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June 12, 2007
Gaza: Cease Fire Watch
Let's summarize the situation in Gaza, past and present:
1. Two years ago, Israel surrendered Gaza to the so-called Palestinians. Gaza became another Judenrein Arab state after 9,000 Jewish residents were forcibly expelled by other Jews.
2. The Arab residents of Gaza immediately celebrated their apartheid victory by burning the Jewish synagogues, looting every former Jewish home, and trashing the Jewish green-houses. Bye-bye potential commerce.
3. Naturally everyone blamed Israel for "unilateral withdrawl." As if there was a lot to negotiate.
“Um, let's see Muhammed, when exactly do you want us to commit national suicide?”
But y'know, it's Israel's fault when Arabs loot and burn. They're angry, frustrated, or maybe the poor babies just lack self-esteem.
4. Gaza is pretty much an independent State. Do the peaceful Arabs who only yearn to sit under their olive trees and recite poetry build an infrastucture? Do they pick up the garbage, set up minimal public transporation, provide ordinary municipal services? Do they even sit under their olive trees and recite poetry?
5. No, they do not. Instead they lob Qassam missles into Israel. Much more fun.
6. And that's Israel's fault too.
7. Why? Because those peaceful homicide bombers in Gaza are not allowed to step freely into Israel. The chutzpah of those Jooz. Gaza, the jihadists claim, is locked up like a prison, there is no hope.
8. Hellooo! Egypt? What's the deal with the Egyptian border? Oh, that's closed also? Wonder why? Could it be because the Egyptians are not so anxious to host their peaceful Gazan brothers who have a tendency to, um, sow violence and destruction wherever they go? See: Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, and natch Israel. By the way, there are 21 additional Arab countries that theoretically should be open to Gazans, so what's the problem? Oh, right, no infratsructure, thus no travel. Besides, let's be honest, if Gazans show up at these other Arab countries they will be shot on sight.
9. By the way, Israel is really locked up like a prison. Of the 22 Arab nations that surround Israel, only two quietly allow Israelis/Jews to enter their country. Very quietly. In limited numbers. Did you know that Jews are banned from stepping foot on Saudi Arabian soil. Henry Kissinger had to get special dispensation for his shuttle diplomacy. Whew, lucky us.
10. Finally: Fatah and Hamas form a unity government. In the Arab world that means torturing and murdering each other at an astonishing rate. But guess what?
11. It's Israel's fault.
12. It's always Israel's fault.
13. Jooz.
Anyway, here's the latest from Gaza after about a kazillion cease-fires. And everyone keeps telling Israel to negotiate with the very people who can't even respect a cease fire for more than 45 seconds.
Hundreds of Hamas fighters firing rockets and mortar shells captured the headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza on Tuesday, scoring a key victory in the bloody battle for control of the seaside strip.
Both sides said Gaza had descended into civil war, as the death toll from two days of Palestinian fighting reached 37.
Tuesday's battles marked a turning point, with Hamas moving systematically to seize Fatah positions in what some in the Islamic militant group said would be a decisive phase in the yearlong power struggle. The confrontations became increasingly brutal in recent days, with some killed execution-style in the streets, others in hospital shootouts or thrown off rooftops.
The conflict escalated further when the Fatah central committee decided to suspend the activities of its ministers in the government it shares with Hamas. In an emergency meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Fatah decided on a full withdrawal if the fighting doesn't stop, said government spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
President Mahmoud Abbas accused the Islamic militants of Hamas of trying to stage a coup.
A survivor of the Hamas assault on the northern security headquarters said the Fatah forces were outgunned and reinforcements never arrived. "We were pounded with mortar, mortar, mortar," the Fatah fighter, who only gave his first name, Amjad, said, breathing heavily. "They had no mercy. It was boom, boom. They had rockets that could reach almost half of the compound."
Battles raged across the Gaza Strip during the day. The staccato of gunfire echoed across Gaza City, plumes of smoke rose into the air from far-flung neighborhoods and one firefight sent a dozen preschoolers scrambling for cover.
In a sign of the heightened hostilities, both sides threatened to kill each other's leaders. A rocket-propelled grenade damaged the home of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and four mortar shells slammed into Abbas' Gaza City office. Neither attack caused any injuries.
Desperately trying to boost morale, disorganized Fatah forces attacked Hamas' main TV station, but were repelled after a heavy battle. The station later showed a group of captured men it said were among the attackers, blood streaming down their faces.
Many Gazans, pinned down in their homes, were furious with the combatants. "Both Fatah and Hamas are leading us to death and destruction," said Ayya Khalil, 29, whose husband serves as an intelligence officer. "They don't care about us."
