Go to this Link to hear the podcast from a young teacher in Gaza identified as “Ramzy” who reports on the conditions of the Palestinians under the Israeli attacks. For a post in which Ramzy describes his political views regarding Hamas and Fatah, go to this link.
About The Author
Deconstructing zionism:
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2008/12/bombing-gaza/comments/page/2/#comments
There isn’t a single statement here that has any resemblance of any sort to any historical facts. It’s pure unadulterated anti-Semitism by someone who apparently has never studied middle eastern history. Total gibberish.
I don’t want to be rude, but it has to be said. This is totally absurd, and reflects the sentiments of a bigoted, violent, lunatic fringe that the world holds in contempt. Very sad.
Thanks for the comic moment, mikep. It’s always good to have a chuckle in the middle of a catastrophe.
You are talking to an ex-book dealer that had access to many books [and maps] written contemporaneously 1800’s early 1990’s. Jives with what I know. Islam was the most accepting of the abraham religions.
One member of the Quartet steps up:
Russia asks Israel to end Gaza attacks, let in aid
a reminder: Not forgotten by the Russians -The Georgian War where Israel gave a helping hand
The four horsemen cometh in a backlash to Israel’s blunder.
Israeli leaders said their campaign was a response to almost daily rocket and mortar fire by Gaza militants that intensified after Hamas ended a six-month ceasefire a week ago.
WTF. What a pot of crap?
Israel must be thrilled. They want Iran drawn into this.
If the US leadership had a bit of sense, this failed state would be dropped like a hot rock to defend themselves.
I’ve had enough.
And today Israel sending flyovers into Lebanon. And just before Obama can do a thing.
Mattes, this is nothing new. Israel violates Lebanese territory and airspace multiple times on a daily basis with incursions and flyovers during which they frequently kill or kidnap Lebanese people, and terrorize them with sonic booms. The UN officially records these violations every single day. Oddly enough, they are always reported by the western press as “Lebanese claims”.
As BooMan noted, Israel has overplayed as it did in the 2006 Lebannon war.
I wanna bet Israel has just been placed on the Santa’s naughty evil list.
The blowback will be swift.
The only thing those Israelis understand is force, and more force, and even more force.
The thing they seem incapable of learning is that force will not work. As my horse trainer said to me once, quit doing the same thing over and over and more and more strongly and expecting a different result.
I posted here. Israel covets the Gaza offshore gas fields – equivalent to a large North Sea Field..and Hamas is in the way.
Good point, idredit. That is most certainly the biggest untold part of the story. But I do not believe it is the whole story by any means.
You’ve given me an education on India and now this.
I’ll be making it known.
Nuggets from essays at Counterpunch and elsewhere on the Israelis’ disinformation and some reminders that shine a bright light:
(emphasis mine where added)
As for Obama, that’s some
change. Expect only Continuity..we can believe in.But I wonder, will Mr. Obama have “No Comment” when the Pakistan punch is delivered to include Israel?
The next three years – 2009 to mid June 2012 – we’ll be face to face with grim CONSEQUENCES:
-the consequences of financial corruption and greed..that gives new meaning to the question – What’s in your pockets?..it won’t be U.S. dollars in its present form.
-the consequences of Israel’s occupation and humiliation..sixty one years on is an eternity; the rest of the world will demand that Israel retreat to its 1948 borders…Notice I didn’t write 1967. Israel will be transformed.
This is an account of the first day of attacks from my dear friend Majdi, a Gazan physician, husband, and father of a beautiful two year old daughter. I post it with his permission.
Today he wrote the following to me about yesterday’s diary: “Today I feel that I underestimated the impacts of the Israeli operation on ordinary people here in Gaza…the human pain is great…I am working in a refuggee camp where 33000 people live. There were more than 30 persons killed yesterday
“I will try to continue recording my diaries , this may give a more comprehensive picture of the realities on the ground
”
Here is yesterday’s diary:
Being lucky in Gaza!
a personal note by Dr Majdi
I left the clinic where I work at 11:20 am in order to attend the defense of a Masters dissertation of a friend of mine which was scheduled to be held at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society building in Gaza. I got into a usual 7 passenger Mercedes’ Taxi .
While in the taxi on our way to Gaza, we heard a huge explosion, then we saw 2 huge Mushroom-like dust clouds going up into the sky. The taxi driver decided to change his direction from Salah Eldin Street to the Sea shore Street to reach our final distention in Gaza City. We were not sure what was up. The taxi driver turned the radio on alaqsa radio station – Hamas radio station- . The radio declared that there was an air strike by Israeli air forces . One passenger began shouting that all traitors should be killed or transferred to Ramallah. The taxi reached a junction near the Palestinian Red Crescent Building which was blocked due to an air strike to a buiding neighboring it. I crossed on my feet the ruins of a destroyed building as the taxi could not cross it. The building which was hit by Israeli Air Force’s F16 fighters was the ex-headquarters of the Preventive Security Forces which was seized by Hamas militants in June 2007.
When I reached the Palestinian Red Crescent building where the defense of the masters thesis was to take place, I noticed the damage incurred to the building; the windows and the doors were broken as a result of the destruction of the neighboring buildings; the grounds of the building and the hospital were covered by shrapnel from the broken windows.
