Palestinian Suffering Dampens Israel Celebration

[true american]

here our your israelis freinds and anyone who defends this is anti-american scuuuumbags

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/spyring.htm...

[truth4peace]

Tthe "true american" poster makes me laugh...this person asks what has israel done for america...Well, let's see...here is a list (below) for starters, but, to be more accurate, this is what Israel has done for the WORLD. Even the technology that idiots like "true american" use to post their dripping-with-ignorance posts here...most of that technology is from Israel.(Gotta LOVE the irony!!) But, I would never expect a person like that to truly know their facts before speaking...better they just keep up their hateful writings about Israel...By the way...who could possibly be benefiting from all these high gas prices??? ; )
**********
since "true american" was a little cloudy on the subject, here is a list to help him or her out: http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Rea...

[The Man]

truth4peace wrote:

Could this article be any more hypocritical? This woman supports everything she claims to be against, and is clearly not at all eduacted on the history of the Middle East (and yes, the M.E. and Israel have a long history that goes back further than the early 1900's when many of the so-called "palestinian" started arriving ilegally from their original lands like Egypt and Iraq.)
I love that she wrote, "We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East."
Um...Israel takes up ONE-TENTH of ONE PERCENT of all the land in the M.E.- things have never been equal for Jews there (look up the word "dhimmi") nor will they ever be. Imagine if the numbers were reversed, and if Jews held 99.9% of the land in the M.E. and were putting pressure on Muslims to slpit the one-tenth of one percent in half. My guess is that this racist monster of a woman would not be writing articles on their behalf either...her karma.

and exhausted 30% of our foreign aid! go figure! that sh**tty little country.

[Lawrence]

I simply can't believe the low level of discourse in these posts. I wonder how an educated person like Ms. Reyna feels when she sees the spelling, diction and general ignorance of so many of the people who support her.

[Lawrence]

Ms. Reyna is right in saying that we should temper our celebrations by being mindful of Palestinian suffering. Most of us have. To show her "balance," though, she should call on Palestinians to temper THEIR celebrations every time an Israeli child is killed or maimed by a Hamas rocket, or blown up by a suicide bomber. One would think she'd consider dancing in the Palestinian streets on such occasions oh so un-politically correct.

[Mazin Qumsiyeh]

The facts that many mainstream US media chose to hide but that most of the world already knows are rather plain.

Large scale Zionist colonization of Palestine ensued under British rule between 1919-1947. Between 1917 (Balfour Declaration) and 1947, Jewish population grew from 3% to 30% of the population and Jewish land ownership increased from 2% to 7%. Under US pressure, the UN adopts an unfair and illegal (per UN Charter) resolution recommending partition (56% of land for the Jewish state, 44% for Palestinian state). Zionist forces in Palestine immediately engage in massive ethnic cleansing of non-Jews, completely destroying over 530 Palestinian villages and towns (see Ilan Pappe, the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine). Half the refugees were created before May 14, 1948 when Israel unilaterally declared independence. This mass exodus and disposession is remembered by Palestinians as “Al Nakba,” the Catastrophe. Israel refuses to comply with International Law and allow the refugees to return.

Israel occupies all remaining Palestinian lands in Six-Day War of 1967 (heavily supported by the US even after Israel deliberately attacked a US ship USS Liberty in International waters; Israel lobby ensured a cover-up).

Today 7 of the 10 million Palestinians in the world are refugees or displaced people; more than one million struggle with social and civil/legal inequality as citizens in Israel, and roughly 4 million Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Israel violates over 65 UN Security Council Resolutions including occupying other people’s lands and refuses to abide by International law (e.g. by refusing to allow Palestinian Refugees to Return to their Homes and lands).

Israel is an apartheid state (per the 1973 UN International Convention on Apartheid) where two sets of laws exist that discriminate against Palestinians in all spheres of life while maintaining a set of laws for Jewish citizens.

