ON SCENE

A Sickening Thud

A sleepy Israeli town for the first time found itself the target of Hamas rockets.

By Joanna Chen | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 31, 2008

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  • Posted By: hamed @ 02/06/2009 1:14:51 PM

    pls world leaders,is it difficult to allow peace on the bases of pre 1967 internationally acclaimed boder monitored by international observers,this would stop;occupation,sucide killings,oppression

  • Posted By: isjust @ 01/11/2009 4:03:29 AM

    Who is trying to steal who's land? Do you know that in the Arab section of Jerusalem the Arbs are digging up Jewish archeological finds and are destroying them so as to make it look like Jews have nothing to do with Jerusalem?
    The sad part is that the Muslim extremists have managed to get into the average Muslim's head and say.. "unless you believe in our brand of Islam, you are nothing"

  • Posted By: isjust @ 01/11/2009 4:02:13 AM

    Can you tell me a bit about the history of the Palestinians? i.e. where did their name come from? where are they recorded in history? who were their leaders before Yassir Arafat? What regions did they live in and when? Now compare these questions with the Jews.. now tell me, who is occupying and terrorizing who?

  • Posted By: CouldCareLessAnymore @ 01/06/2009 7:52:25 AM

    No such thing as innocent Muslim civilians. Women strapped with bombs, children learning to hate and training to kill... Death to all of them!!!!

  • Posted By: vanabavi @ 01/05/2009 9:13:07 AM

    I believe that the only solution is change in policies of US. The whole world is suffering economic and other consequences of US policies. We should change our basic policy of supporting wars all over the world. We can reestablish our strategy and become the good superpower of the world again with support of nations all over this world.
    Please read the interesting discussion of Time with Avrum Burg, the scion of one of Israel's founding families (His father was the deputy speaker of the first Knesset, and Burg himself later became speaker of the legislature, and a member of Israel's cabinet) :
    http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1869325,00.html

  • Posted By: distantsmoke @ 01/05/2009 12:33:11 AM

    I could be wrong because I am not a Bible scholar, but I always thought that Jesus was a Jew. And that the "Prophet" Mohammed came after Jesus. So if the Jews lived in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas before Jesus was crucified then how does that negate their historical claim to the land? And that isn't even dicussing the UN resolution giving the land to the Israeli people that the Arab states at the time signed off on.

    Personally it seems to me that the Arabs are simply willing to kill anyone is isn't an Arab Muslim. Any Arab Muslim male has the right, by the Islamic "religion" to decide who to kill or not kill. Is your neighbor annoying you? Declare him an apostate, kill him, and then be absolved of all responsibility. Is your wife getting a little chubby? Declare she let a delivery man see her face, kill her and be absolved of all responsibilty. Agree to let the Jews settle in a new land called Israel, but not too happy about it? That's OK, just kill any Jew that happens to cross your path, declare yourself the victim of Jewish agression, and be absolved of all responsibility.

    Frankly, I don't think an Arab Muslim would recognize responsibility if it walked up and shoved an AK-47 up his nether regions.

    • Posted By: fembem @ 01/05/2009 4:35:23 AM

      international law says land belongs to legal residents individually, not to groups of people from a race, religion, or political group.

      So your whole argument is baseless.

      Btw, Israel is a signatory to the Geneva Convention, so is a party to that international law.

      Also, if Germany belongs to all its citizens and not just to the ethnic Germanic arayans, why should israel belong to Jews insated of just to its legal residents? Does a man in China who converts to Judaism have more of a right to live in Jerusalem than an arab family that has been there for 5 generations?

  • Posted By: fembem @ 01/04/2009 3:30:51 AM

    Israel financed and cultivated Hamas in the 80's and now they have the gall to complain about Hamas?

    <<
    In a statement to the Israeli Parliament's (the Knesset) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday February 12th 2007, Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert said "Netanyahu established Hamas, gave it life, freed Sheikh Yassin and gave him the opportunity to blossom" [4]
    >>

    as reported in many media outlets and the right-wing Israeli paper Jerusalem Post. This is a statement made in Israeli parliament and captured on tape.
    full article:
    http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1170359844280&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


  • Posted By: BOFORCE @ 01/04/2009 12:11:36 AM

    These Khazarian zionist ruling Israel are not even semites they have no relation to the Biblical land of Israel...these Khazarian are the seeds of all the evils on this planet.......they should be terminated including mothafukkar Rothschilds the owner of fed reserve.

  • Posted By: becolby @ 01/03/2009 7:48:07 PM

    OK Mr. History Expert, do you know that Gaza was ruled by the British from 1917 until 1948 when the UN offered it to the Arab nation and the offer was rejected. It was more or less part of Egypt until 1956 Israel took Gaza from Egypt in retaliation of Egypt nationalizing the Suez Canal, but returned it due to international pressures. Egypt then used Gaza as a staging area for terrorist attacks against Israel until Israel attacked back and the Six Day War occurred.
    By the way Gaza has not been Palestinian (from the Philistines) since the 13th century. Some one else has ruled them since.
    Try researching Fida???iyyum, Al-Oishawi, and Nasir for the History of the Gaza strip.

  • Posted By: moto89 @ 01/03/2009 3:12:50 PM

    To all the ignorant people, a simple formula will outline the current problem in the Middle East:

    1) Zionists (extremist Jews) wanted a homeland for the Jewish people, there???s no problem with that BUT: to have a homeland for the Jewish people on land STOLEN from the Palestinians is the sole reason that makes Zionists and Israel illegitimate and aggressors.

    3) after the Arabs conceded to the defeat by Israel, Israel was not contempt with what they got ----> so they kicked Palestinians out of their homes in Gaza and west bank, demolished them and built nice new gates communities with beautiful villas, and replaced the people with extreme Zionist settlers.

    3) The Palestinians didn???t no what to do, they were obviously very angry, having their homes raided and stolen by extremists. They couldn???t negotiate with thugs and robbers; --> what cud they negotiate on, it were their homes, why should they compromise. Would you?

    4) The Palestinians can???t go to the authorities because the Israeli authorities sanctioned the act of raiding and robbing Palestinians of their homes and land.

    5) The PLO or Yasser Arafat???s organisation (currently under the leadership of Mahmud abbas) negotiated and compromised the Palestinians land. These negotiations didn???t work as the terrorist entity controlled by Zionists never gave back any land and instead expanded illegal settlements in west bank.
    6) The US preached democracy and it was heard, and after Hamas (the Resistance movement) won, the world did not recognise it.

    7) Now instead of the world trying to solve the core problem of occupation and illegal settlements in west bank. They are now trying to eliminate the group that truly seeks to liberate Palestinian from Israeli aggression.

    NOW I ASK YOU PEOPLE WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING FOR?

    DIDNT YOU WANT DEMOCRACY, SO ACCEPT HAMAS'S LEGITMACY.

    DONT YOU AND THE REST OF WORLD CALL ON HAMAS TO RECOGNISE ISRAELS RIGHT TO EXIST (on stolen Palestinians land), --> WHY DONT YOU ASK ISRAEL TO ACCEPT THE RIGHT OF PALETSINE TO EXIST WIHTOUT THE ILLEGAL ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS CONTAINING 400,000+ EXTREMISTS ZIONIST JEWS.