Before entering the building , my eyes captured the frightened face of a woman looking for her daughter who had left her school during the air strikes. The air strikes took place around the time the children were leaving schools at 11: 30 am. At the entrance of the building I met the brother of my friend and his masters thesis supervisor. I checked hands with them; they told me that air fighters had bombed dozens of localities and more than forty people were reported dead at Gaza hospitals. I asked immaturely but naturally whether the dissertation’s defense would take place today as scheduled; they were reluctant, but the supervisor responded with confidence that it should. They left to inspect the office of the supervisor and to make sure that windows were not damaged.
I stepped up to the hall where the defense should take place; I shook hands with my friend, his wife and two daughters. My friend expressed his readiness to complete the task and defend his dissertation even in this atmosphere and without the new fashioned PowerPoint presentation, electricity, and the luxury of a full hall of audience and the expected celebration. The masters thesis of my friend is about the role of NGOs in providing health care services in Gaza Strip. I commented trying to show a sense of humor that his topic is highly political and so is the atmosphere.
An external examiner came to the hall carrying an envelop him, we shook hands with him. After a while, the university supervisor came with the brother of my friend. He told us that the internal examiner tried to contact him by the mobile unsuccessfully; he received a missed call from his home phone. I suggested that we could try to reach him using the land line of the hospital. The supervisor agreed to my suggestion. We went to the hospital . The hospital entry was crowded and the emergency room was oversaturated by dead and injured. We were told that the hospital had received 8 dead . We asked to use the phone of the hospital receptionist. The supervisor called the internal examiner, who was unable to reach the building where the defense is scheduled. Therefore, the defense was postponed.
I was told that 40 synchronized air strikes had taken place all over the Gaza Strip, of which 2 targeted a police station and a fire station in the suburb where my apartment is located. I realized that the 2 huge bombings that I saw while in the taxi on my way to Gaza were in the small suburb where my apartment is located. I became anxious; tried unsuccessfully to call the mobile of my wife; phone the land line of my home but no answer from home. I became more anxious.
I called my brother who lives in the neighborhood where the Red Crescent building is located, he told me that he is okay and that he called my home several times but no one answered. I walked to his home. He, the lucky, has an electricity generator at home. We watched the TV painfully and clicked on the internet explorer to know what was going on. He told me that the windows of the apartment of our other brother who live in the same suburb where I live, were broken after the air strikes. I tried to call home several times unsuccessfully. By the end, I succeeded in reaching my; she told me that she went to the neighboring apartment which has the windows damaged. She and our daughter were fine but horrified. The windows of our apartment are okay.
I phoned my parents, brothers, and uncle. Every body is alive and physically safe. I excused myself from my brother and left his apartment. I bought some candies for my daughter and took the taxi home.
I entered home; my two years old daughter smiled, then smartly showed me that she has learned a new phrase : ” Ana Khayfa Baba” – ” I am afraid Baba”. I hugged her. My wife told me that we have only 4 pieces of small pita bread. I responded angrily that bakeries are run of cooking gas and wheat. She told the 4 pieces are enough for me, the hungry, and the daughter. I asked about her; she told that she will make stuffed eggplants. I went to the grocery store. On my way to the grocery store, some of my neighbors were standing on the terrace of the building. I shook hands with them and congratulated them on their personal safety. They told me that almost all the windows of the buildings of the suburb where we live were damaged and only those of the few luckies were not. We exchanged ideas and thoughts about the unpredictable life and future of Gaza. One said this is the beginning. The second expressed his belief that they are interested in weakening the governing regime in Gaza but not liquidating it. I responded that we are expected to live in this way for decades. Another one, who is known to be a Fatah employee, said that it is better to live under Hamas rule than under a direct Israeli occupation and added that some Iraqis were interested in getting ride of Sadam regime but when USA troops came to Iraq, it killed over a million and a civil war was exploded. I excused myself and went to the grocery store; bought pretzels and eggs. As unusual, I fried potatoes, onion, and eggs. I took a modest but delicious lunch with my daughter and wife. As the electricity was cut, I have nothing to do with my computer or the TV. I took the Arabic translation of Milan Kundera’s L’Ignorance, which I started reading yesterday by the kerosene light yesterday evening, to the bed to have my usual afternoon nap.
I got up before 5 pm, I lit the kerosene light and got back to Kundera. I took my dose of coffee and cigarettes. I played with my smart daughter and spoke with my wife. I completed reading the novel before 8 pm. My wife went with our daughter to the bed. I had nothing to do except waiting for the electricity.
The electricity current came back at 9: 20 pm. I switched on the TV. I turned the TV to BBC arabic, Al-arabia, Al-Hurra, and Palestine TV Channel and also to Aljazeera, which I have ignored since the seizure of power in June 2007. The TV channels tell that more than 230 were killed and more than 700 were injured, among them serious cases. One TV channel showed a Palestinian leader donating blood to the injured in Gaza. I smiled; it is better to keep my O negative blood for an unexpected more dangerous emergency.
I got away from the switched on TV to the computer to type my personal notes about this bloodiest day in Gaza.