nice to see the context-free endorsements of israeli actions in gaza and lebanon above--the total lack of specific information concerning the actual actions that are unfolding in real time seems of a piece with the cheerleading israeli actions.
it is also quaint to see (again) the same tired line that processing actual information about what israel is actually doing on the ground in real time constitutes an "anti-israel" position.
seems to me like the support for israeli actions and anything like actual information about what is happening are, in fact, mutually exclusive.
so let's get a snapshot of what is happening in gaza.
remember gaza?
the israelis have cut off power, water, almost all food deliveries.
conditions there are becoming really very bad.
this of course affects the entire population--but hey, who cares about crimes like collective punishment?
Quote:
The crisis in the north has completely overshadowed the situation in Gaza, where Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit remains a captive of Hamas and the already desperate living conditions of Gazans continue to deteriorate.
Piles of rubbish are mounting in the streets as there is no fuel for garbage trucks. The shortage of electricity, caused by airstrikes on a power station, means there is not enough power to pump sewage or water. Untreated sewage is running directly into the sea and crowds gather round water tanks to fill jerry cans and plastic bottles.
Virtually no wages have been paid to employees of the Palestinian Authority and the rest of the economy is at a standstill. Israel allows enough fuel and food to enter but Gazans cannot leave or enter the strip. Thousands have been stuck on the Egyptian border waiting to return home. The Red Cross reported that four people had died because of the lack of shelter and services.
Israel pulled its forces out of central Gaza overnight, although they remain in the south near Rafah. The air force continued to bomb parts of Gaza, hitting buildings, roads and bridges, and the army shelled northern Gaza, where a man was killed when a tank fired at his car.
Since the offensive began, Israeli forces have killed 86 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier in a friendly fire incident. Many of the dead were gunmen, but about a fifth were civilians.The latest victim was a 10-year-old boy who died in a hospital on Friday, four days after being wounded in Beit Lahiya in the north
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source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Sto...820615,00.html
yesterday the americans vetoed a motion in the un security council condemning israel's actions in gaza and the humanitarian crisis they have engendered.
the context for understanding this is not the vague, distorted cliffnotes outlined by ustwo above--the context is the reality of the day-to-day conflict between israel--a regional military superpower--and the palestinians, not just the armed groups, but the population as a whole. folk who support the israeli actions relative to the palestinian population can only do so because they do not look at the reality they are supporting. the air is cleaner across Vague Terrain. what unfolds on the ground is ugly and complicated and so--apparently--should be avoided.
what is worse is that
obviously the bush administration is in no position to lecture anybody about how wrong it is to launch full-scale military actions on flimsy and/or incoherent grounds, and so finds itself vaguely waving on the invasion of lebanon. go ahead fellows, and dont worry about niceties of international law or actual arguments in support of your actions--just try to be a bit restrained, ok?
good christ.
finding myself getting a bit wound about this, so i'll cut off here.