Israel’s Righteous Fury & It’s Victims In Gaza
Ilan Pappe
Israel is engulfed once more with righteous fury which translates into destructive policies in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is engulfed once more with righteous fury
My visit back home to Galilee coincided with the genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza. The state through its media and with the help of its academia broadcasted a unanimous voice -- even louder than the one heard during the criminal attack against Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Israel is engulfed once more with righteous fury which translates into destructive policies in the Gaza Strip. This appalling self-justification for the inhumanity and impunity is not just annoying; it is a subject worth dwelling on if one wants to understand the international immunity for the massacre that rages on in Gaza.
It is based on sheer lies transmitted with a newspeak reminiscent of darker days in 1930’s Europe. Every half an hour a news bulletin on radio and TV describes the victims of Gaza as terrorists and Israel's massive killing of them as an act of self-defense. Israel presents itself to its own people as the righteous victim that defends itself against a great evil.
The academic world is recruited to explain how demonic and monstrous the Palestinian struggle is which is lead by Hamas. These are the same scholars who demonized the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in an earlier era and delegitimized his Fatah movement during the second Palestinian intifada.
But the lies and distorted representations are not the worst part of it. It is the direct attack on the last vestiges of humanity and dignity of the Palestinian people. The Palestinians in Israel have shown their solidarity with the people of Gaza and are now branded as a “fifth column” in the Jewish state; their right to remain in their homeland cast as doubtful given their lack of support for the Israeli aggression. Those among them who agree – wrongly, in my opinion -- to appear in the local media are interrogated, not interviewed, as if they were inmates in the Shin Bet's prison.
Their appearance is prefaced and followed by humiliating racist remarks and they are met with accusations of being a “fifth column”, the irrational and fanatical people and yet this is not a basest practice. There are a few Palestinian children from the occupied territories treated for cancer in Israeli hospitals. God knows what price their families have paid for them to be admitted there. The Israel Radio daily goes to the hospital to demand the poor parents tell the Israeli audience how right Israel is in its attack and how evil is Hamas in its defense.
There are no boundaries to the hypocrisy that the righteous fury produces. The discourse of the generals and the politicians is moving erratically between self-compliments of humanity the army displays in its "surgical" operations on one hand and the need to destroy Gaza for once and for all-- in a humane way of course-- on the other.
This righteous fury is a constant phenomenon in the Israel’s dispossession of Palestine which was carried out under the name of Zionism initially. Every act whether it was ethnic cleansing, occupation, massacre or destruction was always portrayed as morally just and as a pure act of self-defense. In his excellent volume, The Return of Zionism: Myths, Politics and Scholarship in Israel, Gabi Piterberg explores the ideological origins and historical progression of this righteous fury. Today in Israel, from Left to Right, Likud to Kadima, Academia to Media, one can hear this righteous fury of a state that is busier than any other state in the world in destroying and dispossessing an indigenous population.
This righteous fury shields the society and politicians in Israel from any external rebuke or criticism. But far worse, it is translated always into destructive policies against the Palestinians. With no internal mechanism of criticism and no external pressure every Palestinian becomes a potential target of this fury. The self-righteousness is a powerful act of self-denial and justification. It explains why the Israeli Jewish society would not be moved by words of wisdom, logical persuasion or diplomatic dialogue. Another name for this ideology is Zionism or an international rebuke for Zionism.
We have to try and explain to the world and to Israelis that Zionism is an ideology that endorses ethnic cleansing, occupation and now massive massacres. What is needed now is not just a condemnation of the present massacre but also delegitimizing of the ideology which produced the initial policy and justifies it morally and politically. Let us hope that significant voices in the world will tell the Jewish state that this ideology and the overall conduct of the state are intolerable and unacceptable and as long as they persist, Israel will be boycotted and subject to sanctions.
But I am not naive. I know that even the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinians would not be enough to produce such a shift in the Western public opinion; it is even more unlikely that the crimes committed in Gaza would move the European governments to change their policy towards Palestine. And yet, we cannot allow 2009 to be just another year less significant than 2008, the commemorative year of the Nakba, that did not fulfill the great hopes we all had for its potential to dramatically transform the Western World's attitude to Palestine and the Palestinians.
It seems that even the most horrendous crimes such as the genocide in Gaza are treated as discrete events, unconnected to anything that happened in the past and not associated with any ideology or system. In this New Year we have to try to realign the public opinion to the history of Palestine and to the evils of the Zionist ideology as the best means of both explaining genocidal operations such as the current one in Gaza and as a way of pre-empting worse things to come.
