Gaza Attacks and Olmert's Threat to the Innocents Damage Israel

There is no doubt that Hamas has provoked Israel with rocket attacks from Gaza onto Israeli territory, but the disproportionate response unleashed yesterday will do Israel nothing but harm. Commentators have suggested that retaliation would be difficult because there is an election going on in Israel, but the unavoidable conclusion is that the election, and the tightness of the race between the candidate of the Kadima party Tzipi Livni, and the Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu, is a key factor in the decision to take such dire action. Both candidates have promised to act tough and the ironically named Operation Solid Lead means Livni is now able to claim that she can be as tough as Netanyahu.

Kadima is currently in control of the Israeli government, with Ehud Olmert still in charge as prime minister until the results of the election. Meanwhile, Livni is the country’s foreign minister. She said yesterday that Israel had "no choice" and that the government was “doing what we need to do to defend our citizens". Olmert, the man responsible for the catastrophic 2006 attack on Lebanon, had earlier warned that Israel would strike back hard against the Gaza attacks, saying: “We have very great and destructive strength, which we do not wish to use. I think of the tens of thousands of children and innocents who will be in danger as a result of Hamas’s actions.”

There are other factors at play here of course, not least a US administration that was already unlikely to do anything that would actively restrain the Israelis, even were it not now one of the most lame duck administrations in history. It will be interesting to see how Obama deals with the Middle-East once he is inaugurated but there is little he can do now. The other unavoidable factor at play is also about timing. The simple truth is that while the US and its western allies celebrate Christmas – peace and good will towards all men – nasty people get away with nasty things. It is no coincidence that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan took place 29 years ago today.   

Israel and its supporters cannot possibly argue that today’s attacks on Gaza are in any way proportionate. Nor can they argue that they are not murderous. Warning that Israel would retaliate for the rocket attacks, Olmert himself said that “tens of thousands of children and innocents” would be put at danger by the Hamas’s actions. But Hamas cannot be held responsible for the disproportionate nature of Israel's response, or for any “children and innocents” killed in the attacks. Israel alone is responsible for that.

Comments

[Austin]

what is a proportionate response to constant bombing by Hamas of ISraeli cities and civillian centers?

[omop]

A somewhat cold blooded commentary that attempts to reflect some sympathy.

"Plus ca change plus que c'est la meme chose". as the french say which translates into there's over a billion muslims and several million Arabs and one of these days the pendelum is going to swing the other way.

"what goes around comes around" as they say in Western Texas and it may be that that time is not too far off.

[jew]

I have never read such drivel. Gaza is a terrorist haven run by Hamas mass murderers who need to be annihlated. If the terrorists set up their training camps near civilian locations, and Israel does its best to avoid hitting them, then Hamas is responsible for the collateral damage!

[DANNY]

Your kidding right? If not your a fool. The kind of fool who will be lead like a fish on a hook to try and remove Israel from their land. Guess who will come and fight on Israel's behalf? Israel is too nice. really.

[Naftali]

Again, this ridiculous notion of proportion. Proportion to what, over 8000 rockets fired at Israeli civilians in the past few years from Gaza? When you take on a terror organization like Hamas, you are not playing checkers.

Hamas had to be dealt a decisive blow, while at the same time, Gazans have to realize that Hamas will bring them nothing but misery, death and destruction. It already has divided Palestinian from Palestinian with bloodshed, even after supposed peace agreements were signed between them.

[Paul]

Well said.

[Dr David Bacs]

This day highlights once again the evil nature of the zionist regime. The baby-killers are murdering whilst the pathetic arab puppets watch on. Injustice.

[Rose]

What is a proportionate response whrn 5 mio Jews face 120 mio Arabs? Would it be fare to have Jews blow themselves up in Arab restaurants and supermarkets or throw hundreds of rockets daily on Gaza? If this is fair it could be done...

[eli the due]

Hamas is responsible for today's massacre. They refused to stop and thus Israel had to step the offensive to stop the rocket attacks. He is right about the attacks not being proportionate. Israel should have fired rockets indiscriminately like the rocket attacks against Israeli cities.

[Kay]

Here you go again....."the poor Palestinians". Until they throw the terrorists our, the are all a part of the problem. They cannot sit by the way and blame Israel for retaliation. Maybe it's time to remove them all from Gaza.

[Canadian]

There is a lot of hate and violence in these responses. Th writer is correct ISRAEL is responsible and I see the Western governments reaction similar to the 2006 war on Lebanon .. I certainly hope the Palis give a good fight before they go down.

[David Sherman]

Hamas is entirely responsible for the destruction of Gaza. Hamas could have decided long ago to stop all attacks against Israel, and let Gaza flourish. Its borders and port would have been reopened and it would be at peace today. Instead, Hamas values the destruction of Israel over building its own community. Israel already withdrew from Gaza and got nothing but rockets in return. Israel is entitled to defend its citizens, and this talk of "proportionality" is nonsense.

[Jack Mazafi]

A proportionate response would be to lob inaccurate mortars and crude rockets across the boarder and hope for the best. I dont think that a response such as this would achieve much. Its easy to criticize but difficult to act, Israeli's have not chosen to live sixty years in a constant state of war nor have Jews chosen to be persecuted for two thousand years. The democratic State of Israel has every right to defend and protect it's citizens. There is no alternative, sad as that statement is. If there were other options for peace, they would have been pursued long ago.

[Hannah]

Israeli actions are criminal and those who remain silent in the face of this massacre are complicit in this crime. We have learnt nothing from two world wars, stupid people will continue to follow the status quo. Let's hope that one day soon, the world will wake up to Israeli crimes.

[pharbitis]

Remember ... another group of people locked into a deprived overcrowded urban area, brought to the brink of starvation, denied basic human rights, who formed pockets of resistance with inadequate arms and then were all but exterminated.
Ah yes... Israel knows about ghettoes.

[B ackerman]

Gaza is a Snakepit. Terrorism is the Industry of Gaza. They destroyed the organic vegetable industry in 7days after Israel handed them the gift of Gaza. They replaced a multimillion dollar export industry with unadulterated Terrorism.
The EU and USA has given BILLIONS of dollars to help Gaza. Instead of Hospitals/schools they devote everything to building kassams.
Israels attack is long overdue after "disproportionate"restraint!

[david's daughter]

Mike Smith's piece was measured but most of the posts are grotesque. One Israeli has died vs hundreds of Palestinians who were already ground down by an inhuman siege. Whatever Hamas's failings, there is no justification for Israel's military killing 24 times as many Palestinian children in the past eight years as vice versa (statistics from the Israeli human rights organisation B'tselem). Not for the first time, Israel makes me ashamed to be a Jew. There must be justice or there can be no peace.

[Tony m]

Hamas is effectively a creation of Israel. Israel did everything it could possibly do to discredit the Arafat and the far more moderate Fatah movement (now lead by Abbas) that was willing to negotiate and indeed recognise Israel. Hamas (the only opposition to Fatah) was the real beneficary of Israel's refusal to open meaningful negotiations with the more moderate Fatah. Instead the Israeli's preferred to create "facts on the ground" and continued the theft of Palestinian lands. With Fatah unable to win any meaningful concessions because of Israeli intransigence it was inevitable that Palestininans to look to other organisations and return to more violent ways to secure what Israel denied Fatah - a Palestinian homeland.

[Komil]

Holocaust all over again but this time committed by very people who suffered it. No lessons learned there. Germans also blamed partisan fighters.

[Carole]

I think the attacks were well overdue, the Israelis have suffered long enough from these bombardments. The women and children especially were becoming traumatized and constantly in shelters. What else could they do to protect their citizens. All the hardships the Palestinians are enduring have been brought on themselves by HAMAS and their menfolk who support these barbarians.

[Keiron O'Connell]

Mick Smith makes at least two points that need a response.
First, he mentions, more than once, that Israel's response to Hamas' aggression is "disproportionate". Unfortunately, he does not seem willing to tackle what might be "proportionate". Maybe the IDF should just lob 60 to 80 missiles a day into Gaza as a direct counter to Hamas' tactics. Would that, somehow, be more acceptable?
Second, apparently Ehud Olmert is solely responsible for the Lebanese war, "Olmert, the man responsible for the catastrophic 2006 attack on Lebanon". I seem to remember that the murder and kidnapping of a number of Israeli reservists on border patrol, during a cross-border raid by Hezbollah, had something to do with it.

[John Perry]

One has to reside in Israel with ones family before branding the Israeli attack as 'dispropationate'.
Would those describing it such volunteer to stay in Sderot or Netivot with their loved ones.
In fact, Israel was wrong in waiting so long. It should have hit the the Palestinian targets that are attacking Israeli civilian day and night with rockets, long back.

[JB]

Fantastic post PHARBITIS..Warsaw and Berlin ghettos and those guys get feted for their actions!! Those brave jews were pushed to carrying out those actions..such as suicide missions.. because they had no choice. just like the palestinians. ghetoised since 1967!

7 palestinians to 1 israeli die in these conflicts.israeli's have killed more children (not including adults here!) than palestinians have killed israelis since the intifada. which group is more murderous?

[Karen Tabaka]

I agree with Mick.

The Israeli attacks are not only of a disproportionate nature but also a self destructive political maneuver that is feeding hatred of the exceedingly young and densely populated Gaza Strip.

I view the rocket response of Hamas to loss of food and essential services as understandable; the firing of missiles into the masses of population is unforgiveable.

Israel has cornered a tortured tiger
whose cries will be heard throughout the Middle East. I hesitate to imagine the ramifications of that tiger's call.

Many have said the people of Gaza must stop Hamas. Can the same be said of the Israeli citizenery in restraining its leadership? My hope is that both can happen.

