If I were a Palestinian right now ...

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If I were a Palestinian right now ...

by grumpus ^Pro @ 2009-01-11 – 20:27:44

If I were a Palestinian right now I would be asking many questions.

Why are the Israelis bombing us just because Hamas has fired a few thousand rockets at them?

Why does the world talk about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza when all the TV pictures show us living in fairly modern looking houses, dressed reasonably well and obviously not underfed?

How do all the rockets get into Gaza when they say food and other supplies can't get through?

Who is supplying all these rockets to Hamas, and if they know the damage being caused to us by firing them, why do they keep sending them in?

If Israel has closed its border to stop food and supplies reaching us, why don't we get everything through Egypt?

I live next door to a Hamas rocket store and firing site. On the other side is a hospital and a school. We are there to protect Hamas. Why do the Israelis not respect our right to protect our national terrorist organization and keep bombing us?

When one of our women gets hurt in a bomb blast why does it take twenty men to run through the streets with a stretcher, all screaming and shouting and waving their arms like demented monkeys, when normally women are not allowed to be seen in public? Unless of course it makes good TV?

I have lots of similar questions. Does anyone have any answers?
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15 Comments to If I were a Palestinian right now ...

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- SeasideMan ^Pro
- 2009-01-11 @ 22:38:03
Some good questions there. Here are some brief answers from my admittedly limited understanding:

1. I'm sure you are well aware that the tit for tat has been going on a long time and many relevant facts must be ignored to blame this on rockets and nothing else.

2. You must be seeing different reports to me.

3. Food and water for 1.5 million people is bulky. If only 1 Kilo per person per day were needed (and it's probably more), that would be 1500 tons per day being taken in through the tunnels that are thought to be the access route. I'm no expert in these matters but I would think a few rockets would be a darn site easier to get through small tunnels without discovery than 1500 tons of food per day.

4. The rockets are thought to be of mostly American manufacture. How they got to Hamas: no idea. Who do you reckon the Americans sold them to?

5. I was under the impression that this wasn't possible. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd like to see it.

6. I don't know about you, but if I were in command of a bombing force I wouldn't be asking them to bomb a hospital.

7. This question is pretty insensitive. If I'd just seen someone bombed and covered in blood and screaming I'm pretty sure I'd be screaming and waving my hands too.

--------

Here is a timeline of the events leading up to this situation since June last year. It's factually accurate although the language is inflammatory and biased. Please read it as it gets to the heart of your important 1st question:

http://stephiblog.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/israeli-assault-on-gaza-timeline/

Tom.
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- jenray ^Pro
- http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
- 2009-01-11 @ 23:46:55
I'm grateful for Tom answering this so politely...I wouldn't have...
- - Kibitz
  - 2009-01-12 @ 07:11:31
  Nor I.
  
  Mayhap it’s a wind up?
  
  Adam ... x
  - - jenray ^Pro
    - http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
    - 2009-01-12 @ 10:59:01
    No, unfortunately, I don't think so...I'm so angry with it, I've deleted him from my friend's list...I've no wish to have anything more to do with somebody who can write this especially the last part...disgraceful...GBHs..XXX
    - - grumpus ^Pro
      - http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
      - 2009-01-12 @ 12:11:22
      You are entitled to your opinion, Jen, but the words "head" and "sand" come to mind. I deplore the killing of innocent children and want an end not only to this current conflict, but also to terrorism and oppression, world-wide and for ever.
      
      World peace will never happen until we rid it of despots and terrorists. Unfortunately, innocent people always suffer in this endeavour and always have.
      
      I'm glad my post prompted a passionate, if negative response. Better than the usual "What do you like for breakfast?" question.
      
      I, at least, will continue to try to educate myself about what is "really" going on in Gaza.
      - jenray ^Pro
        
        http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
        
        2009-01-12 @ 12:50:11
        
        so do I, grumpus, and behind the scenes as well, but I found your post extremely offensive...and nobody could ever accuse me of sticking my head in the sand...I've been involved throughout my life with the CND, Amnesty International as well as AVAAZ, Care2, and several other petitioning sites...and clearly you haven't educated yourself as to what's happening in Gaza, your post proves that...
        
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- Kibitz
- 2009-01-12 @ 07:44:32
I think you’ll find that Israel controls the Gazan side of the border with Egypt.

Adam ... x
- - grumpus ^Pro
  - http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
  - 2009-01-12 @ 12:39:35
  My research tells me that Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas took control after a military conflict with Fatah, a more moderate Palestinian party, in 2007, so the border is not controlled by Israelis.
  
  While they occupied Gaza, the Israelis built a 25 foot wall along the border with Egypt for their own security, leaving one official crossing point at the town of Rafah. This access into Gaza is controlled by the Egyptians who recently denied entry to doctors and medical supplies and stop Palestinians leaving.
  
  I believe tunnels have been built under the border for some twenty years by smugglers financed by wealthy Palestinians, who take a cut of the profits. These tunnels, reportedly 100s of them, are also used to smuggle arms and Hamas militants. The Israelis are trying to destroy the tunnels completely, again for their own security.
  
  The Egyptians occasionally discover entrances but only seal them and they get reopened. Apart from many Russian rifles and explosives, the latest arms being smuggled in for Hamas are longer range rockets/missiles made in China and Iran to penetrate deeper into Israel.
  
  Bob
  - - Kibitz
    - 2009-01-12 @ 15:09:12
    Thanks Bob!
    
    Fascinating stuff!
    
    My display of inexcusable ignorance ...
    
    Has now become an eternal embarrassment!
    
    Adam ... x
    - - grumpus ^Pro
      - http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
      - 2009-01-12 @ 16:20:05
      A noble admission, Adam, but I fear you are not alone. Too many people huff and puff about emotional issues without bothering to find out the facts or consider the broader picture.
      
      Thanks for being honest.
      
      Regards
      Bob
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- grumpus ^Pro
- http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
- 2009-01-12 @ 08:16:54
Thank you, Tom, for a full and frank answer to my somewhat tongue-in-cheek post. This debate will run and run because of its complexity and few people understand the roots of the problem, including me, though I have recently tried to read up on it.

A few comments on your reply:

1. The tit for tat between Israel defending its right to exist and those who seek its destruction has indeed a long history. But like with two children squabbling, bystanders usually ignore "who started it", and take the side of the kid with the bloody nose.

2. I compare with "humanitarian crises" in parts of Africa for instance where people are seen living in mud and squalor, starving, emaciated and dying from disease etc. The world doesn't care so much about them.

3. Why do food and water have to be smuggled in anyway? Surely the essentials of life take precedence over rockets, which in their thousands must weigh a considerable amount and cost money which could have been spent on food.

4. The big bad Americans again; the source of all the worlds problems. Many countries, including Britain, produce arms and sell them abroad, other countries sell them on usually for profit or their own ulterior motives. Are you suggesting the Americans are helping Hamas?

5. Looking at the map, there is a border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip allegedly where the rocket tunnels are. The rockets are presumably transported to the Egyptian border, go through the tunnels, and then up to Gaza city. Why can't food and water follow the same route, but pass legitimately across the border? Or are the Egyptians in on it too?

6. I'm sure you know as well as I do that the Israelis say they only target Hamas sites. They even drop leaflets warning Palestinians to stay away from those sites beforehand. My understanding is that Hamas use schools, hospitals and built-up areas as "human shields". How can anyone have the slightest respect for an organization that does that?

7. OK. Hands up. That was insensitive and deliberately provocative. I deplore the fact that civilians, particularly children and so many, are being killed in this conflict. My observation comes from watching clips of the aftermath of bombings around the world, during and ever since WWII. Most of them, however horrific the event, show volunteers and emergency services, calmly going about the work of rescue and carefully carrying the injured away for treatment without putting them at further risk and without seeming to put on an act for the cameras.

Bob
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 2009-01-12 @ 10:28:42
  I think I've said enough to make the point that things aren't entirely straightforward, so I shan't go into your further points any further.
  
  I note that on a different thread you said this:
  
  "... Hamas and all their supporters need to be exterminated like the vermin they are!"
  
  http://askoranswer.blog.co.uk/2009/01/07/who-here-supports-israel-in-the-current-troubles-5340433#c8751723
  
  Tom.
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- lee954
- 2009-01-12 @ 09:18:19
I'm always surprised that Gaza is called a gigantic refugee camp by the media since whenever I see pictures of the place it looks like a quite wealthy, modern city.I wonder how they'd choose to describe some local pit villages that I'm familiar with which seem to consist of nothing by boarded up houses, piles of rubbish and rubble and packs of marauding stray dogs.
- - grumpus ^Pro
  - http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
  - 2009-01-12 @ 12:45:48
  Thank you, Lee. Point taken.
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- joebangles
- 2009-01-15 @ 15:57:06
It is my belief that most of the points that you raise in your original question Grumpus remain to be answered.

As I see it we only know what we are being told by the news and papers that we choose to buy, that news will often be slanted in favour of one side or another depending on news writer and the policy of the newspaper and to suit the readership.

Common sense tells me that we ask our selves questions based upon what we hear or read, and I ask why we condemn Israel for protecting their people when the Allied armies in World War 2 were not condemned when they continued to bomb Berlin when it was obvious that Germany had lost the war. Hamas made the first strikes against Israel who did not retaliate until it was forced into that position, they wanted a fight and they have got one, let them now make the decision to surrender and cease from launching rockets at Israel, the killing will then stop, it's in their own hands.
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If I were a Palestinian right now ...

15 Comments to If I were a Palestinian right now ...

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