Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Cut Off Israel Now!

We in the United States have been giving more government aid to Israel, an advanced industrial nation, than to all of Africa combined. In return, Israel goes on sporadic bombing binges -- this time to the south of its borders -- whenever it seems like good electoral politics.

The claim that Israel is acting in retaliation to rockets hurled by Hamas is
  • disproportionately absurd -- there's currently a 100 to 1 ratio between Palestinians killed by Israel and Israelis killed by rocket fire; and
  • false -- the four rockets were not hurled by Hamas but by the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The distinction that Hamas has is that the group won power in Gaza by election. That's a thorn in its side that the Israeli government can't abide.

The old argument that Israel was democratic and the Palestinians were not doesn't work here. No argument works except for a complete and immediate halt to this outrage.

We have the means to make it happen. Pull the plug on the billions the U.S. government gives Israel until Israel stops its military adventure.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wish Israel had a modern-day prophet of its own to tell it that it is a failed State.

(And saying this, I wouldn't mind if every Israeli made the USA its home.)

Anonymous said...

Hai detto bene -- basta!

Donaldo

Joan said...

I find myself in perfect agreement!

Anonymous said...

Here are a few thoughts that come to mind:

Hamas is the government in Gaza. They are responsible for what’s happening there. If they don’t do anything to stop the various other groups, like Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, they are accomplices.

Hamas stated goal is the destruction of the State of Israel. If their actions are consistent with that goal, then the Israeli reaction is not disproportionately absurd.

The thorn is not that Hamas won power by democratic elections. More power to them. Yet, there is the little detail that they are not ready to accept the existence of Israel. So, they see themselves in perpetual state of war.

Even the PLO and Egypt see Hamas as the (i)responsible party here.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the comment above.
People were recently killed in India just for being Jewish. Israel needs to exist.

Anonymous said...

I sincerely wish Israel to exist as well. To co-exist with Palestine.

I wish the death and injury was not so disproportionate...as long as either side is given to slay each other. In the past few years 1000+ Israeli to nearly 5000 Palestinian deaths; less than 9000 injured Israelis to over 33000 Palestian injured.

I wish I could "look up" to the Israelis, but I can't. On one hand Israel wants us to honor its Judaism, religiously and secularly (which I do) but all its done, as a nation, is to create a mess out of all it has been given.

Also, I can't help but be sympathetic to a people (the Palestinians) that is defending its own right to its land. Perhaps it is too bad that the Palestinians could not afford to build their own wall!

Anonymous said...

i think it might be wise to remember this is not a one-sided issue, however fashionable it may be to bash israel.

Anonymous said...

Wheels, fashion has to do with your mommy's gym, your diet and your lingerie, fashion has nothing to do with thousands dead.

Anonymous said...

The comments to this post illustrate the key problem with discussing Israel's bombing of Gaza: criticism of Israel's political policy and military action is viewed as an attack on Israel's very existence. It bothers me to think that by criticizing Israel I'm viewed as an anti-Semite. Fear of that label is why the US government continues aiding Israel.

BTW, I've come by way of Mad Hatter.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't care less about Israel. I do care about U.S. support of it, and that should end, now. Let them live or die by their own accord; stop wasting our precious resources.