quote:

Originally posted by tathi what an amazing, courageous man. only when the voices of Israeli and Palestinian moderates like him are stronger than the extremists that cling to power in government will there be peace in Israel / Palestine.

Nice find tathi, thanks for posting it.

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"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

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Originally posted by CHRles The Arabs lost the war of 1948. So there's no revisionist history where Sderot is concerned. Are the Turks going to give Istanbul back to the Romans/Catholics? It used to be known as Constantinople. It had another name before that. And you, tathi, writing from Australia. What territories have you given back to the Aborigines? Were Sydney or Melbourne once settled by anyone else? And what of Texas here in the US? Who should it be given back to? Mexico? Spain? One of the numerous native American tribes? Lastly, Hong Kong seemed to do quite well despite being occupied by the British. This wasnt ages ago but rather up until 1997. So say what you will about Gaza but that strip could have been a lot more successful if its leaders and common people stopped focusing all their energy on suicide bombs and rocket attacks.

Why are you still posting your nonsense in this thread, so how is that proof finding going? Find any links to back up your previous statements? Dick.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Damerchi interesting... "Former Mayor claims Holocaust death toll heavily inflated" SOURCE

I commend a leader who blogs and responds to comments.

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Seems there is a loophole with IDF not having to ever see the ICC

Human rights groups from France and Belgium have attempted to push a case through, but due to Gaza's unique "status", it needs approval of the security council.

its a given what's going to happen.

I realize the importance of the UN and what it stands for, but is the organization desgined in a way where this kind of stuff can be ammended? like a veto overturn function for example would be very fitting in my opinion.

you realize this indicates that Israel could have technically gone allout with the illegal warfare techniques and be immune from ICC prosecution

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Originally posted by DJ Damerchi you realize this indicates that Israel could have technically gone allout with the illegal warfare techniques and be immune from ICC prosecution

already happened... notice how they pulled out just before obama took office.

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Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7850085.stm

quote:

Any Israeli soldiers accused of war crimes in the Gaza Strip will be given state protection from prosecution overseas, the country's PM has said. Ehud Olmert said troops should know Israel would keep them safe after they acted to protect their country. Palestinians say 1,300 people died during the offensive, and UN officials want independent probes into whether war crimes were committed. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation is in Egypt for talks on cementing a truce. Israel ended its military operation in Gaza on 18 January, and Hamas declared a ceasefire hours later. No formal framework for a lasting ceasefire has yet been agreed. While Israel says it requires Hamas to end weapons smuggling into Gaza and rocket attacks on Israel, Hamas has demanded that Israel lift its economic blockade of the territory. In Gaza, Hamas has begun handing out cash to people who had their homes destroyed, or lost relatives. Hamas insists it will make payments based on the scale of each person's loss, not on their political affiliation. But the BBC's Aleem Maqbool, in Gaza, says there are those who will simply see this as a way of buying support. Soldiers 'safe' In Israel, Prime Minister Olmert told a weekly cabinet meeting that soldiers who had put their lives on the line for their country need not fear prosecution for war crimes overseas. "The commanders and soldiers that were sent on the task in Gaza should know that they are safe from any tribunal and that the State of Israel will assist them in this issue and protect them as they protected us with their bodies during the military operation in Gaza," he said. View of devastation from Jabaliya Israel's military tactics have come under intense scrutiny as evidence has emerged of the high numbers of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza. Among complaints made by human rights groups are accusations of indiscriminate firing and the use of white phosphorus shells in civilian areas. Israel has admitted using white phosphorus in Gaza but says it did not break international law in doing so. White phosphorus is legal for creating smokescreens in open battleground. But rights groups and journalists say it was used in crowded civilian areas. The weapon sticks to human skin and will burn through to the bone. Truce talks In Cairo, delegates from Hamas met Egyptian intelligence officials on Sunday as they sought to bolster the week-long calm in Gaza. Palestinians near the ruins of a home in Jabaliya, Gaza (21 January 2008) Hamas says it will pay Palestinians whose homes were damaged Representatives from Fatah, the main rival Palestinian faction, were also due to attend the talks. There was no word of the substance of discussions in Egypt with Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief who brokered a previous six-month truce between Israel and Hamas. Mr Suleiman held talks with an Israeli envoy on Thursday. In a statement, Egyptian state media said Hamas and Mr Suleiman discussed "Egyptian efforts to consolidate the ceasefire, reach a [permanent] truce, reopen Gaza crossings and resume Palestinian national dialogue". Israel and Egypt tightened their blockade of Gaza when Hamas seized control of the territory in mid-2007.

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Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

^ I saw this earlier today.

Wouldn't this imply some admission of the potential guilt / violations involved?

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

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Paul

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Gaza Death Toll Exaggerated says.... Palestinian doctor living in Gaza, who says the number is not more than 500-600:

quote:

Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported Thursday that a doctor working in Gaza's Shifa Hospital claimed that Hamas has intentionally inflated the number of casualties resulting from Israel’s Operation Cast Lead. "The number of deceased stands at no more than 500 to 600. Most of them are youths between the ages of 17 to 23 who were recruited to the ranks of Hamas, who sent them to the slaughter," according to the newspaper article. The doctor wished to remain unidentified, out of fear for his life. A senior Palestinian Health Ministry official later denied the claims, and the Israel Defense Forces' estimate on the number of casualties in Gaza has also remained unchanged. Despite the claims, the IDF stood behind its estimate that between 1,100 to 1,200 people were killed in the Strip during the fighting, more than two-thirds of them Hamas members. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, who is in change of the emergency department at the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, denied the figures presented by the Italian paper. Hassanain told Ynet that the Palestinian figures were issued cautiously, without any political considerations, and that several casualties may not have been reported as their bodies are still under the rubble or have not been handed over to the rescue forces and authorized medical officials. A Tal al-Hawa resident told the newspaper's reporter, "Armed Hamas men sought out a good position for provoking the Israelis. There were mostly teenagers, aged 16 or 17, and armed. They couldn't do a thing against a tank or a jet. They knew they are much weaker, but they fired at our houses so that they could blame Israel for war crimes." The reporter for the Italian newspaper also quoted reporters in the Strip who told of Hamas' exaggerated figures, "We have already said to Hamas commanders – why do you insist on inflating the number of victims?" These same reporters mentioned that the truth that will come out is likely to be similar to what occurred in Operation Defensive Shield in Jenin. "Then, there was first talk of 1,500 deaths. But then it turned out that there were only 54, 45 of which were armed men," the Palestinian reporters told the Italian newspaper.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,...3660423,00.html

I mean, why would Hamas lie? That's crazy

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Originally posted by The17sss Gaza Death Toll Exaggerated says.... Palestinian doctor living in Gaza, who says the number is not more than 500-600: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,...3660423,00.html I mean, why would Hamas lie? That's crazy

And this somehow excuses this action how?

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Originally posted by Magnetonium Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7850085.stm

that means israeli extreemists can kill civilians with impunity and at worse get a slap on the wrist by their government, truly abhorrent, the more israel spits in the face of international law and the international community the more it looks like a rogue state more dangerous than Iran.

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Originally posted by tathi that means israeli extremists [and soldiers] can kill civilians with impunity and at worse get a slap on the wrist by their government,

Touche. What I thought exactly.

I was wondering why Olmert had to make the announcement - he could've kept it down low - and as in the past, Israeli troops dont have to fear ICC.

That being said, I still havent taken sides in this past conflict. Although I have to note that Israel overstepped the line (wow, what a surprise! :sarcasm: ) and as a result so many innocent civilians died. And as for Hamas, oh boy, I dont even need to comment on those idiots.

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Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture