Israel's 10 worst errors of the decade

Israel's 10 worst errors of the decade

www.haaretz.com

In no decade of the modern Middle East has the roll of failure been so democratic. The titans Arafat and Sharon fought their battle to the death, and both lost. Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Hassan Nasrallah, Ahmed Yassin, hilltop youth, Al Aqsa Martyrs, Yossi Beilin, the Yesha Council, even Jimmy Carter - all dreamed Icarus dreams and realized, only too late, that in the brilliant sun of the Holy Land, wings of feathers and wax reveal their true selves, which is to say, nothing more than feathers and wax.

It was a decade framed by a fundamentalist Palestinian belief in salvation through suicid

(visit the link for the full news article)

As per the article it review's Israel's 10 Worst Mistakes of the Last 10 Years:

1. The Siege of Gaza - The stated goal of the siege was to undermine Hamas and to goad Gazans into rejecting Hamas rule. The effect of the siege has been to focus and intensify Palestinian anger against Israel, increase Gazans' dependency on Hamas social welfare arms, enrich Hamas coffers through tunnel taxation and foreign donations, and sap Palestinian support for Fatah, which, through its back-channel encouragement for the siege, is seen as a betrayer and a boot-licker in the eyes of many Palestinians.

2. The Siege of Gaza - The blockade was ostensibly a means to stem the influx of weaponry into Gaza. In practice, with shipments the size of automobiles flowing through the tunnels, the Hamas arsenal has grown ever more sophisticated, now believed to include Iranian-manufactured rockets capable of striking Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion Airport from the Strip.

3. The Siege of Gaza - In the eyes of the world community, the overwhelming collective punishment - and the relative silence of Israelis in response - has gutted Israeli claims to the moral high ground. It has undercut sympathy for Israelis living within Qassam range. It has kept open the moral wounds of the Gaza War, cramping rebuilding efforts, enshrining universal unemployment, and ensuring agonizing homelessness as the coastal winter gathers full force. Israeli officials have quietly take steps of astounding insensitivity, arbitrarily barring such goods as school supplies.

4. The Siege of Gaza - The siege has been presented in the past as a means of pressing Hamas to release Gilad Shalit. Not only does he remain captive, the terms of a prospective deal appear not to include lifting the siege. The siege has been presented in the past as a means of pressuring Gazans to end rocket fire. But rocket fire only increased after the siege was put in place. Finally, Cast Lead, the Gaza war a year ago, might have been prevented altogether, had Israel adhered more closely to the Egyptian-brokered Hamas-Israel truce agreement of June, 2008, and lifted the siege more completely in response to a drop in rocket fire.

5. The Siege of Gaza - The siege works to the detriment of U.S. support for Israel. In February, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signaled anger at Israel over obstacles to humanitarian aid entering the strip. The message came soon after Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, visiting Gaza, learned that Israel had blocked shipments of pasta, ruling it off the list of permitted humanitarian aid items.

6. The Siege of Gaza - The fact that the siege has failed so completely in achieving its stated aims, reinforces the impression that its real purpose is punitive.

7. The Siege of Gaza - The siege places Israeli officials in jeopardy of being charged with violating the Fourth Geneva Convention and other international codes, as outlined in detail in the Goldstone Report. Referring to the siege, paragraph 1335 of the report states that: "From the facts available to it, the Mission is of the view that some of the actions of the Government of Israel might justify a competent court finding that crimes against humanity have been committed."

8. The Siege of Gaza - With the siege under the direct aegis of Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his deputy, Matan Vilnai, the moral failings of the siege could prove the coup de grace to an already foundering Labor Party.

9. The Siege of Gaza - The siege threatens to destabilize the rule of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, posing a potential threat to Israeli-Egyptian peace and Israeli security.

10. The Siege of Gaza - The siege corrupts the moral values of all Israelis, who, whether or not they are aware of what is being done to the people of Gaza, bear ultimate responsibility for all acts being carried out in their name.

What I find disconcerting in the article it makes no mention of:

* the illegal occupation of the land and the new illegal settlements being built and approved by Israeli PM inspite of condemnation from the whole world including US/EU/UN/China/ Russia/ Egypt etc etc.

* What this article does not mention is the continued oppression of Nuclear whistle blower Yagnik.

* What this article failed to mention is the biting the hand that feeds it by spying in USA by Israel.

* Ongoing receiving of funds by Israel from USA and other major countries even at the cost of inflation.

* Not signing Non-Proliferation Treaty.

* Article does not mention the absence of action taken against IDF pupil's who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

* No mention of covert ops. taken by Israel to instigate violence and mass propaganda against Iran.

* Article does not even mention the wrongful action of Israel taken by provoking USA to attack Iraq.

www.haaretz.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 31-12-2009 by December_Rain]

No thoughts to the content of the article? Do they merit scrutiny or not?

Originally posted by December_Rain
No thoughts to the content of the article? Do they merit scrutiny or not?

Well bud, I sure like the variety...

I personally think both sides are dictated to by the whims of their prospective right wings.

US funding does not help- food might - but not guns

IMO

I will respond better when I am not so tired and trollish

s+f



[edit on 31-12-2009 by Janky Red]

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

For all of us - not just Israeli's and Palestinian's.

It is time to stop the fear, in this new decade it is time to reflect on our shared history and forge a new one, that is better for us all.

Divided we fall, united we stand, it is up to all of us to make the effort for peace.
Happy new year to you all.