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  1. @ drjb:
    It is sad to see so much hatred, intolerance and eagerness to use force as a solution to disputes. Someday the world’s remaining people will look upon our warlike behavior as “unevolved”, childish and archaic.

    The time has come for humanity to CHOOSE to consciously shift to a new state of cooperation, mutual respect and peace. Every major world religion recognizes that the human race is ONE race which honors and serves ONE all-loving God (it’s the human interpretation of that God’s will that is taking manking in the wrong direction of embracing fear, hatred and violence). Humanity is, when all is said and done, one contiguous family that must choose to work together AS FAMILY to solve both local and global differences and hardships.

    If nations and peoples don’t learn to solve their differences non-violently, humanity will not survive the global challenges to come — escalating climate change, which has not been understood and addressed quickly enough, is increasingly resulting in food shortages, outbreaks of disease and severely strained conditions for survival for most of the world’s people. If fear and self-interest prevent us from dealing non-violently with territorial issues and differences of religious belief, how will we deal justly and compassionately with the massive suffering that is looming? A radical shift in human consciousness is our only hope for creating a world society worth living in.

    “Birth 2012” offers the hope of making this evolution in consciousness possible. Can we not put as much energy into this positive effort as we put into the escalating and fueling of fear, contempt and self-interest? Can we not just say, “ENOUGH”.

  2. drjb Said:

    even at the expense of your own people??

    I am not on the spot and could not make such evaluations. However, a ground operations will mean many israeli lives. As Israel is always at war, and generals must evaluate casualty costs against gains in battles undertaken, perhaps it has been evaluated that the status quo with less lives lost is better than an all out attack that does not end in re occupation and resettlement. Sometimes I ask the question: under what scenario would a GOI re occupy and re settle gaza My only answer is after a major terror attack which costs many Israeli civilian lives and Israelis repudiate peace.
    It is a question similar to asking in earlier times: under what conditions will Jews return to Israel?

  3. @ drjb:
    drjb Said:

    Israel has hit 800 targets in Gaza, and yet has only killed 15 terrorists!!! Big deal, I say. Until they have killed 1,000 terrorist/Hamas fighters, as far as I’m concerned, they’ve done nothing.

    BB and Barak are essentially using the same tactics as they used in Iran. They were forced b the sheer volume of rockets and the attack on a military jeep from Sinai wounding 4 soldiers to respond. Elections are coming in two months and they could not afford not to respond.

    By attacking only military targets mostly in light populated areas few civilians and few terrorists were killed. BB does not want a repeat of what prompted the Goldstone report. No dead civilians no great uproar from the usually Israel bashers, would can they say. No massacres of kids and civilians, but no real damage to Hamas either. Yes we hit some rackets and launchers, assassinated some of the most deserving but the political leadership were left alone, untouched

    BB and Barak hope by threatening a ground incursion that this brinkmanship will force Egypt and Obama to intercede and pressure Hamas into some kind of a agreement to refrain from attacks for a year or two in order to justify Israel’s response. Again this is a political consideration. BB needs to show something for all our sorties and incurred expense which is considerable.

    Right now Israel considers Hamas the most moderate terrorist group in Gaza would rather keep the devil we have. Since Toppling Hamas would mean reoccupying Gaza Israel is faced with the reality that from time to time they will attack Israel and the effort now according to their logic and stated war aims is to force quiet for as long as possible by reestablishing a credible deterrent against Hamas and other smaller militant terrorist groups in Gaza.. Hezbollah has been quiet since the second Lebanon war 6 years now. Israel hopes for similar result in Gaza.

    A cease fire now will leave Hamas intact, minimal damage organizationally and with mot of thei rockets, launchers in tact because they were placed in populated areas in Mosques, Hospitals and schools etc. These were mostly untouched by the IAF and again that’s the reason so few Pali casualties.

    Egypt has to play ball with Obama and the EU because he is set soon to receive from the EU, Obama and the world bank some 6 billion Euros and dollars. This cash infusion is critical for Bankrupt Egypt and they can’t screw it up.

    Israeli lives count for little as can be judged from the timid to no response for Years of Rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza.

    Why Israel is fighting now…..

  4. Bernard Ross Said:

    the gaza rockets tend to fall in open spaces and then the Israelis tend to bomb empty buildings. Perhaps it is an agreed show to satisfy those on both sides who want action

    hmmm…..
    verrry interesting…

  5. drjb Said:

    or anyone else, please explain why Israel is so interested in preserving Hamas alive and operational,

    The day after hamas is deposed there will be talk of negotiations for a united “contiguous” palestinian state with a connecting link between gaza and the west bank. Right now there is no such talk. Perhaps the hamas provocation and the destruction of its weapons will enable it to stay out of any war between Israel and Iran. After all Hamas is apparently not getting along with Syria/Iran right now. I have always been curious that, except when during such actions, the gaza rockets tend to fall in open spaces and then the Israelis tend to bomb empty buildings. Perhaps it is an agreed show to satisfy those on both sides who want action. The power and authority of hamas is derived from its anti israel credentials which must be backed by some action or they lose authority to new foreign aligned groups. Perhaps they try to do the minimal to save face and maintain power. Perhaps this suits Israel and therefore they maintain them to keep the 2 pal areas divided and maintain the status quo

  6. @ Ted Belman:

    One reason t keep Hamas alive is to make it impossible for the peace process to go forward. Abbas doesn’t speak for them or hardly for any Palestinians.

    even at the expense of your own people??

  7. How can it be that 800 attacks kill so few?

    One reason t keep Hamas alive is to make it impossible for the peace process to go forward. Abbas doesn’t speak for them or hardly for any Palestinians.

  8. Ted,
    I’m not impressed.
    Israel has hit 800 targets in Gaza, and yet has only killed 15 terrorists!!! Big deal, I say. Until they have killed 1,000 terrorist/Hamas fighters, as far as I’m concerned, they’ve done nothing.
    Israel and Hamas will agree to a cease-fire and Hamas will be the big winner, because like Hizbullah, it fought Israel to a stand still, suffered minimal manpower losses, didn’t lose any of its leaders.
    Can Ted or Yamit, or anyone else, please explain why Israel is so interested in preserving Hamas alive and operational, even when doing so will cost israeli lives and will prolong the suffering of its southern residents. Hamas, in my estimation, can be eradicated in one day, without the loss of one single israeli soldier, if Israel aims for the jugular, if it bombs indiscriminately, rather than surgically. One day of serious bombing and they would beg for surrender!
    Like Yamit says, “napalm is cheap”.