[john caddidy]

with all due respect, this is one of the more idiotic commentaries yet to make its way into publication. one wonders how the author might have reacted had the IRA shot several hundred missiles into england? in that case, what would he define as a "proportionate" response? hamas knows exactly what it is doing and the organization has invited this riposte by firing indiscriminate rocket volleys into israel proper for days. as a matter of international law, the israeli government is fully within its rights to eradicate the source of that aggression

[Nagel]

Mick Smith's prime assertion is that the Gaza Attacks 'Damage Israel' but nowhere does he give substance to this. We are left to interpret this as we wish, including the possibilities of the general moral degradation of war all the way to political miscalculation and immediate weakening of institutions of the State of Israel. Whether this is intentionally vague or the product of fuzzy thinking is unclear to me.

Neither does he put forward a moral course of action for the State of Israel, indicating only indirectly that a 'proportionate response' would be the civilized approach.

When he finally does attempt to give voice to an opinion he decides to hide behind double negatives, e.g. 'Nor can they argue that they are not murderous.'

If we untangle the meaning of the last paragraph it would seem the substance of his article is that were Israel to have made a 'proportionate response' they would neither be murderous nor responsible for their actions. This is patently false.

[T. Varadaraj]

When you see the ingenuity of the Gazans in trying to overcome the blockade (tunnels, cranes, bribes etc.) and also manufacturing destructive weaponry and suicide bombing paraphernalia, you wonder why they couldn't use it to secure a simple peace with Israel and build an actual country.

[Andre]

Mr. Smith - no country capable of defending itself; not the UK, the US, Russia or Israel would tolerate the constant bombardment launched by Hamas against their homeland. We cannot expect Israelis to tolerate such wanton violence against their civilian infrastructures.

Time will tell if the Israelis overreacted but, Hamas must understand that it must choose between peace or war with the Israelis - it cannot wage a "half war", attacking Israelis while using a "ceasefire" to prevent retaliation. No sensible nation state would accept such a situation.

[Don Macleay from Oakland CA]

The Israeli government has met its real goal with this operation. That is to avoid a successful peace process at all costs.

They have invested a lot in keeping this vicious circle going and are doing an excellent job of playing the media to only talk about the last half of the last round.

Let's remember that the Hamas coup was only possible because Israel will not let the Palestinian Authority bring troops in to restore order. The Israeli walls protect Hamas.

Then we just add in the pressure cooker tactics of restricted food, energy, travel and such to their established assassination and collective punishment campaigns with their broken promises and their violations of all agreements on the subject of West Bank settlements and we have a failed Palestinian leadership.

Hamas and Fatah are being played for fools at best.

This way Israel will never have to trade land for peace and they will blame the terrorists they help to foment.

[Yesh Prabhu]

Israel's brutal response - the bombing of Gaza - will certainly backfire, just as its bombing of Lebanon backfired. This tit for tat will never bring peace to Middle East. Peace will come to that region only after Israel gives back the occupied land to the Palestinians. Until then the war will continue.
By the way, what ever happened to Tony Blair, the Special Mid-East envoy? Has he done anything at all - other than urging restraint - to bring peace there? And what does restraint mean, any way? Is it all right to kill 50 Palestinians instead of 250?

[Dave Keogh]

It is argued that the Israeli attacks are "disproportionate" because they have killed more Palestinians than the number of Israeli's killed by rockets fired from Gaza.
What is forgotten is the intention of the Palestinian rockets : this is to kill as many Israeli's as possible.If they are allowed to obtain more powerful rockets does anyone doubt that they will refrain from targetting as many Israeli's as possible?

[Gene]

Hamas has a stated Charter that calls for the total destruction of Israel and has been working toward this goal daily with their missile and mortars attacks. Now Israel has a clear choice - fight back against this comdemed terrorist organization or surrender. It seems they have after 18 months decided to fight back.

Would the Queen allow over 3,000 missiles to be fired on her citizens and try to hold Peace Talks? Not hardly.

Hamas asked for this and receive the opening response.

[roger wilkinson]

WE have to remember if isreal gave land back then none of this would ever happen..

We also have to remember as usual the bombs and planes used are AMERICAN MADE ,

violence breads violence......

[Nachman]

To David's daughter before you go spouting off at being ashamed to be Jewish if indeed you are - go and spend a week in Sederot and then let's hear how sorry you are that Israel is defending its citizens from terrorists who have had no compunction in firing 8000 rockets into Israel without any care where they fall or who they kill or maim. Shame on you!

[Neil]

Israel is a country created by terrorists 60 years ago and still clings to these ideals, now supported by the evil regime in the US. The Palestinians have been displaced from their land and homes and mistreated at every opportunity.

The civilised world should have taken a stand against Israel a long time ago.

