If Obama Is Serious

I think Miller makes an excellent argument. America has been putting Israel's interests before its own for far too long. If America is to play a role as the mediator, we can't be seen as Israel's ally, we must be seen as an impartial arbitrator trying to help negotiate a settlement.

Omaar - How is self defense wrong? Or are you saying that Israel shouldn't have been tolerant at all, shouldn't have waited all those years and just wiped the Palestinians off the face of earth? Along with Lebanon, why not?
Enough is enough. There is only so much a nation can forgive.

Having lived there for 13 years, I admit that politics are next to nonexistent in Israel. Still, the country isn't plunged into total chaos and anarchy. I have seen Israel cry for people and children dead all over the world and not only within its own borders. Violence always has been and always will be Israel's last resort. Even when provoked with violence, Israel tries everything at hand in order to solve the conflict. If Israel attacks back, it means that conversations and discussions were all in vain. As mentioned above, Israel has all the rights to defend itself. I think people are missing the big picture here: Israelis are not terrorists. That's what differs them from Hamas. It is self-defense and even though we all know very well that if a war was to start, there will be nothing left of Gaza, Israel still stays open for a cease-fire - hopefully a permanent one. My heart goes out to all innocent people who are involved in this conflict, jews or arabs - doesn't matter. I just hope it will stop. When your body is attacked by a virus, you don't wait until it kills you. It's a very cold and harsh way to view it, but it's slowly getting there.
As a reply to haidara's comment that goes: "who is more of a terrorist, Hamas who killed about 10 Israelies, Israel killed about 800 people, half of them are children and women, is it Hamas who has home made inaccurate rockets that barely injures anybody or Israel who has US made tanks, rockets, airships and jets with precise bombs and rockets?" - I'm sorry for using such a basic language, but EXCUSE Israel for figuring out that having a powerful army is their only chance for survival in those lands. War and conflict is never pretty - there will always be dead people. One side will always be stronger or smarter than the other, but I would like to remind you that Israel was not at the origin of this conflict. In fact, everything was done to avoid it. Trust was placed in those people as Israel gave Gaza back, and look how it turned out? Besides, you're off with the numbers.

what would you say if a soverign nation with officials that ruled the country and took help from a neighboring country and this neighboring country looked upon this soverign nation at its land and the added value it could bring to this neighboring country and then this neighboring country organized a coup and took over this country without firing a single bullet. is it right? is it acceptable? but my friends, it happened. and we the US did just that to our neigboring country The island of Hawaii. what i am amazed at in our history is, where was the US citizens outcry, why was it ok for us??

SO when you want to bash Israel because you people have not the intelligence of pebble, and think its about the JEWS. It's about democracy and freedom. It's about human values, which the other side does NOT value one Iota, otherwise there would be no suicide bombers. The fact is the other side does not want peace, unless it wipes off or controls all of Israel. Least we forget, when the Muslims had control of Jerusalem, they forbade any Jew to pray or go to the Western Wall, Judism holiest site. In modern day Israel, The muslim has those rights to pray freely. Go to any Muslim dominated country and the rights of Christians, Jews or others are not tolerated.

The Arabs never miss an opportunity at a opportunity. Instead of spending all this energy fighting Israel, If they were Human decent people elected, they would have a a homeland and be prosperous> The problem is that Palestinans can't do it. Its easier to hate and creat war and say your lot in life is horrible because of the Jews and its supporters the US.

The real problem is, they need new leaders who are willing to be partners in peace. Stop teaching elementary and high school students in class thats their lot in life is becasue of the Jews. This education only causes the development of terroists. Go to any democratic schools and you would never learn these lessons.


ITS TIME THAT THE PALESTINANS , ARABS, MUSLIMS and the LIKE demand that these people stop terrorist activities, and say we never tried peace, why not see what happens if we truly want to work this out. you could always go back to your old habits! If you voted for peace the world and Israel will be behind it 1000%. The people and citizens of Israel want it to work, provided they dont want to hurt and kill the Israelis. When you teach that to the children and the adults, only then will peace really work out.

"Israel has every reason to defend itself against Hamas. But does it make sense for America to support its policy of punishing Hamas by making life unbearable for 1.5 million Gazans by denying aid and economic development? The answer is no."

Speaking rhetoric may sound eloquent, but it's not much of a real solution. I think readers would take articles like this a bit more seriously if the authors would actually bother to propose a viable alternative to exactly how Israel *could* protect itself.

k

If you threaten my family, I will not use the restraint that Israel shows. I will kill you before you kill my kids. Why is Israel expected to do otherwise? Unfortunately, if you hide behind a civilian and shoot at me, I will not allow you to kill me just because I stand with my family behind me. Get Real!

Hey makini! Israel enjoys peace? In the last three years Hamas has launched several thousand rockets and mortors into Jewish neighborhoods for the sole purpose of killing women and children, and to spread terror to the civilian population. Israel has endured decades of Palestinian suicide bombers; who really should be called murder bombers, as murder is their goal. The bombers do not go to military installations; they go to restaurants, markets and weddings to murder as many Jews as they can. The Palestinian???s elected Hamas. Hamas will not even acknowledge that Israel has a right to exist as a country or a people. That is not enjoying peace.

You say that Israel makes Palestinians suffer and undermines the peace process. Israel gave back Gaza and what did Hamas do? Broke the truce by using Gaza to launch thousands of rockets and mortors deeper into Jewish neighborhoods. The worst thing you said about Israel is that they build settlements. If Israel is building somewhere they shouldn???t, you talk about. You don???t murder innocent women and children! Jews are settlement builders; Palestinians are mass murders targeting women and children. Who has the moral high ground?

I really hate to get in these debates because usually both sides have very strong opinions without knowing too much about history and more importantly about current politics. For the person saying that Palastine was the Israelies land thousands of yeas ago and they have the right to take it back from the millions who lived there for at least the past 2000 years, Think about it this way, what if one day the US became weak and through some unforeseen circumstances the 'American Indians' who were scattered through out the world decided that they want "their land" back, with the help of other country, let's say Russia, they militarily succeed in getting back the US and all of us who live here in the US are turned in miserable desperate people with no rights and no voice to be heard, we are massacred whenever the Indians want because they don't believe that we should exist here and of course they would destroy our homes and take our land that we worked so hard for.. What would your position be on this issue as an American, would you leave your house and give it back to the American Indians?
Think also who is more of a terrorist, Hamas who killed about 10 Israelies, Israel killed about 800 people, half of them are children and women, is it Hamas who has home made inaccurate rockets that barely injures anybody or Israel who has US made tanks, rockets, airships and jets with precise bombs and rockets.
I will just leave all of you to think about this for a moment, and for another moment imagine yourself with your family living in Gaza right now..
Thanks for taking the time to read this

zelone add the deaths of israeli civilians who have died int he last 40 yearss in israel from terrorist attacks...now take one day in lebanon or gaza and it wont make half of what losses they have occured...Just because you use fancy words and disguise your propoganda with "facts" which you say are true...i just though of a good idea. Why dont u get a job at fox news..your bullshit will work well there. haha lol go watch the "damage" that is done when israel is attacked lol i thinks its like a 2 foot hole in the ground..they prove a point that israel is barbaric when compared to any terrorists in the world

Okay, people always look to all muslims as terriost, and in Islam it is agianst islam to kill innocent people, so those people who kill are not truly muslims, and those people do deserve to be punished. I agree ith the article a little that we support israel to much. And today we are supporting them and saying its okay to kill innocent civilians due to there leader. Today in gaza innocent civilians die, who havent done any crime, they lose ther husbands, there children, their wives, and family, but its okay to do so because there muslim, no! A lot of americans every since 9/11, have created a terotype that all muslims are terriost, when they are not, people single out a group of people. Truth be told there have been many terroist before 9/11 that were not muslim nor arab. I believe that if Obama and the united states throw some real ground rules there can be some peace between both countries. If we just let israel do what they please there will be no peace, and innocent people will continue to die. And hatred will continue to grow between people, in those areas.

The analogy used by an Israeli politician 'if a man was knocking on your door and threatening to kill you, would you only send one policeman, no you would send all your resources' or something like that is totally bogus. Fine send all your resources but why are you killing everyone in sight? I'll tell you why, because Israel is just as terroristic as Hamas. They also enjoy killing, murdering and bloodshed. Israel doesn't seem to understand that by killing innocent Palestinians they are creating a new generation of angry Palestinians who will seek revenge at some point. If they think that isolating them, humiliating them will make them good little civilians they are sadly mistaken. Palestinians are multiplying like rabbits and they are more determined than ever to have a homeland and freedom. When you take everything away from someone, their rights, their homes, their land, their dignity, their food etc... then guess what? you have put them in a situation where they have nothing to lose.

The analogy used by an Israeli politician 'if a man was knocking on your door and threatening to kill you, would you only send one policeman, no you would send all your resources' or something like that is totally bogus. Fine send all your resources but why are you killing everyone in sight? I'll tell you why, because Israel is just as terroristic as Hamas. They also enjoy killing, murdering and bloodshed. Israel doesn't seem to understand that by killing innocent Palestinians they are creating a new generation of angry Palestinians who will seek revenge at some point. If they think that isolating them, humiliating them will make them good little civilians they are sadly mistaken. Palestinians are multiplying like rabbits and they are more determined than ever to have a homeland and freedom. When you take everything away from someone, their rights, their homes, their land, their dignity, their food etc... then guess what? you have put them in a situation where they have nothing to lose.