The Distorted Gaza Debate: It’s About Hamas, Stupid
The biggest problem with the way the Gaza Strip and flotilla issues are being presented? This is an issue about Hamas, not an issue about Israel.
The bottom line is whether the West and the world wants to see, on the coast of the Mediterranean: a revolutionary Islamist state openly seeking to commit genocide against Israel’s Jews; a client of Iran; and a dictatorial government determined to spread Islamist revolution, treat women as the Afghan Taliban did, and educate a generation of Gazans into becoming terrorists.
Only if this factor is comprehended can the humanitarian issue be put into perspective. To make the determining factor the raising of Gazan living standards is to ignore the strategic issues involved. And the great irony here is that ultimately an acceptance of the Hamas regime will doom Gazans to far more suffering — not to mention death — than the embargo could ever cause.
Yet even if one takes the humanitarian issue in isolation from the strategic questions, on its own merits, it is a largely phony question. It is being promoted mainly by Hamas and its supporters not to help people in Gaza but to break the embargo, stabilize the regime, and ensure its support base. Of course, this would only continue until Hamas launched the next war, or massive terrorist and rocket-firing campaign, against Israel.
In this regard, the most fundamental points are being distorted. The Gaza Strip is an agricultural area, and there has never been any hunger there. Many photos have been published showing that the shops are full of basic commodities. True, this is being supplemented by smuggling across the border with Egypt, but the outcome is the same.
Additionally, the Gaza Strip has always been a poor area, even in comparison to the West Bank. Statistics are being distorted to act as if the relatively lower living standards in the Gaza Strip are being caused by the sanctions, rather than largely being a continuation of history. Naturally, with a Hamas dictatorship that provoked last year’s war, things are going to be worse than with a government that is moderate, seeking stability, and cooperative with the West.
Here’s an example: On June 1, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) stated that the Gaza Strip “has one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates.” The obvious implication? It is Israel’s fault, because of its sanctions. In fact, the Gaza Strip has an infant mortality rate of 17.71 deaths per 1000 births — about the same as Mexico and better than Brazil, Romania, neighboring Egypt (26.2), Turkey (24.8), and Iran (34.7).
None of those, of course, can be blamed on Israel.
Dr. Rubin I appreciate your well thought out analysis. I would take it one step further and posit that at least some of the organizations and individuals supporting and participating in the movement to break the Israel embargo on the Hamas run Gaza Strip have no interest whatsoever in humanitarian concerns for the Gazans, they see breaking the blockade as just another front in their war to destroy Israel.
No actually its about The Stupid, stupid. The international support for Hamas
comes from the Far Left. The herds and herds of high IQ morons churned
off the University assembly lines, with a copy of Noam Chomsky in one
hand and a CD of John Lennon’s “Imagine” playing in the Walkman:
“Imagine there is no countries
It isnt hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living live in peace”
Thats right John thats all countries are, and all of them are he same
and religion is just pie in the sky, and all that matters is, well “peace” Kinda abstractJohn, but hey it feels good, pumps up the ego and thats all that
matters right?
“You may say Im a dreamer
But Im not the only one
I hope someda youll join us
And the world will be as one.”
Correct again John..you arent the only one. In fact John your mindless
garbage is the heartfelt beliefs of the vast majority of the Western World
I am sure Barrack Obama wanted to sing “Imagine” when Paul McCartney visited.
Barrys handlers were mortified, but hey its a Lennon song and Paul might not think its cool so it passed. Meanwhile the University assembly lines spit out the Rachel Corries
the Susan Sarandons, the Elena Kagans, the staff of the NY Times, nice well meaning, highly intelligent, well educated, Hi-IQ morons that have no problem
singing and playing along in John Lennons sugar glazed cloud of poisonous
abstractions. It feels so good to feel good about yourself doesnt it?
Hamas must be amazed at their luck when these useful
idiots show up to ride their Freedom Flotillas. Hamas cant understand where
they come from..but damn, they always show up in the nick of time, dont they? So lets put them to work for Allah and the Cause, it will be a simple matter to kill them off once the job is done.
Added to all of the above, I never quite understood why the West never says anything about Hezbollah taking over Lebanon? You could even make a case that Hezbollah is a lot worse than Hamas simply because they are so well armed. But if you take Hamas and Hezbollah and lump them together, add in Syria and a pinch of Iranian support for all of this, and you have a formidable and potent threat to any democracy in the area. And what I resent the most is the Obama administration constantly talking about what Israel must do for “peace,” yet it never, ever, mentions what Hamas and Hezbollah are doing in the area, let alone what the Obama administration is doing to prevent them from taking over the region (which is nothing). The current Obama administration just sickens me.
PLEASE NOTE THAT SOMEBODY HAS TAMPERED WITH MY LINK TO MY WEB SITE “Libertyship46″!!! I have written numerous posts on this web site and the links on all of the other comments are fine. But somebody out there has tampered with my link in the above comment and has linked my name to some religious web site I know nothing about and certainly do not approve of. Whoever did this, you are the lowest form of life out there. And even though you probably want to shut people like me up, you will not succeed. May you die a long and painful death you moron.
I am going to try and post this comment using my usual web site. If it is still corrupted, please know I had nothing to do with it.
I hope the people from Pajamas Media read this notice and can stop it from happening again. Thanks.
Good article and there is no doubt that Hamas is a group of fevered madmen. However, it’s time to give the Palestinians the West Bank and let this madness end. Give them a country, seal Israel off from it and say have a nice day. This 62 year old conflict should be ended, it is just too explosive. Once the Palestinian Arabs have a country they will no doubt find other things to whine about until the end of time but the world will not listen and Israel can get on with trying to just be a country. If Israel doesn’t want to create a country for the world’s foremost exponents of banging ones head against a wall then expel them to Arab borders, take over the West Bank and call it a day. Build a wall around Gaza that goes down a hundred feet and let them tunnel under that. Seal them off and give them nothing; let it be Egypt’s problem since the Egyptians almost to a man hate Israel and let them take the flack for electricity, water and food. I just don’t see the sense in interacting anymore with people who are arguably the world’s most bigoted cultures in the first place and double that for Jews.
“However, it’s time to give the Palestinians the West Bank and let this madness end. Give them a country, seal Israel off from it and say have a nice day. ”
They’ve already got Gaza and they turned it into a terror base, destroying any economically beneficial infrastructure in the process. ¡No Mas! Some serious “confidence building measures” need to take place before one more square millimeter is handed over.
The Palestinians already have a country, its called Jordan. But that is not what this is about, it is about the annihilation of Isreal. Many times Isreal has tried the peaceful route and agreed to turn over land to the Palestinians, and they have refused.
2,000+ Dead in Kyrgystan!
Where’s the U.N.?
Where’s secretary general Ban Ki Moon?
A handful of dead terrorists…. U.N. calls special session to condemn Israel.
“2,000+ Dead in Kyrgystan!
Where’s the U.N.?”
Counting their Russian oil money payoffs!
Don’t forget all the neighboring Moslem countries who use hatred of Israel to divert attention away from dictatorial, repressive governments with low standards of living for most people. For example, Jordan and Lebanon keep Palestinians in refugee camps without full rights and have killed untold thousands when Palestinians disrupt their adopted country’s govt. (usually with violence). Israel has absorbed hundred of thousands of Jews escaping oppression and death from Arab countries and do not keep them in camps to gain synpathy of the world.Why isn’t the West outraged that all the money they’ve sent goes to the ruling elite or for weapons??
In the final measure it comes to choices. The Palestinians have made the choice to be both victimized by their “government” (Hamas) and the tool for that government (Hamas) to victimize Israelis. Governments all around the world are becoming more and more despotic, our own included. People must make a choice and stand for their beliefs and let their government know they are on the wrong track.
In the case of Hamas, I’m sure that is easier said than done, but after all the people elected these bozos. To some extent you get what you ask for.
Though I find my politics on the more left leaning side (please don’t crucify me, just keep reading), I am heartened and delightfully surprised with the level of support I have found for Israel with the right leaning commentators. I can’t say government, yet, but I am thankful that someone else is the world is finally defending Israel.