Academically, this has already been done. Our main challenge is to find an efficient scholar and speaker to explain the connection between the Zionist ideology and the past policies of destruction to the present crisis. It may be easier to do it while we are still fighting the most terrible circumstances to direct world's attention towards Palestine. It becomes difficult at times when the situation seems to be "calmer" and less dramatic. In such "relaxed" moments short attention span of the Western media would marginalize once more the Palestinian tragedy and neglect it either because of horrific genocides in Africa or the economic crisis and ecological doomsday scenarios in the rest of the world. While the Western media is not likely to be interested in any historical stockpiling, it is only through a historical evaluation that the magnitude of the crimes committed against the Palestinian people throughout the past 60 years can be exposed. Therefore, it is the role of an activist academia and an alternative media to insist on this historical context. These agents should not scoff from educating the public opinion and hopefully even influence the more conscientious politicians to view events in a wider historical perspective.
![]()
Despite the predictable accusation of anti-Semitism it is time to associate the Zionist ideology in public mind: the ethnic cleansing of 1948, the oppression of the Palestinians in Israel during the days of the military rule, the brutal occupation of the West Bank and now the massacre of Gaza. How this ideology allowed all the Israeli governments in the past and the present to dehumanize the Palestinians wherever they were and strived to destroy them.
Some of us who are committed to peace and justice in Palestine unwittingly evade the above debate by focusing on the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) -- the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Struggling against the criminal policies is an urgent mission but this should not convey the message that Palestine is only in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and that the Palestinians are only the people living in those territories. We should expand the representation of Palestine geographically and demographically by telling the historical narrative of the events in 1948 and ever since and demand equal human and civil rights to all the people who live in what today is Israel and the OPT.
By connecting the Zionist ideology and the policies of the past with the present atrocities, we will be able to provide a clear and logical explanation for the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions. It is also an effective way of galvanizing the public opinion not only against the present genocidal policies in Gaza to prevent future atrocities as well. More importantly it will puncture the balloon of self-righteous fury that suffocates the Palestinians every times it inflates. It will help end the Western immunity to Israel's impunity.
Without that immunity, one hopes that more and more people in Israel will begin to see the real nature of the crimes committed in their name and their fury would be directed against those who trapped them in this unnecessary cycle of bloodshed and violence.
Related Articles



January 20, 2009 10:50pm
First, I agree that Israel caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza with its aggressive military response. However, I am curious why Hamas originally fired several rockets in Israel proper. I realize they caused few casualties but why randomly fire rockets throughout Israel? Knowing their foe, Hamas must realize Israel eventually responds with devastating results and the Arab/Intl community does little in response. Firing rockets into the middle of Israel will cause a war.
January 10, 2009 8:51pm
"It is based on sheer lies transmitted with a newspeak reminiscent of darker days in 1930s Europe. Every half an hour a news bulletin on radio and TV describes the victims of Gaza as terrorists and Israel's massive killing of them as an act of self-defense." I didn't get to read your whole article, but I wonder if you are not seeing all the news coming out that is explaining the situation in Gaza and the different facets of the conflict. It might not be perfect all the time, but I would say there's a lot of coverage this time around. If you want I'll send you some news and analysis - its really important to have when people are so angry.
January 10, 2009 4:47pm
the citizens of Gaza have suffered blockade for months and now they find it hard to survive. Shortage of water and power cut. The israelis IDF can target hamas without the need of targetting innocent people if that was their real intention . The number of palestinians killed is far more than just accidental. The Israelis are not abiding by any laws of war . Only the United States can stop this act of aggression.
January 20, 2009 2:40am
I am not too fond of the comments this person has made on his youtube videos equating Israeli/Jewish people as Satanic, but the videos themselves are interviews and news reports from the BBC and worth watching - very sad. www.youtube.com And the denial by the Israeli representative of the horrors caused in Gaza... www.youtube.com Interesting how Israel tried to have one last go at attacking Gaza, removing as many Palestinians as possible in the last few days of the Bush regime and then suddenly stops the weekend bfore the inaugration?
January 20, 2009 10:14am
The first link did not work for "links of interest" - here it is posted again www.youtube.com
January 25, 2009 10:27pm
The comments are interesting. There are differences of opinions on what Hamas does and who they are. It is beneficial to understand the facts behind the idea of Hamas and why they have different approach than Fatah which has nothing to do with firing rockets. This is not to defend Hamas but according to them the fundamentals to start talking about peace is being violated by Israel in all aspects. Israel and their allies, including the surrounding Arab leaders are scrambling to make Hamas weak and make them look responsible for all atrocities, have they been successful yet? I don't know but my guess is that it has not been effective. The question in my mind is, still, what can we do, living in the West.