    WHY ARE U ASKING HAMAS TO STOP FIRING ROCKETS, WHEN THE CORE PROBLEM IS OCCUPATION, SO ASK ISREAL TO STOP AND WITHDRAW FROM SETTLEMNETS

    FEW ACTIONS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE:
    1) ISRAEL STOPS AGGRESSION, HAMAS STOP ROCKET FIRE AND AGREE TO LONG TERM TRUCE WHEREBY ISRAEL LIFTS THE BLOCKADE AND ACCEPT THE STATE OF PALESTINE TO EXIST
    2) HAMAS AND FATAH UNITE AS ONE VOICE
    3) ISRAEL WITHDRAW ALL ILLEGAL SETTLERS FROM THE ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS FROM WESTBANK TO THE PRE-1967 BORDER
    4) WORLD SUPPORTS THE NEW STATE OF PALESTINE AND ACCEPT HAMAS AS A LEGITAMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

  • Posted By: HeinousJ @ 01/01/2009 3:58:21 PM

    It seems that Jews are going to milk the Holocast for as long as possible. Of course, that was a horrific chapter of human history. But the world is getting pretty sick of Israel's "victim" mentality. What happened was horrible, but it's OVER. They need to stop looking at everyone as an oppressor or enemy. I don't know why the US is so invested in Israel. It seems that we are being co-dependent to Israel's paranoia and greed.

    FYI, I am not Jewish, nor am I Middle Eastern. I am an American of European descent. I want the US to STAY OUT OF THIS! It is not our fight.!

    • Posted By: ConcernedUSCitizen @ 01/03/2009 10:25:36 AM

      Holocaust is not over and shall not be. Its happening is a shame to our mankind as a whole.

      For the recent conflict in Middle East, the facts that it???s Hamas breaking the truce and firing thousands of rockets into Israel shall not be ignored. What would Russia, China or even we U.S., would react if rockets fall into the land? There is a distinction between the rockets targeting the civilians, and the bombs looking for Hamas but causing civilian casualties, especially when Hamas are hiding behind and among the civilians that it is supposed to protect.

      A dangerous trend is emerging to reflect our failure in recent history with Hitler. The people in some areas of the world are electing or following the supposed-leaders who are directing their people to peril, instead of hope, peace and prosperity. Just follow what???s going on in Palestine and Iran.

    • Posted By: f688xt6 @ 01/01/2009 5:10:53 PM

      One could say the same thing about african- americans and slavery, but people still talk about it. So, using the same theory, we should tell them "It's over" so get over it? Israel is very capable of defending themselves, and they show it on a regular basis. Nobody screws with them without retaliation. Milking the holocaust? Next you'll be saying it didn't happen.

    • Posted By: becolby @ 01/01/2009 4:36:29 PM

      Oh yeah. lets see if you are paranoid if you are virtually surrounded by people who want to see your race, religion, and country wiped from the face of history.

    • Posted By: becolby @ 01/01/2009 4:34:09 PM

      Israel's greed? So how are the Israelis getting rich off of Gaza or any of the Palastinians?

  • Posted By: mcguillicudy @ 01/02/2009 3:32:03 PM

    Does it bother any one else that Ms Chen states "Does the fact that the author states "But Oz's hope that in Ashdod "we shall see what will flower when peace and a little repose finally come" must have crumbled this week as the Israeli military pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, killing more than 300 Palestinians. In response, Hamas militants shot more than 200 missiles in four days, including long range Grads, into southern Israel, among other targets." bother anyone else?

    She seems to be saying that Isreal started this. Wasn't it Hamas refusal to follow the truce and stop launching rockets the spark?

  • Posted By: grzlbear @ 01/01/2009 5:09:41 AM

    I do not and have never been an anti-Israeli person. That position has been slowly shifting in recent years and now i have had it. If any other country in the world was murdering hundreds of civilians to retaliate in a totally disproportionate manner, the world would step in and stop it immediately. If Israel is to be a respected member on the international community they are going to have to start playing by the same rules as the rest of us. It is past time to arm the Palestinians in a manner that they can properly defend themselves. Let's put all on the same level playing field. The U.S., my country MUST stop blindly giving Israel a pass for their atrocities, apartheid and murder.

