Smart move Sherlock
13 Jul, 2006 
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So a Palestinian faction kidnaps an Israeli soldier and all hell breaks loose. Tens of Palestinians get killed, hundreds homeless, Palestinian ministers get kidnapped, houses get demolished, orchards get destroyed, all to secure the release of one single kid who is not yet 20.
Hizbollah obviously thinks that they can do better.. so they go ahead and kidnap two Israeli soldiers! You think that Hamas is bad, damn man they’re badder! They kicked the Israelis out of Southern Lebanon, and they’re banking on that legacy to drive them now into the sea!
Israel, so far, killed 27 people, 10 kids, 17 adults. They took Beirut Airport out of commission, they shelled the South, destroyed bridges and communication systems and their air raids are continuing with impunity. Hizbollah is not backing down.
They’re men.
And the kidnapped soldiers? Are they going to be released? How are they going to be released? Hizbollah insisted the two would only be returned via talks.” But after what? After hundreds more human beings and everything else in Israel’s path perish needlessly?
Look: Israel, whether we like it or not, has the upper hand and has had it for an awful long time. Politically, militarily and even morally in the eyes of the world. We have lost the battle on so many fronts that it boggles the mind that we still don’t recognise that the only way forward is swallowing our pride – even momentarily – and making peace. Because if the Palestinians really think that Arabs will come to their rescue, they are dreaming! Unfortunate, but true. Arabs and their leaders are more concerned with rhetoric and their cushy existence, not to carry a weapon and go fight, at least not to “drive the Jew out of the Promised Land”, they’re more than happy to kill each other in Iraq.
So facing reality, what have we really benefited over the last 60 years of waging wars with Israel and the whole world other than bigger cemeteries for both sides?
Isn’t it high time for the olive branch?
It’s more clear to me now why people of good conscience disagree on whether they are a terrorist organization
The machine gun on the Hezbollah flag would not make me think it was a charitable institution.
Ethan,
“Iran wants far more than to destroy Israel. They crave rule over the Middle East and the world (in the long term).”
Agreed, and it is not because of religion for those guys; it is for the same old power and money song and dance they rail against the West for. It is one thing to understand that is the game and be able to speak out against it when it is wrong as we in the West do; it is another to bemoan the fact that you daily live with the fear of the bad guys completely taking over and turning back time and then actively support them because you hate their enemy more or feel the need to go tribal. I honestly don’t get.
I agree and disagree. To the old guard, like Rafasjani, there’s more politics than religion. The whole Islamic Revolution was more about gaining control of the populace with religious dogma that the ‘bien peasants’ could understand and would support.
On the other hand, the new governmental ideology is very religious. Ahmedinejad is no secularist in a mullah’s turban. He’s a certifiable nutcase. The revolution created him, and all of the ones like him. “Death to America” as religion, not politics.
Ethan,
“Death to America” as religion, not politcs.
You’re probably right. I forgot he was a product of the Islamic Revolution.
Avi yes I believe that. Hizballah, to my knowledge, have no interest beyond Lebanese borders. Nasrallah said so in so many speeches. He doesn’t want to liberate Palestine, as that is not his core demand.
Now if you ask me if Nasrallah will build on his “second success” in once again driving Israel from Lebanese territories, I must confess that I do not know as I cannot read the future, nor can you or Nasrallah for that matter. The essence is that Nasrallah’s demands have always been (for 6 years now) to retrieve the Sheb’aa Farms from Israeli occupation.
And 1,000,000 people get destitute, 1,000 lose their lives and 3,000 get injured because of a strip of land that is no more than 50 square kilometers that the UN decided it is Syrian, while the obtuse Syrians said that it’s actually Lebanese?
Let me be the one who pins the tail on the donkey then: here it is: it’s Lebanese. Now get out of Lebanon and Sheb’aa Farms.
Once you do and Nasrallah still continues to come after you, then that’s another story all together and I shall be your first supporter. He would have lost his legitimacy then.
Anon – Millions of people in the ME don’t acknowledge Hezbollah as a terrorist organization because of the hospitals, schools, and social service organizations they run. Millions of westerners see them as terrorists because of their accumulation and use of missiles specifically designed to maximize civilian casualties at the target destination, and launched from locations intended to maximize civilian casualties at the launch site.
