Juan Cole: Wiping Another Country Off the Map: Israel Does It to Palestine

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/25102-wiping-another-country-off-the-map-israel-does-it-to-palestine

The argument from Ahmadinejad’s use of the Khomeini quote was based on a bad translation. But it was also a logical fallacy, belonging, I think, to the family of “irrelevant appeals.” The Iranian leadership does not like Zionism or Jewish nationalism, and wishes it would fade away and collapse (“vanish from the page of time”). This rhetorical hatred, however, has nothing to do with military threats. Iran has no air force or navy to speak of and its military budget is in the same ballpark as Norway and Singapore. Equating hateful speech to an intent to launch aggressive warfare is silly.

Note that the current president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, elected last summer, doesn’t engage in over the top rhetoric and so there have been no attempts to demonize him and use him as a pretext for attacking Iran. Iran has the same regime, so the real difference in only that propaganda via ad hominems has become more difficult.

But after the last three weeks it is clear, in any case, who is in the business of actually wiping other countries off the map. The RT report below shows UN aerial photos showing entire neighborhoods in Gaza razed by the Israeli military. Over 5,000 building have been destroyed and over 26,000 have been damaged. This is a significant proportion of Gaza’s housing stock, and the Israelis want to make sure that the damage cannot be repaired. As the Gandolfo article makes clear, water sewage treatment plants aren’t working because the Israelis bombed the power station (this was deliberate; they knew exactly where it was). Babies have died in Gaza hospitals because their incubators ceased functioning.

[billhicks76]

1. I Trust Juan Cole

I do not trust Israel anymore.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Netanyahu supporters like to ask

'Would America allow thousands of rocket strikes on their country?', with the supposed understanding that the ONLY option for response was the false dilemma of 'nothing' or 'exactly what Israel is doing'.

If America was being rocketed by terrorists hiding in Canada or Mexico, would America respond by destroying all of the hospitals, schools, water plants and electric plants in Canada or Mexico, along with more buildings in that country than rockets fired?

(How is it that Israel claims that their missile strikes to destroy specific buildings are responses to Hamas rockets, yet they've destroyed almost twice as many buildings as their have been rocket strikes, as well as damaging roughly nine times as many? Can you say swatting a West Nile infected mosquito with a sledgehammer?)

Supporters are currently aghast at comparisons to the actions of prior WW2 enemies, no matter how similar some of the actions, so I guess it's time to brush up on history so that these current atrocities and war crimes can be compared instead to those of Mao, Pol Pot, Kim Jung Il or Un, and other bloodthirsty regimes so as to spare their sensibilities.

[toby jo]

3. Every news piece I've seen so far gives the same Israeli talking points.

I've yet to see a Palestinian speaker.

I hope the European press is giving their people a balanced view instead of the mash we're being fed.

[lovemydog]

7. BBC and The Guardian are more balanced,

imho. They're both available free online.
http://www.bbc.com/
http://www.theguardian.com/world

[Billy Budd]

11. There was a Palestnian in Hannity show

Hannity spent the entire segment screamin hysterically at the guest to call Hamas terrorist. He did not listen to the man he did not allow the man to speak. he just went hysterical .

Be aware of this
"Babies have died in Gaza hospitals because their incubators ceased functioning."

I would like to comment on Israel but I will have my posting privileges suspended because even here at DU one cannot speak about Israel....

[Botany]

4. Juan speaks the truth

[COLGATE4]

13. These maps have been debunked

here on DU.

1946 Map: Jews were not allowed to own land. Because of this jewish owned land does not appear on map. Misleading.

1949 Map: Shows West Bank (Jordan) and Gaza (Egypt) as Palestinian land. Misleading.

2000 Mao: Proposed in Oslo II. Never implemented. Misleading.

[Botany]

15. no they haven't

2013 new Israeli buildings on the West Bank



Olive trees owned by Palestinians being removed by Israelis

[stupidicus]

5. that's been known to the objective for years and years now

let's face it -- the Israeli supporters are using the same lame talking point/BS that we so often read and/or hear involving the rhetorical, etc, battles the actors in our political parties/ideology engage in, be they pols or pundits -- "both sides do it/both sides are equally bad" in word and deed.

It's nonsense that the totality of the facts thoroughly refutes in both situations refutes, leaving them backing the baddest guys --and hugely and disproportionately so -- in this one.

[Indydem]

6. Palestine isn't a country. Period.

Juan cole continues to discredit his opinion by acting as if it is.

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. And you might ask yourself ...

"Why is that?"

Bit that would require thinking beyond the "period."

[TransitJohn]

14. Yes it is. It's a de jure sovereign state. Here's the rest of the world who acknowledges that fact

Palestine is also recognized by the United Nations.

[GoneFishin]

8. And another lame supporter talking point.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. knr

[Iggo]

12. They learned from the best.

[Rhinodawg]

16. The man is a legend...

in his own mind.