The 41st kilometer

#11 kol akavod emanuel !! you wrote the best reply of the talkback. But I ask to myself as a member of NGO which defends the right of animals : Give the right to retire for these brainless of two (Guideon and Amira)

They certainly have more in common with the Egytians, and were once ruled by Egypt. As they do not like or want any connection with Israel it seems the logical choice. Considering their open agenda against Israel, it seems rational that they look eleswhere and start to build their economy up, not based on UN and European aid but their own effort and self sacrifice. Expecting Israel to cooperate with a hostile goverement is unfair. There is still humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza (as has been the case for many years), but expecting the economy to be good, or functioning well, is simply stupid, it never prospers in such circumstance.Dire povery is always the result.

Seen what's there. Gaza - pretty damn scary. Ramallah - ditto. Hebron - don't let an Ethiopian Israeli headiing to Ramat Rahel get lost there by accident, or he might not leave alive. I've been there and seen it, and made up my mind. A Palestinian who wrote about the PA the way Amira writes about Israel would be most likely killed as a collaborator. That's why Hamas is threatening journalists and issuing its own press cards these days.

Amira, I realize how much courage and determination the stories you write take. BEING ONE OF THE VERY FEW JOURANLISTS THAT ACTUALLY COVER GAZA AND ARE ALLOWED IN THERE! It is a shame that your courage in speaking the truth is received by such naive readers. Keep it up, one day, your stories may help the fools consider the possibility that their brains are run by dogma. I am ahsamed of my own humanity that co-exists with such ugly treatment of humans and even uglier ideologies. I invite all Israelis to visit whats behind the wall and then make up their minds about Palestinians.

bbl: "You have continually missed the point that the Warsaw ghetto was based on what the Germans thought the Jews were up to and the Gaza situation is based upon what the Palestinians, in no uncertain terms, say they`re up to." Complete rubbish; "what the Palestinians say they're up to." "the Palestinians". All of them. They all reserve to be locked in a zoo, because they are all "up to this". You know, don't you, the Likud had (as far as I know still has) a policy that opposes the creation of a Palestinian state? Likud has been voted into office in the past, and will probably win the next election. If they *do*, bbl, will *you* say that "the Israelis", in no uncertain terms, say they're "up to" the destruction of the Palestinian people, and they therefore deserve to be locked up in a zoo? Because Likud, of course, ARE the Israelis, just as Hamas, of course, ARE the Palestinians. Appalling, bbl, and all the more nauseating because you are too dim to see it.

Hello Amira, I am going to write to the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times & ask them to look into this injustice against the students. They have already been screened and accepted by their perspective universities and there should be no reason to hold them--whatsoever. The other side of the coin here too is Israeli students are allowed passage all over the world and it's about time they become the focus of this injustice too. Don't you think? Dutch P.S. I will make other academics and student bodies aware of this too. It's so unfair.

I never said that the Palestinians are out to get all Jews. You couldn't find a quote from me that said so if you tried. You assume you know what I'm thinking because you have no depth to your understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian juggernaut. You assume that anyone who takes issue with what you write must think a certain way. I actually never even "justified" anything in this posting. I simply pointed out the ways in which a comparison between Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto was a poor one. You have continually missed the point that the Warsaw ghetto was based on what the Germans thought the Jews were up to and the Gaza situation is based upon what the Palestinians, in no uncertain terms, say they're up to. If you continue to deny that Hamas considers itself at war with Israel, you are simply too delusional to be discussing anything about Gaza. Also, you do realize, at least, the extreme irony of someone named "johnny..." whining from Australia about colonialism, don't you

As I said before: you have tunnel-vision and therefore can not even attempt to step outside that "vision". bbl: "I simply pointed out that Gaza is an entity that, by it`s own admission is at war with Israel. The Warsaw ghetto was filled with Jews who were Polish citizens who had no demands or designs on Poland or Germany. The fact that you think that the Nazi`s thought they did is not the point." No, that *is* the point I am trying to make; that the JEWS inside the Warsaw Ghetto had no designs on Germany is not the way that the GERMANS saw it; THEY believed (crazy tho it was) that world-wide Jewery was Out To Get Them, and so THEY believed that the Jews in that ghetto were simply Getting What They Deserved. What I am trying to point out to you is that you think the same way about the Palestinians; YOU believe they are All Out To Get The Jews and, therefore, you can justify penning them into a ghetto ie. they are All Getting What They Deserve. It is the same mind-set, bbl.

I actually respect the fact that you wouldn't refer to Jews as "animals". I don't approve the fact that in some messages here, Palestinians are refered to as "animals", but I think that in most of thoses messages, it's above all only an answer to Amira Hass because she tries to make Israeli Jews feel guilty for what goes on in Gaza. So in order to show that they don't feel guilty for the inhabitants of Gaza 's choice (Hamas), they use the image used by Amira Hass (zoo, a place for animals) with freedom, showing that they feel comfortable with this : - Zoo,you say,Amira ? Yes,zoo,so what ? And if they go further, it's because of Amira's way to consider the Palestinians as unresponsible people, to always find them excuses for their wrong choices, and to always accuse Israel, even for the Palestinians's faults. Such a "journalism" is a provocation, and many readers, even not racists, answer with other provocations, using the very same stupid idea that Amira wrote first.

Meir Or is it muhamed?Some people come to various forums with the most outlandish spurious names and think we will fall for it. muhamed/meir In your dreams 'ole chap,it is not going to happen.Even having just read your accusations bears to the fact YOU KNOW NOTHING ARE JUST P....G IN THE WIND...

Yonatan What happened to the robust Yonatan of 2006, comparable to the one we see here.You were and still are my favourite,but,I find you rather a tad timid.What changed your attitude Yonatan?Do we have to endure another WAR and same scenario for you to fire up our enthusiasm.You were just like WWACD at the time,and we will never forget thee.In point of fact when WWACD appeared some of us immediately thought of you Yonatan. Please forgive my intrusion,for we/me do not know the consequences whereby you have not been able to visit us at least occasionally. That you managed to remind the writer in your response " The Key".And for that I thank you. Some here forgot to mention in bringing this important subject-- up pertaining Gilad Shalit.I commend your contribution on this. Please,if you do read this,we still need you as much as the proactive WWACD to write more often and help us reinvigorate our belief and the constancy we crave at the talkbacks.

The City of Paris is 105,40 SQUARE KILOMETER and there is 20.433 inhabitants per square kilometer, Gaza is 360 square kilometers and there is 4.166 inhabitants per square kilometers where is the ghetto ???

I didn't say anything about genocide of the Jews. That's your fantasy with all the Nazi talk, silly man-child that you are. I simply pointed out that Gaza is an entity that, by it's own admission is at war with Israel. The Warsaw ghetto was filled with Jews who were Polish citizens who had no demands or designs on Poland or Germany. The fact that you think that the Nazi's thought they did is not the point. Gazans claim to want to eliminate Israel. The inhabitants of the Warsaw ghetto weren't claiming to want to eliminate anyone. Do you get my very simple point yet?

I know you are not alone in this Amira, but you still are Israels finest daughter. May the sun always shine on your path.

Yeah, yeah "Bambi" like the dude from "Scrubs" I'd rather be Link "the sink" from Prison Break but I'll let you have your dull witted fun. Just don't take it personally if I don't take the time to come up with a nick for you. I get it son, you checked a definition in a dictionary. We're all very proud of you. "You live in a world of your own, don`t you, Bambi? Read my "quiet, introverted lines" again. It isn`y always necessary to insult, swear or shout loudly to destroy an enemy. (;-) CF" I agree but what do your lines have to do with this hypothesis? You're not my enemy sport, you're a second tier sparing partner. You have to earn 'enemy'. :P God Bless Peace Through Victory

"3 quiet, innocuously introverted lines, almost apologetic in tone in response to a sound thrashing. Remember this next time you ask for evidence on getting your a$$ handed to you" You live in a world of your own, don't you, Bambi? Read my "quiet, introverted lines" again. It isn'y always necessary to insult, swear or shout loudly to destroy an enemy. (;-) CF

Amira Firstly I am bound totell you that the whole article is nothing but PATHETIC. The so-called zoo has been the result of the inability of the Arabs to try and use their brains instead of trying by means of not only to destroy eacH other,additionally trying to bring Israel to their level.Their only objective is the demize of Israel and they can rot in their zoo for anyone cares. Keep them on a leas Amira,after all you are the Zoo Keeper

Please, continue to report about the situation in the Palestinian areas.

A zoo in the civilised world is usually wellkept, clean, animals are getting medical care, proper nourishment and/or diet. Don't lower your standards by comparing the above with gaza. Gaza is a cesspool of filth, garbage,slums,built over years and years by palestinians, who have a knack in picking leaders(loosers)who know how to rip them off billions$$ ,built lavish villas, drive the latest in limos,go abroad for R&R or medical needs,and believe in ""democracy""like the stupid people they represent. And the stupid people prefer buildind bombs instead of hospitals,teach their children blow themselves instead of a college degree,slash the throat of their "beloved" for the HONOR (what a joke)of the non existant family,steal instead of work and pray 5 times a day to their worthless koran.And you call gaza a zoo?

Get one thousand of those Rachel Corrie dozers qnd raze Gaza.

3 quiet, innocuously introverted lines, almost apologetic in tone in response to a sound thrashing. Remember this next time you ask for evidence on getting your a$$ handed to you. Anyway Here's to a new day God Bless tiger Peace Through Victory

For a perfectly capable mind to descend to emitting such repetitive gibberish day after day, week after week, would make its owner a laughing-stock if it wasn't so sad. High time to put the tissues and the spittoon away and switch on again.

nada manages to throw so many terms into a post like filler and hopes they jumble into something cohesive at some point. Much guilt by association via terminology to get people thinking that there is actually some kind of linkage while downplaying any arab accountability and responsibility. nada has now reduced the arab "resistance" to firing firecrackers and some pin pricks. A typical example of the neo-revisionist struggling to sell an empty bag as reality just doesn't want to fit the picture. The absurd exaggeration of describing rockets as firecrackers comes from the everpresent overstating of the case that the neo-revisionists like nada are so used to.

Gaza could be Hong Kong or Singapore but the people residing there are more interested in killing than studying and improving life.Malaysia,a Muslim state could perhaps be an example for the people in Gaza.Unfortunately the animals have taken over the Gaza zoo and everything Israel can do to bring down the murderous regime in order to halt the cycle of violence is a mitzvah.

Thing is Walid an American passport or any other for that matter (and the protection that affords) does not get Palestinians off that UNRWA registration roll now does it. Refugees unto the next millennium. Don't see the Arab Emirates, Saudi ha ha and least of all Lebanon offering up passoprts. Let us try and work out why together, let me get my cuppa shai....

The border isn't sealed. If it was they wouldn't have access to munitions.