January 24, 2009 4:14pm
The man they call a terrorist... page link: www.imagebam.com _______________ Visit link below to download PowerPoint about Hani Download Link: www.sendspace.com
January 24, 2009 6:04am
In all the discussion here, I understand (but do not agree) with some of the comments. But what most disappointed me was the comment by Mdsr saying "...I am curious why Hamas originally fired several rockets in Israel proper...." This level of ignorance is unbelieviable. Mdsr - read/watch some decent media. Please. You embarass all of us
January 22, 2009 1:15pm
Answering the claims of Israel's supporters Since Israels recent attacks on Gaza, supporters of the Israeli regime lay the blame fairly and squarely with Hamas, who they label 'terrorists'. They claim that Hamas broke the ceasfire and it was therefore Israels right to attack back. However in November 2008, most of the Western press openly reported that it was Israel who broke the ceasfire. The Guardian headline read Hamas fires rockets after Israel kills six in Gaza and they reported: "Hamas militants fired more than 35 rockets into Israel today, hours after the Israeli army killed six people in the Gaza Strip in the first major exchange of fire since a truce took effect in June." Amnesty International also covered the breaking of the ceasefire in Gaza ceasefire at risk and wrote: "The killing of six Palestinian militants in Gaza by Israeli forces in a ground incursion and air strikes on 4 November was followed by a barrage of dozens of Palestinian rockets on nearby towns and villages in the south of Israel. The Palestinian attacks caused no casualties or damage, but there is a real risk that any further armed actions by either side would risk igniting another deadly campaign." The Times reported Six die in Israeli attack over Hamas 'tunnel under border to kidnap soldier': "A five-month truce between Israel and the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip was foundering yesterday after Israeli special forces entered the besieged territory and fought Hamas militants, leaving six Palestinian fighters dead and four Israeli soldiers wounded." Yedioth also covered the breakdown of the ceasefire in a piece headlined IDF leaves Gaza after op, 6 gunmen killed: "For the first time since the ceasefire took effect in June, IDF forces operated deep in the Gaza Strip Tuesday night in a bid to collapse a tunnel located 250 meters (273 yards) from the border and which terror groups intended to use for kidnapping Israeli soldiers." Haaretz reported the story with a headline entitled IDF kills Hamas man in Gaza clash: "Israel Defense Forces troops yesterday killed a Hamas gunman and wounded two others in the first armed clash in the Gaza Strip since a cease-fire was declared there in June ... Since the cease-fire, the IDF has launched frequent raids across the fence, albeit smaller in scale. The IDF is apparently interested in keeping these incursions low-profile, and they receive little attention in the Israeli media. Additionally, raids tend to be limited to addressing 'immediate threats,' as defined by the IDF." The New York Times weighed in during mid-December with this article Deadly Gaza Border Clash Threatens Truce: "At least six Palestinian militants were killed in a clash and an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 4 after an Israeli force entered Gaza for the first time in five months to destroy a tunnel Israel said it believed was intended for use in the abduction of soldiers." And again two days later with this piece Hamas Fires Rockets Into Israel: "The confrontations, following five months of relative calm, began to spike this month when the Israeli military destroyed a tunnel being dug toward Israel ... The Israelis said it was an isolated operation, not a violation of the cease-fire agreed to in June, and asked Egypt to pass that message to Hamas in advance. But six Hamas militants were killed during the tunnels destruction, leading Hamas to retaliate with rockets, which led to more closings and operations and then more rockets." Without a doubt, Israel broke the ceasefire and the calamity predicted by most news sources back in November has come to pass. Israel it seems, never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
January 22, 2009 1:11pm
The following article from Timesonline - William Sieghart WE MUST ADJUST OUR DISTORTED IMAGE OF HAMAS Gaza is a secular society where people listen to pop music, watch TV and many women walk the streets unveiled Last week I was in Gaza. While I was there I met a group of 20 or so police officers who were undergoing a course in conflict management. They were eager to know whether foreigners felt safer since Hamas had taken over the Government? Indeed we did, we told them. Without doubt the past 18 months had seen a comparative calm on the streets of Gaza; no gunmen on the streets, no more kidnappings. They smiled with great pride and waved us goodbye. Less than a week later all of these men were dead, killed by an Israeli rocket at a graduation ceremony. Were they dangerous Hamas militant gunmen? No, they were unarmed police officers, public servants killed not in a militant training camp but in the same police station in the middle of Gaza City that had been used by the British, the Israelis and Fatah during their periods of rule there. This distinction is crucial because while the horrific scenes in Gaza and Israel play themselves out on our television screens, a war of words is being fought that is clouding our understanding of the realities on the ground. Who or what is Hamas, the movement that Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defence Minister, would like to wipe out as though it were a virus? Why did it win the Palestinian elections and why does it allow rockets to be fired into Israel? The story of Hamas over the past three years reveals how the