Mahmood – I don’t know Hezbollah’s position on Sheb’aa Farms, but defer to your information on this. I believe Hezbollah is also committed to the destruction of Israel. Nasrallah has been consistent in this position:
http://www.unb.ca/web/bruns/9900/issue14/intnews/israel.html
http://www.ict.org.il/Articles/Hiz_letter.htm
Jared
Jared,
Thanks for the links. Interesting reading; looks like they hired OBL’s PR guy……zzzzzzzzzzz
I wonder if some of Hizbulla supporters here have the dignity to apologize for the ugly propaganda against Israel revealed by the bloggers.
” The Reuters news agency said it has cut its ties with a Beirut-based freelance photographer who it found had manipulated photographs ”
Not to mention live picture in CNN showing rockets fired from down town Sidon to civilian targets in Israel.
Where are Rami, ibn et cetera to admit the crime of soothing behind the cover of innocent civilians?
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/
http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php
I’m not making this up. Public radio had this on this morning. In Iraq grocers have been killed for arranging their fruit suggestively. Sheppard’s killed for not putting diapers on their sheep. Granted I take things with a grain of salt and realize that media sometimes prints for effect but damn are middle eastern men really that easy to arouse and as free of blame.
billT
Of course not Bill. The thing is that the killing is done for the sake of killing rather than any religious and social pretext it gets wrapped in. That’s for morons consumption only, and it sometimes works.
Mahmood
You wrote (August 7th, 9:21 pm)
“Hizballah, to my knowledge, have no interest beyond Lebanese borders. Nasrallah said so in so many speeches. He doesn’t want to liberate Palestine, as that is not his core demand.”
Here’s a quote from Nasrallah, aired by Al-Manar TV on February 18 2005.
(http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP86705)
Hassan Nasrallah:”Israel is our enemy. This is an aggressive, illegal, and illegitimate entity, which has no future in our land. Its destiny is manifested in our motto: ‘Death to Israel.’”
Crowd:” Death to Israel”
“Death to Israel”
“Death to Israel”
“Death to Israel”
“Death to Israel”
(Incidentally, I hope JJ spares me her highly amusing similies linking my sources and her own flights of fantasy such as the ‘Bin Laden dictionary of truth’. I personally think that either she should disprove my sources or she should have the grace to accept them)
Brian
I stand corrected.
Don’t you think that this is just rhetoric though? Using any trick to rile up the troops in a time of war?
I doubt very much that Nasrallah even thinks that he can invate and take Israel. Not even in his wildest dreams. If he does, then we really have a problem with a megalomaniac, and he’s so far not acting as such. His concentration has been specifically to liberate Lebanon, including the Sheba’a farms which he (and the Syrians) consider Lebanese.
mahmood,
words have enormous power!!!
The Nazi movement started from a book.
The same for communism.
Further more, when one’s preaches day after day, year after year that the enemies are monsters. That the enemies are not to be considered as human beings but like animals.
That sort of rhetoric influence the crowed and leads to hell!
The people loses their conscience and ethics and becomes a mob!
You as an educated man may not fall for it but lots of ignorant incited people do.
Unfortunately i never saw glance of sympathy from ibn, Rami, JJ to more then one millions Israelis civilians who suffer from the horrible result of this war.
I and other Israelis did so in this forum.
When you ignore others suffer you will not succeed to solve the conflict peacefully.
Now with the news coming from UK :
” Plot to blow up 20 planes’ foiled”
We may be at the beginning of war world |||.
memri.org if I recall correctly was setup by an ex-IDF colonel. To say the least they have been known to get creative (let alone selective) about thier translations.
Loki
I only posted my comment having 5 minutes previously seen the clip on TV. I then searched for “Nasrallah” “Death to Israel” on google.
So my original source was not memri nor was the translation by memri.
I realise I was a bit churlish in how I expressed my “JJ spare me” comment, and I thank Mahmood for not admonishing me, but Loki, perhaps you or another Arabic speaker could look up the clip from my source and translate it yourself. Let us all have the benefit of your own translation.
Brian,
My comment was more about memri.org in general. They are to be blunt part of the Israeli propaganda machine. It usually (though not always) says something about the person referencing them.
As for the clip, couldn’t find it. On that page they had a link to a Zawahiri statement ( which incidentally is totally unrelated to Hizbullah, but hey why not lump them together, AlQaida – Hizbullah, all the same right?) and I couldn’t find it on their video clips page.
I’m Insulin dependent and can picture myself dying in south Lebanon. I would have no choice but to get in a car and drive for either food or Insulin despite a no drive or die policy by Israel. Picture the song now “puff the crispy billT lived in a dream”. This might be the last chance either side has for peace. You can’t work it out I can say honestly screw both sides and I hope that the Insulin dependent survive.
