8.11.06

Beit Hanoun: Another Palestinian Tragedy

Beit Hanoun means 'The house of the loving'. But because this is Gaza, because this is Palestine and because this is Israel, the house of the loving couldn't repel hate, stupidity, greed, cruelty, moral failure and crime. Children die in this 'house of the loving'.

Complete BBC report on Beit Hanoun

Detailed account from Le Monde (in French)

''The promise to the Israeli voters, attached to the withdrawal from Gaza, was always that after withdrawal we could "hit them hard" without jeopardising the settlers or our soldiers. So here we go. Just like southern Lebanon, which for years was the place for Israel to take vengeance for its frustration, Gaza is now seen by Israel as fair game.''

Jamila Al-Shanti:''Why should we Palestinians have to accept the theft of our land, the ethnic cleansing of our people, incarcerated in forsaken refugee camps, and the denial of our most basic human rights, without protesting and resisting?''

Gideon Levy's latest:

''The contempt for human life starts with the lives of Arabs and ends with the lives of Jews. ''

''The current stage of the moral decline began with the targeted assassinations in the territories. When they began, there was still an argument over their legality and justness. Who remembers that the assassinations were once limited, declaratively at least, to "ticking bombs"? The High Court of Justice, in its cowardice, has evaded taking a stance on this issue for years, despite the petitions on its doorstep. And the assassination project grew and expanded until it reached monstrous proportions. ''

''These futile operations will not stop the Qassams, which are aimed at giving us and the rest of the world a painful reminder of the imprisoned and boycotted Gaza residents' distress, which no one would notice if it were not for the Qassams. The way to fight the Qassams is to stop the boycott, sit down at the negotiating table and reach an accord. Otherwise, we will continue to slide and become immune to their loss of life, and soon to our loss of life as well.''

Arthur Nelsen: ''The lesson Israel is imparting in Gaza is unequivocal: War crimes are fine, so long as you remember to say sorry afterwards.''

Guardian Leader Opinion:''Experience suggests that even if the Beit Hanoun slaughter turns out to have been accidental, and Palestinians were to accept that, it will still be remembered as an Israeli atrocity. Israel's critics acknowledge that it has the right to defend itself - and it can only be by chance that rockets launched from Gaza since the August 2005 withdrawal have caused only damage and injuries and no Israeli fatalities. But Israel's actions, as in Lebanon this summer, have ignored the obligation to act in proportion to the threat, to avoid civilian casualties, and comply with international humanitarian law, which includes the personal responsibility of commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Louise Arbour, the UN human rights commissioner, should formally remind the Israeli government of those principles when she visits Gaza and Jerusalem shortly.''

International reactions.

11 comments:

Dr Victorino de la Vega said...

- Sophie,

Sad pictures coming from the occupied Qotr of Palestine...

One day the butchers of Zion will pay for their horrendous crimes...

Re: the Dems' victory, I (want to) believe you're excessively pessimistic: let's all savor the moment!

Plus Olmert & Co. openly sided with Bush's Neocon-friendly candidates...

Not to mention the fact that some rightwing Virginia Republicans even accused Moussa B. and your humble servant of being "pro-Webb Lebanese terrorists" working in secret for the "e-intifada" (sic/sick)

Sophia said...

Hi Victor,

It seems that Webb will be able to claim victory in a week from now. I am not totally cynical. I believe that it is time Arabs with money start their large scale lobbying in the US, after all we are giving this nation and receiving nothing while Israel is giving nothing and receiving too much. However, I was against campaigning openly for Webb. I am not a US citizen.
I also believe that covert action like lobbying is more effective to build influence.

Anonymous said...

i liked your post , and thought of dropping you a line to show you my admiration to what u wrote.
yesterday was a bad day , a disaster i may say after hearing that US gave its VETO to beit hanoun resolution.
i hope the world will start seeing the real pictures , and the real murderers soon.

Dr Victorino de la Vega said...

Rana,

I don’t mean to be rude: but (like many Middle-Easterners be they Arabs, Israelis or Persians) your stance doesn’t seem to be based on a very consistent analysis of the situation.