Israeli, US and UK governments' misunderstanding of this Islamist movement has led us to the brutal and desperate situation that we are in now. The story begins nearly three years ago when Change and Reform - Hamas's political party - unexpectedly won the first free and fair elections in the Arab world, on a platform of ending endemic corruption and improving the almost non-existent public services in Gaza and the West Bank. Against a divided opposition this ostensibly religious party impressed the predominantly secular community to win with 42 per cent of the vote. Palestinians did not vote for Hamas because it was dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel or because it had been responsible for waves of suicide bombings that had killed Israeli citizens. They voted for Hamas because they thought that Fatah, the party of the rejected Government, had failed them. Despite renouncing violence and recognising the state of Israel Fatah had not achieved a Palestinian state. It is crucial to know this to understand the supposed rejectionist position of Hamas. It won't recognise Israel or renounce the right to resist until it is sure of the world's commitment to a just solution to the Palestinian issue. In the five years that I have been visiting Gaza and the West Bank, I have met hundreds of Hamas politicians and supporters. None of them has professed the goal of Islamising Palestinian society, Taleban-style. Hamas relies on secular voters too much to do that. People still listen to pop music, watch television and women still choose whether to wear the veil or not. The political leadership of Hamas is probably the most highly qualified in the world. Boasting more than 500 PhDs in its ranks, the majority are middle-class professionals - doctors, dentists, scientists and engineers. Most of its leadership have been educated in our universities and harbour no ideological hatred towards the West. It is a grievance-based movement, dedicated to addressing the injustice done to its people. It has consistently offered a ten-year ceasefire to give breathing space to resolve a conflict that has continued for more than 60 years. The Bush-Blair response to the Hamas victory in 2006 is the key to today's horror. Instead of accepting the democratically elected Government, they funded an attempt to remove it by force; training and arming groups of Fatah fighters to unseat Hamas militarily and impose a new, unelected government on the Palestinians. Further, 45 Hamas MPs are still being held in Israeli jails. Six months ago the Israeli Government agreed to an Egyptian- brokered ceasefire with Hamas. In return for a ceasefire, Israel agreed to open the crossing points and allow a free flow of essential supplies in and out of Gaza. The rocket barrages ended but the crossings never fully opened, and the people of Gaza began to starve. This crippling embargo was no reward for peace. When Westerners ask what is in the mind of Hamas leaders when they order or allow rockets to be fired at Israel they fail to understand the Palestinian position. Two months ago the Israeli Defence Forces broke the ceasefire by entering Gaza and beginning the cycle of killing again. In the Palestinian narrative each round of rocket attacks is a response to Israeli attacks. In the Israeli narrative it is the other way round. But what does it mean when Mr Barak talks of destroying Hamas? Does it mean killing the 42 per cent of Palestinians who voted for it? Does it mean reoccupying the Gaza strip that Israel withdrew from so painfully three years ago? Or does it mean permanently separating the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank, politically and geographically? And for those whose mantra is Israeli security, what sort of threat do the three quarters of a million young people growing up in Gaza with an implacable hatred of those who starve and bomb them pose? It is said that this conflict is impossible to solve. In fact, it is very simple. The top 1,000 people who run Israel - the politicians, generals and security staff - and the top Palestinian Islamists have never met. Genuine peace will require that these two groups sit down together without preconditions. But the events of the past few days seem to have made this more unlikely than ever. That is the challenge for the new administration in Washington and for its European allies. William Sieghart is chairman of Forward Thinking, an independent conflict resolution agency
January 21, 2009 11:08pm
I am afraid between what YOU Say about Hamas and what Hamas says about Hamas !! , I have to go with Hamas's own words...., which I will post again for you below to read one more time! As for being peaceful and all, I am not going to take the time but if you are interested in facts , do a simple search on youtube and internet to see the footages of terror and killing that they have been doing with their OWN people, I mean Palestinians killing Palestinians....and no these footages were taken by Palestinians and not Israeli's and many not shown in western media. Just that fact that Hamas is in hoots with government such as Iran etc with worse human rights records, tells much about them. You want to blame one side, thats fine...the result is what we have seen: nothing, until we denounce extremism and terrorism (killing innocent people) by all sides... Article Seven: ..... The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem). Article Thirteen: Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. ... "But the Jews will not be pleased with thee, neither the Christians, until thou follow their religion; say, The direction of Allah is the true direction. And verily if thou follow their desires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee, thou shalt find no patron or protector against Allah." (The Cow - verse 120). There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with. ...