Just as the nazis had a goal of extermination of the Jews and rounding them into the ghetto was one stage in it, the Arabs cannot deal with the continued presence of the Jewish State of Israel. Gaza is merely an Arab construct and nothing more than a tactic, a failed one at that that their humiliation is unable to deal with. Videogameboy is quite the pedant as well, consistantly claiming that the arabs aren't saying what they mean or don't mean what they say, or whatever the flavour of the day is....as ling as the result is a do-over. hehe, talk about the tunnel vision of a zealot, the endless projecting of videogameboy has contributed to making him a laughingstock. sniffle sniffle poor guy

I think such independence would be recognized by almost no one. So it would be useless to the Gazans. To function as a state Gaza needs open (non-Israeli) borders. Their only hope for getting this is the international community pressuring Israel. But then they would have to stop firing rockets. As long as the Israeli raids continue this is difficult for them to do. Especially since the Israeli raids will continue unabated even if the rockets stop (look at the West Bamk). A cease fire would be a sensible first step but the Israelis have indicated on many occasions they don't want that. I must confess I see no good way out. Regards, Guido.

but don't sell yourself short I heard American requests for Lebanese visas (indeed, just about any visa that will get them work and residence in some fleabitten buttf#ck Arab country) is way up this year. Tell ya what We'll give back all of the WB if you give back some of Dearbornistan (the place where the "golly gee dream" came true.) you ungrateful $hit. Peace Through Victory

"I`M the Maverick" maverick n. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother In future, WWACD, I'll think of you as a sort of hamisher Bambi.

the Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to the realisation of Allah's promise, no matter how long that should take. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: "The Day of Judgement 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. The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that. Palestine is an Islamic Waqf land consecrated for Moslem generations until Judgement Day. Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.

Animals are running animals in Israel.

I read this with horror. In this feminised, medicalised world you ain't going to get away with it. If Goebbles were alive, he would be laughing his head off. But I admire Harretz for publishing it. Your unique courage tells me there is still hope for Israel.

Great posts, both of you!

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

That's quite unfair. Every zoo keeper I've ever heard of feels obliged to feed and care for his animals.

bbl: "In WWII there was no land dispute between Jews and Poland." You suffer the typical tunnel-vision of the zealot, bbl. What the Poles thought was immaterial, because "Poland" had already been dismembered; this was between the nazis and their enemy, the Jews, and the nazis could not give a rats-ass what the Poles thought about Judaism. And in *that* conflict between nazis and Jews then there was indeed a land conflict; the nazis were nutters - complete and total nutcases - and they DID believe this was a battle between *their* desire for living space and the *Jews* desire to subjugate everyone under a world-wide conspiracy. As for this quote: "Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors." Yeah....and? That is a statement that a Jewish and a zionist state called "Israel" must go. How do you get from that to genocide of the Jews?

After the Hamas involvement in the Red Sea resort terrorist bombings their Egyptian brothers obviously do not trust them. Along with the numerous killings of Israelis at the Israeli crossings,its called dirtying their own nest.

suicide bombers vs.israel bombs...who do you think will win?the one who value lives or the one who doesn't?

soldiers has give Hamas what they killed Israelis to achieve,a war zone. Not unexpectedly Amira forgets to mention the numerous killings at the crossings by Gazans.

the hamas and fatah.they curse israel and now God curse them.they're still homeless.why ?the financial aid they got from the world,just went to their leaders' pockets.their leaders don't care about them.

"The only way the Jews have control, is they have the US,money and arms..and always had... It was never a fair fight!" You need to review your history, EA. Israel only started to receive large amounts of US aid after 1970. Even then, the aid the US gave Israel was less than the USSR gave to Egypt and Syria. Yes, US aid figures prominently in the equation today. However, it is not, as you stated "always" been that way. For the period of time stretching from prior to Israel's independence to after the six day war, Israel's enemies were both better armed, better financed. After the six day war, well, the US went with the country that showed it was a winner. As for your other comment about "stolen homes and lands", you seem to ignore the fact that in the scramble to eliminate Israel before it was formed in 1948, Jews also had their homes and lands confiscated. Have you ever read about how the Jordanians acted in Jerusalem or the Egyptians in Gaza? Plenty of theft to go around.

We got a big zoo in São Paulo, my city (20 millions persons) and when the weather is hot, for example, some of them from frozen zone got ice in their jails. They have the best food ever and live in a large place. I mean, they have better life possible far from their natural inviroment. So, it's sad to say, but they got a better life than palestinians in the Gaza MADE IN ISRAEL zoo!!! Israel will be remembered by the history as the descendants (most) from a people which "lived" in the german-nazi-concentration-camp-zoo that, after, created their private zoo to another people. Shame and sad history....

Perhaps you need things more simply put. In WWII there was no land dispute between Jews and Poland. Jews were not claiming their own state on part or all of Poland's land; Nor on Germany's land. In direct contrast, the Jewish and Arabic populations in Israel/Palestine have been engaged in a battle over conflicting national aspirations for over one hundred years. That is a significant difference. Even you can see that can't you? As far as "demonstrating how I could get to what I stated from Hamas's positions, I will refer to their founding documents which state (and I'm quoting directly): "The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day." " Israel, by virtue of its being Jewish and of having a Jewish population, defies Islam and the Muslims." "Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors."

Are you suggesting we should "take a look at the way they evolved their Peace process" in solving the Israeli/Palestinian issue? 1) First the IRA had to give up ALL their weapons as a prerequisite for negotiations. I dont hear you spouting off about Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda and Fatah being aremed to the teeth. Where are you cries of outrage? Why arent you calling for them to be disarmed? 2) The British settlers werent forced to leave N. Ireland and to give it back to the Irish. Are you therefore proposing that Jewish settlers should stay in Judea and Samaria? I think Israel should indeed model itself on the N. Ireland peace agreement.

Gazans businesses , company , teachers , students are begging IDF to destroy Hamas and Fatah . Once done they would like to go to Arabs Gulf States ,

Everyone who blames Israel should look at a map.

If Israel (and other countries like Egypt) do not block the borders of Gaza to prevent smuggling of advanced weapons, then ultimately these weapons will be so powerful and numerous that Israel will be forced to use extreme lethal force to stop the missiles being fired into Israel. This would escalate into terrible loss of life in Gaza if Hamas starts firing long range missiles filled with bacteria and toxic materials that might kill a few hundred Israelis. But if Israel bombards Gaza as a desperate attempt to stop these missiles and if many thousands of Palestinians die, then the goal of Hamas will be attained: the Muslim world would then turn against Israel and possibly start a war against Israel. This is the goal of Hamas, and Hamas must be prevented from arming further.

Amira Hassa writes that (Gaza has)"seven gates connecting it to the world, all of which are sealed off almost hermetically." Scores of Hamas terrorists, Al Qaida jihadists, and Iranian instructors enter Gaza from Egypt constantly. Weapons, light and heavy, do so too. In this business is Iran, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria implicated. It would be too long to rebutt each and every lie Amira Hass is propelling.

The Nazi party was called National Socialistische Partei, the National Socialist Party....nothing to do with the socialist democratic party! There is a BIG difference betw. the two, but as an American, you hardly understand it.

bbl: "Did the Jewish leadership in the Warsaw Ghetto claim that their goal was to wipe Poland away and create a state of their own in it`s place?" Yet the nazi's justified their treatment of Jews precisely becaus they believed that there WAS a world-wide Jewish conspiracy, however ludicrous the claim. Your fellow zionists use the same trick here; Hamas' goal is to replace the existing ZIONIST regime with a single state of Palestine, and YOU turn that into a claim that they intend genocide against the Jews. How did you get from Hamas' position to your claim??? Now, I know WHY you make that claim i.e. it justifies Israel turning Gaza into a Warsaw ghetto. But I'm not sure you can demonstrate HOW you can get to that claim, any more than the Nazis could have back in WW2. Because you have to remember that the REGIME is not the STATE, let alone the people who live inside the borders of that state. Go ask Nelson Mandela; he'll explain the difference to you....

N: "But what happened instead? Rockets. Rockets, and rockets, and rockets, and smuggling, and rockets, and...need I say more?" You certainly do. How able ALSO saying that after disengagement almost all of the Rockets, and rockets, and rockets, were fired immediately after IDF incursions, and incursions, and incursions, into the West Bank to hunt down and kill or capture IJ or a Hamas militants? Or didn't you know that, Nechama? This disengagment plan *was* indeed intended to turn Gaza into a zoo so that Israel could ignore THOSE 1.5 million Palestinians WHILE it went about consolidating its grip on the REST of the occupied territories using the only tactic that the IDF knows; force. And the Rockets, and rockets, and rockets, were the Palestinians way of reminding Israel that they are under no obligation to work to Israel's game plan. I don't condone these rocket attacks but, unlike you, I understand why they are being fired.

Could you expand on your chrisitan anti semitic ideas you treated us to last night, you know the stuff about how we rejected christ and the possibility of perfection he offered us.Thanks I really learned alot.

The Social Democrates also elected Hitler. It took awhile for Democratic Nations to understand what was up with Juden Frei Germany. Juden Frei Gaza has less of a chance because of the experience of Nazi Germany, A cultural icon and a Democratic Nation that gassed Jews for being Jewish.

Hamas did chose to keep some of the crossings closed. In particular, they refused to allow goods through the opening to Israel because they were unhappy that they couldn't use the one to Egypt (which Israel does not control).

Yonatan hello Lovely tosee you here,and WWWACD which on one forum we thought it was your good self. Missed you terribly and please write often Shalom to You and WWACD And YES!Peace Through Victory!!

more intelligent??????probably,amira hass is blaming herself right now...saying,"I should have not put zoo in my article."

I'm certainly not a fan of Hamas. But, the people in Gaza deserve better than they currently are getting. Since the coup-countercoup, Gaza has been a seperate entity. Maybe it is time for the people there to recognize this and declare that they are an independent entity and sart to explore declaring independence. The PA has no interest in reconciliation. Israel is already treating it as a seperate entity. The US government wants to see the government there fall or a Biafra or Somalia to appear, with a popular revolt. (less likely than in Burma). So what are the implications of declaring a seperate state? Will things get worse for the people living there? That the PA is still in control is a fiction. Just as the Palestinians on the West Bank need a divorce from the Israelis (and vice versa). Maybe it is time for Gaza to formalize the divorce from the PA.

they were still in their habitat when israel left.now,the zookeeper is gone,the lion and tiger took over to control all of them.it's really bad,when animals rule....no organization and discipline.

in 1983during war between Iraq and Iran, Iranians army arrived in the explosions mains borders .The army did not have enough time to call to specialists Mains collectors, they come to conclusion to bring some donkeys to do their jobs .But when few donkeys went trough of the mains the others donkeys realized that what is going on and start to run away. In that situation the commander asked some volunteers from his unite. Many solders accepted and went trough of the explosions mains and became martyred .i hope you both get my point?

"If the arabs want israel to give up so much, they MUST prove they can keep to their side of the bargain...something they have never come close to proving before..." Shimon, Nothing is ever one sided. The problem has not been necessarily the Palestinians need to prove themselves as they kept the cease -fire agreement made at Sharms in 2005 for over 1 1/2 years while Israel repeatedly broke it daily with their incur- sioninto Palestinian towns during this same period and this can be verified from the Weekly Human Rights Reports too from the territories. In additon, you say the Palestinians are always talking on TV about killing Palestinians but it that any different from Israelis recruiting and enlisting young Israelis into the army to kill Pale- stinians from young ages too? I might add for all their talk Pale- stinians killed 10 Israelis in the last year whereas Israelis killed 457 Palestinians including 92 children. So much for actually talk- ing verses actually doing. it's very deceptive and requires a closer look at the facts. So stop turning up the fear factor and look at the reality. It can often be quite different as the vital stats show. Dutch P.S. Please see the URl below too. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtStEngPE.jhtml?itemNo=907708&contrassID=2&subContrassID=14&title=`Twilight%20Zone%20/%20The%20children%20%20of%205767%20`&dyn_server=172.20.5.5

So Gaza is a zoo now? Are you the monkey in the cage closest to the Israeli border? Or are you the snake in the glass cage?

they made their own zoo or ghetto.they're just plain rebellious.

Tosefta If the Arabs renounced violence (not Hudna for rearming that better serves them than us, seeing as we get our hardware in a timely fashion but a laying down of arms), we the Israelis, would be caught with our pants down bent over a table. They would kill us with kindness. The Arabs could then practically name their price. The world would fall over itself to scramble through such a window of opportunity (reasonable Arabs) unprecedented in Arab history. Even Micronesia would turn their backs on us if we then failed to hammer out a peace treaty. "You want somebody to suggest to hamas to simply stop shooting and let Israel treat them as it wishes" We treat them as we wish anyway. What do they have to lose? Peace Through Victory

israel can't trust them anymore......according to people I know...muslims are barbaric-chopping off heads,honor killing,hijacking planes,bombing us embassies,now the the most powerful weapons are suicide bombers,throwing rocks not just pebbles....those who support palestinians are blind.

I'm surprised at how little humanity is shown on this comment line....you'd think the Palestinians stole the land from the Jews.. The only way the Jews have control, is they have the US,money and arms..and always had... It was never a fair fight!

Israel has stolen their homes and lands..do you think you can get your mind around that fact? Are you so angry with them because they didn't want to turn their homes and lands over to you before you even got there... It's such a shame they were there before you.

this:palestinian media watch homepage.

who stole land...........the land of israel is the everlasting possession given by God to Abraham,Isaac,and Jacob.who chop off heads?who kill their sisters when they're raped?occupation?the palestinians are rebels?being a rebel to a country won't get you anywhere.what did they do with the financial aid they got?pop...the palestinians,they don't make decisions for themselves,they listen to their arab brothers to make decisions for them.if their brothers say,let's destroy israel,they do it.let's send quassam to their nearby cities,they do it.if iran and syria say,"we'll give you and your family, money[lifetime support],if you do something for us[iran and syria],they do it.they must go on,pop....forget about destroying israel and its people.they're just digging grave for israel,but they fall into it in the end.I have summary killings here made by arabs----not sure if haaretz will post them.

I might criticize the policies of Israel, but I would never refer to Jews as animals, as have more than one poster on this board. This is the face of Israel and unfortunately, many in the Jewish community, who have grown so accustom to dehumanizing Palestinians, they don't even notice it. Very sad situation.

The land of Israel will revert back to it's desert and wasteland when the Jews are not there.

ghetto.

who made it look like a slum?...............it's your own people,amira.

You are a sharp & witty clicker. Too bad these fools (one literally) can't laugh with us. Keep it up. Good stuff!!!!

israel is being choked off by its borders from all the much larger oil richer arab neighbors. jews cannot go anywhere besides certain territories within israel while arabs can travel anywhere they please. israel is only 300 miles across. the arab countries surrounding israel are 10's of 1000's of square miles in size. they control the air space and territory that enables goods to travel to and from israel. so where is the zoo now?

a simple fool. And wise enough to know it. :) Keep us posted on your achievements.

I Personally Know-- Someone in Gaza...who's been trying to complete the process to obtain a visa to get married (the citizen from the other country initiated the process for this person, so the person isn't just "showing up" asking for a visa)...& hasn't been allowed to do so. It doesn't matter if he's innocent, wants peace, isn't a Hamas, etc. member...they are all treated the same...BADLY! ...People with serious medical issues, students...who need to leave...can't. ...Etc. I Remember My Days In School-- And I know this must be HELL...for these students! Hell for the sick...all of them. There's So Many Other Abuses-- "We all know them"/there's not enough room. BUT-- This only makes...ISRAEL/JEWS look bad &/or people dislike them...& SUPPORT THE PALESTINIANS. Israel/Jews planned this...right? STUPID Planning. :)

Amirah is doing a wonderful job but your post too is an oasis of decency in a desert burning with hatred and fear.

Not just those two but many people posting here have wallowed in the opportunity to call Palestinians 'animals'. It is so ironic to think that exactly the same attitude was held by the 'master race' towards the 'untermenschen'. Surely these people can see that? But they just don't care.

How are you doing tonight my bog-trotting buddy? Why don't you grow a pair and address me directly instead of doing the proxy thing. Clickfook takes it in the chin but he does it like a man. What's your excuse, Shant boy? Y'know, harp, I've ripped into you in the past (under a previous nick) and you ended up turning to your wing men for help ("so and so is such a loser... I'm not going to respond to him anymore") and selling your views down the river to spare your ass from further whooping ("Aye laddy, I wish the Arabs would see the light. You're a good fellow Danny boy"). So what's it gonna be Mickey m'son? Is Paddy gonna be a man or are you still in the habit of hiding your posts in apocrypha and congratulating yourself on imaginary victories like a retard playing tic tac toe against himself? Oh yes Pogue I knew I had forgotten one Peace Through Victory

Haas give it a rest. Hamas has turned Gaza into an armed camp, an army base for the specific purpose of attacking Israel. Where do you come off painting your fantasy of Gaza as an Israeli created zoo? You are a flake and have absolutely 0 credibility except perhaps with Hamas who I am sure are grateful for your support. Enough is enough. You are an embarrassment to your people.

Smart lebanese like you that have a canadian passeport, and canada deoesnt even charge for rescue operations.The rest of us do!!!! HA HA HA

I thought it was the Warsaw ghetto or a concentration camp according to most.At least as a zoo, the residents can do funny little tricks for the tourists and get treats, especially from the euros,sounds like good fun for all!!!!

'Occupation' - try looking it up in a dictionary before posting your daft ideas here.

A free and economically successful Gaza would be in both Israel's and the Arab's interest, however it is impossible to achieve while the Arabs continually bomb S'derot and attempt to sneak into Israel to perpetrate terrorist acts against innocent Israeli civilians. Atleast for now Israel has the good sense to confine these murderers until Hamas puts an end to these actions. Israel is NOT to blame, Hamas is.

""The governments of Israel, the United States and Europe see the hermetic imprisonment of 1.5 million human beings and the final destruction of Gaza's economic infrastructure as a suitable answer to Hamas"" Dear Amira:what is your answer to Hamas ?? do you think that Israel has to be a non-existing entity?? they are endangering 5 millons Jews human beings.Including you.

First, it conveniently overlooks the fact that Egypt locked the Palestinians up in the Gaza Strip after the 1948 War. It ignores the fact that many Arab League nations make it very difficult for Palestinians to acquire citizenship and that many factions deliberately stoke violence in order to keep all of us on edge. Terrorist attacks keep people from being able to move freely, so does the refusal of Palestinian factions to renounce violence. Internal Palestinian violence makes Gaza dangerous and innocent people suffer; rocket attacks and other attempts to kill Israelis make life next to impossible for innocents on both sides. Honestly. Invective like Hass' is doing nothing to help us live together; it's just increasing the fog of inaccuracy, rage and misunderstanding. That means more violence, more pain and more war. Hass is irresponsible as well as innaccurate.

Just as there can be no progress without accepting responsibility for the "situation", Ms. Hass perpetuates the myths that bring perpetual suffering; that blame Israel, that keep an islamist propaganda machine well-oiled and churning out the saga of the "impossible dream",i.e., islamist mayhem from river to sea.

The real animal are the one who have created a zoo condition. The zionists are true animals who have lost their humanity for sake of profit. So be proud the jews of the world and see what they are doing in your name!!!

Excuse the "subject". In another article from Haaretz (US Jews losing their bond...") today I've picked up the fact that it seems it is quite OK here to refer to Palestinians as animals, as #3 and #6. My comments seem to have been censored - because in them I have innocently substituted 'Jew' for 'Arab/Palestinian', as in the subject field here. Vile racist abuse of Arabs/Muslims/Palestinians is commonplace here, but how the Jews like to squeal at a whiff of imagined anti-semitism!

The sons, grandsons and other relatives of the victims of the Nazi outrages themselves become the victimizers - it is beyond irony that Jews could not only establish such a regime on innocent victims whose only crime was to elect Hamas, but to provide rationalizations as to why these "untermenschen" should be treated this way.

"..closure was self-imposed by Hamas and its cohorts, to strengthen the militants and to spite Abbas and Fatah. Any attempt to open one of the established passageways to the West Bank, was instantly scuttled by bombing or shooting by Gaza militants"(Esther) This, Esther, is nonsense and you know it. Hamas did not impose closure on gaza - Israel did, sealing all borders, disallowing passage to Egypt, israel or west bank. You must not be reading haaretz if you dispute this. A hermetically closed area confining 1.5 M people, preventing goods from reaching in, exports from leaving, with but minimal "humanitarian" basic food aid allowed, IS an internment camp, or a ghetto. Were you locked in prison with no means to feed a family, all for daring to support a political party not approved by Israel, wouldn't you fire a few firecrackers?. There IS no comparison between what's being done to the Pals and some pin pricks on Sderot. Your post illustrates the disingenuousness of Israel's left.

North Korean leadership watched several million of its citizens starve to death as part of its political and economic plan. So much better.

Hi Clickfool--Having a little fun with the "man with the slipped disc". Yep, a true blue rabid zioinst,who cannot relate to reality so invents enemies. Wasn,t this WWACD missing for the last 6 months or so.Maybe he /she got his/her rear compartment handed to him/her. Do you think people like that have access to a particular brand of hallunigenic drug that creates the results we see here.Or is it in the "Jeans". Oh by the way, how come you get holidays.Shit I have to work double shifts sometimes.Depends on how many rabid Zionist show up. Regards

There is a very flourishing university in Gaza but like the rest of the world, Palestinians would like a choice to study elsewhere. Many are enrolled in universities around the world and prevented by Israeli from returning to them. Any wonder why some people think there should be a boycott of Israeli universities?

Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto fought back after 400,000 Jews were sent to the gas chambers. They fought the German army that came to collect the remaining 100,000. Israel puts up a wall to stop Palestinian suicide bombers from killing Israeli children. Rather than waiting for HAMAS to match the Nazi's body count, Israel holds the HAMAS warmongers from bringing in supplies for its pursuit of jihad and Jewish genocide. But rather than note this, Tosefta tries to push the old argument that Israel is the new Nazi Germany. How disgusting.

Comparing the IDF or Israel in general to the Nazis is simply outrageous. For one, the Jews in Nazi Germany did nothing to actually threaten the existence of Germany or harm the German people. This is quite different from the situation that Israel and the Palestinians face today. While I strongly disagree with the way a majority of innocent Palestinians are being treated in the Gaza Strip, those who are running Gaza are militants who are firing rockets into Israel and some want the destruction of Israel. Some security measures are therefore necessary along the borders and inside, whereas the Nazi's treatment of the Jews had no justification whatsoever. To say that Jews (to classify all Jews in any one category is ignorant in itself) want to treat their enemies as they were treated by the Nazis is simply irrational. Do not get me wrong, something must be done to fix the situation in Gaza, but there are still security measures that must be kept to protect Israel and her people.

Refer to the Israeli High Court of Justice.See case Beit Zourik v Israel 2056/04. Ruling of the court was that The West Bank/Gaza and East Jeruslaem are held in "Belligerent Occupation".Now that is a far cry from millie,s somewhat rose coloured glasses view of the occuaption. Now lets talk about the 40+ years of Israel,s criminal behaviour in the "Occupied Territories", For which she has earned the unmatched sum of over 100 UN resolutions condemning said brutal behaviour. Lets be honest. Isreal is rapidly heading for the Nobel prize for most hated and least trusted State on this planet. That is quite a distinction, but Israel has worked hard to win the prize and deserves it. Are you proud millie, to be in the limelight.

Decided that killing Jews was better than having them alive. That too goes for those who were living in the Arab world. Again, Israeli concern for its own becomes either weakness or denigrated. Rather than kill everything in Gaza to stop the Qassam rockets, Israel tries to limit its active violence. HAMAS remains wedded to its ideal of a Jew free region, and hopes to kill every Jew it can get its hands on in the end. But rather than turn Gaza into WWII Berlin post Soviet vacation, Israel puts up a blockade. HAMAS wants its war, and it has it. Perhaps its time you discuss that point with the Gazans.

You are indeed prone to exageration...even over-exageration! In the nature of things...OK, you can address me as before. I will not change you. When faced to posts of yours as before I'll just pass parole.

Millie in Tel Aviv, your definition of occupation is wrong. Occupation is a tool by which your people steal land from the the occupied people under the cover of security. People that are like you Millie are nothing but petty thieves and you have the added bonus of being a thief that believes in an apartheid Israel.

You are such an easy person to slam, because you are so ignorant of relevant Israeli/Jewish history, and you allow your hate towards the Israeli/Jew to dictate any responses to the columns.The reason for the Israeli responses to terrorist incidents resulting in more terrorists being killed is the effectiveness of the IDF.You so conveniently forget that the terrorists target the Israeli civilian, because they are soft targets.To equate the Warsaw Ghetto with Gaza is shear mocking of the innocent Jews who died during the uprising against the German army,as well as those who were sent to the extirmination camps.There is simply no comparison, but then why stick to the facts,when you can stick it to the Israelis/Jews.Using the reason of revenge for the Warsaw Ghetto tragedy against the people of Gaza makes no sense.There is a serious disconnect in your logic(if one can call your reasons logical).

Just as there can be no progress without accepting responsibility for the "situation", Ms. Hass perpetuates the myths that bring perpetual suffering; that blame Israel, that keep an islamist propaganda machine well-oiled and churning out the saga of the "impossible dream",i.e., islamist mayhem from river to sea.

of his/her destany. Even under socalled "occupation", the Palis had the highest quality life of any Arabs in other countries.The best beaches,shoping malls,medical care,Highest life expectancy, lowest mortality rate,excess to worlds best universities..... When i visited Israel in good times, there were no checkpoints,no walls...life was beautiful. Then palis decided to terrorize Israel, smart. They can not have it both ways. Now let them enjoy the zoo life. Period.

You want to know why Hamas has a problem with recognizing Israel. Well, can you answer these questions. 1. Which Israel should Hamas recognize? The Israel before the 1967 war or the Israel with the settlements dividing up the West Bank so that a viable Palestinian state has been made impossible? No one, as far as I know in either the Israeli or the US government as answered that question. Can you? 2. If Hamas ends hostilities against Israel will Israel end its building of settlements? Will Israel remove the settlements and the hundreds of checkpoints that make life so miserable for Palestinian?. Will Israel dismantle the parts of the Wall that have been built on confiscated Palestinian lands? 3. Will Israel also meet prior agreements weith the Palestinians? 4. Will Israel, as well as Hamas, do what it takes for peace?

Iraq: Sectarian violence, Shiite and Sunni Moslems killing each other daily Afghanistan: Taliban and Al Kaida violence killing in NY, London, Madrid, Istanbul, Bali etc. Lebanon: Shiite, Sunni, Christian sectarian violence assassination of Hariri etc. Darfur: Muslem Janjawid killing the poorest people in the world Somalia and Algeria: Islamic violence Arab Palestine: hams vs. Fatah killing each other Based on your logic Islam must be teaching hate, Child and poor Christian killing, food theft. Land theft (Darfur) summary killing. It is easy to find such conclusions from both sides but this will never bring in peace. If you really believe in peace you have to try to find the best on each side and come to a compromise. Defaming your enemy like you have done in your post is hateful and counter productive for peace.

If the shoe had been on the other foot, and it had been Jews that were given Gaza alone as Pre-State Israel, they would have developed institutions of government and education in preparation for complete independence. On the other hand, is ther eany doubt in anyones mind as to what would have happened to the Jews in 1948 if G-d forbid the Arabs had won? A secured enclave is not anyones' best guess.

Small and Kaplan are careful to disclaim any causal implications that might be drawn from their analysis: they are not saying that anti-Semitism produces opposition to Israel or that opposition to Israel produces anti-Semitism, only that the two attitudes will more often than not be found in the same individual: scratch an opponent of Israel and you are likely ? 56 percent of the time ? to find an anti-Semite. You know in your heart of hearts that, in your case, this is true.

From Stanley Fish's blog in the New York Times. I think it was written just for you: Charles Small and his Yale colleague Edward Kaplan have recently published an article in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, the title of which also tells its own story: ?Anti-Israel Sentiment Predicts Anti-Semitism in Europe.? What Small and Kaplan find is that ?Those with extreme anti-Israel sentiment are roughly six times more likely to harbor anti-Semitic views than those who do not fault Israel on the measures studied, and among those respondents deeply critical of Israel, the fraction that harbors anti-Semitic views exceeds 50 percent.? The authors conclude that, ?even after controlling for numerous potentially confounding factors,? ?anti-Israel sentiment consistently predicts the probability that an individual is anti-Semitic? and will say things like ?Jews don?t care what happens to anyone but their own kind? or ?Jews are more loyal to Israel than to this country...? Continued

It's the name the Arabs give to the attempt of the Jews to keep their people safe: they build walls to keep the wolves away from the children, they build checkpoints to make sure that those who pass through aren't carrying something to destroy the children. So who made the 'occupation' happen? Yes that's right: the brutal Palestinian terrorists made the occupation happen by rewarding and cheering those who committed terror against us. They could stop it but then they wouldn't get so much publicity any more crying and whining about 'occupation'.

You are no Jew.

Islam biased the views of many Arabs about the Jews -that they are used to dominate-,and about this palestinian land(when I write "palestinian",I don't mean Arab,nor Jewish; I say : Israelis are jewish Palestinians),that they are used to consider as an Islamic Waqf.But Islam will change step by steps,on the(very)long run.Note that I sometimes criticize very hardly Israel,even if I usually defend it.Sometimes I defend Pals.But I criticize them hard.Sometimes I think logical,and sometimes I express feelings(feelings are part of the conflict,and they teach something about it,and about the way we must discuss).My point of view is free.I don't think I'm always right,even if I know pretty well the conflict.I don't answer "attacks",unless arguments (right or wrong) are posted ; then I often can't resist the discussion,even if I seldom meet some1 discussing with an open mind! Thanks for ur post ! Pliz don't call u an asshole.Your post can't have been send by an asshole.PeaceT.V.and VictoryT.P.

Well done Wally. You now share a point of view with a smart person. You are a cool Arab soon to be denounced as an uncle tom and a quisling. Bygones? Now do tell: What practical, fair solutions do you have for the tough quandaries like the '"right" of return'? You have a)refugees, b)a state that will not (indeed cannot) absorb them and C) a fledgling nation that potentially could (were it but to renounce violence) I know why Hamas won't renounce violence: Same reason rappers pack heat. They are afraid of losing their "street cred". Gotta keep it real. What the hell are the Arabs afraid of? Israel has proven time and time again that there is nothing we can't do to them even when they are armed to the teeth. What do they have to lose by laying down their guns? Peace Through Victory

Amira Hess never misses an opportunity to criticize Israel and show her self hatred of her own people. She always find an excuse for suicide bombers and blames Israel for everything and cannot see the forest thru the trees when it comes to her beloved Palestinian terrorists who murder innocent women and children and celebrate after doing so.

Hamas has consistently, relentlessly with vim and vigor pursued the most deleterious path for the people they were elected to rule. Every time. No exceptions. You don't get more reliable than that Peace Through Victory

Hello ! You're right,I'm not Jewish.I'm Christian(a mix of Catholic and of kinda-Protestant) Better say I don't belong to any religion,even if I'm a "believer" (but don't ask me to define or "describe" God).I knew a few Jews many years ago,but I don't see them anymore -there were no problem,but such things happen,when you don't appreciate very much some people-.I went to Israel and in the occupied Palestine 5 (or 6?) times,between 1984 and 1992,if I remember well.I won't go back there untill things change.I'm attached to the Jewish people for other reasons that I would not write on such forums.But I respect the Pals'right to have a 2nd State (Jordan is the 1st)in GS and the WB and East-Yerushalayim.The problem is their misunderstanding that the Jews are a people and also have a right on this land,and that Arabs should have accepted to share to land -and even to give more land to the Jews than the ridiculous proposals made by the nations in 1947-.

There are laws and orders in the Zoo and animals do not hurt each others But in Gaza there is the law of 7 century

"Question for The Man With A Fine Opinion of Himself # 253" It's an ugly thing to see a man with no confidence begrudge another his self-esteem. It will come as no surprise to those that know you, that when cornered you simply lie. I'll allow for this tactic. Was it precious few weeks ago I schooled the living daylights of a senior citizen by the name of Ballistic. Schooled so hard in fact, that several posters sympathetic to her cause had to interfere and ask her to stop embarrassing herself. At this point she started lashing out pitifully at friend and foe alike before leaving for a week or so (the welfare case had allegedly just returned from a costly vacation - *wink*). She was sorely missed. "As everyone knows, I am paid by Haaretz to post here and rattle the cages of Zionist gorillas" Come clean and give them a refund for negligent malpractice in bad faith. You are the court jester I'M the Maverick God bless Peace Through Victory

WWACD, you are so lucky to have an American passport. It's the golly-gee dream of everybody here to have one.

sIshmael, You and all other Gazans knew Hamas was committed to an existential war against Israel, yet Gazans supported them wholeheartedly. What did you expect? Flowers from Israel? You didn't want "corruption" for yourself, so you voted for a terrorist party that wishes above all else the annihilation of the jews of Israel instead? I see many protesters in Gaza blaming others. I've seen many happy celebrations of grizzly terrorist carnage against innocent civilians. What I don't see is you, or anyone else from Gaza, protesting against Hamas. If you really only voted "against corruption", why don't you and like minded Gazans protest against Hamas' policy of destroying Israel? Why not protest Hamas' brainwashing of innocent children with Farfur's incitement to murder? Why do so many Gazans in polls support suicide bombings of innocent jews? It may not be easy to hear, and you won't be hearing it from Hamas, but gazans are the authors of their own sad misfortune.

I think you have it backward. The occupation is the result of years of terrrorism against Israel and the war in 1967 - the war that Nasser declared would eliminate Israel.

Which bastion of freedom would the PA most resemble if there were no Israel? Egypt? Arabia? Mauretania? Syria? Iran?

Well then, Gosh, maybe they shouldnt have attacked israel. Sucks that they lost. Oh well. Sucks to be them indeed. Next time, dont attack israel, and maybe, just maybe, u wont end up screwed.

If you want to go back FURTHER into history, then maybe think back to the insane amounts of ararb murderous bloodthirsty terrorism that took place even before the 1930s and well before there was a mass influx of jews! The hebron attacks of 29, the constant attacks on the jews living in the galil...all happened before any "occupation" so claiming its only israels fault is beyond historically wrong and ignorant.

You are completley wrong in your timetable, which is kind of sad concidering it wasnt that many years ago. There were no roadblocks when the intifada started. No walls. Nothing. Arabs traveled to jerusalem and had no issue getting to the mosque. Then, after turning down an amazing deal giving them everything they claim to have wanted including jerusalem, they started with terrorism. The attacks started completely unwarranted. They just started AND ONLY THEN, did israel have to start restricting movement.

gaza is getting what they wanted. israel got out of gaza, gave them agricultural pro'perties etc. and gazans first of all destroyed everything and continued cassams? what we shoul do? they openly are at war with us, the same as your miserable country- i do know what i talking about, i did see your criminal maronites, you cretin shias and stupid druzes. you all bunch of criminals traying to kill each other and killing much more than we in all wars, intifadas etc.

Let's see I wouldn't think that "Nicolas" is a Jewish name so you won't be traduced as a Zionist prevaricator for writing the truth. You may be denounced as our errand boy or accused of lying about your name though. Either way Though you are (of course) correct in your statements and analysis, this is probably the last cordial post you shall receive tonight. I suggest not to answer attacks (leave that to assholes like me). Just post the truth and move on Thanks for your time Peace Through Victory

many of the right fanatics may not like the truth to come out of the Prison/ZOO of Gaza, but many, many of us JEWS with good values do agree with your points, so I for one always reading your articles avidly, and wish you the very best in lives, one day your charitable work will make you famous. Take care my friend, may God BLESS YOU ALWAYS. Shalom

But it is the Israeli occupation that caused terrorism. As it has happened elsewhere (Iraq is the latest example), it is a logical consequence.

Incredibly, there are those who fault Israel for not dealing with Hamas. These people are propogating the notion that "Hamas is also a relaiable group, keeping their word" [sic]. Hamas has sworn to destroy Israel. They say any hudna (temporary peace deal) will only be agreed upon if it is a step to destroying the jews of Israel. They say they will never, ever give up until all of Israel is destroyed. Given their genocidal position, and their tendency to "keep their word", it's more than a little naive and frankly absurd to suggest Israel should deal with Hamas terrorists. Just another way to fault the jews.

"Decent Jews should go live elsewhere and leave the country to these cancerous degenerates." No, Walid. The cancerous degenerates should go live elsewhere and leave the country to the decent Jews. Who do you want as neighbors anyway? But then, Lebanon is full of both decent people and degenerates, too. Guess we'll have to put up with both. Now Behave Yourself.

"There I have no problem engaging you (other than the fact that whenever I hand you, Natalie or Ballistic your asses you take a week off the talkback to convalesce" In which parallel universe did that happen, WWACD? As everyone knows, I am paid by Haaretz to post here and rattle the cages of Zionist gorillas, thereby making them incredibly rich by boosting page traffic. I'm only absent from Talkback when I'm on holiday. As far as your posts to Natallie and Ballistic are concerned, I honestly can't remember a single one where you "handed" these fine posters their "asses". These ladies invariably mollysquash their adversaries. Are you drunk in charge of a PC, WACCD?

A very good and truthful description of our lives in this land MISS AMIRA HAAS, when I see the rights write that Gaza is now free, I wish they were here to appreciate what is FREEDOM. It is sad to witness the pettiness of some so called civilized countries to behave the way they are behaving, Just because a majority of Gazans were against corruptions and voted for change. When Hamas was voted in Democratically;Some countries like Israel and United States and the good Europeans Unions use their power & influence to punish ALL GAZANS, whether they vote for or not the HAMAS. My only wish is that I hope that ONE day they too will be receiving the same treatments from somone else.

"(...)the hermetic imprisonment of 1.5 million human beings and the final destruction of Gaza's economic infrastructure as a suitable answer to Hamas, at least until it falls. It appears that the Ramallah "government" agrees (...)" It's not Israel's fault is Arabs -Pals or others- usually have no political and law culture... For them,voting for an islamo-fascit party is a natural way to protest,and as they voted,they see it as "democracy".But a democracy is a vote for a democratic party,not for an islamo-fascist one. Pals say their biggest problem is Israel and that Israel is stronger than them,but if it was so, how come they promoted a party who wouldn't recognize Israel's right to exist as a State for the Jewish people -with minorities-? They don't take into account the Israeli point of view.They never changed their minds,still asking for a right of return IN Israel.That means Pals think they dominated Israel and can afford to ignore basic facts.They chose this.They got it.

Or maybe Arabia, the world leader in death penalties and religious discrimination? Or maybe the heavenly Islamic republic of Sudan. Or perhaps the pederast/sex-slave emirate of Bahrain? Oh, the choices...

Look, all the polls showed that the majority of Americans were against the American war in Iraq, even *before* the war. This is probably unique in the annals of history. This is a major point, but on the other hand, it failed to prevent the Bush war. The situation in Israel looks similar in this respect. Most Israelis do not care about and do not want to be spoon-fed with the usual propaganda and ideology (discussed in my previous posts). Amira Hass and a few others try to wake us up. So what more is needed ? What is lacking is a common direction. Tossefta's posts are quite sensible, including his political analysis of Hamas. "Hamas is also a relaiable group, keeping their word. Surprise for you, but true in reality. Hizballah is also reliable in a similar way. (Perhaps religiosity helps)." Perhaps religiosity helps. Theirs, that is. Not ours. This may be the source of Tossefta's personal problem with the religion of his fathers, but in a deepest sense, it is ours, too.

That's better ace This is your natural playground I can't be bothered to talk ideas with you because you have none. You merely regurgitate the same tired catchphrases again and again for no one's benefit, except maybe your own. But trading insults. There I have no problem engaging you (other than the fact that whenever I hand you, Natalie or Ballistic your asses you take a week off the talkback to convalesce and it gets very boring here( 'Clickfook' was a typo (look down to your keyboard young Skywalker) but since you liked it so much we'll keep it for you as an inside joke and a reminder of your paranoia coupled with your endearing myopic inability to see beyond your nose or read between the lines. Thank God that most of our enemies are Clickfooks and not Toseftas. Take care sport Peace Through Victory

Hick: The last resort of a brown man trying to insult a heterosexual Caucasian male. I'd rather be a hick (with the standard hick American Passport) than just another Arab in the ME. God Bless Peace Through Victory

i wish it were that simple, but almost every day, on arab tv, they are raising their children as murderers, they are saying that no matter what peace deal happens, they will NEVER give in to peace until all jews no longer exist in israel, and they are 100% serious. So being that is not an "if" but a definite, that arab terrorism at its worst will continue, israel MUST defend its citizens first. If that means not giving into arab terrorist demands, if that means not freeing more terrorists until israeli captives are returned, if that means not trusting murderers, than so be it. Would you trust a gang of murderers to be peaceful if they say straight to your face that they never will be!?!? I dont think you would. If the arabs want israel to give up so much, they MUST prove they can keep to their side of the bargain...something they have never come close to proving before

I agree with your post #124. And I believe most Israelis would agree as well, including your brief analysis of the Palestinian elections ("lose-lose situation"). It is true that the Qassams did not help.

...they would have had a state in 1948. Along with Jordan. So 2 states by now.

Shimon, we have to move away from the if, if, if , if world and find a way to settle this and somehow whenever we dig up history to understand a point, we end up opening another scar. It's a never ending cycle. Arabs and Jews have to stop looking back; it's all ugly back there.

Amira thrives on their dispair, making her antisemtitic fanbase in Europe grow for every onesided braindead diatribe she writes. Sorry Amira, but the Terror Crews turned Aza into a Zoo long before the moronic Hitnatgut, and even more so after.

Nietsche said if you look into the abyss the abyss looks back into you. You give your advice lavishly to all and sundry, Tosefta, considering yourself something of an expert in the matter, and in the process you expose yourself. You have very little insight into other individuals. You admit that yourself, but for some reason the knowledge doesn't prevent you from voicing foolish criticism on the basis of skills that you lack. I know that you enjoy making these pronouncements - another drawback - and you should learn to restrain yourself from signalling your weakness so clearly to all that read you with attention. It's good advice but of course you won't take it because of your prior judgement of me.

No, it is a self-inflicted prison, the whole world including Israel would like to open. Amira -- are you the one who will open the pandora's box? You sound foolish enough.

The Nazis closed them up there for them to die or before being sent to the death camps. Fortunately, this time the Jews can defend themselves from them. By the way, why did the Egyptians built a wall in the border when Israel announced the withdrawal?

Perhaps now that his head is raised off the bar he's ready to discuss the origins of his rabid anti-semitism. Certainly he's had time to surf the web and gather his information although it won't be on the usual hate sites he loves. Andrija Artukovic and Celestine Laine are a proud addition to your heritage along with the lads of Stalg 301, yeah yeah the glory days of yours. Whew, responsible for over 1,000,000 deaths between them and you're so quiet about it for weeks...come man, there is so much more to delve into that explains your bloodlust.

comparing the incomparable? Not long ago, you rejected my argument that IDF soldiers should not follow illegal orders just as the defense that "I was just following orders" didn't work at Nuremberg. You said that there was no comparison there because the Nazis illegal orders (to murder) were so much worse than the IDF illegal orders (to evict people from their purchased homes). Now all of a sudden it's you who are comparing the much much worse (Darfur) with the much less bad (Israel). Situational ethics, or just forgetful hypocrisy...

- Disengage from West Bank - cut diplomatic ties with the US - start negociations with Pals - Uva LeTsion Goel...