Your blog has links to “Elaph” an overtly pro-Neocon information site funded by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that backed the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and called the Lebanese resistance “a bunch of adventurers” as recently as last month.

Frankly, their crocodile tears over the situation in Gaza don’t impress me much!

In many ways, the Wahhabi-Lite collaborators of Riyadh, Beirut and Kuwait are MUCH more dangerous than the Pharisaic thugs of TeX-Aviv: compared to them, Israel’s war criminals are just a bunch of amateurs!

Dr Victorino de la Vega said...

Rana,

I don’t mean to be rude: but (like many Middle-Easterners be they Arabs, Israelis or Persians) your stance doesn’t seem to be based on a very consistent analysis of the situation.

Your blog has links to “Elaph” an overtly pro-Neocon information site funded by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that backed the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and called the Lebanese resistance “a bunch of adventurers” as recently as last month.

Frankly, their crocodile tears over the situation in Gaza don’t impress me much!

In many ways, the Wahhabi-Lite collaborators of Riyadh, Beirut and Kuwait are MUCH more dangerous than the Pharisaic thugs of TeX-Aviv: compared to them, Israel’s war criminals are just a bunch of amateurs!

Sophia said...

Thanks Victor,

Two to three weeks ago, my blog was assailed by zionist trolls and all rational discussion on this blog stopped.

This is a private blog and the right to expression is not something they can claim from me. This is not a public forum.

As I was away and my blog was silent they tried to know if I was publishing any comment. Rana's comment should be taken within this context and I published it because I wanted to tell them that I am back on this blog and they will never be able to publish their rubbish.

Moreover, I stated in my profile the very conditions for comenting on this blog. Persons who do not meet htese conditions are not welcome.

Thanks Victor for pointing out Rana's profile.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sophia,

I like your blog statement. It makes the rules of engagement very clear.

Cheers

Sophia said...

Hi Naj,

Nice to hear from you. Well, it is useless to engage with people unless there is some kind of minimal agreement on some basic assumptions. I stated the conditions for minimal agreement to discuss the Israeli palestinian conflict. Zionists always state their own conditions 'the existence of Israel' but with disregard to the conditions concerning the other side of the conflict. Actually my conditions are much more open because they are inclusive.

You know that I don't have time to waste and I like to engage only with rational people and people with good will.

I have had intimidating mails in my mail box because I was not publishing some comments. I don't care, this is my blog. Those who desperately want to express themselves without the basic rules for discussion can open their own blogs. I cannot censor them and would not censor them on their own blogs.

I think we have lost the meanings of words. everybody cited censorship when I turned the comment moderation but it is mistaken to call this censorship. Would you let someone in your house insulting you and spitting on you ? I am doing the same here. I am not silencing dissent, I am setting the rules for honest dissent. If people have problems with rules, that's another matter.

This blog has rules and they should be accepted by those who want to comment.

Anonymous said...

I agree Sophia.
I find it interesting how people allow themselves to send intimidating emails to demand publication of their ideas.
In respect for you I stopped responding to E and anonymous in your blog. I created one of my own, in case people want to discuss with me directly.
It's good to have you back.

Anonymous said...

--Blogs alliance proposal to the freedom in Palestine--

"A man who looks the wall is only a man alone.
But two men who are looking the wall are the beginning of a escape"


Dear Friend,
do you want to exchange link with us?

http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/

The power of a union is the power of the numbers.

We are a strong blog PRO-UMANRIGHTS, so
for a FREE PALESTINE.

My name is Vittorio,
and for my peace-activism i was in also in prison in Israel,
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_ID=10235
(nice democracy there...)
I propose to you this exchange also if my blog is in italian;
sometimes the feeling of images, sentiments, ideals,
are more strong than the different of language.

respect
Al Mukawama!!!

Vittorio Arrigoni.
http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/

Anonymous said...

Grazie amica,


Thanx Sophia (italian beautiful name...)
the peace speaks the same language,
without barriers.

zionism est la peste
notre determination est la cure....



Your blog is now liked on my homepage.

http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/

A presto,
Vittorio.

 
Since March 29th 2006