[2ctruth]

Israel has imposed a months long blockade on Gaza -- No Food, No Medicine, No Gas (what little gets in goes for $30/gal) -- just starve and kill the people. Either the Palestinians accept or they get attacked for resisting their opression. Israel is the foremost terror state.... and we defend them in their theft and murder, but only because the US population is deceived. We send them our tax dollars and Madoff's billions too. We are complicit in their crimes against humanity. AIPAC and their media heavyweights own our government and our sports-obsessed electorate has no idea what's going on.

[Billy]

So tell me sir, what would be an appropriate response to attacks on one’s homeland with explosive projectiles? Perhaps the Israelis should simply respond in kind , with unguided projectiles, on a one-for-one basis, and do their best to aim them at the population centers? Given the population density in Gaza, would that not create an even greater loss of lives among the non-combatant, civilian population? Or could it be that you are proposing outright assassinations carried out by small units of Israeli sharpshooters at random targets (since the identification of individuals launching the rockets would be extremely difficult at best)? Should they simply “grin and bear” it, chalk it up to “boys will be boys”? Somehow, I don’t see you being as forgiving if immigrants in Cambridge were to start launching unguided rockets into the center of London. You have done a wonderful job of detailing the disproportionate response that the Israeli’s have made; can you do and equally good piece detailing the possible responses that they could make? Especially, responses that would punish only Hamas, when Hamas uses the civilian populace for cover? I think we know that blockades hurt the civilian population more than those holding power, as they invariably find a way to short the civilians with excuses of the need to retain the supplies to ensure “governmental security”. I would truly be interested in what kind of response you believe would be proportionate, given that Hamas has proved to be remarkable resistant to any diplomatic solution, blockade or half measures.

[Olaf Raasch]

These terrorist in Gaza act exactly like Mohammad would have done. That is how any fundamentalist Muslim would act because that is also what Mohammad pescribed his followers to do to reach paradies and 72 virgins. So, you have objection, well, try reading the Koran and be educated.
Solution, burn the Koran and teach them to love your neighbour as yourself as the Bible does.

[Dave]

Mick - You need help my friend. The PR campaign in Pallywood has gotten to you. Israel's response should have been tougher.The fact is, an olive branch has been held to the Palestinians on so many occasions and it has been spat back in Israeli faces time and time again. No person who looks at the situation logically can deny that fact. Go back to Palestine Mick. ( have you ever been there ? ) see what hamas really do. A patehtic article Mick. Sad that your writing skills have descended to the age old liberal anti Israeli rant.

Press on Israel ! DO the job that should have been done long ago. And ignore these western liberal fools.

[saleh darwish]

Another massacre, simply a fresh confirmation that criminal Zionists have no place in our region. Israel can kill more people, but read history; the apartheid regime in S. Africa committed similar actions short before its end.

[John]

One statistic alone puts the lie to all of the disgusting Israeli sponsored posts above:

Prior to this barbaric attack, 123 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 1,050 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/

This attack is a War Crime on two counts. Collective Punishment and Civilian targeting.

[Israel = terrorism]

It would be proportionate if Palestinians have nukes in their hands. In USA people keep guns for self defense, Palestinians must acquire nukes because Israel has nukes. If Israel kills 300 Palestinians for their 1 person than Palestianians should kill 1 million Israelis. That would be proportionate. Any way Zionists are outsiders and what you do when some body occupy your home ?

[John Feingold]

Israel, an apartheid state, the biggest threat to world peace, brings shame on all decent jews, by violating 450 UN resoslutions - more than the rest of the world togerther. Gaza is aconcentration camp, in which the jews are starving and killing innocent, defenceless civilians. The British Foreign Minister, Miliband, a jew,remains silent, while his own people commit war crimes. His complicity abases both judaism and the Torah and engourages anti- semitism.

[bo]

If the fool that wrote the above crap wants to compare proportionate retaliation, then may I suggest Israel use another 7500 rockets. The fool should direct their comments as to why the cowards known as hamas (and their FEW supporters) concentrate their criminals in built up areas - exposing the locals to the retaliation. My UTMOST respect for the Israelis for showing so much restraint.

[bush_n_blair]

Israel may have destroyed a few Hamas builidings, storage houses, killed a few hundred Palestinians,put on a show of supreme airpower but it has also single handedly created a few thousand willing suicide bombers and alienated itself from most moderate arabs with its callous disregard for civilian life. After all 1 Israeli life as we know equates to about 225 arab ones. This conflict will be unequal in the short term with American backed Israeli F16's dropping their murderous payloads in populated areas. In the long term Israel will be left to ponder the consequences of the waves of suicide bombers already gearing up for the call to arms. Violence begets violence. In 40 years of occupation Israel it seems still hasn't learnt that lesson.

[Colin Mitchell]

I would suggest from reading a number of these comments that those from whatsoever country who style themselves as “Jews” have sub-contracted their morality to Zionism’s mad aims and the State of Israel’s murderous policies that are framed in support of Zionism. Zionism small group of ethno-fascists set out, at the end of the 19th century to impose “Jewish” sovereignty over Palestine and make it as far as possible free from other ethnicities and certainly dominated by incoming immigrants with not the slightest connection to the land of Palestine or its people. In phase 1 this illegitimate enterprise managed to gain 78% of the land of Palestine and ethnically cleansed the land of almost 1m Palestinians, the descendents of whom still languish in refugee camps. Then, after the ’67 war when Israel had the opportunity to help create a Palestinian state on the remaining 22%, what did they do? Impose a sadistic and brutal occupation and allow the religious fanatics to colonise the land using Apartheid-style practices and terrorise and kill the population. The response to both of these crimes is predictable and the Palestinians are not only justified in responding but morally obliged to respond. And today Israel has the audacity to claim it wants peace and that it’s the victim. Codswallop!

[Ben]

The only disproportion was Israel's patience. Hamas firing thousands of rockets and mortars at civilians could be described as use of weapons of mass terrorism.
No country would have sat back and restrained itself as Israel did for so long.
It seems that 15 civilian casualties in Gaza so far are highly disappointing to the author, who wishes to prove that Israel kills indiscriminately.
In short, Israel is doing the right thing. The sooner Hamas is decapitated, the sooner peace and quiet return to both Gaza and Israel.

[Gabriel]

As OMOP pointed out, Israel is playing a very dangerous game here. Surely a surgical strike taking 3 or 4 Hamas members out would have worked just as well. Now, once again, Israel and its followers here are seen to be blithe to killing civilians. The more the merrier it seems. But if Hamas then kills 200 Israelis? Wouldn’t that just be evening things up? It’s only a question of time until the Arabs get more lethal weaponry.

[AI]

A lot of people on this forum suffer from short term memories, let's not forget that Israel was created by taking land away from the Palestinians thanks to the Balfour Treaty. If you read about the history, past and present I can certainly understand the hatred felt by Palestinians. Also, since the WW2, Israel has got like a blank cheque to defend itself. Nothing is unacceptable to the outside world. Victims are the Palestinians and not the Israelis.

[richard szental]

Please explain what would be a "proportional" response to the indiscriminate firing of rockets and morters across a border? It's so easy to pontificate and use lovely phrases. You're not the one living under the daily threat of being killed or maimed.

[Howard]

The notion that this Izraeli attack was provoked it total b.s. !! There are 1.5 million Gaza Palestinians living inside a Zionist constructed modern day Warsaw Ghetto. Was there not a Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ? Does anyone question the right of people
locked in a starvation cage to fight back against a state that prevents UN relief supplies from filling food warehouses with the goods that 700,000 people depend on to eat and keep warm? Yes of course Zionists do not recognise that right so according to them anyone who was a partisan against the Nazis was a terrorist. Those who subject others to oppression and domination always moan and groan that their victims are terrorists. They scorch out the eyes of the downtrodden then damn the downtrodden for being blind.
I invite others to check out my
website www.howardsimonmarks.com

[shukri]

As a syrian guy , i have a different views .We should focus on the essence of the problem which is the israeli occupation of the palestenian land.Yesterday's attacks were outrageous and certainly would not bring security to the region as more people even the moderate ones will be driven towards the Hardliners camp as israel continues its criminal aggression against the innocent people of Gaza.

[Mohammed Zubair]

Israel is massacring the Palestinians whilst Arabs are buying premiership Clubs time has come to turn the oil taps off!!! then we will see how the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is solved within 6 days.
The west is full of hypocrisy they see innocents suffering and then preach about human rights! it disgusts muslims and radicalises them. Palestinians need to learn time to put the Rockets away and protest by peaceful means but they have past experience of more land being stolen! so I dont blame them. Time for Obama Hussein to resolve this injustice of USA being on the side of Israelis to being neutral. Long live the Human concept of Justice and equality for all.

[John Feingold]

The powerful, rich jews with their laser-guided missiles and F16 fighters, are the terrorists. Not the starving, defencelsss civilians and families in the Gaza concentration camp. It is a joke to pretend that fire-work rockets threaten the jews. Jews are not victims. They are occupiers, in conflict with the UN. The Nazis like the jews today, took reprisals against civilians.

[Chris]

The British Newspapers are all displaying the same picture of a wounded girl.

Does it not remind some of you of the fact that a man who is resposible for this held a Christmas speach on British TV?

I think the Western world has to wake up to reality and stop living in dreamland!

Chris

[aljuk]

Here we go again... Yet again the militant islamists cry foul as the repercussions of their attempts at murder come back to haunt them, and the naiive whine about "proportion". I wonder how you would feel if Hamas rockets were falling on YOUR houses.

