Witch hunt against Israel's critics

[Graffias]

'Witch hunt' against Israel's war critics

It has been Israel's deadliest conflict in years. More than 1,960 Palestinians were killed and 64 Israeli soldiers died fighting what some see as an unwinnable war.

And yet the only significant protest in Israel so far saw thousands late Thursday demand an end to Hamas rocket attacks, dissatisfied with the status quo after ground troops pulled out and a ceasefire was extended.

Liberal newspaper Haaretz decried Friday what it called a "witch hunt" against leftists and civil rights organisations after the director of the national service administration, Sar-Shalom Jerbi, told rights group B'Tselem it was being blacklisted as an employer.

"I feel obligated to exercise my power and stop the state assistance provided to an organisation that works against the state and against soldiers who are heroically giving their very lives to protect the safety and well-being of all citizens," Jerbi wrote in a letter.

He accused B'Tselem of disseminating lies and slander, endangering the state and publishing information that encourages Israel's enemies and leads to violent anti-Semitic acts against Jews around the world.

The rights group denounced the move as an attack on Israeli democracy, and asked supporters to sign an online petition to support freedom of expression and democracy.

Yizhar Beer of the Keshev Centre for the Protection of Democracy in Israel says it has never been more difficult to voice dissent in a country which prides itself on being the only democracy in the Middle East.

 

[wbcoleman]

Yeah, well, it is a bit difficult when you're defending people who are randomly firing missiles at civilian populated areas.

 

[Jango]

Yeah, well, it is a bit difficult when you're defending people who are randomly firing missiles at civilian populated areas.

Hamas is completely indefensible. But the Palestinians not involved with any militant group and whose only "crime" is being Palestinian in either Gaza or the West Bank, it is disheartening when they get slaughtered. Innocent people should not be massacred.

 

[Grant]

Hamas is completely indefensible. But the Palestinians not involved with any militant group and whose only "crime" is being Palestinian in either Gaza or the West Bank, it is disheartening when they get slaughtered. Innocent people should not be massacred.

Then you should direct your message to Hamas and tell them to quit shelling Israel.

 

[Jango]

Then you should direct your message to Hamas and tell them to quit shelling Israel.

Violence is the only language Hamas knows. Israel has been speaking to them properly I.e. by using violence to defend themselves. However, Israel could go about this situation different. "Quarantine" non Hamas members to avoid large numbers of civilian casualties. Less civilian casualties = less people incited & prone to radicalization. And, they keep the International Community off their back. Why? Because innocent people, who by the randomness of birth, have found themselves in the middle of an almost 70 year War.

 

[ecofarm]

Violence is the only language Hamas knows. Israel has been speaking to them properly I.e. by using violence to defend themselves. However, Israel could go about this situation different. "Quarantine" non Hamas members to avoid large numbers of civilian casualties. Less civilian casualties = less people incited & prone to radicalization. And, they keep the International Community off their back. Why? Because innocent people, who by the randomness of birth, have found themselves in the middle of an almost 70 year War.

They could put them in quarantine zones (for lack of a better phrase)? Yeah, no one will use that against Israel. Israel needs to kill every leader of Hamas, hopefully without much collateral damage.

 

[matchlight]

'Witch hunt' against Israel's war critics

You post an article by someone you don't identify that contains unsubstantiated assertions by someone writing for Haaretz. This author, quoting a letter in which an Israeli official informed a "rights group" it was being blacklisted, claims this action is evidence of a "witch hunt" against opponents of Israel's military operations in Gaza. Your unidentified author also cites the statement of a person who works for something called the Keshev Centre, who claims Israel is silencing dissenters--but offers no information whatever about him or this center, and gives no reason why anyone should care what he thinks.

What's your point? You may think you've presented an argument, but all I see is innuendo.

 

[Jango]

They could put them in camps? Yeah, no one will use that against Israel. Israel needs to kill every leader of Hamas, hopefully without much collateral damage.

Obviously camps wouldn't work, but isolating civilian from Hamas is the better approach overall.

 

[ecofarm]

Obviously camps wouldn't work, but isolating civilian from Hamas is the better approach overall.

How? It would need to be contained or Hamas can go in there and use pure non-Hamas civilians as shields.

 

[Jango]

How? It would need to be contained or Hamas can go in there and use pure non-Hamas civilians as shields.

Israeli intelligence & security services should know who is Hamas & isn't. Moving the non Hamas people just becomes an issue of logistics. It may take a large effort, but it pays off in dividends if successfully completed.

 

[ecofarm]

Israeli intelligence & security services should know who is Hamas & isn't. Moving the non Hamas people just becomes an issue of logistics. It may take a large effort, but it pays off in dividends if successfully completed.

Moving them is one ridiculous thing. Preventing Hamas from infiltrating them is another.

 

[Jango]

Moving them is one ridiculous thing. Preventing Hamas from infiltrating them is another.

I have faith that between Mossad, Shin Bet & the I.D.F., they could handle it. And the Palestinian civilians would have self-preservatoin in mind & would know who's who. It is possible to be done but would take a lot of political will.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Israeli intelligence & security services should know who is Hamas & isn't. Moving the non Hamas people just becomes an issue of logistics. It may take a large effort, but it pays off in dividends if successfully completed.

Wait... so you are suggesting that Israel come into Gaza and uproot a large amount of Palestinian civilians in order to be able to successfully target Hamas militants? I see three issues with this. Firstly, imagine what anti-Israeli folks will say about THIS "resettlement". It will be seen as just another crime towards the Palestinian people. Secondly, how willing do you think that the Palestinians will be in allowing Israeli IDF to move them, even to prevent them from being collateral damage in dealing with Hamas? Palestinians are mostly unwilling to expose Hamas to the IDF... if they actually did, this conflict would have been over long ago. Lastly, Hamas is a guerrilla organization. Hiding out both in clandestine ways and in plain sight is what they do. They'll just move with the people and we'll be in the same situation as we are now. I don't see your suggestion as a viable solution.

The only solution is for the Palestinian people themselves to give up Hamas members, either to Israel or to their own security forces, en mass. If the Palestinian people work WITH Israel to eliminate their common enemy, Hamas, this conflict could be resolved.

 

[ecofarm]

I have faith that between Mossad, Shin Bet & the I.D.F., they could handle it. And the Palestinian civilians would have self-preservatoin in mind & would know who's who. It is possible to be done but would take a lot of political will.

Every person would need to be searched going in and perimeter security would be impossible. I say it's impossible and if attempted would be pointless.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Every person would need to be searched going in and perimeter security would be impossible. I say it's impossible and if attempted would be pointless.

I'd go beyond that. If it was attempted, consider the outcry from the anti-Israeli folks out there.

 

[ecofarm]

I'd go beyond that. If it was attempted, consider the outcry from the anti-Israeli folks out there.

And rightfully so, it's an absurd endeavor.

 

[Jango]

Every person would need to be searched going in and perimeter security would be impossible. I say it's impossible and if attempted would be pointless.

No, it is not impossible. It could be done if the motivation to succeed was strong enough. It would require collaboration from both interested parties, Israeli & Palestinian, and helping hands from the U.S. & U.K. It is in everyone's best interest to find solutions rather than playing from the exact same playbook that has not achieved peace.

 

[ecofarm]

It would require collaboration from both interested parties, Israeli & Palestinian,

If we could get that, there wouldn't be any more Hamas.

 

[Jango]

Wait... so you are suggesting that Israel come into Gaza and uproot a large amount of Palestinian civilians in order to be able to successfully target Hamas militants? I see three issues with this. Firstly, imagine what anti-Israeli folks will say about THIS "resettlement". It will be seen as just another crime towards the Palestinian people. Secondly, how willing do you think that the Palestinians will be in allowing Israeli IDF to move them, even to prevent them from being collateral damage in dealing with Hamas? Palestinians are mostly unwilling to expose Hamas to the IDF... if they actually did, this conflict would have been over long ago. Lastly, Hamas is a guerrilla organization. Hiding out both in clandestine ways and in plain sight is what they do. They'll just move with the people and we'll be in the same situation as we are now. I don't see your suggestion as a viable solution.

The only solution is for the Palestinian people themselves to give up Hamas members, either to Israel or to their own security forces, en mass. If the Palestinian people work WITH Israel to eliminate their common enemy, Hamas, this conflict could be resolved.

I'm not suggesting anything be done by force but to have the representatives of all concerned parties meet without press fanfare to sit down and talk like men. The Israelis are tired of this conflict as are the Palestinians as are everyone else. A settlement can be made if cooperation is attained, like between President Kennedy & Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis - they recognized each other's complaints and Thermonuclear War was successfully averted. I mean, going into this sort of arrangement that "We're all in on this together," would be conducive to beneficial results.

 

[ecofarm]

sit down and talk like men.

What does that mean?

 

[grip]

I'm not very familiar with the I/P situation, but I surmise the Israelis have no choice but to encase Gaza, because of security issues? Is it possible that the Palestinians might uproot Hamas, if they weren't currently feeling such strict financial penalties? Or is it simply an intractable problem, where there will always be extremist elements filtering in and causing violence?

 

[ecofarm]

I'm not very familiar with the I/P situation, but I surmise the Israelis have no choice but to encase Gaza, because of security issues? Is it possible that the Palestinians might uproot Hamas, if they weren't currently feeling such strict financial penalties? Or is it simply an intractable problem, where there will always be extremist elements filtering in and causing violence?

Development happens despite the worst of tyrants (Hamas). Palestine will eventually give up on the destruction of Israel.

 

[Grant]

Development happens despite the worst of tyrants (Hamas). Palestine will eventually give up on the destruction of Israel.

But will the rest of the Arab world?

 

[ecofarm]

But will the rest of the Arab world?

Someday, of course. In the meantime, we should prioritize terrorist states.

 

[Jango]

Someday, of course. In the meantime, we should prioritize terrorist states.

Meaning those who do it to us or openly talk about it?