Dear Loki
You call memri “part of the Israeli propaganda machine” – yet all memri is doing is trying to bring to attention of the world some of what is taking place in the Arab media. You are correct that if the world really knew what is taking place in the Arab media, then the world would be less ignorant and would be more supportive of Israel and what it faces.
So we agree! Memri does do good publicity for Israel!
But the reason I brought it up was simply to correct Mahmood – who graciously said (august 10th, 8:39 am) “I stand corrected”
Avi,
I am still away (and believe me, I have much to say about what has been posted on here) but I am outraged about Ibn’s response to your expressing a wish to someday visit Baharain.
He writes:
“I certainly hope not. I for one hope never to have to accomodate and/or host you and your family, as citizens of a country that has legalized racism, and support Zionism.”
Firstly Avi, I was in Dubai not long ago. It sounds to me that the progressive atmosphere in Baharain (as described by JJ and Mahmood) is similar to what I found in Dubai. So I see no problem with you and your family visiting Baharain. Most of the people I met, respect the Jews and Israel for their achievements. Fortunately you do not need Ibn’s approval for that!!!!
What bothers me about Ibn’s attitude, however – an attitude I have likewise been stung by – is the sad fact that not until you admit that if you are a Zionist you are also a racist will he even acknowledge you as a human being worthy of some respect.
I found that patronizing demand very hurtful. Perhaps Ibn would find it also hurtful if he had been born in Saudi Arabia, and I demanded that he acknowledge that his own country was a fascist racist regime because non-Muslims are not allowed into Mecca (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca#Non-Muslims_and_Mecca
(I toss in the word ‘fascist’ to throw in a redundant, emotive, hurtful word for good measure. I am sure you can find many such words in Ibn’s writings)
Have fun if and when you visit Baharain!
Batzi
Avi,
Just one more comment.
I did not go to Dubai on an Israeli passport. Still, once some people heard that I was an Israeli, they were warm, welcoming and, as I said, complimentary!
So, have fun if and when you go to Baharain!
Batzi
Batzi,
Tanks for your kind words.
I did not expected for anything else from Ibn, that’s why I didn’t bother to comment .
The kindness and great hospitality of Bahrainis is well known.
Same for Algerians and Moroccans and all the countries that encourage truism.
Those countries leaders know they will achieve the utmost benefit and honor for their people by showing their hospitality and rich beautiful culture other then those who glorify death.
Not long ago there was another great empire who glorified death.
She sent thousands of suicides to explode on their enemies battle ships.
They too incited the crowed and justified their fanatic way with false horrific ideas and religious requirement to specify for honor and the emperor.
Their end was as brutal as their way.
Now we face the same evil as was demonstrated in the terror plot to blow up airplanes.
Avi
So much for freedom. Mahmood must be from Iran. I understand that the authorities there took down all unauthorized blogs. Peace be with you.
RogLK50
Sorry, just noticed Mahmood is from Bahrain.
RogLK50
“You are correct that if the world really knew what is taking place in the Arab media, then the world would be less ignorant and would be more supportive of Israel and what it faces.”
I don’t think I said anything of the sort. With creative interpretation such as this you should consider applying at memri. Give Colonel Yigal Carmon a call. I’m sure he’d love to have you onboard.
After reading this blog, I now understand why there will never be peace in the Middle East.
RogLK50
Please forgive my ignorance in such matters…
Even if you feel Israel has no right to exist,
Israel is a reality. What do you do with the
country and the people? Drive them all out or
murder them all? Not a possibility.
How then do you address the legitimate claims
of the Palestinians? It seems every way has
been tried to no avail. War, peace talks…
maybe, no one really wants peace?
Support for the Palestinians from their Arab
brothers seems only to be: Stay there in total
despair and blood to fight on while we gladly
send you money for weapons and SOME money for
food and medicine but don’t think of finding
refuge within OUR borders!
Everyone in some way has been cheated and has
suffered. Why must this continue? I pray for
all parties involved, especially the people
of Lebanon.
As a side note and not related directly
to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict:
For the most part, with Arabs countries,
the Middle East is content with the way
the British drew lines in the sand years
ago and made so many artificial Kingdoms. I
don’t see wars fought over those borders.
I don’t see Syria trying to reclaim Antioch.
Why is this so……….?
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1676.htm
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1489