Walid, if the palestinians, for even one second, showed they wanted peace, that would be fantastic and i would be completely for it. But its not whats happeneing. Abbas, who doesnt control 50% of his people, is trying to say they want peace, while the other 50% scream for blood! If israel just picked up and left (a near impossible task concidering there are well over 250,000 people living in the west bank that you would demand should leavE), what happens, not if, but WHEN arab terrorism rises in one day, now in shooting range of tel aviv and jewish jerusalem??? That is not a risk israel can take and survive given that if the arabs keep acting as they have been, the odds they would be peaceful are slim to nill. If the arabs would prove they wanted peace, not violence, they would have had a state at least 15 years ago.

ah yes the good jews, the nice jews, lebanon's precious jews...you know the nice quiet jews who accept the slander coming out of his mouth. The nice jews who bend over backward to provide the elusive pound of flesh that he needs so badly. ah yes, the nice jews who listen passively to his equivocation and claims of equivalence. yeah yeah yeah do the occupation shuffle. Of course what do we expect from a guy coming from a failed state who glorifies a man who bludgeoned a jewish child to death. that's the kind of nice jew walid likes.

"why should you converse with undead?" Another name to add to my growing collection - thanks, 17. Having reached the dizzy pinnacle of being named as "666 - the Prince of Drakness himself", to be called simply "the undead" is a bit of a comedown. What you should try is the following website: www.woodenstakes-r-us.com (;-) CF

My dear milliemargie----You wrote---"He hasn`t uttered a word about the walls in Belfast. I suppose that putting decorations on them makes them less frightening." Some reasons not to mention them. 1, they are built in belfast, inside the,(for the moment) sovereign Sate of northern Ireland and not on anybody elses Property. 2, They are built with the mutual consent of the Citizens concerned. 3, As you seem to have a passing interest in Northern Ireland, may I suggest that you take a look at the way they evolved their Peace process.Or perhaps you prefer to just make war on the Palestinian People.We all know peace is not your "Bag". Btw when you drive them to the Jordan river, are you going to "Transfer the present Apartheid wall to there.You Will still need one.

It is the Gazans themselves who have converted the Strip into a zoo. The word "zoo" is proper since there are so many wild animals in it, willing to kill any kind of people.

into it , and call it as it is --a monkey crap playground she so adors.

Pop, I didn't mind the snide remark from WWBirdbrain because the guy is a hick and he is so dumb, he didn't get the West Virginia analogy.

"You might have done better to advise them to declare a ceasefire and actually to stop firing missiles for a certain period of time, pending changes in Israeli treatment of them. It would be such a shock to Israel to find them keeping their word" - Jasmine Jasmine, a bit of critical thinking might allow you to drop that Yes-manship and begin to understand things. Hamas wants a cease fire; they asked for it. Hamas is also a relaiable group, keeping their word. Surprise for you, but true in reality. Hizballah is also reliable in a similar way. (Perhaps religiosity helps). You want somebody to suggest to hamas to simply stop shooting and let Israel treat them as it wishes. Israel is motivated by ideology here, like Bush and Iraq. So make your own suggestions, but don't be surprised if you are discounted as somebody with any understanding of what is really going on.

I thought Israel left the Gaza strip or is it the fault of Israel that they left that Hamas turned Israel into a zoo. Ms. Hass, I will refrain from name calling but seriously you have some very serious problems. When in the world will people begin to take responsibilty for their own actions?? Well I guess like a drunks friend this will never happen with the likes of Ms. Hass and others.

A few things to remember: 1) As has been posted several times in this talkback, Hamas' charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Again, Why should Israel do them any favors? 2) Israel continues to supply Gaza with food, electricity, medical supplies, etc. With the exception of the UN and Red Cross, where is the rest of the world in supplying humanitarian aid? Specifically, the Arab/Muslim world? Perhaps implements of destruction are more precious and life-sustaining for Gazans than bread and water..

"I thought racism wasn`t allowed on this messgae (sic) board..." dot dot dot The suspense is killing me I wonder where she is going with this "...oh wait, it`s racism against Arabs. I forgot that that`s ok in Israel." ROFLMEAO!!! I see what you did there peacelover That was one funny/witty (damn was it witty) use of punctuation You're a real caution Keep on truckin' ese Peace Through Victory

you are the very soul of racism - in a few short words you manage to express all the antagonism to Israel and to imply that it's the fault of the citizens of Israel - all the citizens! Well done.

How would you like to live next to Gaza? You would have destroyed the place decades ago if you had to live next door to such barbarians.

Chief: What you did, or more likely did not do, in Wheeling is of no interest to anyone but you, the INS and ICE. Take care tiger Peace Through Victory

...oh wait, it's racism against Arabs. I forgot that that's ok in Israel.

I'd like to see the correlation between Gaza entry/exit traffic and pre-WB separation barrier traffic in 1999 and the number of piguim afflicting Israel in the following years. Compare those numbers to recent years which have been relatively incident-free. It seems that since the "zoo animals" have been limited in their ability to traffic and move, terrorist activities have been on the decline. It's very telling that Amira should even make such a crude connection between the Gaza and a zoo, but there is a (not so?) subtle truth behind the analogy. Either way, she is not contributing to anything useful and should be ashamed of herself for making such an analogy

Shimon, It is the Israelis who have failed to secure their state by not complying with international law and (1) accept a sovereign Palestinian state under UN Resolution 181; (2) and accept the return of refugees under UN Resolution 194. They can't ride into town 2,000 years later and talk about their rights over the Palestinian peoples' and claim their divine right to inherit the Palestinian peoples' homeland. This world is guided by established moral principles and laws its people embrace and expect others to abide by. Besides I fail to see who died and left them in charge of all aspects of Palestinian lives anyhow. God gave no man the right to dominate another and this is enshrined the first article in the Declaration of Human Rights too: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." In addition, I feel for sure Eleanor Roosevelt and her team of legal scholars must be shaking in their graves to see the way the Israeli court has failed in its duty to safeguard the Human rights of the Palestinians from tyranny and oppression as they noted in the Human Rights preamble: "Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law," So shame on the Israeli Court. It needs to reclaim the court's responsibility & accountability for Palestinian Rights & Israelis need to secure their future by ensuring a Palestinian state. Things works both ways. Dutch

This from wikipedia: "Her reporting is often sympathetic to the Palestinian point of view and generally critical of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians. In June 2001, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court ordered Ha'aretz and Hass to pay 250,000 shekels (about $60,000)[1] for slandering the Jewish settlements of Hebron, after her reports that they kicked, spit on and danced around the dead body of a Palestinian militant killed by police were found to be false..." Her bias is well documented. It's amazing Haaretz would continue to use someone they knew was found guilty of anti-Israeli slander. Indeed, they too were ordered to pay for her slander.

Israeli makes North Korea look like Disneyland compared to Gaza. Of course, Israeli's are not responsible for what they do...those Palestinians control your minds and make you do these things.

WWACD, sorry I got your name mixed up with radio station WADC in Pakersburg, West Virginia; its at 1050 on the AM dial and plays nostalgia stuff. When I was 16, I used to listen to an AM station in Wheeling that played country all the time. I'm not looking down on the good Jews, but I am the idiotic ones that are posting inanities here and tonight they are mostly from North America, but you in Haifa is an exception to that rule. Watch the surf.

Amira : It is claimed that you were pronounced "guilty by a J Court of lying with the malicious intent of damaging the reputation of the Hevron community " and you have been sentenced... Now then, this is a very serious accusation and you Amira: you are hereby requested to confirm to the readers of this paper whether this is a true fact. If it is, then you are a" malicious" correspondent who should not be allowed to work as a journalist anywhere in Israel.The decent thing for you to do is to get out now from Israel, never to return. I am sure Hamas will find you a post in the " zoo of Gaza " feeding the monkeys, that is if the monkeys will welcome you and accept you as one of them : wait and see ..

not that it will mean much coming from an unknown like yourself. I find that it is best to lead by example but you couldn't help yourself from telling this uppity Jew off, could you? I happen to think that you are an antisemite but I make no calls for people not to read or respond to you. (that might ascribe an unearned notoriety to your person) On the contrary. You are good for a giggle; plus, you personify the problem (outside that posed by Arabs) for all to see. Please Keep posting Without buffoons like you, people might think that prejudice and stupidity are extinct. Every village has it's idiot You have clearly been apprenticed to one of ours Welcome Peace Through Victory

It's the Gaza Game Reserve to Israel. They've got their hunt trapped in so they can kill a few every now and then.

He hasn't uttered a word about the walls in Belfast. I suppose that putting decorations on them makes them less frightening.

The truth is ONE,what comes in your articles is part of the truth not the whole , i know that you will keep going in your way wether dogs bark or not , may the Omnipotent bless you,you're the conscience of Israel, chappeau bas ..

not even I thought that humans could sink as low as these posters hate for the entrapped women and children of the Gaza concentration camps, yes Amira that is after all what it is. No disrespect meant in any way, but a spade is a spade.

Shimon, we can debate history from here till the day after tomorrow and we won't resolve anything. End the occupation and see how things would change. If you're the Shimon I think you are, you know darn well that I don't wish any ill-will towards Israel and if you're not, just forget what I just said.

Hirohito handed over his sword to signify unconditional surrender and a commitment to ending warfare. A complete capitulation would earn Hamastan renewal and rehabilitation. Instead, Haniya and gang keep on saying "we will destroy Israel" and they applaud every attack. Why should the victimized Jewish state worry more about "innocent" Pals than their own gov't? They can't expect economic integration while promoting belligerence. They crave independence, but feel imprisoned within their own national enterprise. Blame them for their own fate and stop blaming Israel!

THAT is a great summary of the situation Peace Through Victory

Another confirmed Racist; ""What the hell would you know about the good folks of West Virginia you halfwit DuneCoon!?" pay this fool, WWACD and his racist ad hominem responses no attention.

Victor/Paul what are you going to do about that Apartheid wall running down the middle of your long defunct 1922 Palestine Mandate.You had best get your ass down to gov hq and do some protesting before they give away your beloved "Greater Israel..Poor Paul.Living in La La land as usual. How much longer are you going to keep Victor alive Paul.When to you intend to dispense with him.After all he is costing you valuable time keeping him alive.Nobody believes you are not him. Boy what a dolt you are.

In words, deeds and at the ballot box, gazans chose war. War is hell. They are the authors of their own misfortune. End of discussion. The fact that their misfortune isn't infintely worse is due only to the restraint and humanity shown by the Israelis, who could have literally annihilated their sworn enemies without much trouble. Needless to say, the Islamic psychopaths would never be so restrained. Gazans, you want a better life? Choose peace.

Gil, you call it an autonomy but the way Israel is going about choking the life out of it and succeeding, it's anything but an autonomy. it could have been had Israel really wanted peace but it doesn't and neither does Israel's master, the US. So Israel squeezes a little more and the Palestinians get a little crazier which make the Israelis squeeze some more and so on. So you see Gil, Gaza is just a decoy at this point. The real movie is being played on the West Bank with annexations and roads that cut the West Bank in 2 pieces and a wall that is slowly stealing a bit here a and a bit there while everybody's attention is on Gaza. Masterfully wicked.

