Skip Nav | Home | Mobile | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Security | Support Us

World

Wipe Gaza off the Map

D Thomson | 12.02.2008 01:43 | Palestine | London | World

”We must take a neighborhood in Gaza and wipe it off the map” Cabinet Minister Meir Sheetrit, New York Times, 10th Feb

While an alleged call for Israel to be wiped off the map provokes outrage it seems it is perfectly acceptable to prescribe the same for Gaza.

Its almost comical how anti-Iranian propaganda has become such lexicon in Israel that a Government Minister has slipped up revealing his true feelings towards the Palestinians by using it. While no such claim was made against Israel, President Ahmadinejad was misquoted, here we have it - Israel calling for Gaza to be “wiped off the map.”

The rest of the article is equally as terrible and ignores the fact that Hamas has constantly tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement and that Israel refuses to talk. Israel’s goal after all is to break Hamas and break the backs of the Palestinian people so they submit to Israeli authority.

 http://fanonite.org/2008/02/11/gaza-wipe-it-off-the-map/

D Thomson
- e-mail: davidwmc.thomson@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.fanonite.org

Comments

Hide the following comment

One Difference

12.02.2008 03:24

Note that, while the statement attributed to Iran's president was never uttered, but is oft-repeated by those Extremists thirsty for war with Iran, this one is genuine.

'IDF should wipe out parts of Gaza'
By YAAOV KATZ AND TOVAH LAZAROFF

Israel will escalate its ground and air operations in the Gaza Strip this week and may begin targeting members of the Hamas political leadership in the wake of intensified Kassam rocket attacks against Sderot, senior defense officials said Sunday.

(This was planned before the Annapolis Conference. Israel was simply awaiting a politically-expedient ‘crisis’ it could excuse its aggression with. The rocket attacks are actually down.)

The officials said it was premature to launch a major ground operation and that the army still had a number of steps to try before reaching that point.

"The IDF has not exhausted all of its options," a defense official said. The decision to escalate military operations was made after two brothers, aged eight and 19, were seriously wounded by a Kassam rocket in Sderot on Saturday night.

(Which provides the pretext for the premeditated attack. The attack which injured these young men is on the heads of the Extremists within the Israeli Government who reject the prospect of negotiating and making compromises in the name of peace.)

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told The Jerusalem Post that during Sunday's cabinet meeting, he had called on the IDF to "take off its gloves," head into Gaza with armored tractors and raze an entire neighborhood from which rockets have been launched, and then withdraw. The residents of that neighborhood would be warned in advance to flee, he said.

(How nice of him. Imagine if the roles were reversed, and the Palestinians proposed the destruction of entire illegal Israeli settlements on Occupied Territory. What would the condemnation look like?)

Under international law, people have the right to defend themselves, he said.

(Unless they’re Palestinian …)

"This kind of action would be very well understood by the Palestinians," Sheetrit said. "It is inconceivable to leave the situation as it is."

Past restraint had been interpreted by the Palestinians as weakness, and as a result the number of attacks had increased, he said.

(Israel’s attacks on Gaza since Annapolis has more than doubled, and Ha’Aretz just published the findings of a report which showed that over half of the Palestinians murdered in those attacks were civilians.)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke with reporters on Sunday about the Palestinian rockets while en route to Berlin for a two-day visit, his office said. Israel was doing everything that it could to halt the attack, he said, but "there is no way to stop terrorism in one fell swoop or with one bomb."

(There is a myriad of other measures Israel could use to halt the rockets, but it doesn’t want to, because they provide a convenient pretext for attacks which were planned long before Annapolis.)

Earlier at the cabinet meeting, as angry Sderot residents protested outside, Olmert dismissed calls for a broad Gaza incursion by saying: "There is no doubt that the pain [of Sderot] is felt by all; the outrage is natural, but outrage is not an action plan. We must act in a systematic and orderly fashion, over time. This is what we are doing. This is what we will continue to do."

(What they are doing, systematically, over time, is murdering the Palestinians, annexing their land, and trying to create the illusion that the prospect of a just peace is impossible. They have rejected peace, after all, because a ‘just peace’ will involve Israel giving back much of what it has stolen. These Israelis should be directing their anger at the Extremists within their own Government, who reject peace in the name of the Zionist dream of wiping Palestine off the map.)

He noted that Defense Minister Ehud Barak had visited Sderot that morning and that in recent months, 200 terrorists had been killed and hundreds of others had been wounded in Gaza.

(And even more civilians had been killed and wounded. Wonder why the Palestinians are so angry?)

"Naturally, we cannot be oblivious to the sense of distress in Sderot and the communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip," Olmert said.

(Just to those WITHIN the Gaza Strip, because those people are ‘just Arabs’ …)

Following security consultations held Sunday between Olmert, Barak and senior security officials, the IDF was given the green light to slightly escalate operations against a previously-approved bank of targets that includes Hamas "military" installations and buildings affiliated with the Hamas government in Gaza. The army will also continue its raids into the Strip.

"We will continue with the targeted killings and the pinpointed raids into Gaza," the official said. "We need to keep up the pressure on the terrorist groups and not stop even for one moment."

As The Jerusalem Post reported exclusively on Friday, the defense establishment is also studying the possible consequences of killing senior Hamas political leaders - such as Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud Zahar - and the effect such a move would have on the attacks from Gaza.