[John Feingold]

The racist, fanatical jews in the Knesset should leave the starving, defencelss Palestinians in peace, and get back inside their legal, 1967 borders. Then they should build their "security" wall - on their own land - and defend it with their 250 nukes. Then they should build a monument to those killed by Zionism, both jew and Palestinian in Tel Aviv, like the monument to the victims of Nazism in Berlin.

[Jon]

Israel leaves Lebanon, rockets from Lebanon- Israel to blame, Israel leaves Gaza rockets from Gaza- Israel to blame.

The truth, however, is trivial, and it is that a civilization that promotes religion and excessive birth rates creates a poor, illiterate, angry, bored population. Israel's only fault is that it is the closest (geographically) developed country to these pockets of misery. Really guys, wake up.

[Statslos.]

One should remember how the British responded to the bombs from the IRA.
They did NOT send 60 warplanes to attack North Belfast or Dublin.
It took decades of talk and persasion, but today, life is much improved for both sides.

Maybe it`s time to send in the U.N. to totally disarm both sides, and THEN start negotiations.
Bombs, bombs, and more bombs are despicable.

[Shirkuh]

This is disproptionate no matter what the provocation. The "rockets" used by Hamas are nothing more than firecrackers compared to what is being against them. What this has done is show Israelis up as the brutal thugs and opressors that they really are.

[laura]

world news should start reporting the FACTS: Hamas has built an underground city of weapons, Hamas have launched thousands of rockets on Israel - hundreds daily! The fact that only a few died is nothing short of a miracle. If hundreds of rockets dropped on London daily the government would have put an end to it on day one! Israel has foolishly tolerated this for years. Israel is targeting Hamas leaders and infrastructure with 99% accuracy, those are the ones killed that are mentioned as numbers on the news- they are terrorists,minimum civilian casualty, I have yet to hear of another army in the world that does this! Lets get the facts straight as we all know our reaction if we here in London were hit DAILY by HUNDREDS of rockets.

[Louis Fried]

The usual drivel from a European journalist. What are the Israelis supposed to do? Wait till Hamas acquires longer range rockets and missles so all of Israel will be at risk?? Oh I forgot. Jewish blood and lives don't mean very much in modern and progressive European circles.!

[Michael Brietenhagen]

Those Zionists
and their bellowing supporters are sailing under the flag of the
oppressor posing as the victim to justify that the Palestinians are brutalized in perpetuity.
Crude and almost ineffectual attacks on Israel are only a welcome pretext. The Zionists want to avoid peace at any cost, that has been proven again and again.

[MountainJew]

I think your fogetting something. Lets put together a hypothetical situation:

Iraqi Government say they found a book that states they lived in the UK many year ago. All the countries agree and decide to give the UK to Iraq. Lets say that the UK didn't have the advanced milatary it currently enjoys. People are pushed from the whole of the UK into wales and scotland and the Iraqi's live in England. The English are not too happy about this - actually they're quite annoyed. So they decide to hit back using whatever they have (no advanced weapons). They fire randomly as they have no way of controlling their primitive technology. Unlike the lovely weaponry supplied to the Iraqi's every year from the USA. Most of the useless rockets the English fire land in farmfields near newcastle. It is starting to disrupt life a little to the iraqi's decide to go and bomb the UK and kill almost 300 people who they have by this time labelled as terrorists. Iraq decides to close down all borders around scotland and wales from the sea and they now control the airspace. Very little electricity is supplied, food is scarce, sanitation is non existent and the ability to move around is difficult at best.

Iraq decides that they need to start a rival group to the one currently in power so they fund a rival such as the BNP. Unfortunately the Iraqi's didn't think this one through and the BNP turn about to be much more aggresive and intent on destroying their creator. The territories are now split and iraq tries to bolster Wales as they are nicer and isolate Scotland as the monster they helped create is not so nice anymore.

[Irina]

Biased bullshit and making fools of us. Terror aka Jihad must be destroyed. It is threatening the whole world. HAMAS and only HAMAS is to be blamed for the victims among civilians both in Israel and in Gaza. If there is no radical islam in the world there will be no terror. HAMAS was the first to cancel "Hudna". It was not israeli initiative. And, besides, there was no hudna (ceasefire) at all. They continued bombing Israel constantly.
Their reaction of war against sleeping or working israeli civilians, children was a real disproportion. So, they will get what they deserve! And tell them not to set "russian grads" and "kasams" among the civilians. They do it for such people as you. They rely on you, they know your fololowing reaction very well. But not all the people around are fools. No more lies! Enough!

[barnashi]

it's all because of the militants of Hammas, which always fired rockets at Israel, killing and injuring Israeli civilians, ALSO DURING THE SO CALLED "CEASE FIRE". what a cease fire was it when Hammas fired more than 600 rockets during it???

it's because Hammas is a radical religous organization supported by Iran and Syria and always says it wants to wipe Israel off the map.
and it doesn't matter if Israel ends the occupation few years ago! they still says Israel is occuping their land. why? because they want all of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Haifa!!!

for more information regarding the truth about islam, watch this video:

http://megavideo.com/?v=4SQ2GU2C

[Byron]

Don't worry everyone! Pretty soon everyone will have forgotten about all this.

Just like we forgot about the murderous airstrikes on CIVILIAN buildings during the Lebanon conflict, the "events" in Jenin in 2002, Sabra and Shatila back in 1982, the airstrike during a peaceful protest in 2003 and so on and so forth.

Merry Christmas everyone and happy new year...

[robins]

I don't understand the claim about disproportionate response. Imagine the following:
50 gunmen walk into a crowded shopping centre and start firing. Two shoppers are killed and the rest scramble for cover, and the gunmen continue shooting. The police arrive and tell the gunmen to surrender, but the gunmen continue shooting. The police fire in the air, but the gunmen continue shooting. The police shoot some of them in the leg, but the gunmen continue shooting. The police shoot dead two or three, but the rest continue shooting. The police shoot dead twenty more, but the rest continue shooting. The shooting only stops when all the gunmen are killed. The net tally is two dead shoppers and fifty dead gunmen.
Were the police disproportionate?

[JB]

again. were the people in the waraw ghetto justified in their actions? i guess, if you take the views of the zionists here no, they were terrorists.

Israel has killed 90% more children than Palestinians. So who kills more innocent people?

[David Sketchley]

I see the zionist propaganda agents have been mobilised again. Every time the israeli terrorists launch another genocidal campaign of death and destruction, their terrorist supporters in the UK/US fill up the comments sections of major online publications with their lies and propaganda.

[Mark Sciberras]

How can Israel 'lose' in any confrontation with the prison that is the Gaza Strip? The Palestinians' greatest enemies are their own leaders and they are the ones who grind them down each and every day not Israel. The veiws expressed by the author are sp typical of left wing columnists who fail to recognise that unless there is a fundamental shift in the balance of power in the Middle East, certainly not triggered by the posturing of Iran, Palestine will always lose and all Israel stands to lose is face and honour - but never an inch of territory.

[Hugh Colgan]

This Mike Smith, an ex-squadie who found a more lucrative life by casting off Her Majesty's uniform , just keeps spewing out more rubbish. Since when has this man become an expert on Middle-East Politics? Visit his website and one will see that this egocentric has-been is totally up his own backside !

[Adam]

This the lowest Israel can get, attack a nation that can't defend itself. Things never stay the same power will change and Palestine holocaust will one day be over. This might the last time Israel has a chance to attack an unarmed nation but everybody is watching. New era in American politic is coming. Only reason Israel attack is because of the changes in administration. I hope the Israelis are proud of themselves for killing and murdering innocent people who find everyday a struggle. If they do believe in god then they will surly go to hell. But sadly nobody really do believe in god! It's only a cover to bring group of people togather to benefit themselves. Everyone should boycott the nation of Israel and sanction them. Evil needs to be defeated by MAN KIND How do Israelis sleep at night!!!

[john bentley]

Why don't each side exchange a given number of men and women to be shot every month? Would the Palestinians then think this fair?
He who he casts the first stone is the guilty one but this goes back into the mists of time. The United Nations agreed the land division for the Israelis and Palestinians over 60 years ago and they should call a new truce as a new starting point and enforce its terms on pain of death.

[phil]

why does your email not work?

[JEAN]

One Israeli dead..100 Arabs..it is time for the israelis to leave all of the disputed territories and for the american born zionists to go back to America and stop stealing palestinian land and life..in the end they will all be punished

[Jean Kaye]

The Israelis have the right to defend their citizens in anyway they see fit. supposing you had a
neighbour who kept firing rockets into your property day and night, what would you do? think about this before you condemn the "Zionist state" as some of you say. I know they are only Jews so most of you who hate Israel do not care. Hamas would also kill you as well if they had the chance. They are terrorists
of the same ilk as those who blew up the twin towers. Remember that everyone, when you blast Israel for retaliating.

[RE]

israel is protecting itself. it has every right to do so. con you imagine yourself living in constant fear for 8 years?! can you imagine what it's like to be afraid to walk in the street, to send your kids to school or even to go to sleep?!
the people in the south of israel deserve to live in peace. you should see the poor kids who grow up without being able to speak at all because they are in a state of shock since the day they were born.
the people in gaza chose the hamas, which is a terror organization. they should take responsibility for that. israel got out of gaza and it is not part of israel anymore. israel doesnt owe anything to gaza.
how can you forget the fact that hamas times its rockets to the time children in israel go to school?!
they place their rockets in schools and homes of people in gaza. they surround themselves with children so that if they would get hurt they would have horror pictures to show to the world.
why doesnt the world talk about what happens in africa? why the double standard?!

[Mark]

Very fair piece but don't expect anything less than utter outrage that you dare to criticise the completely dispraportionate and inhumane response of Israel. There is so much hatred in the heart of Israelis, there are doomed to perpetual war. They do not know how to make peace. Very, very sad.

