Secrets of the City

When you put 1.5 million people in a 140 square mile area, build a wall around them so they can’t leave, shut of their water, electricity, access to food and decent medical care – they are going to start sending things over that wall into Israel. I don’t condone it, but it is predictable.

You can tell someone who is slowly being strangled not to flail their arms, but it probably wouldn’t be very effective.

I don’t know why Ellison doesn’t think the U.S. can support Israel and have compassion for the people in Gaza. Israel is fighting Hamas.

And you have to wonder how much compassion the rest of the Arab world has for the people in Gaza. What humanitarian aid are they sending? Katyusha rockets don’t count.

Here’s a good piece.

“From Denmark to Venezuela, the sanctimonious debate as to which side holds greater responsibility for the current cycle of death avoids the well-entrenched commitment in radical Islam to exterminate the state of Israel. The few Muslim voices declaring disapproval with Hamas’ ongoing break of the ceasefire accord find little harmony in the Islamic Arab community. Whether Israel is doing enough to allow Gaza’s economy to flourish, or whether it is shipping enough goods into the territory, giving Hamas justification for sporadic but endless rocket launches are simply minor subsets of the larger problem.”

…and

“Most critical to any long term silencing of the rockets, would be reading and hearing loud pronouncements from the long silent voices of the vast majority of Arabs and their leaders. Their chorus should emphatically vocalize support for the existence of Israel. With such pressure on the extremists, the rest of the world would take the possibility of a Middle East peace seriously, and economic development would be on the horizon for Gaza and the Palestinians. Arabs in Gaza deserve some peace, and so do the people of Israel.”

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/12/israel-hamas-lebanon-here-we-go-again.html

And thus the terrible analogies comparing Israel and the Gaza Strip begin.

“You can tell someone who is slowly being strangled not to flail their arms, but it probably wouldn’t be very effective.”

Really? Come on.

Ellison was booed when he took the stage – by Palestinian supporters.

Read Sunday’s NY Times, pendulum. Gaza is a network of tunnels for smuggling arms.

I would not submit to an interview with Aljazeera. I go to the website once in awhile. Their news coverage is shameful.

Has Aljazeera asked you for an interview, Rat? They never call me.

No.

“Read Sunday’s NY Times, pendulum. Gaza is a network of tunnels for smuggling arms.”

Actually Gaza has been awash with weapons for quite a while. Arms smuggling isn’t very profitable to those who run the tunnels (you have to pay to use the tunnels of course). The smugglers get paid handsomely for things like chocolate, alcohol, medicine, food, etc.

As for the Times article, I did read it. I didn’t agree with parts of it because it conflicts with other things I’ve been reading. It helps to diversify your news sources, especially in a situation this complex. I love the Times, but when they talk about the Middle East it’s usually very one-sided.

A pox on both houses. Leadership on both sides are guilty of war crimes.

I’m starting to think the best solution will be to cordon off the entire region for 100-200 years or so. Nothing and nobody comes in or goes out (including communications signals).

Whomever remains standing after that time can have the damn place.

I’d also like to add that the Times does not have ANY correspondents in Gaza. They are reporting from outside of the wall.

What I don’t get is why both sides can’t just stop killing each other and firing missiles at each other and just stop fighting! Ye gods!

This week’s “Talk of the Town” section of the New Yorker makes the point that even though the conflict between Israel and Gaza seem that peace there is impossible, they also once said that same thing about “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland, which have been going on much longer (and today is largely resolved).

They also note that the White House, built in part by African American slaves, will soon be home for an African American First Family.

Their message to Obama and USA — don’t give up on Middle East peace because it is hard and challenging, or because others have failed.

@Henry: Probably for the same reasons other nations/cultures/religions continually quarrel. One side says “uh-huh;” the other side says “nuh-huh.” Never the twain shall meet.

If you’re adamant about something, like, say, stopping slavery, you’d be hard-pressed to negotiate a compromise that would continue to allow for slavery without compromising your principles.

Ye gods!