(Imagine now, for a moment, that it was learned that Hamas was plotting to assassinate people within Israel’s Political Class. What would Israel’s coverage look like …? Immorality breeds contradiction.)

Before this happens, we need to review the consequences and whether it will be effective," an official said.
Senior IDF officers said that while the military was prepared for a large operation in Gaza, Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi did not believe that the time was ripe since Israel had yet to formulate an "exit strategy" for such an incursion.

(And, due to Israel’s War Crimes against Gaza, the world is currently against Israel, and understands who is truly ‘retaliating’ here.)

"We know how we get in but we do not know how we get out," a senior officer said, adding that an operation would be pointless in the absence of a multinational force that would deploy in Gaza or Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas taking control from the IDF. "Neither of these options are very realistic today," the officer said.

(But plans for a reoccupation has been drawn up.)

Sheetrit told the Post he too was concerned about the IDF's ability to exist in Gaza and that therefore Israel had to be careful not to reoccupy Gaza. At the same time, he said, it should not agree to a cease-fire with Hamas.
(And right there is where the problem lies. Israel will not make peace through any process it cannot control.)
Vice Premier Haim Ramon said Israel should focus on measures such as cutting electricity immediately after rocket attacks.

(Collective Punishment is a War Crime.)

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said past IDF actions had only seemed to draw more rocket fire. In the first five weeks of 2008, Gazans had fired 330 rockets at Negev communities, one-third of what they fired at Israel in all of 2007, he said.

(And how many missiles, rockets, tank shells, etc. were fired INTO Gaza during this same period? How many Palestinians were murdered?)

Last weekend alone 40 rockets were launched, of which 14 struck Sderot, Dichter said. He, too, hinted at the need for large-scale ground activity.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told reporters after the cabinet meeting, "There is no hope for the Palestinian people with Hamas. There is no hope for any kind of peace or the vision of a Palestinian state which includes the Gaza Strip without a real change on the ground."

(Indeed. So long as Israel remains ruled by these Extremists, there is no hope for peace.)
She added that the rocket attacks were not part of a "vicious cycle" as described in the international media, but rather an action that could be stopped by Hamas.

(But Israel’s rejection of Palestinian democracy, its attempted Coup, and its illegal Collective Punishment, is what initiated this aptly-named cycle, in which Israel is the initiator of hostilities. It is the Palestinians who have no ‘partner for peace’.)

"The world cannot dismiss this by simply saying that there are casualties on both sides. That is not a just comparison," she said.

(Right. The Palestinian body count is vastly larger, and this is a Zionist war.)

She called on the international community to support Israeli retaliatory actions and to take steps themselves against Hamas.

Speaking on the plane to Berlin, Olmert said Hamas was not a partner for peace as long as it refused to return Cpl. Gilad Schalit, who it kidnapped in June 2006. It must also accept the principles laid out by the Middle East Quartet, including renouncing violence and recognizing Israel's right to exist, said Olmert.

(All of which could be achieved if Israel would agree to a cease-fire and enter into negotiations. Israel makes these preconditions for negotiations because it isn’t interested in talks, only ‘might makes right’.)

Also on Sunday, IDF soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian gunman who opened fire at them near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. Overnight Saturday, the air force bombed a number of Hamas targets throughout Gaza, including a weapons-manufacturing plant in Rafah and a weapons storehouse in Gaza City.

(But we’re only supposed to condemn the crude, relatively harmless rockets. Right?)

 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202657415850&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Major IDF Operation into Gaza "Back on Agenda"
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?11029S

ALERT: Annapolis a Charade: Israeli Extremists Plotting Massive AggressionAuthor
 https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7906/index.php

In Germany, according to historian Richard Evans, in 1931-1932, if enough Germans of conscience had begun to say No -- history would have had an entirely diferent outcome.

If we go any further down this road the tears will be those of conservatives as well as progressives. They will be (Israeli) tears.

The time for weeping has to stop; the time for confronting must begin.

Adapted from "American Tears"
www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/american-tears_b_68141.html

Censoring Neo-Con Role in Gaza Crisis
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10619S

Warnings Pour in For Israel to Cease Collective Punishment
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10555S

Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment (the First Round)
winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8994S

As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/388658.html

As Predicted: Israel Attacks Gaza
alaanasnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/as-predicted-israel-attacks-gaza.html

Gaza Food Supplies 'Getting Worse by the Day'
winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10015S

Israel Destroys Gaza Interior Ministry, Blocks UN Aid
today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2008-01-18T

Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944276.html

Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis
www.uruknet.de/?p=m40008&hd=&size=1&l=e

UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389757.html?c=on#c187937

UN Condemns 'Cowardly Israeli War Crime'
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389828.html

It's All Right, I'm Only Bleeding
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10557S

Bush's Delusions Die in Gaza
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/postitem.php?randid=56676&parenttype=&parentitem=

An Experiment in Famine: Hamas is Not the Real Issue
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10872S

Jewish Groups Condemn Collective Punishment of Gaza
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10877S


The Strangulation of Gaza
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10998S

Starting Tomorrow: Escalation in Collective Punishment of Gaza
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10999S

EU envoy warns Gaza could become the next Somalia
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?11028S


Zionist Extremism Key Impediment to Peace


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

/regional publish include --> /regional search include -->

World Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Server Appeal Radio Page Video Page Indymedia Cinema Offline Newsheet

secure Encrypted Page

You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.

If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech