10,000 dead in Iraq, 892 in Israel

Perhaps it would be useful in judging the "intensity" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if we compared it to other causes of violent deaths in those societies. Since those were three year figures that's around 800+ Palestinains and 300- Israelis per year. A lot?

TRAFFIC fatalities in Israel are around 500 per year. I'm not sure if that's just Israel proper or includes the occupied territories but let's assume it's the total figure. Then we can conclude that the risk of getting killed in this ethnic strife are only about twice as great as getting killed in a motor accident.

Sorry, but your numbers don’t add up. Without wishing to justify American imperialism, we should not forget all the civilian deaths caused by Al Qaeda in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Iraq. And what about the crimes of terrorist dictators such as Saddam Hussein? Is it more acceptable to be murdered by your own government?

Also, the figures on Palestine don’t mean much. The fact is that the main problem of the Palestinians is not being killed by an Israeli bullet, but being unable to get a job and to move around freely, or having their homes destroyed and their lands confiscated. The Israeli occupation would be brutal and dehumanising even if it didn’t leave behind any dead.

I read this below and think it should be remembered.
Official documentation.

Interview w/ Ambassador Paul Bremer
 http://www.cpa-iraq.org/transcripts/bremer82403_abc.html
ABC THIS WEEK ABC TV
12:00 PM AUGUST 24, 2003
Arabic version
 http://www.cpa-iraq.org/transcripts/bremer_abcTV24aug_arabic.html


AMBASSADOR L. PAUL BREMER: … we are now seeing a large number of international terrorists coming into Iraq.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: How many?

AMBASSADOR L. PAUL BREMER: I think for the American people to understand •• well, probably several hundred, probably several hundred. And I think most Americans understand that it's better for us to fight and win this war here than to have to fight it on the streets of the United States.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, you've said that before. And I want to now play something that you've said, and also President Bush and General Sanchez, along those same lines and get you to respond. Let me put it up right now.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH (From video): There are some who feel like the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.

GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID (From video): This is what I would call a terrorist magnet where American being present here in Iraq creates a target of opportunity, if you will, but this is exactly where we want to fight them. We want to fight them here, we're prepared for them, and this will prevent the American people from having to go through other attacks back in the United States.

AMBASSADOR L. PAUL BREMER: It's the kind of thing that we've seen before in so many places, and it's something that we have to beat, and I must say, I think we must now defeat it here in Iraq, better to fight it here than to fight it somewhere else like the United States.

"we should not forget all the civilian deaths caused by Al Qaeda"

First, you'd have to prove that these deaths were the result of the group, and then you'd have to prove that this entity even exists outside of the CIA and Mossad.

You're not seriously suggesting that Mossad or the CIA really exist are you?

I thought they'd been made up by Al-Qaeda to scare little jihadis.

10,000? 800? a year? in 3 years? Compared to 9/11?
These are futile arguments. One life lost or ruined by violence, whether Iraqi, UK, US, Israeli, Palestinian or whatever, is one life too many.
Campaign for an end to all violence.
Heddwch
Peacelover