Israel maintains over 200 Jewish-only colonies on internationally-recognized Palestinian land. These colonies house over 450,000 settlers living illegally in the West Bank (including occupied East Jerusalem).

All of this is done with over $1 trillion of our taxes spent so far on the state of Israel. It is time to make change in US policy before our financial destruction deepens (already beginning with endless wars for Israel, see value of dollar, real inflation, mortgage crisis, home prices etc).

BTW and for full disclosure I am a Palestinian American Christian but most importantly a human being who cares and is wiling to meet and talk to anyone who is intersted in a meaningful conversation about these critical issues. Website http://qumsiyeh.org

[Alan Stein]

The Man wrote:

<quoted text>
Well at least you you expressed your humble opinion without mentioning the holocaust or throwing that monotonous, overused slur, antisemetism. Go steal some land and water!

Frankly, I've never heard of "antisemetism," so I'm surprised to hear it's monotonous and overused.

It does remind me of something spelled similarly: anti-Semitism. Indeed, it is clear that a large proportion, probably the overwhelming majority of criticism of Israel is motivated by anti-Semitism. However, since it's usually impossible to be sure whether a specific criticism is motivated by anti-Semitism or simply by ignorance, it's extremely rare that, in contrast to "antisemetism" (which I again confess I've never heard of), charges of anti-Semitism are rarely leveled, indeed, they are leveled far less often than they would be justified.

In any case, can you point me towards some land and water to steal? And perhaps you can drop a penny in the street so I can pick it up?

[Alan Stein]

Mazin Qumsiyeh wrote:

All of this is done with over $1 trillion of our taxes spent so far on the state of Israel.

This is perhaps the least inaccurate "fact" in Mazin's screed.

Over a period of 60 years,$1 trillion would come to close to $17 billion per year, nearly six times the most Israel has received in assistance in any single year and nearly seven times our current level of assistance.

Of course, Israel received virtually no foreign aid grants from us until after the Arab attack in 1973. Our assistance increased substantially after the treaty with Egypt, but Mazin doesn't bother mentioning that we've given almost as much (around $2 billion per year) since then to Egypt.

The rest of Mazin's post was even more off-base.

[greg_allen]

Mazin Qumsiyeh wrote:

The facts that many mainstream US media chose to hide but that most of the world already knows are rather plain.
Large scale Zionist colonization of Palestine ensued under British rule between 1919-1947. Between 1917 (Balfour Declaration) and 1947, Jewish population grew from 3% to 30% of the population and Jewish land ownership increased from 2% to 7%. Under US pressure, the UN adopts an unfair and illegal (per UN Charter) resolution recommending partition (56% of land for the Jewish state, 44% for Palestinian state). Zionist forces in Palestine immediately engage in massive ethnic cleansing of non-Jews, completely destroying over 530 Palestinian villages and towns (see Ilan Pappe, the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine). Half the refugees were created before May 14, 1948 when Israel unilaterally declared independence. This mass exodus and disposession is remembered by Palestinians as “Al Nakba,” the Catastrophe. Israel refuses to comply with International Law and allow the refugees to return.
Israel occupies all remaining Palestinian lands in Six-Day War of 1967 (heavily supported by the US even after Israel deliberately attacked a US ship USS Liberty in International waters; Israel lobby ensured a cover-up).
Today 7 of the 10 million Palestinians in the world are refugees or displaced people; more than one million struggle with social and civil/legal inequality as citizens in Israel, and roughly 4 million Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Israel violates over 65 UN Security Council Resolutions including occupying other people’s lands and refuses to abide by International law (e.g. by refusing to allow Palestinian Refugees to Return to their Homes and lands).
Israel is an apartheid state (per the 1973 UN International Convention on Apartheid) where two sets of laws exist that discriminate against Palestinians in all spheres of life while maintaining a set of laws for Jewish citizens.
Israel maintains over 200 Jewish-only colonies on internationally-recognized Palestinian land. These colonies house over 450,000 settlers living illegally in the West Bank (including occupied East Jerusalem).
All of this is done with over $1 trillion of our taxes spent so far on the state of Israel. It is time to make change in US policy before our financial destruction deepens (already beginning with endless wars for Israel, see value of dollar, real inflation, mortgage crisis, home prices etc).
BTW and for full disclosure I am a Palestinian American Christian but most importantly a human being who cares and is wiling to meet and talk to anyone who is intersted in a meaningful conversation about these critical issues. Website http://qumsiyeh.org

