So lets start by forgetting about Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people; their illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Lets for moment ignore the dozens of UN resolutions that Israel is in violation of; the ones that started being issued in 1948; those in 1967; or those in 1976; lets even forget about the ones that continue to be issued. Lets rather focus on today, on this current massacre of the Palestinian people.
First though lets give you a quick lesson in checking your facts before opening your mouth. To start with, the first Qassam rocket was launched in April 2001, thats 7 years not 8 .. count them. Secondly up until mid-2006 rockets were only launched in retaliation for continuing Israeli attacks on Palestinian's. Then you ask why Hamas continues to fire rockets considering Israel evacuated Gaza in 2005.
Well possibly, just maybe, it's because Israel imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, allowing only a tiny fraction of the necessary goods through.. just maybe? So, if they can't get at the supplies they need to build their schools and hospitals; because the Israeli army prevents it; what exactly are they supposed to do? Well, you might be asking, why is this blockade in place; it's surely to prevent those bloodthirsty terrorists from attacking Israel. Surprisingly not; the blockade according to the Israeli government is "to prevent Hamas from governing Gaza effectively and in this way turn the people against Hamas". Wait, I must be missing something here, Hamas won the election, which was overseen by Israel; after Israel allowed it to contest the election. Then unhappy with the way the people voted, they tried to punish them? No, I must be misunderstanding this, there's no way a civilised, democratic nation like Israel would ever do that!
To quote Mark Steel, in the Independent ".. must have one of those conditions, called something like 'Visual Carnage Responsibility Back to Front Upside Down Massacre Disorder'". This is so, because like Condoleezza Rice after having seen 300 Gazan's dead, you ".. condemn the attacks on Israel and hold Hamas responsible". I'd love to quote his whole article verbatim actually, because it just so throughly illustrates the complete and utter ridiculousness of holding the victims responsible for the crime (read it at:http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-so-what-have-the-palestinians-got-to-complain-about-1218135.html).
I do sort of understand where you're coming from though, it's akin to condemning the rape victim for wearing a mini-skirt. Ah well, what would we know; it's not like we've ever had to rape someone.
On and on, I go; it's becoming a bit repetitive isn't it, all these factual errors in your argument, i'd be slightly ashamed by now. Ah.. where was I; right, Israel only attacks military targets not civilians. Sure, I suppose if you're a little squint a mosque might look like a missile launcher. You, know with that whole minaret thing on top, much the same way a synagogue would look like.. oh I don't know a massive bunker? And of course, it's Hamas's fault that in one of the most densely populated area's in the world (about 4000 people per square kilometer) they couldn't find space to conveniently situate all their facilities out of town. Plus, obviously when other people want to blow you up, you should of course try and stand out in the open, away from other people; it's only good manners don't you know?
What was the next one, ah.. the ceasefire; well I suppose it would have helped if Israel had kept to that I guess. But, when Hamas parliamentarians are out in the open, it's a superb time to assassinate them and we shouldn't really blame Israel for that. So yes, definitely, killing more than 20 Palestinians, isn't breaking the ceasefire; and thus Hamas's decision not to continue with the true is completely unjustifiable. To think that they would have the nerve to fire rockets at Israel, well I never; its unbelievable.
Onto Gilad Shalit; that one person has had so much attention lavished upon him is simply put, surprising. To think that Hamas could demand the release of 440 prisoners (women and children) in return for his release; who do they think he is, a pop star? Wait, how many prisoners, 440.. just how many prisoners does Israel actually hold? Over 5500 prisoners, one wonders how they were arrested, they surely couldn't have been abducted in cross-border raids similar to they way Mr Shalit was abducted. That's unconscionable; there is surely no ways Israel could ever be that hypocritical. And there is absolutely no ways, that Israel would use collective punishment (a war crime) on Gaza by blowing up a power station and two bridges, because Israel is a civilised nation.
Well yes, and here I must say I truly agree with you; war certainly is horrible. It's just a whole lot less terrible when you're not the one dying like the Isreali's. Sure Palestinian's are dead, but they don't count do they; they're not actually people. As Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said "There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed". Or that notable, revered Zionist, Chaim Weizmann "the indigenous population was akin to the rocks of Judea, as obstacles to be cleared from a difficult path". How could anyone possibly compare rocks to Israeli's, non-people to people; its completely ludicrous. And to think some people would have us equating the lives of rocks with those of people, why we'd then have over 500 Israeli's dead not just 4!
Moving along swiftly, all this stuff about ethnic cleansing and genocide is so tiresome don't you think? "Terroristic", tsk tsk, not actually a word I don't think; nonetheless they "claim they own everything", how dreadful. However if I do remember correctly, the Israeli government called Hamas "the democratically elected government"; ah.. never you mind, they're allowed to change their minds aren't they? "Trained and supported by Al Qaeda (forgive me for correcting your spelling) and Iran". Now would you believe that, those Al Qaeda terrorists, who hate Shia's and keep bombing them in Iraq managed to put aside their animosity and collaborate with Shia Iran to support Hamas. How could we not have seen this one coming? And of course millions of Israeli's are from that violently anti-semetic country, the United States, so of course I sympathise with you. One just wonders though, why do more and more Jews leave their anti-semetic countries to come and live in Israel where those Hamas terrorists can blow them up at any time?
So back to where we started, tears for Israel. Well this may come as somewhat as a surprise to the 700 000 (not millions fortunately) Israeli's living in the southern parts of Occupied Palestine but, the Israeli Ministry of Defense says "Qassams are more a psychological than physical threat". Small comfort I'm sure, from the 1000 odd rockets launched at Israel which killed 4 people. Sure it might take 250 homemade rockets to kill someone, but as Israeli spokesman have said "they're fired with the intention of killing people". The fact that Israel has fired 1000's of rockets in the last week, killing more than 500 Palestinians, sorry killing 500 Rocks; is really neither here nor there. Unfortunately for the rocks of Gaza, those non-people, they don't have the luxury of seeking refuge in bomb shelters; but then again that's for people isn't it?
So no, unfortunately not; 500 dead Palestinian Rocks are not enough; to satisfy Israel's desire for blood. Unfortunately not, for those about to die; for their children; their loved ones; those who will be left behind. Unfortunately for Israel, Golda Meir was wrong. The Palestinians are people, and they will not be forgotten by the world. To quote that winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, the former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu "Injustice and oppression will never prevail. Those who are powerful have to remember the litmus test that God gives to the powerful: what is your treatment of the poor, the hungry, the voiceless?"
I fortunately do not suffer from your condition; which prevents you from seeing who are the oppressed and who are the oppressors. I will save my tears, for the true victims of Israel's crimes.
