What disturbs me most about the rocket attacks on Israel is that they are senselessly aimed at civilians. This is not just war, but terror. Lehigh Valley's Jewish Federation has just released this statement:
“The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is extremely concerned about Hamas’ escalating rocket attacks against Israeli citizens. We support Israel’s right to defend itself as a sovereign country from relentless rocket fire targeted at innocent civilians and support Israeli efforts to prevent further escalation and minimize casualties on both sides.
On July 7, Israel launched Operation Protective Edge to intensify defensive efforts against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to restore stability to the country. Since Monday morning, over 160 rockets have been fired at Israel activating "Code Red" sirens (rocket alerting system) deep into central Israel. At this moment, over 3.5 million Israelis are in the line of fire from these rockets.
The senseless murders of Israeli and Palestinian teens – all of which we condemn and mourn – should have been a clarion call to Hamas that war and bloodshed should cease. At a moment when world, including Israeli and Palestinian Authority, leaders were calling for calming times, Hamas chose to escalate the situation by firing 18 rockets during the funeral of the Israeli teens. Since Monday morning over 165 rockets have been fired at Israeli citizens, and this morning 5 armed Palestinians were intercepted illegally entering Israel along the shore south of Ashkelon.
In spite of these actions, the Israel Defense Forces is doing everything possible to minimize civilian injuries by sacrificing the element of surprise and calling Gaza homes being used forcibly as centers for terrorist activities that are going to be bombed; utilizing pin point precision rockets; and engaging in the 'knock on the roof' tactic- where Israel deploys a 'scare' bomb which only makes noise in order to make civilians leave a targeted area.
We applaud the US Administration’s strong condemnation of the rocket fire toward Israel, noting that “No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians and (the United States) supports Israel's right to defend itself against these vicious attacks."
Our community remains committed to peace and a two-state solution, in which both the Israeli and Palestinian people live securely within mutually recognized and sovereign borders. But for that to happen we first hope and pray for quick restoration of calm, for cool heads to prevail in the face of incitement and hatred, and for an end to bloodshed.”
21 comments:
Have they condemned the illegal Israeli occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem?
After all, the rockets came AFTER the occupation....seems like the best way to stop the rockets might be to just stay in your own country?
I'm always wavering back and forth with the Palestinian/Israel issue. Both have their hands dirty. Israel keeps creating new communities in occupied territory and grants Pals no rights. Pals can't control the radical elements and openly supports acts of terror (ex., the killing of 3 Israeli teenagers).
The latest from Israel - nearly beating a Palestinian-American citizen to death because the police say he might have been throwing rocks in the demonstration against the killing of another Palestinian youth.
The region is nuts.
10:46, I'm sorry, but your argument does not fly. Let's assume that the evil Jew has dared occupy lands that belong to someone else. That's no justification for raining down rockets on innocent people. It's outrageous to use that to
justify murder. Just this morning, I heard a HAMAS spokesman attempt to justify the murder of three Israeli teens, too. He claimed they are really soldiers.
11:04, I agree the place is nutz, and condemn Israeli atrocities, too. But so do the Israelis.
@10:46, israel hasn't occupied gaza since 2005, when they totally withdrew, yet that's where the rockets come from. you should become more knowledgeable about the situation, so that your bias isn't so obvious when you comment.
But those of us who don't live there will never understand... Is what I am sick of hearing from the Israeli peoples!
So this is a justification for raining down rockets on Israeli children?
A lot of the criticism of Israel and Israelis is really just thinly veiled anti-Semitism. I think any attempt to justify this senseless terror gives you away for what you are.
Not justification, but an expected response. Would you sit meekly while 3 generations of your family are refugees under an occupation not deemed legitimate or legal by the International Community?
Did you read the reference? 129 Israeli children to 1523 Palestinian children since 2000...
It's pretty obvious who is really under attack here....
If those three boys were African Americans in Florida, you'd be screaming 'stand your ground, they were trespassing' at the top of your lungs...
I think you've given yourself away for what you are. Thanks.
You have attributed arguments to me that I never made, so you can knock them down. That is the mark of a sophist. I do not support any indiscriminate acts of murder. You do, if it is against jews. That is why, in addition to being a sophist, you are an anti-Semite. Now go away.
@12:03, unfortunately, children have been collateral damage despite israel's best attempts at pinpoint attacks. the same cannot be said on the other side, where school buses have been intentionally attacked. you will never see israelis handing out sweets to celebrate the death of palestinians.
President Obama said Israel has to go back to pre-1967 borders.
Why won't Israel just do what Obama says?
anon 12:31, no, that's not the people i'm defending. instead of that video, you could have shown how israel allows arabs on all borders to enter for medical treatment, but that wouldn't justify your bias. as for gaza, hamas doesn't even recognize israel's right to exist, and is an avowed enemy, yet won the gaza election. the blockade is designed to slow down the amount of weapons hamas acquires, to fire at israel. there are plenty of websites devoted to bashing israel and/or jews, you would be at home there.
anon 12:36, So did G.W.Bush. Just for the record.
MM is capable of stating what he is. You are not.
Obama is way cooler than G.W.Bush.
Just for the record.
So now Israel can back to pre-1967 borders, right?
If the Palestinians liked their land, they should have been allowed to keep their land.
If Obama had been in charge back when all this trouble started, then none of this would be happening right now.
Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, as is well known.
The jews are smart, The IDF and the Airforce work in consort as a team -- Hamas is screwed here. I wish I had been smart enough to join the IDF out of the Marine Corps because they are on the cutting edge all the time. The average Palisinian is not a bad guy they pay as result .Palisinians as a fraction are good people , Hamas is going to change living conditions of them result.U.S.Government should allow the a 25 mile boarder from Texas to California . They whould not only stop the flow of south americans but Mexican as well and develope high line properties as they have done in the desert in the pat.
Anon 5;57 Why cooler?He is the biggest disruption in U.S. History for us to go forward. I will predict that almost not working citizen of this country will ever admitted voting for him after the chips fall.
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