Saturday
Jan032009
Ground War Gaza!
Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 03:39PM 
Israel begins it's ground offensive against the people of Palestine. They say they are attacking Hamas, but the people of Gaza will sustain the most damage.
Saturday, January 3, 2009 at 03:39PM
Reader Comments (11)
Hamas is banking on Israeli compassion and playing it against world ignorance.
Hamas hides inside hospitals disguising as nurses and doctors. Last fighting, they hid in school buildings. They know that Israelis try the utmost not to hurt Palestinian civilians but that goes unreported. Nevermind that Hamas has been waging war against Israeli civilians --they have been launching rockets into Israeli civilian territories -- Is that okay because the media has not given us permission to be upset? or have not given or taught people the emotion that ought to be triggered when they hear such news? But everyone knows to duly get upset when they hear Israel will x (fill in whatever you want good or bad). No one even knows to think or to feel or to wonder why Hamas hides in civilian places. But Hamas knows.
Israel is the most powerful force in that region, as such, the most powerful should be the most benevolent. But, they are not. Hamas fires rockets into Israel, and Israel sends F-16s with bunker buster ordinance, Apache helicopters with Hellfire missiles as a response to short range missiles. These weapons represent utter distruction to non combatants. If they really want to defend themselves they should go in on foot and root out Hamas, not send non discriminating weaponry into apartment buildings.
I neither expect nor want sympathy. Its important for Israel to know that it is just them and God. I won't bother with the reasons why. I think dismissing missiles being fired at Israeli civilians seems quite callous and displays a one eyed compassion (i,e, a false compassion). I do not doubt that if Israel shot out missiles into the ocean, that it would cause a barage of anger. lol, so be it.
Secondly, I can not and will not defend everything the Israeli GOVERNMENT is doing because I don't trust it entirely, but I am amused at how no distinction is made between the people is Israel and its gov vs the palestinian peoples and Hamas. Also, so be it. i only wish with all my heart that the congregation of Israel would truly be as unified as you make it out to be. ( from your writings to God's eyes!)
However, when you want to deter something or some action, you don't do a tit for tat; You make the 'spanking' hard so that the person would have second thoughts.
Note: this is not to defend Israel gov. actions, I can't and won't and ought not defend it blindly (but nor would I condemn them blindly) but I hope this dialogue awakens those with true compassion to pray and act for true peace for humanity.
Re: the most powerful, the most benevolent
Suffice it to say, let's each clean our own house before throwing stones at someone else's.
There are MANY things I could say in response to the script that you've recited here, but I won't. I don't spend my time fighting other people's battles in front of a Black audience.
However, I DO find it interesting that you come to blogs discussing Black issues in order to leave cryptic, mystical comments. I DO find it interesting that you have nothing at all to say about your own people's hunger in Haiti. I DO find it interesting that when talking about the interests of European Jewish colonial settlers, THEN you can focus your thoughts on concrete, practical matters. IT shows what your real priorities are; and what's really important to you.
Peace.
Khadija, you are on fire. Nuff said!
Guidance
It always annoys me when BLACK people are treating life and death Black issues like a joke. I react poorly when I see that a Black person is treating Black issues like a bit of intellectual recreation---the same as doing a crossword puzzle. THAT is my issue here.
I'm certainly not going to sit up and fight another Black person over some non-Blacks. I'm certainly not going to carry water for any non-Blacks in a Black forum. And anybody who knows me, or has heard my comments, knows that there's NO love lost between me and immigrant Muslims OR their cousins back home in the "old country."
I'm not even necessarily offended by somebody championing the interests of the non-Black folks that they attached themselves to. That is, as long as their voices are equally loud when discussing their own people's interests and issues.
My point is: Don't come to discussions of life and death Black issues with cryptic, mystical, esoteric comments; and then ONLY "sober up" and get practical when discussing the problems of beloved non-Blacks. I DON'T appreciate that sort of behavior.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I did not intend for my messages to be cryptic. The purpose of what I write is that I see in Jewish sources things that complement Black folks, thing that I think BF can benefit from. . Thing that, I think, that if black folks and the world knew that it would increase self esteem, expose a different way of seeing things (such as not seeing "black" as negative), etc. I don't think that is in the interest of Israel, it was meant to be in the interest of BF.
So I try to expose these knowledge. Unfortunately, I suspect there might be a language barrier and I need to do better.
As for Haiti and its hunger problem, When I lived in America and had more money, I did send what I sent to help. I am still concerned for Haiti and Haitians. But I honestly don't know that AAs really care about Haiti, Blacks are still divided as of yet. So I feel why should I discuss it? Better I discuss what I think is relevant to AAs ( in better language).
Khadija, there are more to Israel than your "European colonial enemies".
And finally, yes, I do equate myself to Israel. And to Black folks, And to women. And to much more. Enough said indeed.
I said "European Jewish colonial settlers." NOT "European colonial enemies."Furthermore, I never said that these European Jewish colonial settlers were MY enemies. Don't try to put words in my mouth. Don't presume to pick my enemies for me. You don't know who they are. Get it right when you claim to quote me.
I find your rationale disingenuous. You claim that you don't discuss Haiti in Black forums because you don't know if AAs care about Haiti. This claimed uncertainty has never stopped you from bringing up Israel, its European Jewish colonial settlers and THEIR interests into discussions at Black forums. You bring them and THEIR interests into Black forums whether people have expressed any interest in that topic or not. Whether it's relevant to AAs or not.
For example, right here. There are 2 sentences in this post. Two whole sentences expressing concern and compassion for the people of Gaza. Concern for the people of Gaza, NOT Hamas. And you couldn't let a 2 sentence expression of concern for the people of Gaza go by without interjecting Israeli military public relations talking points.
Talking points in support of Israeli military actions have no relevance to AA issues. But yet you felt the need to bring them up anyway. Obviously, any purported relevance to AA concerns is not the criterion you use for your comments.
Furthermore, whoever or whatever Israel is made up of, the ruling class within that society is mainly composed of European Jewish settlers. It has been so since the founding of that state. European, Jewish colonial settlers are the main ones who set policy and run that place (NOT Middle Eastern Jews), and you know this.
Like I said earlier, it's extremely suspect that your whole tone and voice change when discussing the interests of these other people. It's extremely suspect that you make sure to interject these other people and THEIR interests into discussions at Black blogs, while never mentioning your own people and their suffering. It's extremely suspect that you delve into mysticism to discuss Black issues, but come down to planet Earth and practical realities when advancing these other people's interests. In particular, advancing these other people's interests within Black settings.
Black issues are not a joke. If you can discuss practical matters, and use precise, clear language to tell us all about these other people and their interests, you can do the same to discuss Black interests. That is, if you wanted to.
I'm done with this.
Peace.
Shalom Aleichem. I, being of Jewish ancestry and African American, can understand your position.
Surely, Hamas is to blame for what is going on, but Israel is to blame for Hamas being in power now. During Netanyahu's time, they could have been the ones supplying food, medicine, building hsopitals and schools, etc., and building good will with the Palestinians, instead, they allowed Hamas to win the hearts and minds of the people.
As for Hamas, they are wrong as two left shoes, sacrificing Palestinians for nothing but to rally more support from Muslim states that are themselves part of the problem.
The Palestinans need to re-read Dr. Kings pattern and apply it, Israel needs to know that more flys are caught with honey as opposed to vinegar.