January 21, 2009 3:01pm
Muslims are suffering everywhere bc they have gone away from the teachings of true Islam. We live in a time of ignorance. Our so called Muslims with not much understanding of their faith go around calling those few who are fighting for the rights of the oppressed, 'terrorists' while they themselves are sitting around in their nice warm homes like hypocrites instead of defending the rights of our fellow Musims...brainwashed by the Western tactics and media and lack of their own faith, caught up in Dunya and then we wonder why Muslims are in the condition they are. Allah said when we go astray from our faith, He puts the disbelievers in power..from our own doing. That's why you have all these puppet regimes in Middle East letting the West rape our Muslim lands' natural resources, killing the innocent, all in the false name of fighting terrorism while they are the biggest terrorist network against the world and humanity. US govt and Israeli govt is controlled by Zionists. AIPAC is their biggest Washington Israeli Lobby that goes around the US recruiting future and current US politicians in brainwashing them about poor ole Israel and in lobbying against the Muslims and constantly reminding and brainwashing the dumb public about the Holocaust as if the Israeli govt is anything like of those who suffered. The media is very biased in US. They never tell you the whole story when all the other news in other countries stated that Israel's the one that broke the cease fire and started this war against Gaza. They kept going on about how Hamas needs to stop throwing rocket and killing innocent Israeli civilians and then Israel will stop. But Hamas didn't start it nor broke the Cease fire, Israel did. US govt and media are such hypocrites. Can't believe they want us to feel sorry for the holocaust while these same ppl do the same to another race. Such hypocrites are US and Israeli politicians and brain washed public who stupidly supports them. Who owns AIPAC? AIPAC members are all the rich Jews and Christians who own the biggest corporations, businesses, financial institutions, investment banks..who have crippled the US economy by stealing the money out of the US public by making them depend on RIBA/Usury types businesses while they kept getting rich and the rest kept getting poor. That's the tactics used all over the world. It's no wonder they have control over most of the world's money..and therefore they buy people in politics all over the world to do as they please. Thus is the sad condition of Muslims bc its leaders too have been bought out by such Zionists and our Muslims also have fallen for the same HARAM ways of RIBA based business transactions that have further put us in debt and begging stage at the mercy of these Zionists govts. Saudi Arabia didn't choose to build its own military power bc it taught it can buy the US military to protect it. What a shame.. they put all their money in US banks..Even if they were to stop the oil production to US, US has all their money. And US has the military power to attack them if they choose. They have forced the hands of all their puppet regimes to comply by Israel and US demands otherwise, they will stop funding them and put sanctions on their countries or bomb them. So, how could they come to the rescue of Palestinians when their own ppl were under the same risk? Such is the tactic control by the Zionist govt. Half the US population already knows that 911 was an inside job and the Zionist govt purposely orchestrated that in order to invade the Middle East, Muslim lands to occupy the oil rich countries. They talk about democracy here..but who can really bring US govt to justice? Who will dare bring the Zionist govt to be tried for War Crimes for their greed and power when those who serve the public are bought by the same people? They are worse than Hitler and bigger than any Italian Mafia. And those who tried to fight them or resist got labeled as terrorists or eliminated. And thus is US's so called War on Terror against Muslims... while they get away with genocide of Muslim populations, Muslim puppet regimes bought out with bribery, strip the Muslims out of everything. These messed up Muslim leaders are sell outs to their faith, their people and their responsibilities. And they too will be eliminated just like all the other Muslim leaders b4 them once the West's done using them. When will Muslims wake up??!!! Only when we become like the Muslims like the Sahabas and follow the true teachings of Prophets SAW, unite and work together, would we succeed. For Muslims in America, they need to mobilize their networks and communities to invite and get involved with US politics and inform them about Islam and its teachings and do public service work so we too can have our voice in what happens in Middle East. What better chance than now with a President who claims he wants to make peace with all nations, of all faiths and races. When we can win the intellectual war with the West, we can change the US foreign policies with the Muslim countries. And only when Muslims get to their senses of educating their own ppl and serving their communities would they be able to choose better leaders to run their countries. I know it's a long stretch, but God will help those who help themselves and are on the side of truth and justice for all humanity, not for selfish greed and power which today's world is run by.
January 16, 2009 10:18pm
The biggest front of this war is media. before internet, people believed whatever Israeli and American media told them, but now with internet, public is a bit more informed. There are discussion forms on news media like BBC and Usa Today etc. There are Isealis 24/7 defending there side of stories pretending like Americans and constantly ranting against Muslims and Palestinians. One quote from USA today is "Israel wants peace. The terrorists will never, ever allow that to happen. I hope Israel eliminates every nook and cranny that they're hiding in. I hope that the Gaza civilians give up all the terrorists and cooperate. It's awful that the cowards allow so many of their people, the civilians to perish because they want to eliminate the 'infidels'." Another one is "Advise to Gazans: Get real. Stop asking for your land back. Let others who know how to make land prosperous occupy and settle it. You occupied and settled that same land for a thousand years, but what do you have to show for it? Nothing. Not a state, not a nation, not a viable economy, and not even a rag-tag army. Let Israel occupy, settle, and manage your land." I think Muslims should start thinking of have their own tv station in the US. For now, at least there should be some people to confront propaganda on the internet where we politely present facts in reply of rantings against us because media and internet is what sways public opinion.