Apart from all differences in opinion, what to do with the fact that Amira Hass has been found guilty by a Jerusalem court of lying with the malicious intent of damaging the reputation of the Hevron community and fined her more than $60,000? What to do with the fact that she reported about Jewish-only roads in the West Bank, albeit it is well-known that Israeli Arabs are using these roads quite often to visit relatives and that some of them were attacked and even shot dead, and even a Christian monk who used them. How can we rely on this type of reporting and how can we know that it is not entirely bogus as was the case with the Hevron incident? To what use is posting if we do not know?

listen you fanatical fundimentalist so called christain.The good god if there is one will have lots of questions for you.If there is a hell, you will be there, if they take in snakes.You are a sorry excuse for a human being.What do you know about "True Christianity".

S, when I said "you" I was referring to the Israeli posters that will not tolerate that Amira write anything in favour of Palestinians or detrimental to Israel. I may be prone to exaggeration to emphasize a point but I don't lie. If you want that I no longer address you, I will respect your wish.

at least twice before, perhaps with variations. They have ignored you in the past. They will continue you to ignore you in the future. You are not the stuff of which international advisers is made. You might have done better to advise them to declare a ceasefire and actually to stop firing missiles for a certain period of time, pending changes in Israeli treatment of them. It would be such a shock to Israel to find them keeping their word that they might get something concrete out of it. But you wouldn't suggest that because it might be read as a criticism of the Gazans' bad habits - and that would never do.

that Jewish support in Israel is slipping away. Oneday there will be a tipping point, when that happens US taxpayers money will disappear. And so will the Zionist dream of a greater Israel and expansion to the East to create living space for the Jewish people.

"That is all the response an intellectual featherweight like you or Natalie deserve." Thanks for the chuckle, WWACD. I won't comment on my own intellectual weight - that's for others to judge - but as far as Natallie Durson is concerned I think you probably don't respond to her posts out of sheer fear. Natallie is one of the heaviest hitters on Talkback. She writes very well, marshals her arguments with clear logic, backs them up with facts and avoids the invective and childish insults ("Clickfook") you Zionists simply can't resist. In a debate with Natallie, WEACD, you would be like a one-legged man trying his luck at an arse-kicking contest.

...state in the middle of island called England. Seems half troubles of the world were originated right on that island. Clickass, take your advice and shouvit up ....

If there is such a thing as a zoo in Gaza, this has been designed and purposely constructed by Hamas & co for the welfare of their own people.Surely you cannot deny the fact that Israel & their Army totally withdrew from Gaza, so the zoo, if there is one, is obviously meant for the endangered species like you Ann.Enjoy your stay there, you will be looked after by the suicide bombers who cannot wait to go to heaven for all these virgin girls waiting for them, as promised

I did think that dude Wally was rather racist about the fine citizens of West Virginia. It was with distinct derision that he compared my post to their radio... Oh, I get it... You meant my playful jab at Wally being an oncouth backwater sand monkey with no frame of reference or moral authority to judge his betters. If so You can eat my a$$ with a spoon You don't like it, take it up with the censor I've seen Aussie Convicts and middle-class Eurotrash Brits say much worse on this page Peace Through Victory

Tripple Jump, Yes, give me the Palestinian people any day over the whimpy and tribal like Israelis. I have no desire ever to become an Israeli citizen but I shall be honored some day to receive a Palestinian citizenship. I have witnessed the courage and persistance of the Palestinian people and I have felt their love for their land and their deep desire to maintain and defend their rights as a people. Israelis in contrast have come across as wayward and many of the settlers come across as gypsies with no regard or respect for the rule of land or indeed for the land and assault its natural resources. They run wells into the ground. Did you know they guzzle down 20x the water Palestinians do and is it any wonder Palestinians water pumps run dry at times while they run sprinklers & swimming pools? Now it falls upon US tax payers to rein in these monsters as the Israelis have proven too whimpy to challenge their leaders and settlers and kick them out. Disgusted, Dutch

Walid, u say I should look at both sides, and i am. I know that busses from settlements used to go right through palestinian neigborhoods and stop to pick up residents very peacefully in the early 90s. I know that everything changed, not when israel did anything, but when arabs resorted to blatant acts of terror. Roadblocks and walls didnt come before terrorism, but the other way around. Anyone literate with access to a history book not written in Iran can attest to this.

Sir, If you are the real one why should you converse with undead?

No where in this screed does the word Egypt come up. The border with Egypt is wide open, and tons of explosives are smuggled in daily,as well as drugs and prostitutes. Natallie and Dana, you discredit yourself when you use the Warsaw Ghetto as a comparison, because we know that you dont think the Warsaw Ghetto occurred

Poor Amira describes the failings of hamas and how the thugs have contributed to a deteriorating situation in gaza and calls it a zoo. Of course the accountability and responsibility of governance doesn't belong to Arabs as Amira is only to happily condescending to expect them to know better. She and the rest of the arabist apologists are blind to their own racism hiding behind the cloak of hollow moral outrage. They expect so little of the Arabs that like children who rely on their parents for everything, they naturally assume the Arabs rely on Israel for everything. Of course reality not living up to their neo-revisionism leaves them no choice but to take this tack. Otherwise they would have to admit the Arabs just don't have the Right Stuff.

the difference between the jews of warsaw and the palestinians of gaza is the palestinians have a choice. they chose to elect terrorists to run their government, they chose to launch rockets on a daily basis, they chose to buy weapons and not computers and books. they have chosen their fate.

Walid, the major difference, is that Deir Yassin is desputed as to what took palce there, where arabs assending on jewish neighbors in the 1920s and brutally murdering childred, along with the constant arab attacks on jews facilitated by the brittish themselves are well documented and not desputed at all. PLUS, lets not forget that the attacks on the jews werent part of any war or even a war time, but were nothing but disgusting and brutal attacks with no backing whatsoever. Its not a very good comparison, EVEN if what you think happened at Deir Yassin, and might actually have happened, did happen.

Walid Hello about DIR YASSIN Sorry, But this is a MOVIE you have to SEE As a Palestinian Jew I know it, but most Israeli Jews don?t, It seems that the ARABS side doesn?t as well, since you posted the Name DIR YASSIN, I am glad someone finely had the cordage on the Arab side to make this MOVIE, Telling what really happened in DIR YASSIN, Please look at the MOVIE, and I expect to hear from you, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5UKatDUbk What I can tell you if this story wouldn?t have been published as it did, History I believe would have looked much different! Gil

Gaza is perhaps a zoo in that the world ascribes the same amount of responsibility to the Arabs that live there as they would to animals. Like animals in a zoo, they expect the keepers (the world) to feed and care for them without giving anything in return. Like animals, they are chided as "not knowing better" when they constantly bite the hand that feeds them. And another thing: Like with an animal, I would never trust a Gazan Arab enough to turn my back on one. Peace Through Victory

Israel supplied the protective barrier, but the Palestinians supplied the animals.

Amira Hass claims there are 1.5 million palestinians in a zoo in Gaza .But why are they living in a zoo? and if they are , is it not self inflicted ? Can the lady denies the daily bombardments of rockets & kayutchas from Gaza into Israeli territories? and what responses does she expect from Israel ? just to sit quietly waiting for more bombings ? and why ? just to please that silly Amira ?

"What the hell would you know about the good folks of West Virginia you halfwit DuneCoon!?" Another undisputable example of racism.

"How would you suggest Israel respond to further terrorist attacks old click." I wouldn't described them as "terrorist attacks", Alan - they're rather weak responses to massive Israeli State terrorism, from land theft to child murder. The answer is the one that has always been there. Israel should acknowledge the Palestinian people's need for a state of their own, and it should cooperate, with vision, magnanimity and goodwill in the building of such a state. It should abandon the Greater Israeli Project and be prepared to make painful territorial concessions. Living in peace alongside a viable and prosperous Palestinian state is the only hope for Israel. If it does not follow the path of peace it will be swept away by war. It will not alwasy be as lucky as it has been.

S, I just saw your post to me. I think Amira's story is coming on the heels of the story yesterday by Gideon Levy on how Israeli journalists are not permitted access to Gaza and one poster asked where was Amira in all this. I once suggested that Amira should occasionally write sad Jewish stories happening inside Israel as surely there are poor Jews with sad stories to tell too and someone answered that there are plenty of other Israeli journalists to do that. My idea was that if Amira alternated with Jewish stories, her stories on the plight of the Palestinians would be received more favourably instead of the throwing of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce and eggs we see thrown here by irate Jews that wrongly believe that Amira hates her own kind. I think in her own way, she is trying to introduce a bit of humanity by her stories and is showing Arabs that there are good Jews around.

It is clear that Gazans want to function as the advanced rocket launcher for the mullahs in Tehran. The rockets launched almost daily against Israeli civilian targets have been replaced by missiles, so that more and more Israeli cities will come under fire and Israel cannot remain silent forever. It is clear that the leaders of Hamas in Damascus and their bosses in Tehran are misusing the inhabitants of the strip for their own purposes, to build enough pressure in order to get away with nuclear weapons. It is really a shame how Damascus and Tehran are exploiting the Gaza population, but it is also the drama of the Gazans themselves who, by voting for Hamas, have decided by their own free will to serve as guinea pigs for the medieval mullahs in Tehran.

I am a Capitalist and a Realist that wants peace now and wants it at a reasonable price. There That is all the response an intellectual featherweight like you or Natalie deserve. I save my more sophisticated answers for the nuanced antisemitism of Tosefta's ilk. Post better posts, get better answers Read Learn Apply Repeat Peace Through Victory

softie you can shuffle the pack in any way you want !there will always be only 52 cards and 2 jokers olmert and abbas ! no matter what names you give arabs there is only one viable solution and that is all arabs to arab lands! if not today then in the future but it will happen ! no other solution will last 5 mins !

"click have you ever eaten any fruit grown in Israel by Israeli Jews." Not since I started reading declarations of origin in supermarkets, Alan.

... that your opponenets are jews. Be they the muslim beasts, like in Darfur o the Turks or Syrians/Egyptions etc,etc., even the word pal'n would exist only as historic reference. I hope that will happen anyway...

Mrs. Hess is lamenting on gloomy changes in Gazans' mobility since 1999 to year 2007 (from 1,400 daily to 2,000 in months), however she somehow "forgot" to mention that these changes occured in parallel with deadly terror acts by Palestinians and alsmost daily mortar and rocket fire which occured during the very period of time. Would she expect that Palestinians' life will be "as usual" while they do their best to make Israeli's life as terrible as they can? If was the Palestinian well-planned terror activity which changed the life of Palestinians themselves. This "forgetness" is targeted to fool a reader and actually witnesses some kind of arrogance towards this reader. Instead of hailing Hamas and preferring it to Fatah, Mrs. Hess should recall that amount of Palestinians killed by Hamas is much greater than that from Israeli fire (where civilians' share is pretty low). However, I can't recall any critical material towards Hamas from Mrs. Hess...

"WWACD, you sound like a radio station in West Virginia" You have that new Windows Explorer sound feature for the talkbacks, huh? What the hell would you know about the good folks of West Virginia you halfwit DuneCoon!? Do you even realize that you claim to be writing from goddamn BEIRUT!? Who are you to look down on anybody? "If Gaza is not a ghetto as you say and it`s surely not Club Med, what would you call it?" I would call it the ultimate expression of Islam as Islam was intended. I would call it history's answer to Arab stubbornness. I have called it an open air prison and I am calling it now the best the Gaza Arabs deserve until they shape up. Peace Through Victory

The key to the zoo is in the hands of the Arabs living in Gaza. No one forces the Gazan Arabs to either fire rockets purposely aimed at Jewish kindergartens at the start of the school year, or to support those who fire. Amira Haas is silent on the point. No Jew prevents Gazan Arabs from building stable democratic institutions, or "making the sand bloom" with produce as did the former Jewish inhabitants. So good luck to the Arabs in building their dream state in Gaza which has no Jews present. And when you're feeling better, could you please return Shalit to us. You'll be too busy building sound government and economic stability. But write soon! Shalom!

Shimon, if you want to go back to 1920, yes there were Jews there and probably before Arabs and I'm not denying it. When the British started throwing promises left and right, both Palestinian Arabs and Jews wanted it all and wanted to get rid of the other and fights and massacres happened on both sides. Both were greedy and both wanted it all. You mentioned Jews massacred in the galil, Hebron and Jerusalem. The Palestinian Arabs can mention Dar Yassin and several other ones, so this ugly business happened on both sides. You have to look at both sides, Shimon.

There was a time you settled for being clever and crafty and supplied half-truths to bolster your allegations and lay the foundations for your weak arguments. Having spent too much time with lakshmi, videogameboy,nada and the irish rubbernecker, you now settle for outright fabrications to supply false associations for your tales. Suffice it to say that this latest attempt at equivalence of yours is as absurd as ever. Offering it legitimacy by discussing it is more than it deserves although it's what you strive for. whew, the depth of your descent is surprising although given the company you keep perhaps expected.

I think it's high time that you and your Arab brethren start paying attention to how you treat the Palestinians in your own backyard. The despicable way they are treated in Arab countries reveals to us what orifice you speak from. You could not care less about the fate of Palestinians.

Imagine what would have happened had Israel and US had the good sense to work with the Hamas Unity Government after its formation. Gaza of course would not have been detached from the West Bank without Hamas needing to fear a coup. But there would have been far better positive consequences: 1. Hamas suggested a cease fire in the West Bank (in addition to Gaza). In return, it pledged to impose it on the smaller terror groups. Abbas also made the pledge. Had this been done, Hamas and Fatah for the first time would have shown an ability to suppress terror. This is important for Israeli confidence in a peace deal, which now is non-existent. 2. Hamas was moderating its stand all along (as a result of international pressure), and started talking about the two state solution as their final objective. They agreed to Abbas negotiating with Israel and having a referendum on the deal. With Hamas having finally agreed to the 2-states, there would have been little danger of missiles from the West Bank. This is what is killing the real peace prospects today. In short, by bringing Hamas into the process, there could have been a realistic peace agreement, while now it can be done only in Dreamland. It is not too late. I suggest the Saudis insist on this as a condition for participation in the Bush peace charade. What will help is that the Italian Prime Minister already suggests this, as well as some British MP`s and all Arab countries.

The Palestinians wanted their freedom and the Gaza settlements dismantled, and Israel gave them just that. The fact that the Palestinians were stupid enough to elect Hamas into government is completely their fault and their responsibility. They wanted the Israelis gone and now the Israelis are gone. They wanted Hamas and now they got Hamas. Do not turn around and then cry for help or ask Israel to allow you to cross into Israel, when your brethren, including those you elected into office, are the perpetrators of violence against innocent Israelis. To the Palestinians of Gaza: Welcome to the ZOO of your own making. You created it, now break yourself free from it. You're on your own, and if it's a zoo then that simply means you behave like animals, after all. To Haaretz: You print numerous posters' antisemitic diatribes on this site. Printing a pro-Israel like this can't hurt you.

Walid I would call it a country that no one wants to declare independence over it, Or Autonomy if it suits you! Ghetto No, We have gone out of Gaza, gave them the keys to the car, Now it is time to learn to drive, They want to kill people with this car, doesn?t matter if it is Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza We will do anything to get the lunatics driving that car down, So you see it is not a Ghetto, But only an Autonomy, driven by tugs!

Yitzhak, I don't know what the solution is but I can tell you that choking of Gaza by the IDF will not make people hate Hamas and the contrary will happen and harden their resolve. It is only proving to the people that Israelis are as bad as what Hamas is telling them. Israel tried that stunt last July when it bombed Christian areas of Lebanon in the hope of having turn on Hizbullah for their misfortune. It backfired and made the Christians who originally weren't sympathetic to Hizbullah change their attitude and stand with them. Nothing gets solved by violence and Israel knows this but persists in maintaining the conflict. I welcome non-hostile dialogue.

It is expected that the end of the Gaza Ghetto is not far off. Following some significant hit by a Qassam, or some other terror act, the IDF will have to invade Gaza and clean it out of Hamas and all Jihadists. The cost id expected to be hundreds of Israeli soldiers. Where is the Shame? 1. ISRAEL The present policy is meant to isolate Hamas in Gaza, show Gazans that Abbas collaboration brings better life, and let them overthrow Hamas. It is a silly hope. When was the last time Arab civilians overthrew their government? Usually, the army and people with guns do the overthrowing. It is a stupid strategy, compounded by the fact that Hamas showed himself able to change and adapt to political realities. And the "peace process", where Abbas will get peanuts, will show the Palestinians that the Hamas line was the correct one. 2. JEWS The end of Gaza will remind Jews that the Ghettos hardly fought back while the Palestinians in Gaza will. I am sorry to say, but even the famous revolt of the Warsaw Ghetto only came in the second stage of the evacuation (April 1943), when there were only some 60,000 Jews left after the first stage ended in 1942. The Jews knew already that they were being exterminated, and the revolt chose for themselves a nicer death. I am not condemning the Jews of Europe. Their situation was different. But it is still not easy to understand their passivity.

"You want the reporting to be 100% biased in favour of Israel." (Walid) Walid, we have a problem. I don't want what you write above, which is exactly the opposite of what I wrote in my posts herein. So, now you are beginning to lie outright. Actually you did lie before but I didn't want to offend you - I attributed your lies to "exagerations". No more! P.S.1 All Haaretz writers are leftist, not just 2 of them. That's why many of us are here and not on Jerusalem Post. P.S.2 Our "relationship" is finished. I don't speak to liars.

You`re another Zionist who wants perpetual warfare click Ok the Zionists lay down their arms and give the PALS everything they want. How would you suggest Israel respond to further terrorist attacks old click.

The prisoner exchange has just been completed but the TV cameras were turned off for some reason. One live Hizbullah fighter and bodies of 2 others from last July war in exchange for an Israeli fisherman that drowned and was washed ashore in Lebanon. I was hoping Goldwasser and Regev would be in the deal but there was no mention of them.

Assume that 1.5 million people happen to live in an area where a mortal and rather contagious desease outbursts. There is no way to tell an infected person from a healthy one. What would be the most wise decision for any authority to take? Right, quarantine the affected area, leaving nobody but specially equipped personnel inside, and treat the disease until it disappears. That's what we do in Gaza. Until the leper of terror (oh, sorry, some physicians call it freedom fight in their Latin argo) isn't completely eradicated, the quarantine will be enforced. Want it happen sooner - help in disinfecting the area from the freedom fighter virus and carry out the immunization of the population.

Is it a genetic defect ? I cannot figure it out - the Gazans make every effort to kill Israelies. Their hatred is incredible. Yet, Amira ignores all of this, and pretends Israel's security measures are just for spite. Earth to Amira : When 80% of your beloved Gazans actually believe that blowing up Jews will ensure their path to paradise , what do you want Israelies to do ? Perhaps, you like the way your German Jew ancestors walked to the trains on the way to the crematoriums .

And a writer for Haaretz doesn't make it so either. But then again click you will latch onto anything that is anti Israel. tell em click have you ever eaten any fruit grown in Israel by Israeli Jews.

Natallie can you give the date of the meeting when the Israelis decided on a final solution for the Palistinean people. I have issues with how Israel is going about the resolution to the two state process but comparing the marshaling of he Jews into the Warsaw Ghetto as a prelude to extermination to the situation in Gaza is not one of them. If you want to make your case with the mainstream and not just cater to the lunatic fringe that lurks on these threads make your statements more plausible.

Never mind the Islamization of the Palestinian identity then. Take a step back from your present preoccupation of Israel and look at what is really embedded in that movement's ethos. Understand Gaza a bit better now?

WWACD, you sound like a radio station in West Virginia. If Gaza is not a ghetto as you say and it's surely not Club Med, what would you call it?

No, Nat did not write a geat post and the more fool you for thinking it is. The Jews on the Warsw ghetto weer put there because thye were Jews - not because they tried to harm the Polish people or destroy Poland. They were loyal Polish citizens. Any comparison between Gaza and the Warsaw ghetto from any aspect can only be described as specious or the ourcoe of ignorance. But one thing I can tell you - despite the conditions and circumstances that created that Ghetto - the people (who had never attacked anyone) never reached the level of savagery, hatred and violence the People of Gaza find themselves in.

Abu Yusuf, ran out of good Jewish names that you had to pick up an Arab one? Nahr el-Bared was not about Palestinians but about Saudi Sunni fundamentalists that came armed to the teeth with soldiers from Yemen, Sudan, Libya and had a Palestinian or 2 among them. The story going around was that they were brought in to tangle with Hizbullah but had a change of heart at the last minute so the army was sent in to neutralize them. Palestinians don't figure at all in this story although it happened inside their camp but they had all been evacuated. Get a good Jewish sounding name, you'll look a little less silly.

You are the future of the Jewish people. A band of murderers under the name of Hamas has adopted a programme that has been transferred from Nazi Germany to the Middle East. They are openly saying for everyone to hear and to read that they want your extermination. They will try to reach you in school, they will even try to kill you with their deadly rockets when you are praying in your synagogue. Show a big flag with the Star of David on your rooftops as your heroic ancestors have done under leaders like Mordechaj Anilevitz. They were fighting alone against those who wanted their annihilation. Do not be afraid, you are not alone anymore, Jews know today how to defend themselves and how to defeat those evil forces like Hamas who want the final solution in the Middle East. You will prevail.

Hamas made a choice. They launch rockets, they still hold Shalit, smuggle weapons, attempts cross border murder raids and mortar their own crossings; and I am supposed to feel sorry for the poor little things. If Shailt walks out and the rockets stop Israel will recipricate in kind. Until then Israel has no choice but to protect its own.

No, not at all. We are just saying, as we have all along, that the time has come for the Palestinians to take responsibility for their own actions and fate. This they have consistently refused to do - and their propensity for violence has simply caused them to implode in Gaza. This is the result of years of ignoring the people's needs, focussin ENTIRELY on destroying Israel rather than building themselves, on hate speeches by religious and political leaders, on lies anf false promises, on worshipping death and celebrating suicide bombers as heroes, and the list goes on.