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Gideon Levy / Someone must stop Israel's rampant madness in Gaza
By Gideon Levy, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hamas, Gideon Levy, Gaza 

Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy

Someone has to stop this rampant madness. Right now. It may seem as though the cabinet hasn't decided on the "third stage" of the war yet, Amos Gilad is discussing a cease fire in Cairo, the end of the fighting seems close - but all this is misleading.


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The streets of Gaza Thursday looked like killing fields in the midst of the "third stage" and worse. Israel is arrogantly ignoring the Security Council's resolution calling for a cease-fire and is shelling the UN compound in Gaza, as if to show its real feeling toward that institution. Emergency supplies intended for Gaza residents are going up in flames in the burning warehouses. Thick black smoke is rising from the burning flour sacks and the fuel reserves near them, covering the streets.

In the streets, people are running back and forth in panic, holding children and suitcases in their hands, helpless as the shells fall around them. Nobody in the diplomatic corridors is in any hurry to help those unfortunates who have nowhere to run.

The handful of journalists trying to cover the events, despite the outrageous media closure Israel has imposed, are also in danger. The Israel Defense Forces Thursday shelled the media building they were in and now they are all crowded in one office, as fearful and horrified as the rest of the scorched city's residents.

The BBC's Arabic correspondent, furious and alarmed, swears hoarsely that nobody fired from the building or around it. Meanwhile, in our television studios, there is rejoicing.

Is this war a "corrective experience," asks Rafi Reshef, who seems diabolically delighted by the fighting. Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer tells him that the IDF and Israel Air Force have made great achievements. Nobody of course asks what is so great about these achievements except the killing, destruction and thousands of casualties in Gaza and the rockets that continue falling on Be'er Sheva - undermining every "achievement."

In the lobby of a luxury hotel, against the background of the horror show from Gaza, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni explains, with intolerable arrogance, that the fire will stop "whenever Israel decides" on the basis of "daily situation evaluations."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, standing beside her, breaks protocol and denounces Israel with uncharacteristic vigor for its attack on the UN compound.

This is how Israel now looks to the outside world - its tanks in the burning streets of Gaza; more and more people being killed for nothing; tens of thousands of new refugees; an appallingly haughty foreign minister, and a growing clamor of condemnation and disgust from all over the globe.

Whether or not we have accomplished anything in the war, now only the thirst for blood and lust for revenge speak out, together with the desperate longing for the "victory shot" on the backs of hundreds and thousands of miserable civilians - a picture that will never be achieved, even with another 100 assassinations of Hamas leaders, like Thursday.

All those who supported this war and all those who objected to it should unite in the cry, Enough.


Related articles:
  • IDF kills Hamas Interior Minister Said Sayyam in Gaza airstrike
  • Boy, 7, seriously hurt as Gaza rockets slam into Be'er Sheva
  • Rice cautions Israel over IDF shelling of UN warehouse
  • Palestinian sources: 'Iranian unit' of Hamas has been destroyed
  • Livni to set off for Washington for talks on Gaza cease-fire
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Disturbing trend
    Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records.
    After the war
    IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.
      1.   How many like you? 06:08  |  David Lang 16/01/09
      2.   "with intolerable arrogance" 06:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/01/09
      3.   The Crisis in Gaza 06:35  |  Gavin Young 16/01/09
      4.   Hamas could`ve stopped this 20 days ago 09:48  |  Peter Williams 16/01/09
      5.   let the fools understand 09:59  |  ashish 16/01/09
      6.   Fair game once more 10:19  |  Colin 16/01/09
      7.   Pity that there are not more people like you 10:23  |  Medo 16/01/09
      8.   noone will forget gaza 10:30  |  faizah 16/01/09
      9.   Gideon if the Gazans cry for ahalt to the rockets we stop the war 10:35  |  arthur 16/01/09
      10.   Thank again Gideon 10:37  |  Myles 16/01/09
      11.   The Demons of Gaza 10:47  |  Rob Livi 16/01/09
      12.   A Broken Record 10:51  |  benjamin 16/01/09
      13.   Please explain to me 11:27  |  Murad 16/01/09
      14.   Re #10 13:27  |  Michael 16/01/09
      15.   gideon 16:46  |  michhell 16/01/09
      16.   A voice of santiy 16:48  |  Don 16/01/09
      17.   God has stopped the rain 20:37  |  Arik Silverman 16/01/09
      18.   Thank you / merci / Toda Mr. Levy 20:41  |  David 16/01/09
      19.   #14 20:48  |  D.O. 16/01/09
      20.   Please, can`t we just give up? 20:49  |  Jewish VoiceforPeace 16/01/09
      21.   What if the missles keep flying in? 21:19  |  Giora 16/01/09
      22.   Gideon Levy 21:30  |  Jasper 16/01/09
      23.   #14 and others 21:35  |  Sean 16/01/09
      24.   To Haaretz: Somebody must stop Mr Levy`s blood libel 21:52  |  Robert 16/01/09
      25.   Robert, 24, is dangerously confused 23:43  |  Ivar 16/01/09
      26.   Gideon Levy`s Opinion 23:45  |  Rene 16/01/09
      27.   If Israel will stop fighting there will be no Israel 23:48  |  bee 16/01/09
      28.   Mr Levy should explain 00:04  |  Manuel 17/01/09
      29.   A rare voice of reason from Israel 00:15  |  Ziad from Lebanon 17/01/09
      30.   Colonized lands 01:38  |  Pasha 17/01/09
      31.   Always gets it right 06:36  |  Goddess 17/01/09
      32.   jew 06:59  |  jorge e toers 17/01/09
      33.   Stop this killing field! 07:07  |  nobody 17/01/09
      34.   Is the killing of children deliberate? 08:25  |  Seawife 17/01/09
      35.   Israels war 11:43  |  Anders 17/01/09
      36.   that victory shot 12:20  |  cool 17/01/09
      37.   Truth be Told 02:55  |  Zev Aelony 18/01/09
      38.   Arthur #9 03:06  |  Zev Aelony 18/01/09
      39.   War criminals 06:11  |  Janice 18/01/09
     Read & React
    Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling
    Responses: 44
    Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran
    Responses: 5
    Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements
    Responses: 28
    Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran
    Responses: 5


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