Hamas has become a propaganda machine. I watched an AP or Reuters video a few years ago where the reporter was being shown how Hamas and the people of Gaza stage most of the video we see… death, maiming, destruction… it was disturbing.
But I was drawn to your article particularly for it’s title. I frequent the Jewish part of the site http://www.patheos.com and saw this article on the Muslim part… http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Its-the-Occupation-Stupid.html
It was fairly disturbing. Thanks for sticking up for Israel! We appreciate your support!
Barry: let’s not bring the money issue here… we give the Israelis 10 million dollars a day…..
Hammas is a terrorist org. and it leaders are bunch
of D…bags and proxies of the Iranian. that does not give Israel
any reason to blockade Gaza or shoot people point blank.
Here what you need to tell the Isareli goverment:
Instead of guns, tanks, bouldozers send doctors, engineers,
build schools, pave roads and get to the heart of plastinians
and then watch how fast they will get rid of their D…bag
leaders. we know so far guns did not work..
What do you think?
According to miriam, just because someone is trying to kill you is no reason to stop trading with them.
And the Jews are shooting nobody, point blank. That lie of yours is getting rather old.
It hasn’t worked. We take Gazan children across the border and treat them all the time. In their schools they have school books that say “If I have 7 Jews and I kill 4 of them, how many Jews are there left to kill.” I’ve seen these. Israel has not plundged them into poverty. Perhaps you need to re-read this article. Hamas has positioned the area to make their people suffer and gain support. I know this is something that most of us cannot fathom but it is true. There are resorts and wealthy Hamas supporters in Gaza… if you oppose them, you become their pawns.
Here is a luxury club in starving Gaza – http://www.rootsclub.ps/ – not saying that some people aren’t suffering but it isn’t as cut and dry as you seem to think it is. You may also find this video interesting – http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=403168356169&ref=mf
When you have a self professed enemy like this who has said since 1947 that there will never be peace with the Jews (that is why they didn’t accept the partition plan then that the British proposed with 80% of the country going to the Arabs and 20% to the Jews, the British would always support the Arabs over the Jews/Israelis). They want to wipe Israel off the face of the planet. Fortunately, not all Arabs feel that way (I have dear Arab Israeli friends in East Jerusalem) and it is with our youth and theirs where peace can be made. But the bombing of Israel must stop. The sneaking across the borders and kidnapping soldiers must stop. A civil discourse must ensue. And yes, we have our fanatics too. In fact, I was just reading these – http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Holy-War-A-Jewish-Problem-Too.html and http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Searching-for-Normal-in-Hebron.html and I certainly don’t condone that behavior!
PS: Though I’m not surprised that miriam is to ignorant to know about it, but Israel has already tried the approach she demands. And guess what, the Palestinians still demand that all Jews die.
Miriam, The only reason that the gun has not worked it that Israel is too civilized to utilize “Total War”. If they simply did to the Palestinian/Hamas scum what they would do to Israel there would be no more problems.Problem solved. Screw what the rest of the ignorant Jew haters of the world think.
Barry you wrote, “The bottom line is whether the West and the world wants to see, on the coast of the Mediterranean: a revolutionary Islamist state openly seeking to commit genocide against Israel’s Jews; a client of Iran; and a dictatorial government determined to spread Islamist revolution, treat women as the Afghan Taliban did, and educate a generation of Gazans into becoming terrorists.
Only if this factor is comprehended can the humanitarian issue be put into perspective. ”
I take issue with the last line. The depths of evil are so deep that they go beyond comprehension. Therefore, I would replace comprehended with accepted.
Otherwise, everything else is ship shape in Bristol fashion.
The Sons of allah have painted themselves in a corner. All faith traditions which preceded them are viewed as false. Therefore, anything that is done which vindicates those faith traditions is out of bounds.
In other words, they have to be different otherwise they are tainted, which is unacceptable.
You are absolutely correct. It’s being made to seem like a Civil Rights issue, which is of course a ‘hot button’ for a great many well-meaning, semi-informed, American liberals. Not that Hamas are really that much like Gandhi and King–but, oh, if only those darn Israelis were NICER! all would be well.