    • Posted By: HeinousJ @ 01/01/2009 3:20:24 PM

      RE: "If any other country in the world was murdering hundreds of civilians to retaliate in a totally disproportionate manner, the world would step in and stop it immediately."

      Not true. The world did not unite in opposition to the unfounded US invasion and occupation of Iraq in its mis-directed retaliation for the World Trade Center attacks. We, the American citizenry, are overwhelmingly opposed to the Bush/Cheney "doctrine". We would be happy if all of our soldiers came home and this travesty of a "war" finally came to an end.

      FYI, I'm not Jewish, nor am I Middle Eastern. I'm an American citizen of European descent.

      • Posted By: advoidleftists @ 01/01/2009 11:24:27 PM

        Dont forget russia they invaded georgia and they set the whole thing up and killed so many civilians and armed militas. Dont forget russia and Europe appeases russia no matter what they do just like world war II before war eurpted europe appease hilter and look how that happened. Europe will always appease always will until they ask for help when things become too late.

    • Posted By: mrparmele @ 01/01/2009 3:21:30 PM

      Really? No other country does battle disproportionately? That is the ENTIRE strategy of the United States, to go into battle with overwhelming force and dominate the battle space? Has anyone stopped us? No. Look at Iraq, look at Afghanistan, look at Vietnam, look at Panama, look at Grenada...we do it claiming self defense, why cannot Israel? For that matter, why cannot any country do it? That's actually the point, we can't be mad at any other country who does what we do, we have no moral authority or standing to condemn things that we do for the same proclaimed reasons.

    • Posted By: mrparmele @ 01/01/2009 3:20:46 PM

      Really? No other country does battle disproportionately? That is the ENTIRE strategy of the United States, to go into battle with overwhelming force and dominate the battle space? Has anyone stopped us? No. Look at Iraq, look at Afghanistan, look at Vietnam, look at Panama, look at Grenada...we do it claiming self defense, why cannot Israel? For that matter, why cannot any country do it? That's actually the point, we can't be mad at any other country who does what we do, we have no moral authority or standing to condemn things that we do for the same proclaimed reasons.

  • Posted By: fembem @ 12/31/2008 8:55:39 PM

    The Hamas rocket attacks are partly in response to Israel not respecting the conditions of the 6 month truce. Even while the truce was in effect, Israel continued the blockade of Gaza, the bombing of the Philadelhpi corridor between Gaza and Egypt, and the hunting of Hamas militants. Therefore Hamas launched some missiles(I'm not defending this). But the latest volleys of missiles are also in response to Israel's bombing of Gaza. This is tit for tat and it's senseless to say for sure what is the cause and what is the response. Does occupation cause violence? Or does violence cause occupation? Both are true. How many years has Israel occupied the West Bank? 40. Is there any other place on earth where an occupation like this would be tolerated and the occupier afforded a seat among nations?

    • Posted By: advoidleftists @ 01/01/2009 11:21:23 PM

      how can isreal life blockade when hamas violated cease fire daily with rocket fire here and there its clear blockade has to stay up to prevent them from getting more rockets smuggled threw egypt from iran the puppet master of hamas who never wants peace with isreal anyways they wanted this cease fire to rebuild and fire rockets again. you forgetting that hamas started with isreal in the past with kidnapping of soldiers which prompted isreal attacks in 2006 and hezbollah did same.

    • Posted By: aschreiber1 @ 12/31/2008 9:46:58 PM

      So if you were the Palestinians what kind of message do you think Israel was trying to send by uprooting it's own citizens from the West Bank and Gaza, released like 500 prisoners -including a man who comitted one of the most vicious crimes in the country's history, along with handing over millions of dollars from wealthy JEWISH donors to the Palestinian people?

      Would you ...

      A) Drive bulldozers into innocent Israeli civilians.
      B) Continue to fire rockets into Sderot.
      C) Use the international aid and money from JEWISH donors to dig tunnels into Egypt in order to smuggle in longer range rockets to be used to kill more innocent civilians deeper into Israel during the 6-month cease-fire instead of making life better for the Palestinian people and showing real signs of being committed to long-term peace?
      D) All of the above.