January 16, 2009 12:25pm
I think it is important to explain why criticisms of Hamas in the current crisis are unhelpful and in so doing bring the discussions back to the message of Ilan's article. First of all, the premise that Hamas are any more extreme than any Israeli government past or present is a nonsense. Hamas came into power in 2006. Palestinians have been denied a state and persecuted by Israel since 1948. Hamas rejects the idea or the possibility of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. Hamas' overarching goal is one Palestinian state within which Jews would be allowed to live as they have in Arab lands throughout history. This view is not extreme and is actually upheld by orthodox Jews in Israel. God-fearing Jews believe that the ultimate Redemption of the Jewish Nation will come about only through the Hands of God, and that at the time of the Redemption, peace will reign in the entire world. Any other type of forced redemption is but a sinful transgression, condemned by God and His Holy Torah. What more proof does one need than the fact that for centuries, Jews have lived peacefully in Arabic countries, enjoying the respect and friendship of their neighbours? The tragedy of Zionism changed all of that. The painful truth is that in the eyes of the Zionist government, Jews are merely the cannon-fodder needed for the State of Israel to achieve its agenda. The State of Israel has absolutely no connection with either Jews or Judaism. Furthermore, Torah-true Jews did not participate in the founding of the State, and for decades, have announced their disapproval and disassociation from the State of Israel at every opportunity. There are many organisations within Israel who upohold the view that the state of Israel should not exist including the Neturei Karta Jews nkusa.org. While Hamas is known in the West mostly for its ultra-conservative Islamism, its militancy and attacks on Israel, "up to 90% of its resources and staff are devoted to public-service enterprises" (according to Robin Wright in Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East (Penguin Press, 2008). Those include "a huge network of social services, schools, clinics, welfare organizations, and women's groups." The idea that Hamas are warmongers is also untrue. Hamas and Israel have negotiated on several occasions, albeit indirectly. Hamas has also recognized publically that conflict as a default position is ultimately self-defeating. Zionism, the ideological system by which Israel is formed is actually the most extreme element of the whole Middle East issue. Zionism is based on a system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. The belief in this system is why most Israelis justify the current killing of over 1100 people in Gaza. The righteous fury allows Israel to continue to kill people day in day out without seeing the truth of this action; murder, but rather a justified belief that everything they are doing is right and for the greater good of the state of Israel. Think about this - every day of this conflict at least 100 Palestinian people die and Israel sees the images of dismembered chldren each day yet it continues to bomb. Each day it justifes the next days bombing and now we have over 1100 dead Palestinians and thousands injured. If anyone has an ounce of energy in their body to argue they should be arguing for the end to this massacre and not for balance in laying blame with Hamas. This just provides Israel with more justification to kill more people
January 14, 2009 9:31pm
Zuhare: You are responding to an imaginary talkback, NOT MINE and how quickly without knowing anything about me, you start your labeling and accusations! Stop fighting with your presumptions and I suggest before involving in any political discussions to take an elementary course in how to read. Nothing of you said had anything to do with I wrote. Dear Ronstar: You are very right to explain the unfortunate situation of those living in Gaza as well as the fact that extremism begets extremism which is why Hamas is in power. Having said that and using your logic then an Israeli can also justify having an extremist government because of being faced with those who deny its existence. You see the vicious cycle never ends with choosing or supporting extremists on either side. History has proven that it hasn't worked in the past 60 years for either side, ......and won't another 60 years either. The solution is not in extremism. Elected or not, (Hitler was elected too - so was government of Iran in 1979 with 98% vote and they have sad human rights record - e.g.: they just stoned 3 people ) When a group in its charter chooses war as its only alternative, it can never guarantee victory but it is a fact that that by definition war brings :bombing, killing, death, suffering, injury... and what is happening in Gaza. Who wins or loses is not guaranteed but its consequences are. Israel's actions or not defendable but there is no wisdom in having leaders such as Hamas whose charter guarantees war and death . That is tactically, strategically, politically and from a humanitarian standpoint not in the best interest of Palestinian people and the final outcome is exactly what we see today, considering that the other side is also an extremist.
January 16, 2009 5:47pm
Thankyou for this excellent article. With Zionist atrocities continuing on unabated against the innocent and defenceless peoples of Gaza, Palestine - there has been a corresponding rise in anti-Jewish sentiment. Even this site is bearing witness to a great deal of anger directed at Jews. This article provides an insight and persepective into Israeli society and how adroitly it is manipulated by those in positions of power and authority. I pray that after reflecting upon this well-written piece, Muslims and non-Muslims alike will realize that Judaism is distinct from Zionism, and that there are many Jews all around the world who are in vehement opposition to that which is taking place in Palestine - Jews who reside in the State of Israel itself who brave the wrath of the authorities by bringing to world attention the truth as they see and live it. May God bless the followers of all three Abrahamic Faiths with unity and peace, and defeat the unjust forces ranged against them. Ma'Salaama
January 13, 2009 6:39pm
You are quite right to point out that Hamas are hard line. But we have to consider that Hamas were not only democratically elected but that they swept the Palestinian elections with a huge majority, holding 76 of the 132 seats. This prompts the question why would Palestinians feel the need to elect a hard line militant government? Well, it's a similar question to why do people become suicide bombers? The answer is, desperation. 1.5 million people live in Gaza, which is one of the most densely populated pieces of land on earth. The Palestinians of Gaza live wretched lives in comparison to their neighbours in Israel. They effectively live in an open air prison. Israel blockades all International borders, the coast line including restricting Palestinians from fishing in their own waters. Israel has an economic stranglehold over Gaza and a captive customer base to which Israel can sell its products. From its falsified history to its judiciary that "legalizes" the infrastructure of apartheid, Israel has persecuted Palestine since 1967. In 2005, Israel officially withdrew from the Gaza Strip. But the withdrawal did not end Israel's effective control of the Palestinian territory in all vital regards, thus inflaming Palestinian resentment rather than diffusing it. Israel continues to control the joint Gaza Strip-West Bank population registry, which means Israel gets to decide who is a Palestinian resident and who is a foreigner. Palestinians must seek Israeli approval for every individual who wants to move to the West Bank. The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was supposedly turned over to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel continues to control the crossing to the extent that it may bar entry to foreignersthat is, Palestinians who are not residents of the Occupied Territoriesor anyone it deems a security risk. Israel continues to maintain complete control of the movement of people and goods between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which Israel considers a closed military area off limits to anyone without a permit. West Bank residents are also forbidden from traveling aborad, including to the Gaza Striop, without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit. As far as trade is concerned, Israel controls the three crossing points in and out of Gaza (Karni, Sufa, and Kerem Shalom). Israel routinely closes the crossings to any exchange of goods, causing severe food and other shortages in Gaza. Israel still controls taxation and other levies in Gaza. On Nov. 13, a convoy of senior European diplomats was refused entry into Gaza. Hearing of this, Philip Luther, an Amnesty International deputy to the Middle East, commented: Gaza is cut off from the outside world. Israel is seemingly not keen for the world to see the suffering that its blockade is causing to the one and a half million Palestinians who are virtually trapped there. This letter from the father of a Palestinian friend, a UN doctor working in a Gaza refugee camp, gives a view of life in the Strip: "Anyone who monitors the quality of life in the Gaza Strip, which has been living under a tight state of siege for years, will be shocked by the situation. Unemployment has risen to 80 percent and more than half the people live on one or two dollars a day, far below the poverty line. As a medical professional, I am particularly concerned with certain harsh aspects of life for civilians in Gaza: First: There are tremendous health problems, which threaten people with death or life-long disability. There is a severe shortage in medicine and medical equipment. Hospital maintenance is poor, and X-Ray rooms, labs, pharmacies and operating rooms are desperately in need of attention. People with chronic and serious illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, unable to receive the appropriate treatment, have no chance of recovery" I could go on and on and on with examples including the countless women who have given birth at border crossings and their babies have died because the Israeli soldiers would not allow them to cross to get to a hospital. The bottom line is that over 5000 Palestinians have been killed in the last 5 years as a result of Israeli actions compared to around 15 Israeli's killed as a result of Hamas attacks. There is no justification for this huge loss of Palestinian life or for the hundreds of children who are now dying as a result of these latest attacks. If I was Palestinian I would have voted for Hamas too - we all need hope and Hamas provides the strength and resistence to provide hope to these people.
January 13, 2009 8:43am
Livelife2005 must be siding with the jews on this with his idiotic talkback. Imagine your self trapped in a huge jail cell. Gaza has been blocked off with minimal water, food, and all types of aid for a couple years now. Hamas is not shooting rockets at Israel just to do it. It needed to be done. The world is blind to accuse Hamas of starting this whole mess, when they do not think of how the people of Gaza have been living the last couple years. I was honestly upset that a muslim like Livelife2005 would even leave a comment like this. Israels right to exist could be in another country not in Palestine.
January 13, 2009 6:32am
Indeed the war in Gaza should end and the human rights violations committed by Israel must be condemned. But let's not also loose site of Hamas's role in all this. Already issue of Israel has been discussed in this article in detail so for some balance and without giving history and present of Hamas's role, I simply post parts of their charter which clearly shows that they have no interest in peace and only want war with Israel and war is what they got! After all they don't even recognize Israel's right to exist: Article Seven: ..... The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem). Article Thirteen: Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. ... "But the Jews will not be pleased with thee, neither the Christians, until thou follow their religion; say, The direction of Allah is the true direction. And verily if thou follow their desires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee, thou shalt find no patron or protector against Allah." (The Cow - verse 120). There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with. ...
January 26, 2009 1:49am
www.cbsnews.com /60minutes/main4749723.shtml The Tzipi Livni is the daughter of Yeruham "Eitan" Livni who was a terrorist or part of a Resistance movement - depends what you want to call it. It's interesting to see that "God" had ordered the settlement and removal of Palestinians from their homeland. The concept is the key pillar of Zionism (from Ben-Gurion in 1944): "Zionism is a TRANSFER of the Jews. Regarding the TRANSFER of the Arabs this is much easier than any other TRANSFER. There are Arab states in the vicinity . . . . and it is clear that if the Arabs are removed this will improve their condition and not the contrary." (Expulsion Of The Palestinians, p. 159) Thus Israel is based on and founded on the removal (or perhaps erradication of the Palestinian people), yet it is Hamas, and other groups such as Fateh that continually received the image as that of the aggressors and the Israelis as consistently trying to defend themselves from these people. The Israeli's rationalize that they have won the land in a war and therefore the land is their land and thus the Palestinians should accept their right over them. Afterall, this what God has ordained and prophesized.
