.S.S.R's right to exist whilst it was occupying parts of Afghanistan in the 1980's, or like asking the Poles during the 2nd World War to recognise Germany. Balls to that!

    I don't agree. One country should still recgonize the right of the other to exist. They don't have like how they are acting, and they can demand change, but to say that they shouldn't recognize the other country doesn't help bring a solution. It's like saying he hit me, now he doesn't exist to me. There is no logic in that.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    yosi wrote:
    I don't agree. One country should still recgonize the right of the other to exist. They don't have like how they are acting, and they can demand change, but to say that they shouldn't recognize the other country doesn't help bring a solution. It's like saying he hit me, now he doesn't exist to me. There is no logic in that.


    hatred of the Zoinists is the only logic people like him understand. it solves nothing
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    yosi wrote:
    Part of the UN Resolution 242, which calls for Israels withdrawal from Gaza. I assume this is what you are refering to when you say "illegal occupation". What you are leaving out is the part of the resolution which calls for the recognition of Israel. Hamas is not recognizing Israel, and that too is illegal. So by your logic, no one should recognize the Palestinians either, and then your left with nothing.

    The part of the resolution which calls for the recognition of Israel. But not in it's current form. Israel is currently in breach of over 30 U.N resolutions. Therefore it is a rogue state. No country is currently under any obligation to recognise the legitimacy of a rogue state which is acting in defiance of International law. When Israel retreats back beyond the Internationally recognised pre 1967 boundaries then they have a right to ask to be officially recognised.
    Still, regardless of all of this triviality and your attempt to muddy the water with talk of 'recognition' of Israel and other abstract crap. This thread is about the ongoing media bias towards Israel, and the fact that one Israeli death receives it's own full page article by the BBC. Whereas 400 Palestinian deaths, and the U.S veto of a U.N resolution condemning the slaughter by Israel of 18 women and children in a missile attack on their home barely gets a mention.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    jlew24asu wrote:
    hatred of the Zoinists is the only logic people like him understand. it solves nothing

    I hate all racists. Whether they happen to be Zionist or anything else. Your comment is typical in it's meaninglessness.
  • OpenOpen Posts: 792
    yosi wrote:
    Except that it is reasonable to ask/demand the Palestinians to stop firing rockets. Its not reasonable to say that Israel shouldn't exist.

    It's also reasonable to ask Isreal to stop killing innocent people. Exactly my point!

    http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09373074.htm

    RIYADH, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned Israel's military operations in Gaza and urged the international community to revive peace talks and protect Palestinians.

    "The kingdom is extremely concerned about the continued attacks by the Israeli authorities against Palestinian people," a statement issued on state news agency SPA said.

    "The international community should act quickly to revive the peace process according to the Arab peace proposal and international law," it said, citing an official source.

    "There is a pressing need for an international conference attended by all parties to put an end to these atrocities."

    Israeli tank shells on Wednesday killed 18 civilians in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, in one of Israel's deadliest strikes in the territory in months.

    Israel withdrew from the northern town on Tuesday following a week-long operation --which it says was designed to stop militants firing rockets at the Jewish state -- that also killed 52 militants and civilians.

    Palestinians have been fighting to declare an independent state in territories seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

    A peace initiative adopted by the Arab League in 2002 calls for an end to the historic Arab-Israeli conflict through land-for-peace deals with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians.
  • Open wrote:
    It's also reasonable to ask Isreal to stop killing innocent people.

    yes it is.

    but for some reason, asking israel to stop killing innocents is always misconstrued as asking israel to not exist.

    we arnt all hamas.

    only the hamas types want israel to be eliminated.
    the rest of us, only want israel to stop killing innocents.
    we also want "jehadi" types to stop killing and bombing.
    I have faced it, A life wasted...

    Take my hand, my child of love
    Come step inside my tears
    Swim the magic ocean,
    I've been crying all these years
  • PaperPlatesPaperPlates Posts: 1,745
    Yeah, because we all know only one Israeli has died via the hands of the Palestinians..................................................
    Why go home

    www.myspace.com/jensvad
  • yes it is.

    but for some reason, asking israel to stop killing innocents is always misconstrued as asking israel to not exist.

    we arnt all hamas.

    only the hamas types want israel to be eliminated.
    the rest of us, only want israel to stop killing innocents.
    we also want "jehadi" types to stop killing and bombing.
    My thoughts exacty. Any death, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian, is a tragedy, one no more despicable than the other. It's just a shame that human life in this region is not measured at the same value.
  • maybe if the Israelis quit killing civilians the Palistinians would quit firing rockets.
    miller8966 wrote:
    maybe if they stopped firing rockets less palestinians will be killed.
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    maybe if the Israelis quit killing civilians the Palistinians would quit firing rockets.

    ISrael's army is amazing..why fuck with it?
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • miller8966 wrote:
    ISrael's army is amazing..

    Well, it should be, they get subsidized by the U.S. fucking gov't.
  • Well, it should be, they get subsidized by the U.S. fucking gov't.

    heh, you should read about the weapons systems we give them.


    (They're better than ours... Shhhhh!)

    Besides, what's wrong with us subsidizing the Israeli military?
    "Sarcasm: intellect on the offensive"

    "What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact."

    Camden 5-28-06
    Washington, D.C. 6-22-08
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Well, it should be, they get subsidized by the U.S. fucking gov't.

    if we didnt they might be wiped off the map. but then again you and some of your buddies in this thread might find that a good thing?
  • flywallyflyflywallyfly Posts: 1,453
    jlew24asu wrote:
    if we didnt they might be wiped off the map. but then again you and some of your buddies in this thread might find that a good thing?

    I thought you cons didnt like government handouts.
  • heh, you should read about the weapons systems we give them.


    (They're better than ours... Shhhhh!)

    Besides, what's wrong with us subsidizing the Israeli military?
    For the reason that the IDF are committing genocide of the Palestinians in the name of 'protecting themselves from terrorists'.

    The US will NEVER come close to curbing terrorism until the day that they stop funding Israel's slaughter. That is a fact.

    Perhaps the money could be spent on diplomacy. On NATO peacekeeping forces, on rebuilding Palestinian settlements, on building bridges between the two groups.

    Firing rockets, mortars and suicide bombings are indeed appaling, but they have nothing to lose and it is their only means of retaliation. They are not given hi-tech weaponary to kill and cause devastation like their neighbours.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it".
    Noam Chomsky
Sign In or Register to comment.