      If you answered "D" you are smarter than a journalist from Newsweek!

      • Posted By: fembem @ 01/01/2009 12:34:49 AM

        You make it sound like all the international aid to the Palestinians comes from wealthy Jews. Fact is that Israel is the charity case that gets 3 billion dollars a year in US tax money so it can bomb an occupied population into submission. The Palestinians have no planes, no helicopters, no tanks, no warships. So in reality, US taxpayers are getting fleeced to finance Israel's socialist society.

        Just like Israel can arm itself during a ceasefire why shouldn't the Palestinians do the same. is it a ceasefire or an unconditional surrender?

        You complain that the Palestinians fire rockets into Sderot. Even before suicide bombers or rockets were ever used by the Palestinians, Israel had already occupied the West Bank for 25 years. The bombings are not the problem. The occupation is the problem.

  • Posted By: advoidleftists @ 01/01/2009 11:16:36 PM

    europe not doing a thing because they used to appeaseing bad nations for example if russia invaded poland the europeans will just appease russia no matter what she does. Europe always been known for appeasement they did it with hitler but anyways back to topic at hand my point is that the world wont tolerate al queida because they terrorist and they never negoicate with them but they negoicate with hamas which is terrorist organization which is puppet of iran???? europe is not backing isreal and makes it sound like isreal should tolerate rocket fire i mean how long can rockets rain down on your cities and towns until you fight back. Isreal shouldnt remove blockade hamas be resupply even faster with iranian made rockets. IRAN controls hamas and hezbollah both enemies of the free world they attack anyone under IRAN orders.

  • Posted By: advoidleftists @ 01/01/2009 11:12:39 PM

    Wow since when people defend hamas? they are terrorst and pawn of Iran.
    They started it with rocket fire first just like last time when they kidnap isreal soldier and then hezbollah did same thing.
    they get what they deserve you play with fire you will get burn harshly. Isreal won't life blockade and watch hamas get resupplied by iran all over again and then hamas fires rockets 3 months into the future for whatever excuse they got and if isreal responds omg its their fault.????

  • Posted By: tired and old @ 01/01/2009 9:00:26 PM

    HIGH PROFILE TERRORIST GETS KILLED BY ISRAEL.

    NICE SHOOTING !

    KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

  • Posted By: maghrebine @ 01/01/2009 7:46:53 PM

    how ridiculous!! hundreds of palestinans have been murdered for the past couples of days and all we hear in the American media is the unfortunate fate of israeli people who happen to live near gaza.

  • Posted By: 19291943 @ 01/01/2009 10:53:21 AM

    If israel continues attacks on Palestine,the West, mainly the USA need to withhold their support.If not, the USA is supporting terrorists who have legitimized themselves under cover

    • Posted By: f688xt6 @ 01/01/2009 5:45:29 PM

      So a military that kills terrorists is now defined as terrorists now? Well then that does explain the common liberal misconception that the U.S. military is a bunch of terrorists as well. So, then anyone who uses violence is a terrorist? What magical fairytale land do you come from?

  • Posted By: becolby @ 01/01/2009 12:05:15 PM

    And to stave off those few of you who dont refuse to let facts interfere with your preconceived notions; here are a few facts:

    Has Hamas really been rocketing Israel for years?

    2005
    http://onmymind.typepad.com/news_and_views/2005/09/pa_shrapnel_in_.html

    2004

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1143250.htm

    What about this claim of Hamas suicide bombers attacking Israel?
    From that bastion of conservatism, CNN:

    http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/30/hamas.profile/index.html

    • Posted By: f688xt6 @ 01/01/2009 5:18:57 PM

      Bastion of conservatism? Heh, that's a good one. Most people accuse Fox first...

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