No kidding.
To get the rest of the gruesome details, please click here
Also:
Fierce fighting spread in Gaza as raging street battles between warring Palestinian movements left 28 people dead on Tuesday, driving the territory closer to all-out civil war.
Alarm that the conflict would topple the Palestinian unity government sparked international calls for restraint in the latest bout of clashes between Islamist Hamas and the secular Fatah of president Mahmud Abbas.
In the northern town of Jabaliya, Hamas fighters stormed the base of the pro-Fatah security services, spraying the legs of fighters inside with bullets and taking control of the facility, witnesses and security sources said.
Earlier, Hamas's armed wing unilaterally declared "the northern Gaza Strip a closed military zone" under control of the Islamists who have been locked in a months-long bitter power struggle with Fatah.
For the rest of the body count, please click here.
Hamas and Fatah accused each other of starting the latest round of violence, and the Egyptian mediators said it was difficult to determine who was to blame. The deaths on Sunday were marked by their brutality, with two Palestinians thrown from the roofs of high-rise buildings in Gaza City. One was an officer of the Presidential Guard, loyal to Fatah, and the other a member of the Executive Force, which was set up by Hamas to counter the official, Fatah-dominated security services.
Oh yeah, give these people their own state.
Why not the Kurds? They've been double-crossed by everybody. How come nobody marches for them demanding a Kurdish state? Oh yeah, Turkey, Syria and Iran would quietly send out their agents and murder any pro-Kurdish protestors. Murder them horribly.
The Tamils of Sri Lanka? They invented homicide bombing. Surely that should get them some respect. I have yet to see one leftie going to bat for the Tamil Tigers. And the Tamils even have brigades of ice-in-their-veins female homicide bombers. I can see Berkley getting very hot for these twisted babes.
Tibet, surely the poor non-violent Tibetans deserve to have their state restored from the genocidal clutches of China? Oh wait, they're non-violent, forget them, if they won't fight for themselves do you actually think the left will? No way. The left worships "revolutionary violence."
What about the Basque people? Hey, they have great loony leftist credentials? They commit "political assasinations" and every few years set off a few bombs. What about their independent state? Surely the left wants to preserve their unique language? It's at least as important as, say, the Hoot Owl?
And let's not forget the Chechens. They want a separate state. Have wanted one for, let's see, hundreds of years. Before the Syrian Arabs started calling themselves Palestinians way back in the 60's. The Chechens are serious nationalists: Muslim, tribal, clannish, brutal beyond words. The ordinary Russian soldier would gladly offer up his you know whats rather than have to fight Chechen separatists. Why don't you ever hear about them? Oh, wait there is the Beslan Massacre. Other than the occasional atrocity no journalist is crazy enough to actually go to Chechneya. The Chechens have this curious little custom of kidnapping foreigners and then trading the poor shlubs like baseball cards. If no trade is possible, they just torture and kill the unfortunate victim. Nope, no one's marching for these guys. Not even other Muslims.
But no, not a peep about these other separatist movements; the world is mysteriously fixated on the earth's most dysfunctional society.
I wonder why?
Is it because their enemies are, um, Jooz?
Impossible. How crude.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at June 12, 2007 01:25 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
The only thing surprising about this, is our continual ability to be surprised by it.
Posted by: Juggling Frogs at June 12, 2007 03:00 PM
Juggling Frogs:
Not surprised, merely bemused that so many continue to carry water for these barbarians.
I am surprised that you can, y'know, juggle frogs. I have tried, on numerous occasions, and have failed miserably.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 12, 2007 04:02 PM
The world is totally obsessed with Israel, and almost as obsessed with the USA. It's extremely bizarre on any kind of rational level- I admire your energy to write about it, Robert. Can't imagine where it will all end. These days I just take the "religious nutcase" approach to things.
Posted by: Alice Bachini-Smith at June 12, 2007 05:11 PM
Alice:
Let's face it, it's much easier to attack the good than the bad. Safer by far. Israel and America support free speech. Part of 4th Generation Warfare is to undermine democracy. Attacking America and Israel is pretty darn safe—and fashionable. If you attack an Arab country you end up dead in a ditch with several massive holes in your body.
And oh yeah, whoever hates Jews also hates America.
My energy come from a white-hot fury at jihadists and those who enable jihad and those who ignore jihad and their enablers.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at June 12, 2007 06:46 PM
You hit the nail on the head, Robert. If the Palestinians, so called, were fighting the Druse, you'd never hear a word about it. Did you notice there was no media coverage of civilian casualties recently when the Lebanese army shelled the "refugee" camp in Lebanon? Imagine if Israel was shelling the camp. You'd have the staged dead baby extravaganza on the nightly news for a month.