very good info sir. i am an american who has been enlightened by having the good fortune to be friends with several ppl from ramallah. please be assured that some americans are with you.

[suzu]

Liberty for all wrote:

No surprise that the writer omits the palestinian commitment to not recognize and ultimately to eradicate israel. No surprise that she doesn't address the issue of the billions in aid the u.s. and world have given to the palestinians to improve their condition but which they have refused to use for what is needed. After all keeping their people in poverty and blaming it on israel is a great recruting tool. It is hard to convince someone to strap on bombs and blow up children on school buses, people celebrating weddings or out for an evening unless you have created a cesspool of hatred. Which brings us to another omission: the writer doesn't address the "education" the children get. Using cartoon characters to teach hate and actually how to kill certainly is a crime against humanity. Finally, lets face it the palestinians, the bogus church and other groups she refers to in her tale above would find other nonsense to attack israel for even if israel did what they wanted. The far left hitlers do prove one thing however, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAR RIGHT AND FAR LEFT. Both turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed by those they support and they both are joined at the hip by hatred of and lets be honest because hatred is the correct term (wanting israel to commit suicide by surrendering to enemies dedicated to a jew free middle east can only be hatred) and nothing they say or do can disguise that hate. You need only reference the people and groups in this article and see that they always support blindly anyone who has rgardless of the atrocities they commit one important trait, they are almost without exception anti american.

"THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAR RIGHT AND FAR LEFT. Both turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed by those they support"

so which one are you? far right or far left? i know whose atrocities you are turning a blind to.

[Leann - West Hartford]

Ms. Reyna, in keeping with her history, shows only one side. It is interesting that she says we only tend to hear one side in this country. She's right - we do hear one side - the biased, erroneous side - hers.
Of all the temerity to speak of terrorism. If you want to read about terrorism, clink on this link:
http://www.adl.org/Israel/israel_attacks.asp
http://www.camera.org

[suzu]

Daniel Chester wrote:

I have to give the Devil her due. Ms. Reyna is very clever in presenting the Arabs as victims rather than the aggressors they are.
I just returned from a trip to Israel and it is the Jews who are living in fear in their own country. Everywhere Jewish villages are surrounded by barbed wire and guard posts, because of daily threats from ever-present Arab terrorists. In fact, Jews in Israel cannot even visit some Arab towns in their own country, the Arabs there react so violently to Jewish visitors. Jericho and Bethlehem are two such towns.
She talks about Gaza. Let's talk Gaza. This is a place from which the Hamas-led government rains rockets down on innocent Jews in Israel and plots the destruction of Israel. Yet Israel, because of its higher humanitarian ideals, continues to provide this sworn enemy with electricity and other services.
Ms. Reyna also talks about the founding of Israel being built on Arab misery. Actually, it is the reverse. Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jews. It was the Arabs (and Romans) who pushed most of the Jews out of their homeland 2,000 years ago.
Then, when Jews started returning en masse more than 100 years ago to their rightful land, they did so legally, buying land from Arabs (especially Turks). They did not steal the land or push Arabs from it, as Ms. Reyna claims.
Then, when a tiny portion of the British Palestinian territory was given to the Jews in 1948 by an internationally-recognized treat, what did Ms. Reyna's relatives do? They declared war on Israel, some of them leaving their homes in Israel, in an effort to murder every Jew rightfully living in their homeland. Now, Ms. Reyna says those murderous bastards have a right to return.
The blood is on the hands of the Arabs. Let's call a spade a spade.
It's time the Arabs let Israel live in peace.
She talks about the Christians, too, by the way, as if we have anything to hold against Israel. Ms. Reyna, the hate war you wage has nothing to do with the Christians. Leave us out of this. We love Israel and are offended by the hateful propaganda you spread. Shame on you.

"She talks about the Christians, too, by the way, as if we have anything to hold against Israel. Ms. Reyna, the hate war you wage has nothing to do with the Christians. Leave us out of this. We love Israel and are offended by the hateful propaganda you spread. Shame on you. "

dear christian, ms reyna is referring to the arab christians, not the likes of you who are so easily brainwashed by israeli propaganda and stories of the apocalypse when you will be swept up to heaven

[greg_allen]

Leann - West Hartford wrote:

Ms. Reyna, in keeping with her history, shows only one side. It is interesting that she says we only tend to hear one side in this country. She's right - we do hear one side - the biased, erroneous side - hers.
Of all the temerity to speak of terrorism. If you want to read about terrorism, clink on this link:
http://www.adl.org/Israel/israel_attacks.asp
http://www.camera.org

will you provide a comprehensive list of all of the palestinians killed during the same time period?

[suzu]

Lawrence wrote:

I simply can't believe the low level of discourse in these posts. I wonder how an educated person like Ms. Reyna feels when she sees the spelling, diction and general ignorance of so many of the people who support her.

well maybe we could spend more on education if we weren't spending so much on wars in the middle east that israel wants us to fight. definitely it is for oil too, but israel loves it that we are in iraq and wants us in iran next.
how much will be left for education?
we are already bankrupt

[Alan Stein]

suzu wrote:

<quoted text>
well maybe we could spend more on education if we weren't spending so much on wars in the middle east that israel wants us to fight. definitely it is for oil too, but israel loves it that we are in iraq and wants us in iran next.
how much will be left for education?
we are already bankrupt

When the Bush Administration was preparing to go into Iraq, the Israeli government was cautioning against it.

So much for Israel loving that we are in Iraq.

Israel doesn't want us to fight any wars; it wants peace. Unfortunately, when you're invaded by six armies the day your declare your independence, you have to fight back.

Israel is the only nation in the history of the world that won a war, sued for peace, and was rejected by the losers!

[meyefive]

Letter quoted in Reyma's opinion
(the guardian, uk)
We're not celebrating Israel's anniversary
• The Guardian,
• Wednesday April 30 2008
•
About this article
This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday April 30 2008 on p33 of the Leaders & reply section. It was last updated at 12:44 on April 30 2008.

In May, Jewish organisations will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. This is understandable in the context of centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, we are Jews who will not be celebrating. Surely it is now time to acknowledge the narrative of the other, the price paid by another people for European anti-semitism and Hitler's genocidal policies. As Edward Said emphasised, what the Holocaust is to the Jews, the Naqba is to the Palestinians.
In April 1948, the same month as the infamous massacre at Deir Yassin and the mortar attack on Palestinian civilians in Haifa's market square, Plan Dalet was put into operation. This authorised the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the indigenous population outside the borders of the state. We will not be celebrating.
In July 1948, 70,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in Lydda and Ramleh in the heat of the summer with no food or water. Hundreds died. It was known as the Death March. We will not be celebrating.
In all, 750,000 Palestinians became refugees. Some 400 villages were wiped off the map. That did not end the ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Palestinians (Israeli citizens) were expelled from the Galilee in 1956. Many thousands more when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. Under international law and sanctioned by UN resolution 194, refugees from war have a right to return or compensation. Israel has never accepted that right. We will not be celebrating.
We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations.
We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.

Seymour Alexander Ruth Appleton Steve Arloff Rica Bird Jo Bird Cllr Jonathan Bloch Ilse Boas Prof. Haim Bresheeth Tanya Bronstein Sheila Colman
Ruth Clark Sylvia Cohen Judith Cravitz Mike Cushman
Angela Dale Ivor Dembina Dr. Linda Edmondson Nancy ElanLiz Elkind Pia Feig Colin Fine Deborah Fink
Sylvia Finzi Brian Fisher MBE Frank Fisher Bella Freud
Catherine Fried Uri Fruchtmann Stephen Fry
David GarfinkelCarolyn Gelenter Claire Glasman
Tony GreensteinHeinz Grunewald Michael HalpernAbe Hayeem Rosamine Hayeem Anna HellmanAmy HordesJoan Horrocks Deborah Hyams Selma James
Riva Joffe Yael Oren Kahn Michael Kalmanovitz
Paul Kaufman Prof. Adah Kay
Yehudit Keshet Prof. Eleonore Kofman
Rene Krayer Stevie Krayer Berry Kreel Leah Levane Les Levidow Peter Levin Louis Levy
Ros Levy Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky Catherine Lyons
Deborah Maccoby Daniel Machover Prof. Emeritus Moshe Machover Miriam Margolyes OBE
Mike Marqusee Laura Miller
Simon Natas Hilda Meers Martine Miel Laura Miller
Arthur Neslen Diana Neslen Orna Neumann
Harold Pinter
Roland Rance Frances Rivkin Sheila Robin
Dr. Brian Robinson Neil Rogall Prof. Steven Rose
Mike Rosen Prof. Jonathan Rosenhead Leon Rosselson
Michael Sackin Sabby Sagall
Ian Saville Alexei Sayle Anna SchumanSidney Schuman
Monika Schwartz Amanda Sebestyen Sam Semoff
Linda Shampan Sybil Shine
Prof. Frances Stewart I nbar Tamari Ruth Tenne
Martin TochTirza WaiselStanley Walinets
Martin White, Ruth Williams, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
Devra Wiseman,Gerry Wolff Sherry Yanowitz

[suzu]

Alan Stein wrote:

<quoted text>
When the Bush Administration was preparing to go into Iraq, the Israeli government was cautioning against it.
So much for Israel loving that we are in Iraq.
Israel doesn't want us to fight any wars; it wants peace. Unfortunately, when you're invaded by six armies the day your declare your independence, you have to fight back.
Israel is the only nation in the history of the world that won a war, sued for peace, and was rejected by the losers!

well there is the theory that israel preferred that the US go into iran first and then into iraq.
but i really know what israel wants by looking at what warmonger joe lieberman wants. he wanted the invasion of iraq, now he is pushing for the bombing of iran. and he will get it. what aipac wants aipac gets.
lieberman is not shy about stating his demands.

[suzu]

and american taxpayers are so endlessly stupid and accommodating

[JEWISH and PROUD]

suzu wrote:

<quoted text>
well there is the theory that israel preferred that the US go into iran first and then into iraq.
but i really know what israel wants by looking at what warmonger joe lieberman wants. he wanted the invasion of iraq, now he is pushing for the bombing of iran. and he will get it. what aipac wants aipac gets.
lieberman is not shy about stating his demands.

afraid you'll loose all of your family if we go into Iran and bomb the sh-t out of them? It is so frightening what comes from the mouths of ignorant people that have been brain washed by religious leaders....I mean CULT leaders. I hoonestly wish you get 72 virgins....VERY SOON.

[JEWISH and PROUD]

suzu wrote:

<quoted text>
well maybe we could spend more on education if we weren't spending so much on wars in the middle east that israel wants us to fight. definitely it is for oil too, but israel loves it that we are in iraq and wants us in iran next.
how much will be left for education?
we are already bankrupt

STILL ON THE OIL KICK HUH?? Well if it was for the oil...why then are we paying over $3.50 a gallon??? Actually 3.98 here in Los Angeles! You are soooo jealous of everything Jewish and Israel based.