Israelis Batter Gaza and Seize Hamas Officials

[Tom Joad]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/29/world/middleeast/29mideast.html?hp&ex=1151640000&en=587bf9b6cf7811d3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

People can read the full article from the New York times. Requires registration, which is free.

One bit of information I wanted to repeat, because when i stated it elsewhere it was challenged by uninformed posters, but is common knowledge.

From above named article:
"And there remains widespread approval for the capture of Corporal Shalit and Hamas's demand for an exchange, given that there are nearly 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, among them 95 women and 313 people under age 18."

Many Palestinian prisoners are held without charge. Sometimes children are held for suspicion of rock throwing at armored vehicles, or they are just picked up. Torture is common, and their occurance well-documented by human rights groups.

Boys, even as young as 12, are held in unsanitary conditions. If they are charged with rock throwing they can be held for one to four months. Their families are given the option of getting the children out, but there is a fine of 1,000 shekels ($200 roughly) (that can be 50 days wage for poorer Palestinians)

Not all the children locked up are actually guilty of rock throwing, but for those that are, some may see that as an appropriate sentence. It seems that rock throwing is encouraged by the Israeli authorities for one group in the West Bank, and illegal for another. Settler children (and sometimes adults) throw rocks at Palestinian children as a matter of sport. Even in the presence of Israeli soldiers, yet no action is taken. Signs of a system of disorder.

See the movie taken by internationals in Hebron of settler children.

http://images.indymedia.org/imc/washingtondc/media/video/11/stonedagain15june2006.mov

More about settler extremism in Hebron.
http://www.telrumeidaproject.org/

Israel is taking action that the above attack documented on internationals by settler children will not occur again. By barring internationals from the West Bank. (not stopping attacks against Palestinians). in the meantime, while Israel is planning to stop internationals from entering the West Bank, it is attempting to spin the tale that it is ending the occupation.

So on top of everything else, Palestinians will be denied witnesses to their plight.

[still_one]

1. when clinton left office the potential for dialog and peace

had never been greater for Israel and the Palestinians

What bush and his criminals did, is destroy all the progress that had been made by every president before him

Peace was very close, and these evil people spit in its face instead of continuing where clinton left off

DAMN THEM for what they have given the world, AND DAMN NADER AND THE OTHERS WHO HELPED HIM GET IN OFFICE BOTH TIMES

[Tom Joad]

2. You seem to be in a damn bad mood.

[still_one]

3. I sure am. It seems quite hopeless

if we don't take at least one house in 2006, I think it will be hopeless

If I seemed to be upset with you, I am NOT. I am upset with the last six years, and what is happened to our republic

[Tom Joad]

4. We are talking about Israel here. Not Kansas.

I don't hear any real dissent from Kerry or Gore as to how to deal with the situation. Seems like they back Bush's policy in that regard, which is unconditional support for Israel's action (Jimmy Carter has very different views)and total lack of concern for Palestinian rights.

I share your concern/anger about what Bush is doing to the US, and the world.
It is up to people-power to change things.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. hmmm....

Israel vs. Kansas. I was unaware KS was under constant attack and having buildings blown up with innocent civilians. Bad analogy.

[Hardrada]

6. Oklahoma?

[Behind the Aegis]

7. What about it?

[still_one]

8. I agree with you

and even though I have a bias for Israel, what Israel has done by arresting elected Palestinian officials can not come to any good

The U.S. is no longer a broker for peace in that region, but an instigator

You are right, Kerry has not expressed any real critisim on the matter, and Gore has a different mission, i.e. global warming.

but I do believe if any Democrat became president in 2008, they would at the very least push for resumption of the peace process, and a Palestinian state. It is time.

The biggest problem is we cannot wait two years. On a humanitarian level it is vital, but even more important, unless something is done quickly, the whole region will become unstable, and that could very possibly lead to a world war that will touch everyone for generations.

If we take back Congress there is a small chance that something positive can be done, but that is a long shot.