Posted by: Mike at June 12, 2007 08:29 PM
Mike:
Yup, the so-called Palestinians are the luckiest people on the face of the earth. Their blood enemies are the Jews, the only people in the world who will not wipe them off the face of the earth—yet.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at June 12, 2007 10:32 PM
Right on, Robert -- I'm sick of the anti-Semites, too.
Posted by: Michele at June 13, 2007 01:02 AM
Michele:
The funny part is these Jew-haters get all indignant when you point out what they are. "Can't we legitimately critisize Israel?" they whine, playing victimhood to the hilt, a liberal specialty.
No, you can't—not when Israel is the only country in the world you endlessly criticize thereby selecting the Jewish State for special and usually false accusations.
That is classic Jew-hatred.
I have yet to meet a Jew-hater who admits to being the barbarian he/she is. They are always "anti-Zionist." And ignorant as dirt about the middle-east.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at June 13, 2007 08:14 AM
This is illustrated too by the Muslim war against Christians in Israel. Bethlehem, which was once a majority Christian city, is now majority Muslim. The Christians have been terrorized into leaving.
Posted by: kishke at June 13, 2007 09:56 AM
Oh, didn't you hear? The Christians are leaving Bethlehem in droves because of the Jews! It has nothing to do with persecution by armed fanatic Moslems. Pay no attention to that armed fanatic Moslem behind the curtain!
Posted by: Mike at June 13, 2007 10:16 AM
Let them keep killing each other. Perhaps a million deaths from internecine warfare will help educate the rest of the world.
Posted by: Jack at June 13, 2007 11:12 AM
It's amazing. You read the "facts" in the paper every day, but you will never see the journalists connect the dots.
Great post.
Posted by: psychotoddler at June 13, 2007 11:20 AM
Robert:
Political updates from the Holy Land:
1)Ehud Barak elected as Leader of the Labor Party
2)Shimon Peres elected as 9th President of Israel
3Hamas takes full control of Gaza
Ehud Barak the former lap dog of Bill Clinton attempted to return all of Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem to Arafat in 2001. The second intifada ensued resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Israelis.
Peres the architect of The Oslo Accords, winner of the Nobel 'Peace' Prize for bringing tragedy upon our nation.
Hamas the political representatives of the Palestinian people officialy elected to power one year ago. A terrorist jihadist organization who has consistantly pledged never to recognize Israels right to exist.
With Peres and Barak regaining political clout
the situation in Israel will only get worse.
Posted by: David at June 14, 2007 11:07 AM
David:
1. Barak is better than Peretz.
2. Peres' post is purely ceremonial. Perfect for the idiot.
3. I look forward to Hamastan. Finally, some clarity.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at June 14, 2007 11:52 AM
Robert:
Actually, Peres' post should only be ceremonial, but he will undoubtedly use his new found position to market his leftist views on every world leader he comes in contact with.
Not to mention the influence he can exert on the local political scene when elections roll around.
(Shas owes him big time!!)
Robert, don't ever underestimate this old political war horse he's been around. (And trust me he's no idiot.)
Looking ahead to the next general elections, Barak will most likely be a very strong opponent versus Bibi. Ayalon would have been an easier adversary.
I'm so glad you're looking forward to Hamastan.
We in Israel are most definitely not!! And Gilad Shalit' parents are probably not as pleased as you are with the recent turn of events.
I shudder with despair when I forsee an upsurge of suicide bombings killing our children, or when our young men are forced to fight and die in Gaza.
This past week will have great influence on Israel' near and distant future.
Posted by: David at June 14, 2007 01:36 PM
David:
I completely understand every point you have made. One really can't argue about the future.
Let me just say this: with Gaza firmly in the hands of Hamas, a proudly genocidal gang, it should be quite clear that the IDF must cut off all traffic to and from Gaza. Not even a mouse should make its way into Israel, much less a homicide bomber.
Gaza is The Fourth Reich and should be treated as such. There should be no ambiguity as to the intentions of Hamas as there was with Fatah and their infamous double-talk—so beloved by the Israeli left.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at June 14, 2007 09:42 PM
Robert:
I agree 100%.
Gaza should be isolated completely.
I dare to say that perhaps we should even cut the power and water for a couple of days.
No doubt the world would then claim that we are causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
I say let them drink sea water for a few days!!
Let them know who is really in control of their fate.
Posted by: David at June 14, 2007 10:11 PM