January 26, 2009 8:16am
www.cbsnews.com
January 9, 2009 11:33pm
Dear Mr. Pappe, Thank you, shukriya, shukron for gracing us with your presence. You are truly a modern day hero. God bless you and may the Almighty bless you with strength, power and courage to continue the fight for truth. You're an inspiration to all peace loving, moral humans, the whole world over.
January 9, 2009 2:26pm
Dear Mr Pappe Your article is highly informative and inciteful. I think it is worth pointing out that the agenda of the Zionist state of Israel was set out after 1948 and everything we have witnessed and continue to witness between Israel and surrounding countries is the fulfillment of this original agenda. In his famous book "Der Judenstaat"(The State of the Jews) Herzl the founder of Zionism wrote that the Jews and their state will constitute "a rampart of Europe against Asia, of civilisation against barbarism," and again regarding the local population, "We shall endeavour to encourage the poverty-stricken population to cross the border by securing work for it in the countries it passes through, while denying it work in our own country. The process of expropriation and displacement must be carried out prudently and discreetly--Let (the landowners) sell us their land at exorbitant prices. We shall sell nothing back to them." I think that it is also worth pointing out that there are many voices within Israel who are oposed to the actions of the Israeli Zionist government. Orthodox jews who distinguish themselves from the Zionists through their Hebrew (non-European) lineage are vocal in their condemnation of the apartheid and ethnic cleansing we are witnessing at present Lubavitcher Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Sholem Dov Ber Schneersohn "Regarding your question about the Zionists, allow me to respond briefly. Those who assist the Zionists will pay at the Day of Judgment, because they are causing the masses to sin. Therefore, whoever is on the side of G-d and his Torah shall not join with evildoers and not become attached to them. On the contrary, they should oppose them as much as possible." Your friend in truth, Shalom Dov Ber from Lubavitch Unfortunately their voices are muffled
January 9, 2009 9:59am
The evil act of Israel against Palestine is backed by the West, that is why they have the nerve to do as they damn well please. Shame on Saudi for not doing the same for the people of Palestine! Cut off the oil supplies for one day to the West and the Palestine nightmare will most likely vanish. As a leading country, and the richest, in world of Islam, the government of Saudi is such an embarrassment to our faces.
January 6, 2009 9:27pm
Dear Mr. Pappe - When I read your book "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine", it was a revelation to me, confirming many pieces of facts I had learned. This article precisely points to the atrocities the State of Israel have been committing for the years. I am continuously puzzled as to why the world does not see the crimes of Israel. I am even more baffled that Israeli-Jews is in the forefront of these atrocity against humanity knowing their fathers faced similar life style some years ago. One solution offered by you in this article might be workable if all people of conscious take steps toward implementing as part of their daily routine. The more challenging aspect will remain to be the acknowledgment by the world governments to implement effective sanctions. It is obvious that Israel and Her allies are ignoring the UN Resolutions.
January 9, 2009 4:05am
Dear Respected Writer, Indeed the West will never utter a word against the Facist Israeli Governement,all the Western Governments are pro Zionist,Barrack Obamas first major appointment was a guy who has fought against and brutally oppressed the Palestinians in the fisrt Intifadah,the Israeli regime has no interest in peace. The Muslim Governments are also know pro-Israel-Egypt played its part in allowing this. Many people here in UK Jews Muslims and Christians are opposed to the oppression of the Palestinian Women,men and Children.You are right to spread the word and tell everyone the reality of what is going on,it is mainly blocked by the Western media,here in the UK they are giving more coverage to the spell of cold weather than the Genocide of the people of Palestine.The Western media in truth has a hatred for Islam and the Muslims. Please tell everyone to make lots of dua at night,nothing is more powerful than this. Thank you and keep up the humble work. What the BBC won't show: Israel Targets Children
January 17, 2009 12:06pm
Great article. Although I dont see how the suggested actions at the end can be implemented since the media is in Zionist hands.
January 20, 2009 2:33am
www.youtube.com 8&feature=related Please take the time to listen to the above. Jewish MP in the UK likens Israeli military to Nazis and Gaza and open air concentration camp. Note the following: "Israel was born out of Jewish Terrorism" and Tzipi Livni's father was a participant in the bombing of the King David hospital which killed over 90 people. Ms. Livni is the current acting Prime Minister of Israel. She is also said to have denied that there was a humaniatrian crisis in Gaza. See below: www.gulf-daily-news.com