The best solution for Gaza is to turn it into a parking lot. Give them 24 hours to get out and then rain hell. If the Turks or Iranians are so enamored of the Gazans let them offer them citizenship. Funny how that never seems to come up.
Go back TO KHAZARIA,American people are very,very stupid,24 hour per day brainwash by the jewish media.Welcome to USSA COMRADES.
We have exterminated the property owners in Russia. We are going to do the same thing in Europe and America.”
(The Jew, December 1925, Zinobit)
Jews are the Synagogue of satan(Revelation 2:9,3:9)and CONVERTED KHAZARS,they adopted judaism in 740 Black see kingdom.
The Jewish Encyclopedia:
“Khazars, a non-Semitic, Asiatic, Mongolian tribal nation who emigrated into Eastern Europe about the first century, who were converted as an entire nation to Judaism in the seventh century by the expanding Russian nation which absorbed the entire Khazar population, and who account for the presence in Eastern Europe of the great numbers of Yiddish-speaking Jews in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Galatia, Besserabia and Rumania.
Collier’ s Encyclopedia, Volume 14, page 65 states:
“Khazars [kaza'rz], a semi-nomadic tribe of Turkish or Tatar origin who first appeared north of the Caucasus in the early part of the third century…in the Eighth Century Khaghan Bulan decided in favor of the Jews and accepted Judaism for himself and for his people..
The Cadillac Modern Encyclopedia, page 822, states:
“Khazars (khah’-zahrz), a S Russian people of Turkic origin, who at the height of their power (during the 8th-10th cent., A.D.) controlled an empire which included Crimea, and extended along the lower Volga, as far E as the Caspian Sea. The Khazar Royal Family and aristocracy converted to Judaism during the reign of King Bulan (768-809 A.D.) and Judaism was thereafter regarded as the State Religion.
Books writen by jewish authors;
The Thirteenth Tribe by Arthur Koestler
The Jews of Khazaria by Kevin Alan Brook
The Kuzari and the Shaping of Jewish Identity, 1167–1900 by Adam Shear
Facts Are Facts, by Benjamin Freedman
The Invention of the Jewish People by Shlomo Sand Bible,REVELATION 2:9,3:9,JEWS ARE CONVERTED AND SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.
European(CAUCASIAN)are the lost tribe OF ISRAEL,NOT THE JEW.
Genesis 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee,and will multiply thee EXCEEDINGLY.
GE 17:4 AS FOR ME,BEHOLD,MY COVENANT IS WITH THEE,AND THOU SHALT BE A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS.(MANY NATIONS=EUROPEAN).
GE 17:5 NEITHER SHALL THY NAME ANY MORE BE CALLED ABRAM,BUT THY NAME SHALL BE ABRAHAM,FOR A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE THEE.
GE 17:6;GE 28:14 And THY SEED SHALL BE AS THE DUST OF THE EARTH,AND THOU SHALL SPREAD ABROAD……
GENESIS 13:14,15,16,17,18.
GENESIS 15:5,6
GENESIS 22:15,16,17,18.
GENESIS 26:3,4,5
GENESIS 28:14,15
GENESIS 35:10,11,12,13.
Read for yourself,don’t believe lies,God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
New Jerusalem(America).
Zechariah 2:1 I lifted up mine eyes again,and looked,and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Zec 2:2 Then said I,Whither goest thou?And he said unto me,TO MEASURE JERUSALEM,to see what is the BREADTH THEREOF,AND WHAT IS THE LENGTH THEREOF.
Zec 2:3 And,behold,the angel that talked with me went forth,and another angel went out to meet him.
Zec 2:4 AND SAID UNTO HIM,RUN,SPEAK TO THIS YOUNG MAN,SAYING,,,JERUSALEM SHALL BE INHABITED AS TOWNS WITHOUT WALLS FOR THE MULTITUDE OF MEN AND CATTLE THEREIN.
THIS IS AMERICA,AMERICA,AMERICA.America is going to be destroy,not the satanist,khazars sand box from Palestine.
Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the Wilderness,where she hath a place prepared of God,that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,that she might fly into the wilderness,into her place,where she is nourished for a time,and times,and half a time,from the face of the serpent.
THIS IS AMERICA,THE SERPENT IS THE JEWISH DEVIL,THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN,CONVERTED KHAZARS.
All those country are going to attack America,Revelation 18 is the end of America,she will burn in one day(24 hours)surprised attack by Russia with nuclear weapons.IS GOING TO BE REVOLUTION SOON IN AMERICA,THE JEWISH GOV WILL BE BUSY WITH THE REVOLUTION,THEN THEY ATTACK.When the jewish devil see that She is destroy and they are alone,they get scared and make Peace.After that you will have a NEW WORLD ORDER,OR A JEW WORLD ORDER WITH THE ANTICHRIST SITING IN THE TEMPLE,THE JEWS WILL BUILD THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON ON THE RUIN OF THE DOM OF THE ROCK.THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDON WILL BE FOUGHT WITH THE ARMY OF THE WORLD AGAINST JESUS CHRIST.ANTICHRIST WILL GET THE POWER OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD,THE STATUE OF DANIEL,,NEBUCADNOSOR VISION,TEN TOES=TEN UNION.HE WILL MAKE PEACE AND ALL THE ARMY WILL BE UNDER HIS COMMAND.HE WILL TRY TO STOP JESUS,THE FINAL BATTLE IS GOING TO BE FOUGHT AT ARMAGEDON.
THE END OF AMERICA ;;
JEREMIAH 50:3 FROM THE NORD(RUSSIA),JER 50:4,913,14,15,16,20,23,24,26,27.
JER 51:6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50.
ISAIAH 47 BABYLON(AMERICA)47:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15.
ISAIAH 12:14,15,16,17,18,19.
ISAIAH 14:4,5,6.
GOD IS GOING TO PUNISH HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY CARE NOT ABOUT HIM.
THERE IS NO RAPTURE,THE JEWS WERE BEHIND SCOFIELD.
DON’T BELIEVE LIES,MOST CHRISTIAN IN AMERICA BELIEVE IN RAPTURE AND THAT THE JEWS ARE GOD CHOSEN PEOPLE.
You seem bezoomny, mate. I mean flat-out cuckoo,bonkers, tire-biting-foaming-at-the mouth mad. My sympathies; hope you get well.
in case you are mystified: my comment above referred to a post that may have gotten itself deleted (for being too nuts)
What you are seeing is traditional U.S. foreign policy. Here is Walter Laqueur commenting on Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy back in the Feb. 1978 issue of Commentary. “…quick diplomatic successes that turn out to be spurious, about policies that show more consideration for America’s enemies than for its allies, about a retreat from the high idealism of the early days to an aimless and inconsistent pragmatism.” Nothing has changed with Obama.
You’re having a schizophrenic episode, Mihail. It’s OK. Get yourself to the emergency ward as quickly as possible and they’ll fix you right up. Good luck! Nothing to worry about.
Western and Arab governments know it is about Hamas.
Name one government besides Iran who wants Hamas controlling the Suez Canal?
Somehow, this is going to lead to a definitive war, the Sri Lanka way.
Its the Islam stupid. THE ISLAM. The people in Islamic countries suffer for one reason: Islam. All the scholarly discourse and proposed feel good solutions which always start with Israel being asked for a show of good faith, only to be sucker punched … again, will come to nothing, NOTHING, positive. Not until the civilized world can summon the courage to call the enemy by its name, Islam, and join the battle, with the intent to WIN will any progress be made. If the Palestine apologists really have concern for the Palestinians they would be calling for an end to Islam the real oppressor of the Palestinians, and any one else it comes in contact with.
Yes, heaven forbid another Islamic state pop up somewhere. Oh, the dangers. They may occupy other people’s in seeming perpetuity, invade and occupy two nations at once, stockpile nuclear weapons while preventing other nations from developing their own deterrent and etcetera. For god’s sake, the potential damage of such an Islamic state, responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands…whoa, that would be awful.