Israel-Palestine kerfuffle

[visionary]

Crossing fingers.

(One of the many little voices I hear is wondering if maybe, if Egypt really wanted peace, they could stop smuggling in missiles into Gaza? I hear that a lot of them supposedly come in via tunnels from Egypt.)

I don't think it's the government smuggling them in.... There's a lot of money invested by local tribes/groups in Sinai I think.
Now maybe they could do more to stop it from happening...but they've had quite a bit of trouble over there already.
I'm not sure Morsi wants to piss off those guys anymore.

[Larry]

Yeah, part of me says it can't be that tough to stop smuggling. By tunnels, no less.

But then we don't seem to be able to do it. So I guess that, while I'd like to blame them, I'm not sure it's fair.

[mboyd784]

A very interesting read.
http://www.vice.com/read/did-israel-...ace-negotiator

[ixcuincle]

Also interesting is how nearly every US politician in the House, Senate, and Presidency is supporting Israel throughout this crisis

Checked over Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio tweets, both echo the same support

Any particular reason for this solidarity which is unifying two bitter parties

[Thiebear]

Must be big trouble if our left/right have met in the middle.
This seemed so trifling until Egypt got involved and ground troops were called.

[Larry]

A very interesting read.
http://www.vice.com/read/did-israel-...ace-negotiator

Yeah, I'd read that he was head of the military wing, and about the cease fire.

This is the first I've read that he was supposedly the guy who negotiated it.

Just what this situation needs. More conspiracy theories.

Also interesting is how nearly every US politician in the House, Senate, and Presidency is supporting Israel throughout this crisis

Checked over Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio tweets, both echo the same support

Any particular reason for this solidarity which is unifying two bitter parties

The Jewish vote?

The military industrial complex?

---------- Post added November-17th-2012 at 05:53 PM ----------

Must be big trouble if our left/right have met in the middle.
This seemed so trifling until Egypt got involved and ground troops were called.

Didn't seen trifling to me.

And I'm seeing signs that Egypt might Save The Day, here.

[twa]

Any particular reason for this solidarity which is unifying two bitter parties

A ally being attacked?

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middle...464384598.html

Arab League 'backs Gaza against aggression'

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby has pledged to support Palestinians against "Israel's aggression" and to end the blockade of Gaza during talks between Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.

The leaders said in a statement issued on Saturday that the Arab League chief will lead a delegation to the Gaza Strip on Sunday and support Egypt's efforts to negotiate a truce.

Maan News Agency reported the delegation led by Elaraby will include Riyad Al-Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister, and four other foreign ministers. Hamas has not yet confirmed the plans for the visit.

https://twitter.com/sarahussein

At least three journalists hurt in Gaza after Israel strike on a media building. I am fine for those asking. Safe for now. @AFP
7:33 PM

https://twitter.com/JonDonnison

If these Israeli shells fired from the sea are hitting buildings there wont be much of the buildings left. Seems to be increasing
7:27 PM

Tower block hit is where BBC office was for many years. Until last year i was working there. Old office reported reportedly destroyed.
7:32 PM

Believe a Hamas TV channel Al Quds TV now based in offices where BBC was until last year. 3 people from Al Quds reported injured.
7:34 PM

Shawa & Housari building reportedly hit in central Gaza city. Worked out of BBC office there until last year. Base for many local journos
7:38 PM

There was a boastful broadcast by Hamas earlier, I guess Israel didn't like it.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Israeli or American reservists? Either way, this doesn't sound good. Very scary situation going on over there yet again.

Israeli, sorry I though I made the edit...apparently not.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/JonDonnison

Worrying that Israeli military now seems to be targeting journalists in Gaza
8:23 PM

Hamas health min spokesman: 2 more children died in Gaza. 1 year old boy and 3 year old girl. Total killed here since Wed 48. 400+ injured
11:53 PM

Sounds of more distant explosions in Gaza just now after night of heavy Israeli shelling from sea.
11:55 PM

It may be temporary but IDF is saying Palestinian rocket fire has stopped for last 7 hours.
12:13 AM

https://twitter.com/charlottealfred

Israeli strikes hit another media office in Gaza, location of Al-Arabiya, Sky News
12:09 AM

[brandymac27]

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/15/anon...ternet_threat/

Anonymous retaliates to Israel’s Gaza Internet threat:

When it comes to cyber-warfare, however, the IDF’s foes are legion. Diffuse hacker collective Anonymous on Thursday announced #OpIsrael via Twitter in response to Israel’s threats. In a release posted on Pastebin, Anonymous wrote:

For far to long, Anonymous has stood by with the rest of the world and watched in despair the barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment of the Palestinian people in the so called “Occupied Territories” by the Israel Defense Force. Like so many around the globe, we have felt helpless in the face of such implacable evil. And today’s insane attack and threatened invasion of Gaza was more of the same.

When the government of Israel publicly threatened to sever all Internet and other telecommunications into and out of Gaza they crossed a line in the sand. As the former dictator of Egypt Mubarack learned the hard way – we are ANONYMOUS and NO ONE shuts down the Internet on our watch. To the IDF and government of Israel we issue you this warning only once. Do NOT shut down the Internet into the “Occupied Territories”, and cease and desist from your terror upon the innocent people of Palestine or you will know the full and unbridled wrath of Anonymous. And like all the other evil governments that have faced our rage, you will NOT survive it unscathed.

Cont'd at link

[Larry]

Israel cutting off the witnesses?

[jpyaks3]

Crossing fingers.

(One of the many little voices I hear is wondering if maybe, if Egypt really wanted peace, they could stop smuggling in missiles into Gaza? I hear that a lot of them supposedly come in via tunnels from Egypt.)

Most of the "missiles" are something that you can make with scrap metal and a little fertilizer, its important to have perspective as to just what these "missiles" are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket

They really don't do much more than scare the population and disrupt the day to day life of Israelis. They are not a terribly real threat to Israeli lives (only 20 or so Israelis have been killed by rocket fire in the last decade or so).

Most of what is smuggled in is food, building materials, and other essential items that the Israelis don't let in or don't let in in significant numbers with their illegal blockade of Gaza.

---------- Post added November-18th-2012 at 09:26 AM ----------

Also interesting is how nearly every US politician in the House, Senate, and Presidency is supporting Israel throughout this crisis

Checked over Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio tweets, both echo the same support

Any particular reason for this solidarity which is unifying two bitter parties

Because Israel is an ally but also because they have an extremely powerful lobbying group, capture a very important voting demographic, and are very useful for the United States to project power. You would have found similar support of South African apartheid in the 1970s.

[Burgold]

Israel cutting off the witnesses?

At least on Friday part of me was amazed at the phone clarity we got with our guests inside Gaza. The connection was absolutely pristine. As good as connecting with someone in the U.S.

[visionary]

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_289563/con...tguid=xjq6JKmB

Obama defends Israel's right to defend itself

President Barack Obama on Sunday defended Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, but he warned that escalating the offensive with Israeli ground troops could deepen the death toll and undermine any hope of a peace process with the Palestinians.

"Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory," Obama said at the start of a three-nation tour in Asia.

"If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that's preferable," he said. "It's not just preferable for the people of Gaza. It's also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they're much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded."

Obama's comments came as Israel's campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza blasted into its fifth day. Israel is at a crossroads of whether to launch a ground invasion or pursue Egyptian-led truce efforts, and Obama sought to clearly defend the U.S. ally's military rights while pushing for a halt in the violence.

I'm still trying to figure out what this whole offensive is supposed to accomplish other than set Hamas back a bit, kill a ton of civilians, make more people hate Israel and the US, and cause havoc among our allies in the region.


https://twitter.com/pdanahar

I'm back down at Shifa hospital. The worse case patients are being loaded into ambulances & taken to Egypt
7:41 AM

Suddenly hospitals busting with activity two children have been brought in one covered in blood his brother hysterical
7:44 AM

And more children have come in they look like they've been dug out of rubble. There's screaming and crying and chaos
7:45 AM

A nurse has broken down and is crying in the corner her colleagues are trying to comfort her. Awful scenes here
7:47 AM

The injured arriving at Shifa hospital in Gaza are from air attack north of Gaza city. 3 dead-1 woman 2 children. 10 injured
8:06 AM

https://twitter.com/pdanahar

Men are dragging away rocks and rubble with their hands trying to get to the people underneath it seems impossible anyone alive
8:48 AM

I am standing in front of a huge crater which is still smoking. Rescue efforts are now moving toward neighboring houses
8:56 AM

Lots of men holding folding stretchers hoping for more survivors. Only one little girl brought out. She was dead Gaza
9:01 AM

Most of the casualties are from the family of a Hamas man whose house was hit. The rest are his neighbors
9:03 AM