Mataharley was suspicious of some possible fauxtography going on with the photo below. American Power confirms the suspicion, through one of his commenters, reliapundit:
No one is unaffected by the civilian casualities. But it’s precisely images like these which are used by Hamas for diabolical propaganda puposes.
~~~ French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel’s Gaza operation
By Haaretz ServiceTags: France, Gaza, Israel News
French public television network France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact taken during a different incident in 2005, one in which Gaza civilians were killed by an explosion caused by militants in the Strip.
The footage aired on Channel 2 on Tuesday afternoon showed dozens of dead bodies, including Hamas gunmen and citizens, which the channel said were killed by an IAF bombing raid on January 1st. It later came to light that the channel had instead aired footage of the devastation caused after a truck full of explosives blew up in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp.
A news editor at France 2 told Le Figaro Tuesday that they had “made a mistake by airing those pictures, which he said depict events from 2005.
Photo: Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
No, I’m not overjoyed by innocent civilian deaths. Especially that of children. I’ve seen some comments by callous political allies who excuse it in terms of “So what? They’re indoctrinated to be future terrorists and America and Israel haters, anyway.”
We should never stop caring, even as we support what needs doing: namely in this case, Israel defending itself. And yes, this is a defensive response. It’s so odd to argue “disproportionate force” by Israel, when it’s obvious that it’s not disproportionate enough so long as Hamas is still delivering rocket attacks.
From today’s WaPo:
JERUSALEM, Jan. 6 — Israeli shelling near a U.N.-run school in a Gaza refugee camp Tuesday killed at least 30 people, many of whom had gathered at the school building to flee the ongoing clashes between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters, Palestinian and United Nations officials said.
~~~ In response to the news of the shelling at the Al-Fakhora School, the Israeli military said in a statement that Israeli forces were responding to attacks.
“Initial inquiry by forces on the ground indicates that a number of mortar shells were fired from within the school at [Israel Defense Forces],” the military statement said. “And in response the forces fired several mortar shells back at the source.”
Military spokesmen said they did not yet have an explanation for air strike at the other school Monday.
Here’s an interesting blog belonging to the mother of an Israeli soldier (Hat tip for the find: American Power). Her current entry:
Today, in Gaza, a school was hit by an Israeli missile. The Palestinians claim dozens have died. It’s a horrible thing, a terrible tragedy, every parent’s nightmare.
Except…
Except that Israel’s initial inquiry into the incident, showed that the missile didn’t hit the “school” by mistake. The target was true; the aim was accurate. In August, last year, Israel filed a formal complaint with the United Nations, complaining about the school being used to fire against Israel. Israel has already identified Hamas gunmen who were killed at the scene of the attack – even publicized their names.
The proof that the building was a legitimate target was found, once again, in the secondary explosions that occurred. The missile hit the building, causing explosives inside the building to detonate. You can watch these and other videos on the web. You’ll see the initial explosion, and then, mere seconds later, multiple explosions and objects shooting high into the air.
If you hit a building that has no explosives, the building collapses and the only thing that rises into the air is dust and rubble. Nothing explodes – again, see all the videos of houses hit in Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beersheva. As horrible as it sounds, as tragic as the results are, the missile was accurate. It hit its target and did what it was supposed to do. Secondary explosions prove that the building was used to store rockets.
What it comes down to is a building from which mortars were shot, in which explosives were stored, and in which, Palestinians chose to teach their young. There is something incredibly sick about that.
There are rules in warfare and in life.
One rule: A civilized people should not target innocent civilians. This is what Hamas repeatedly has done for the last 8 years. This is NOT what Israel did today.
Second rule: An innocent civilian should not protect a terrorist location. If you are in a training camp – leave. If you are near a rocket launching site – run, and if you are sending your children to a school where rockets are stored and missiles and mortars are launched, be smart and stop sending your child because the government against whom those rockets and mortars are being shot, has the right to defend itself. School is important, but as Israel has shown in the last few days by canceling lessons, nothing is as important as life.
And there is an even more sinister issue here lurking under the surface of this story, one that I hope will come to light in the next few days. The United Nations and its involvement in Gaza is one that is as suspect as its involvement in Lebanon was years ago. Too often, they are “at the scene” and too often, they allow their “sanctuaries” to by used by terrorists who attack Israel. Their ambulances have been used by gunmen, and their school to be used as a launching ground for mortars.
Today Israel hit a target – a legitimate target used to launch mortars against our people. If, in addition to shooting mortars, that building was also used for classes, that doesn’t make it a school. A school should be a place of knowledge and growth. A school should be a place of safety and it seems rather obvious to me that a missile launching pad isn’t a safe environment, and therefore, no matter what the United Nations calls that building in Gaza, it was not a school.
A school cannot be a place for mortars…and a place with mortars cannot be a school. Golda Meir once said that there would be peace when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us. Decades after she said that, generations have come and gone, and still that day has not arrived.
When Hamas launched hundreds of unanswered rockets into Israel, where was the public outcry? Where were the peace activists? Where was the UN Security Council, condemning Hamas for perpetuating a “cycle of violence”? How about when an al-Qaeda faction in Gaza claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in November?
When the sleeping giant is finally stirred to take action to defend itself, now the anti-war crowd is vocal? Now the world community is stirred? Condemning the side who has bent over backward for decades, aching for peace, while supporting the side that has sued for nothing less than the destruction of Israel?
Israel tried appeasement when they gave up the Gaza Strip, uprooting 9,000 Jewish settlers from their homes. Such acts of appeasement only encourages more violence from those who refuse to acknowledge that the other side has a right to exist; it perpetuates the cycle of violence:
The rocket attacks by Hamas weren’t a response to violence, but rather an answer to withdrawal–Israel’s controversial 2005 decision to put a unilateral end to Israeli occupation of Gaza. Concessions actually produce a more reliably violent response from Islamic terrorists than do decisive military actions.
Hamas and the Palestinians who support the terror organization only know how to destroy:
Isn’t the New Era of Peace that was ushered in by the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza just wonderful? You may recall that some American Jews raised millions of dollars to buy the greenhouses and give them to the Palestinians, so that the poor things wouldn’t suffer any economic difficulties. Moral blindness, dhimmitude, naivete, and more — as I said at the time.
From the Jerusalem Post, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Several greenhouses belonging to the former settlement of Morag in the Gaza Strip were destroyed over the weekend during an attempt by dozens of gunmen to take control of the area.
The Palestinian Company for Economic Development, which is in charge of thousands of greenhouses that used to belong to Morag and other settlements in Gush Katif, said the attack, which took place on Friday, was the latest in a series that began almost immediately after the settlements were evacuated.
The company revealed that hundreds of greenhouses and other agricultural installations have been sabotaged over the past few months, expressing its outrage over the recurring phenomenon. The company issued an urgent appeal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Interior Minister Said Siam to intervene to halt the attacks on the lands belonging to the former settlements.
“These greenhouses and other installations and projects provide a source of income for over 4,500 families,” company officials said. “We are very disturbed by the recurring attacks and thefts. Such actions jeopardize the largest agricultural project carried by the Palestinian Authority after the Israeli withdrawal.”
Why destroy what was given over to them for the purposes of growing food and encouraging prosperity? As Michael Medved put it on his radio program yesterday, because these greenhouses had “Jewish cooties”.
“Instead of caring about the people of Gaza, Hamas decided to use Gaza to use rockets to kill innocent Israelis,” Bush told reporters at the White House. “Israel’s obviously decided to protect itself.”
Bush said he agreed with Israel’s position that a truce would be a waste of time unless Hamas is somehow prevented from resuming attacks. “I know people are saying, ‘Let’s have a cease-fire,’ ” Bush said. “And those are noble ambitions. But any cease-fire must have the conditions in it so that Hamas does not use Gaza as a place from which to launch rockets.”
Israel- while not perfect- has done much to extend the olive branch for decades now, aching to co-exist. The problem isn’t Israel. The problem is with Hamas and those Palestinians and Arabs who refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
The world community wants peace and “cease-fire”? A cessation of violence? Take it up with Hamas; not with Israel.
REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
Sad, but the blame for these deaths must be placed squarely on Hamas. War is like that. If Hamas had not shot the rockets into israel, israelis would not have shelled the school(if it was not a Hamas misfire of their own weapons). Also Hamas regularly uses schools and mosques and hospitals as places to store arms and launch attacks from. So Hamas was just asking for something like this to happen.
I blame Hamas for the deaths. They need to stop attacking israel. If they do not, it will be sad, but israel should be ready to kill as many of them and their supporters as needed. 50,000-100,000 should be a number that causes some effective impact on their murderous society.
Wars are always won when the enemy realizes that to continue fighting will result in his death and the deaths of everyone on his side, totally. There must be no hope, no chance or thought of victory. Israel must be able to supply such a result to win effectively.
Agreed.
Calling for a premature “cease-fire” that leaves Hamas’ capabilities and will intact only perpetuates the very “cycle of violence” peace fascists so decry and rail against.
Want peace? Then leave Israel alone to finish the job that Hamas started.
Governments derive their power through the action or inaction of the people they rule; ie the people are responsible for their rulers. As such, the people of Gaza are responsible for Hamas, and when action is taken against Hamas, this is gonna happen. I blame the parents, and pray for the souls of those poor people who can’t choose rulers that bring down the whirlwind.
One thing I do NOT understand:
Israel wasn’t in Gaza, so…why did Hamas the cease-fire w rocket attacks, and then declare that they were gonna break it (12/18/08) and declare it a second time (12/19/08)? I mean, all they had to do to stop the Israeli attacks was stop the rockets and stop digging tunnels into Israel. That “don’t shoot at the Israelis so there can be peace” strategy largely worked in Oct and Nov 08.
First lesson protesters learned at Kent State on 5/5/1970 was DON’T THROW SHIT AT THE PEOPLE W GUNS.
Wanna protest? Do it peacefully. Where is the Palestinian Gandi, or Dr King?
When Hamas doesn’t fire rockets, and leaves Israel alone, Israel leaves Gaza alone. History proves that. If the people in Gaza were responsible, they’d get rid of Hamas and live in peace.
Mr. Scott… thank you for thoroughly depressing me. That I will be held responsible for Obama’s action/inaction gives me little cheer this gloomy, rainy day….
Word… I have a question. Where did you find the Mohammed Abed/AFP photo you have used to start this post? The question is relevant, as photos from Gaza being released are limited, as well as questionable. Certainly the one you picked is aimed at breaking resolve.
It is only as of Dec 31st that eight foreign journalists have been allowed into Gaza. Certainly AFP and photog Mohammed Abed could be one. Or else he is a regular Gazan resident who was already there, and operates with the blessings of Allah and Hamas.
But I am curious as to the source, as Hard Right pointed out on another thread, since so few (or no, prior) journalists are allowed into Gaza, and most photos that eminate from there will be subject to Hamas approval. Many news and video/photo reports are to be questioned as being staged and/or legit. He referenced a comment there by LGF.
That said, a few points to add to your story, and about that photo.
First, the bombs did not target the school, but outside the school according to this reporter on an MSNBC video. Also according to this reporter, the deaths and injuries of students were from the shrapnel flying into the schoolyard areas. This is also borne out by the MSNBC news story on the same.
Yet from your posted photo, it looks like the child was standing at ground zero, buried under debris from a building collapse. Yet, this photo taken an hour later (if photo date/time marks are to be believed) shows the building still standing….
That’s a lot of shrapnel to bury a child. How does this compute? Perhaps some of our xplo ordinance experts can explain this hefty amount of shrapnel.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Now, note the difference between the MSNBC photo of a casualty at the school. Where’s the debris??
Secondly, for those of you pining for Obama to pipe up about anything Gaza related, according to the ticker tape news, Obama has spoken up about being “deeply troubled” about the civilian casualties.
Ooookay…. there’s a news bulletin for ya.
I’d say we are all troubled and anguish loss of innocent life. Thank you for that enlightening and helpful statement, Mr. Obama. But are we anguished to the point of allowing Hamas to continue it’s jihad – which would lead to future loss and oppression of innocents? nope
Lastly, this is not the only UN school today. There were actually two, according to this video. The other which killed three Hamas operatives hiding out there. No news on that school… why? No collateral damage. I guess they weren’t outside on that one.
And speaking of LGF’s, they have a story about these UN schools being used as munitions storage (including video of rockets being shot from schools from 2007) as well as a man who was a UN school science teacher and headmaster by day, and rocket builder for Hamas by night.
Odd that hiding behind children doesn’t elicit an outcry or tsk tsk as illegal, but attempting to bomb around the school does.
Hamas likely killed the child in order to bring it to the site and bury it ‘just so’ for the cameras to bring the pity of the world to stop those mean old Jews whom they “hate with a hate that is more than hate, in their kingdom by the sea”
Gaza’ terrorists use ambulance for shelter and for transportation. Watch this two minutes video, no word, just watch the scene.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/nesherriposte/videos/76/
Hamas fired rockets into Israel because Israel was not allowing any food or aid into Gaza. I don’t know about you people, but I think eating is an important function. If you were trapped in a dense area without food or medical supplies, I think you would vote for a group like Hamas to defend your people. The death toll speaks for itself, there are over 540 Palestinians dead only 8 Israelis were killed. America needs to stop sending the tax money if U.S. citizens to support the slaughter of innocent children. The Palestinians have the right to defend themselves against the occupation and tyranny of the Israeli people.
Nice try, Kami. 1/6th of the border is shared with Egypt, which… of course.. has no Israeli checkpoints. Where’s your outrage for Egypt refusing to help starving Gazans?
Now for a healthy dose of reality for your anti-semite tush.
Ah yes… Iran supplies weaponry, Israel provides the food the medical supplies. Yet Israel is the bad guy?
Israel spent over half a billion dollars relocating Jewish settlers out of Gaza in 2005… people who had lived their thru several generations – because of the agreement to withdraw.
If Hamas is such a great social welfare government, one would think they would use the same Gazan resources the Israelis did … and shared with the Gazans.
But according to you, it’s all Israel’s fault.
The Israeli people know that they are wrong, they won’t let the western media into Gaza because they don’t want the American people to know the truth.
To RECKLESS: i have two words for you, SHUT UP!! You are really ignorant.
Anti-Semetic??? Arabs are also a semitic people you moron. You base your information on what the Israeli government tells the world, and the Egyptian government is a puppet regime just like the Israeli government.
Lets review, shall we?
Kicked out of every country, tried a coup in Jordan, used their own children for sucide bombs (or to sneek into Jewish schools for mass shooting murders), voted for terrorists then the terrorists used the Palistinians as human shields. Hamas was playing chicken and when Israel struck back to stop the rocket attacks, you cried foul and blubberd to the international press and UN. Sorry, no sympathy here.
Perhaps if you didn’t SQUANDER your UN relief monies you wouldn’t be in this fix (anyone care to guess how big Yasser’s Swiss bank accounts are).
You had EVERYTHING YOU WANTED in Oslo accords, YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE for a homeland, the Jewish settlers left but NOOOOOOOOOOOO, you declared an intifada and wrecked the Gaza strip. Now comes the drip, drip, drip of daily rocket attacks. Take some advice: if you keep jerking the chain of a bulldog, one day that chain will snap and you will get bitten. Hows it feel? Not too good methinks.
If your Arab allies care so much for you they would help….oh looook, the Egyptions want NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, the Jordanians, Saudies, etc., all give lip service to you. FACE IT, you’ve become their whipping boy because they don’t have the guts to take on Israel so they outsource it to you to do their dirtywork. You’ve become the world’s bitch. Hows it feel to sell out realizing you have no friends other than “White, anti-semitic Liberals” in the press and UN. In time, the press will go on to other stories (aka: Hanna Montana) and the UN will go back to its cocktail parties.
It’s not too late, get a backbone, git rid of Hamas (your new slavemasters) and start acting like a civilized country.
Sorry…no soup for you.
Most interesting photo, when young Islamic militants (ages 4-6) flash Nazi saluts….classic.
BTW, “moron”, the truth behind the “tunnels of life” you cling to as your support for the starving Gazans are a smuggling tool controlled by Hamas to control the price of goods, and thwart both Egypt and Israeli trade. If the Gazans were starving, you’ll have to look towards your social welfare buddies, Hamas.
Egypt… puppet regime, eh? Hamas seizes Gaza by a bloodthisty civil war with Fatah, leading to dissolution of a unity government, and you have to chutzpah to call Egypt a puppet regime? You’re a real piece of work, lady.
Now, you have your warning. Continue to bring your personal assaults (i.e. your comment to reckless, which was not directed at you) and your further rantings with nary a snippet of source material to support your biased opinion, and I shall personally take pleasure in dumping your rude personage into the spam filter. Learn to play well with others here, or find another place to dump your BS
How ’bout that, Mike? :0) Am I improving under your tutelage?
The Arabs have a long history of being liars!
The Israels would not be bombing if the Gazens choice of leaders didn’t keep begging for it with there 5,000+ rockets being launched into Israel for years. The Arabs of the world are not generous to send relief or money to help the hungry fellow man. The USA has been the most generous with aid & food to the Gazens for Many, Many, Many, years. The Gazens have been ungrateful & they elected a terrorist group to lead & govern them. The USA tried to help but terrorbag Arafat could not ever be satisfied. Yea, he was a big liar too. The Gazens should be less lazy and hunt down and put in jail the criminals that keep launching rockets into Israel. No country would have tolorated more rocket attacks then Israel has. There are videos on the internet that show hamas shooting rockets and mortors from schools and mosques. I don’t know why cnn is unwilling or afraid to air them. I hope they have not recieved money from Arab countries to slant there reporting. Mr. Anderson you are a great reporter and I thank you for your honest reporting. God bless all man kind.
You got your facts wrong, it was Israel that destabilized fatah. Israel did all that it could to bomb and destroy the offices and the infrastructure of Fatah, including an attack and seige on Arafat’s office building and headquarters with tanks and machine guns. Israel arrested or killed many of the leaders of Fatah, and it destroyed all the helicopters and air-transport capability that the Palestinian Authority posessed. Israel withheld large amounts of tax funds from the PA that could have funded stronger leadership and governance abilities. Then, with Fatah financially starved and weakened, in disarray, and incapable of projecting control over Gaza, Israel suddenly decided to withdraw. Israel is the reason that Hamas is in power.
Just a reminder, I won’t call you morons this time, maybe just uneducated, the Arab people, which includes Palestinians, are semitic. So your comments that I am “anti-semitic” don’t make sense. I have no problem with Jews, they are a very respectable people. My issue is with Israeli zionists. What the Israelis are doing is illegal. My grandparents were from Palestine. They lived there their entire life until the Israelis kicked them out of their homes. The Palestinian people have the right to fight against the illegal occupation of their lands. They shouldn’t have to settle for the tiny Gaza strip. They are treated like animals and being forced to live behind a wall.
The U.N. defines the Gaza strip and the West Bank as occupied territories. The wall built was deemed illegal, and you people wonder why resistance groups like Hamas are around. So yes, it is Israel’s fault.
As Tom Segev has put it:
“Israel is striking at the Palestinians to ‘teach them a lesson.’ That is a basic assumption that has accompanied the Zionist enterprise since its inception: We are the representatives of progress and enlightenment, sophisticated rationality and morality, while the Arabs are a primitive, violent rabble, ignorant children who must be educated and taught wisdom — via, of course, the carrot-and-stick method, just as the drover does with his donkey.” Sounds like the holocaust all over again, this time the zionists are the criminals and the Palestinian people are the victims.
Beg your pardon, Kami, but it is you who is mistaken about the Fatah-Hamas battle for power in 2007. Mind you, I’m not saying that Fatah is sans it’s own corruption. But Hamas is by far the worst of the two by their sheer refusal to deal in negotiations and agreements with Israel. They do not recognize the PNA, nor the Oslo Accords. Israel had nothing to do with the 2007 battle between the two parties… and the dissolution of a unity government. They seized Gaza, while Fatah retains the West Bank
Israel did nothing in that internal civil war.
What Israel *did* do was after Hamas seized Gaza by a coup, they started clamping down on borders with the weaponry smuggling thru the tunnels. Hamas started launching rockets… this is still in 2007. So Israel placed the blockade on the Gazan strip and said they’d only lift it if Hamas stopped with the attacks.
They didn’t. Things got pretty bad, the world started making noises, and Israel eased up on the blockade in Jan of last year. Hamas still didn’t quit with the attacks.
Now, I can understand your vehement protests with your lineage. And now that we have a more civil discourse going, let me ask you a question. Israel withdrew from Gaza as promised. Gaza depends on land and sea routes via both Israel and Egypt. Yet Hamas does everything in it’s power to besiege a next door neighbor, then whines when that neighbor cuts off the fuel.
So how does this go? Is Hamas free to assault Israel whenever it wants, and yet still demand every necessity and amenity that it needs? Seems like a pretty sleazy quid pro quo.
You say “they are treated like animals and being forced to live behind a wall”. Really? I suggest that if Hamas weren’t lobbing rockets, the trade between both Israel and Egypt would be considerably better. But even at that, there is enough resources there not being utilized that would go a long way to abate their basic needs. In fact, the Israelis and Palestinians worked those lands together prior to Israel withdrawing them from Gaza… as per the agreement. SO I’d say the animal treatment and prison is being imposed upon them by Hamas… not neighboring countries.
As for as “the right to fight against the illegal occupation of their lands”… I might want to remind you that Israel has NOT been in Gaza for over three years. That dog don’t bark…
Or is it your following words… “they shouldn’t have to settle for the tiny Gaza Strip…” that ais the most telling. Does this mean you don’t believe there is land Israel can give that will make you happy?
And BTW, your relatives were not the only ones wretched from their homes after generations. That pain is shared by both Jewish and Palestinian settlers.
I do not agree with the actions of Hamas, the killing of innocent civilians goes against my Islamic beliefs. Im just saying that Gaza is an occupied territory and it is only natural for resistance groups such as Hamas to rise. What was Israel called before 1948? is it fair to force 1.3 million people to live on a small amount of land?
Kami, if this were the “holocaust” you try to make it out to be, your relatives would be nothing but dust right now. It is not Israel who seeks to destroy their neighbors, nor targets civilians.
And you really need to go back in your history considerably further. They used to be under the control of Britain, and then Egypt. Prior to that, they were part of the Ottoman Empire.
Of course Gaza and the West Bank are “occupied”. They were divvied up a long time ago as territories, with constantly morphing boundaries. They are not a state of their own. Thus the reasoning behind the Oslo Accords… get start a five year process of moving towards a Palestinian statehood. Yet the warring factions within these territories themselves have proven to thwart their very attempt. And yes, with some bad behavior on Israel’s part with expanding settlements.
But expanding settlements is far less insidious behavior than threats of annihilation and continuous warfare.
Land and territory has been offered, and rejected multiple times. Israel has made good on withdrawal from Gaza. And that got them what?
Israel does not target civilians?? haha That is the funniest joke you have said so far. Then why are there over 500 Palestinians dead over a hundred of which are innocent civilians?
And according to the UN, about 70% of them were Hamas. I place a very wide distinction between Gazan citizens and Hamas and their supporters, dedicated to annihilating Israel.
Got a number on how many Gazans Hamas has executed themselves in the past weeks? 35. Another 75 have been shot, had limbs cut off, and dozens more under house arrest. And how many have Hamas killed in their civil war with Fatah?
Talk about a laugh…
“My grandparents were from Palestine. They lived there their entire life until the Israelis kicked them out of their homes.” (Kami)
Wrong Kami girl! Get some information, some real facts here.
First of all: “There is no such a thing like a Palestinian people, or a Palestinian culture, or a Palestinian language, or a Palestinian history. There has never been any Palestinian state, neither any Palestinian archaeological find nor coinage.
The present-day “Palestinians” are an Arab people, with Arab culture, Arabic language and Arab history. They have their own Arab states from where they came into the Land of Israel about one century ago to contrast the Jewish immigration. That is the historical truth.
They were Jordanians (another recent British invention, as there has never been any people known as “Jordanians”), and after the Six-Day War in which Israel utterly defeated the coalition of nine Arab states and took legitimate possession of Judea and Samaria, the Arab dwellers in those regions underwent a kind of anthropological miracle and discovered that they were Palestinians – something they did not know the day before.
Of course, these people having a new identity had to build themselves a history, namely, had to steal some others’ history, and the only way that the victims of the theft would not complain is if those victims do no longer exist. Therefore, the Palestinian leaders claimed two contradictory lineages from ancient peoples that inhabited in the Land of Israel: the Canaanites and the Philistines. Let us consider both of them before going on with the Palestinian issue…. ”
Read the rest:
The so-called “Palestinians” are NOT!
http://www.imninalu.net/myths-pals.htm
And secondly: Israel gently invited all the people to stay with them in Israel. But the Arab league ask everyone to move out so they could throw the Jews to the sea. They told them they could come back when the war was finish. But they lost the war, Israel won. That is what happen girl! And the people who did not listen to the Arab league and stayed in Israel with the Jews well guess what? Their descendance are still there. So your grandparents just had to stay with the Jews.
Hehe, ever been to Manhattan or East LA? People all over the world live crowded like that. Most of them just aren’t stupid enough to lob missiles into their neighbors yards and threaten to annihilate them, thereby begging for their own destruction.
Hamas broke the cease fire
Hamas announced they were going to break the cease-fire
Hamas announced they were breaking the cease-fire a second time
the onus rests w Hamas.
When they didn’t shoot rockets at Israel (Oct/Nov)…Israel didn’t attack em.
“Hamas fired rockets into Israel because Israel was not allowing any food or aid into Gaza.” (Kami)
Oh really? I think you are a liar girl and a good one too. Better watch this video and get your facts right:
http://www.wat.tv/video/crise-gaza-156qb_125zk_.html
“Israel does not target civilians?? haha That is the funniest joke you have said so far. Then why are there over 500 Palestinians dead?” (Kami)
They were terrorists from Hamas, or supporters, or human shields (women and children) to protect the terrorists. Just watch the precision of the surgical air strikes:
Israeli Air Force Strikes Terror Targets in Gaza 29 Dec. 2008
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p–x0NCdJH4&feature=related
MataHarley:
I’m impressed by your ability to calmly rebut this idiot.
Anyway, Reliapundit from my post with the same photo:
THIS IS A STAGED PHOTO.
NEED PROOF:
WHY WOULD ANY SANE MORAL HUMAN BEING NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DIG THE CHILD OUT?
BUT THEY JUST STAND THERE, BESIDE THE ARAB/FRENCH PHOTOG.
IS THAT WIRE AN AIR-TUBE?
DUNNO.
ALL I KNOW IS THIS:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053225.html
French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel’s Gaza operation
By Haaretz Service
Tags: France, Gaza, Israel News
French public television network France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact taken during a different incident in 2005, one in which Gaza civilians were killed by an explosion caused by militants in the Strip.
The footage aired on Channel 2 on Tuesday afternoon showed dozens of dead bodies, including Hamas gunmen and citizens, which the channel said were killed by an IAF bombing raid on January 1st. It later came to light that the channel had instead aired footage of the devastation caused after a truck full of explosives blew up in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp.
A news editor at France 2 told Le Figaro Tuesday that they had “made a mistake by airing those pictures, which he said depict events from 2005.
MISTAKE MY ASS.
THIS CRAP IS LIKE JENINGRAD AND AL DURA.
Cheer up!
Didn’t HAMAS promise to turn Gaza into a graveyard?
After seeing Palestinians dancing in the streets on 911, smoking and joking and passing out Laffy Taffy – then freely elect the world’s very 1st suicide regime, start a war of agression against a democratic member of the UN, insist on fighting to the last drop of innocent blood, and then cry out for sympathy is audacious.
The audacity of Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas supreme leader, who called for the launch of a third intifada from exile in Syria.
Mashaal wakes up in the safety of Damascus, turns on the television, reads the paper and then says live on Al Jazeera TV – where else? – that “we want armed resistance, a military uprising to face the enemy”. Couldn’t he smuggle himself into the Gaza Strip to be with his resistance fighters?
All HAMAS has to show after all this time and money from Gulf States and rowdy foreigners are little more than long-range fireworks that they fire off into neighbouring towns but which do more damage to HAMAS’ own image than to any infrastructure in Little Satan
Ultimately, Khaled Mashaal, who declared from far away Damascus, that the resistance “has lost very few people” as the body count soars.
Time for HAMAS to step down. By any standards these cats have been a spectacular failure.
HAMAS failed in peace, failed in governance, and moreover failed in war. In addition to Hamas’s ambiguous political agenda, their goal seems to be resistance for the sake of resistance, a quagmire where the journey really is the destination.
It is time for Khaled Mashaal and his freely elected suicide regime to step down and allow more competent leaders to emerge before he causes even more damage to the concept of Palestine.
The quiz is if HAMAS leaves, what is the alternative?
Yeah, Americaneocon… I’m still waiting for Wordsmith to weigh in on just where he absconded this photo in question.
So, Word? Where are you? And exactly how did you come to believe that “arm” photo is part of the UN school bombing? Especially when aftermath photos show the building intact?
Inquiring minds are patiently tapping, tapping, tapping their toes.
i wonder what would happen if Hamas would renounce armed violence and acknowledge Israels’ right to exist. wouldn’t that put the onus on Israel? but that will never happen because Hamas is not truly interested in a homeland for “Palestinians”-rather their only goal is the destruction of the only successful state in the region.
@MataHarley:
Torturing little kids with pushups, handstands, jack knives, hollow body holds, chin ups, leg lifts, etc. I gotta work for a living, you know?
I made this post on the quick, right before work and found the photo at the New York Times “today’s photos”; specifically, here.
I know there’s controversy over veracity and accuracy of this story; but my mind wasn’t on investigating; just commentary on the news item of the day before heading off to work.
I’m well aware that there’s a whole history of “fauxtography” type of photo staging by AP and Reuters photos over the years (check out the cover of Stephanie Gutmann’s “The Other War” as well as the stuff that came out in wake of Israel-Lebanon). But I simply needed a photo to add commentary regarding civilian casualties (which do occur) and why they don’t tug on my heartstrings in terms of pressuring Israel for a cease-fire; staged photo or not.
Like I said, I made this post on the quick to race the clock before heading for work.
Everything about how Israel’s conflicts get reported are propaganda for the “underdog” “stone-throwers”, and should be held suspect.
Shall I give you my cell phone #? Text me?
Word, da man! You picked a photo from “pics of the day”.
Here’s a picture of the aftermath damage at the school, according to that category of pics…
Hummm… sure doesn’t look like enough damage to cover a young child’s body to me. Even the NYTs says the artillery exploded *outside* the school.
Researching the picture you *did* post says it was the aftermath of the bombing of a three story home of a Hamas leader… another bigwig like Nizar Rayyan last week. But Israel has given the Hamas leaders and their families advance notice of their residential targets so they can go underground. Rayyan chose to make his families martyrs… as did this one.
You might want to replace it with a photo that relates to the story of the school, guy. Otherwise al Jazeera might be calling you to offer you a job! LOL
@Americaneocon:
Nice, Douglas!
Here’s his post.
rofl!
Will my update suffice?
Saw that big arse “important update” after I hit submit and it refreshed…. LOL
I’d say that’s a relatively good disclaimer. Altho so many may think that is a picture of the bomb that hit near the school (which is what your post is about), and not the child of a Hamas leader who refused to leave, knowing his home was targeted.
Israel has also broken the treaty many times… so stop saying that hamas is responsible… look at the casualties on israel’s side… not many… most of the ppl israel is killing are civilians… i bet u anything that if this was palestine doing this to israel…even if israel started it… u racist mofos would condemn the killing… anyone killing innocent ppl is evil….that’s all… and I think israel is the biggest bully in the middle east…and USA is its supporter… the reason there is terrorism is because of this unfairness… and I think that terrorists are justified when they hate Israel and USA
“u racist mofos”?? “killing innocent ppl is evil”??????
Obviously a child of the “text” generation, and judging by the opine, evidently history deficient as well as language challenged.
Boy are we getting ’em here lately… Nice bait you put out, Word.
Let’s see…Israel withdraws completely from Gaza in 2005. In addition, they are their main source for food, supplies and fuel. This, however, doesn’t stop Hamas from firing rockets regularly at the source of their most basic supplies after they seize Gaza from the unified PNA in a coup. That’s nice. Bomb the country that is your closest and largest source of trade for your population.
When Israel “breaks treaties”, it’s because they are expanding settlements (and that was quite a while ago). When Hamas breaks treaties, they fire rockets randomly into residential, civilian areas.
And Israel is a “bully”?? 600 “innocent ppl”?? What kind of drugs you got down in Texas, girl?
The only reason that there are more deaths of Hamas operatives than Israeli is because the IDF and IDA are *better* at warfare. Not to mention, more discriminating in their targets. They warn the Gazans with leaflets, communications in order to minimize collateral damage. But Hamas has more value for dead Gazans than live.
So you think the terrorists are “justified when they hate Israel and USA”, but here you sit within US secure boundaries in your Richardson, TX area home. uh… chutzpah comes to mind.
Your outspoken disregard for the country that houses and protects your worthless ass makes steam pour from my ears. Were you my neighbor, you would be seriously on my neighborhood watch list, and the number for the FBI one of my speed dial numbers. Anyone here in that area of the country who’d like her IP number?
Mozeltov, and don’t let the saloon door bruise you on the way out.
@Reema Malik:
how can u ppl justify this genocide… how is it possible to justify the killing of 600+ innocent civilians… U assholes have to be pretty sick… or racist… which are also pretty sick… I feel that this is unfair…and it upsets me to watch my ppl being killed like this… while the world watches and comes up with reasons why this is deserved!… morons…
@Reema Malik: Why not direct your anger at Hamas?
Hah…..Here’s Confederate Yankee:
Read and see more…
It is really no use talking to these evil people(Hamas) or their supporters. It’s like talking to a rabid chicken.
Just kill as many of them as you can and let them complain and be outraged. The MORE the complaints and outrage, the BETTER it implies you are doing your job, which is protecting the innocent and the peace.
Bravo Mata! Keep this girl IP number. USA and Canada and all civilized countries should kick these people out of their country. We do not need terrorists or pro-terrorists (which are the same to me) on our soil. If she likes Hamas so much, why doesn’t she go and join them? What a loser crackpot that idiot!
I wish Kamil were still around to comment on the fauxtography.
Great thread
Wow, a blind squirrel moment for me. I cautioned you about using the pics from Gaza. The fact that a FRENCH TV station was reporting it should have been another tip off.
Not that the American ones aren’t any better. I saw either NBC or ABC report that the Israelis had hit a school…….but say NOTHING about how it was being used as a base to launch mortars or that the bodies of hamas terrorists were found in the rubble. This same school was used to launch the same type of attack in 2007.
Folks, number 47 was not me. Someone borrowed my nic.
Number 49 wasn’t me either.
Don’t tell me the trolls are trying to be clever again? The mods can check IP addresses.
Someone who evidently doesn’t use capitilization or punctuation. Unlike you, Scott or me.
Now who did the three of us offend lately?
Sorry guys, it was spam that got through. Fixed
I DON’T LIKE SPAM!!!
Strange fact: Spam is a delicacy in Korea.
@Hard Right:
Is there video footage available of what footage they showed?
Nevermind…this looks to be it.
But is there actual footage of the French news coverage and what photos exactly that they aired?
LGF had a link. Not sure if it’s what you are after.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32374_France_2_Apologizes_for_Using_Phony_Gaza_Attack_Video
It’s not the first time a French TV station has run blatant terrorist propganda. In fact, it was the same station!
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2008/05/29/media-ran-story-israel-troops-shooting-boy-ignore-evidence-israel-inn
I had put the LGF link in my recent post; but what I’m looking for is footage of what exactly the French station aired- not the raw footage. I’d like to know what photos were aired.
It would seem this isn’t the first time a photo by Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse has been called out for lack of accuracy/correct context: