AM ISRAEL CHAI!

I find that bizzare on so many levels. The following was from 2006.

Operatives of the Lebanese Islamic terrorist organization Hezbollah, the same group presently firing missiles into Israel and labeled as one of the most dangerous Islamic terrorist group in the world, are believed “to be planning to activate sleeper cells located in New York and other larger cities inside the U.S.” to stage attacks Americans. “The FBI and Justice Department have launched urgent new probes in New York and other cities targeting members of the Lebanese terror group.” Law-enforcement and intelligence officials stated that “about a dozen hard-core supporters of Hezbollah have been identified in recent weeks as operating in the New York City area (alone).”

Ya’ll need to focus on your own backyard.

the reason 2006 ended the way it did was due to israel listening to the complaints from the rest of the world community, as if any of them had validity over the country actually fighting for survival.

i think they learned their lesson. they will not listen if the ability to launch rockets is not destroyed. it’s as simple and as complicated as that.

i pray israel strikes quickly, accurately, and finally wipes out this terrorist organization.

death to hamas.

It looks like poor, misunderstood Israel is the one doing the wiping.

Never heard of collective punishment, eh?

I am not surprised.

But both sides seem very stubborn. Today, I received e-mails from someone who I have always enjoyed so much, but he is so rigidly anti-Palestinian and full of rage that, quite honestly he isn’t expressing himself rationally. Which he doesn’t even seem to know because the rage has overcome him. (It made me heartsick that someone I otherwise enjoy so much is overcome by unyielding rage. I don’t think he has any idea just how — I hate to use the word but it’s appropriate — just how UGLY his words are. It was not a good experience today.)

Knowing Steve Clemons, who accepted the request to reprint this article, I would venture a guess that he feels just like you do. However, through his professional work, he has gotten to know people from so many countries and so many political perspectives that he agreed to publish this piece. I haven’t looked through all of his blog in the past few days. I will do so, and endeavor to find other pieces that he has published that offer another POV.)

There was a time, because of someone close to me, that I attended a couple meetings of Palestinians and felt some sympathy for their plight. But their stubborn refusals to mediate and to find resolution finally made me very disgusted with them. I’ve felt equally disgusted with the Israelis at times.

There is no doubt that Arafat and other Palestinian leaders threw away great opportunities for resolution. And that’s because he was so invested in violence that he would not “give a little” to get, actually, quite a lot.

Poor Bill Clinton. Poor Jimmy Carter. They tried. They really tried. And what is there for them to show for all the work they put into it?

I heard a TV talking head discuss Bill Clinton’s knowledge of the region and what a difference he could possibly make. They said, for example, that Bill Clinton knows EVERY street in Jerusalem and that his intimate knowledge would make him an invaluable envoy for Barack Obama. But I wonder how much he can accomplish if neither side is interested in any resolution.

And speaking of envoys, where in the hell is Tony Blair?

There are advantages for both sides to keep this violence going.

The Israelis get to continue receiving massive amounts of aid from the U.S. — what is it now? — a few years ago, when I checked, it was over $4 billion dollars annually. (Egypt, by the way, gets a similar amount, and Egypt gets that from the U.S. partly because they are promising the U.S. that they will keep a handle on the Muslim Brotherhood and other anti-U.S. radical groups.)

Neither side, aside from their passing platitudes about peace and neighborly behavior, seem to have zero interest in mediation and resolution.

It’s gotten so I throw my hands up in the air.

And I worry for Hillary and for General Jones. We are blessed that those two will be charge of the implementation of U.S. policy. But what kind of policy can they fashion if both sides are so stubbornly invested in ongoing violence?

I just hope, for Hillary’s sake, that this likely irresolvable crisis does not overly dominate her attention because there is, elsewhere in the world, much good that she CAN do.

they are both to blame for what is going on right now! To try to make one side look like the aggressor and cover up your own dark deeds is hypocritical!

I am as distressed as the next person over innocents being killed and injured but I have long been suspicious of the press’ account of either sides propaganda and I sure as hell do not believe anything that the Hamas leadership has to say.

1.5 million people in such a tiny space and certain powers aren’t letting the full cadre of humanitarian trucks in? Shameful.