No matter that they manage to mobilise their supporters into posting and giving you abuse. Israel loses more and more support of people in the West every year - the polls speak for themselves. if they carry on like this, their aid will start to dry up and then they will really be in trouble.

[Mike Holmes]

The "term" disproportionate force is nonsensical... what is Israel supposed to do? giving in is not an option neither is sending suicide bombers to Gaza. They respond with what they have

[Lynette in Australia]

Dear David:

Having a bad day are we? Not half as bad as those terrorist cretins running Gaza these days I wager... still it's a pity about the children...but then again when did Hamas ever worry about their children....after all they are the ones HIDING their rockets amongst the civilian population and firing them. Golly gosh - I wonder where they learned that tactic......methinks it was from those black hearted vultures called Hezbollah.

Meanwhile back in Iranian la la land, our diminutive rat faced little weasel Achmed is screaming for the glorious armies of Allah to arise and annilate the Zionist enemy. Don't these turds EVER learn?

[Adrian]

In the lion king: we had the circle of life....but here in the real world...welcome to the circle of death!!

[C Barb]

Henry Kissinger put it best years ago"The Middle East is Dysfunctional" there is no solution to any of it as Hamas is just another example of a credo of mindless stupidity and absolute moronic insight. No one wins when your dealing with thugs with absolutely no regard for the innocents they place their rockets with. I love the comments from the idiots that support Hamas living comfortably in EU Canada and the US. What do you have to worry about besides your gratis welfare from the real workers and citizens here. Moron's who should have never been let in, leave!!!!!!!

[Mark Bernadiner]

Mick Smith is a profoundly ignorant idiot, pathological lier and islamofascist prostitute. By the way, when will your country, Britain, stop occupation of Falklands, Gibraltar and other palces around the world?

[Anderson]

Mick you are absolutely right and brave in saying "Israel alone is responsible for the latest massacre.

I am also disgusted by Israeli supporters who are trying to justify the killing of over 280 Palestinians. They call Israel's occupation, imprisonment and starving of 1.5 million people 'restraint'?
Do they consider targeted assassinations, house demolitions, settler attacks, missile attacks from F16's into civilian neighbourhoods, continued settlement expansion, e.t.c, 'restraint'?

During the 'ceasefire', Israel stepped up its extraordinarily cruel blockade on Gaza leaving the Palestinians to ask just what the benefits in a 'ceasefire' really were.

Israel can protect its own citizens by abiding by international law and withdrawing from the Occupied Territories. Israel could have peace tomorrow if it wanted it. Instead the illegal settlements and war crimes continue with full U.S support.

Now a day the right-wings jews will attack you for just speaking out against israeli war crimes. I applaud you for having the courage to call a spade a spade.

[edd]

Lynette in Australia you are so right, Hamas do Iran's bidding, they
Have the security headquarters in civilian area's and fire rockets like Hizballah from civilian areas.

I cry for all the children and innocent citizens who are led by these donkeys.

[Christopher Linthwaite]

Israel has already lost. They lost at the moment the Israeli pilot dropped the first bomb on the poor defenceless half starved Gazans. In fact Saturday 27th December 2008 can be seen as the day that the final death throes of Israel began.

[Steven]

Claiming Israeli actions are disproportionate is like getting upset that criminals are kept in a jail. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

[Sam]

"But Hamas cannot be held responsible for the disproportionate nature of Israel's response" What is this nonsense? Hamas is absolutely responsible to its murderous acts! One can not launch tens and hundreds of rockets and missiles with the clear aim of killing innocent civilians and not be responsible! Besides, who defines what is "proportionate response"? The author of this article? I'm sure that his criteria to "proportionate" will change once a Kassam missile launched by Hamas will fall on his house...

[Sinisa]

What makes me laugh is Tony Blair's irrelevance in all of this. This was the guy who was supposed to bring new thinking to the Middle East. Yeah right. Presumably he is busy giving yet another interview about how "we" must "isolate the extremists" (excluding Jewish extremists, of course) and "encourage the moderates" (ie. the corrupt and useless Fatah). Oh Tony, where art thou in our hour of need? Deliver us from evil with your mind-numbing cliches!!

[Maxadolf]

Interesting to note how Tony Blair avoids visibility where he cannot take credit for another job gone wrong. He took full credit for sorting out the Northern Ireland problem (largely via a route of giving the IRA leaders what they wanted!)and used that "success" to promote himself, backed by the White House half wit, to tackle the Middle East problems. Shame that Blair hasn't the guts to admit to his ineffectualness when he can't achieve results by a process of giving away concessions.

[Daniel Rajner]

Was the Ally air bombardment of Dresden proportionate? or maybe the two A-bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The real question is whether the current Israeli offensive against the terrorist regime in Gaza is justified or not.
The Israeli occupation of Gaza ended three year ago. Since then, the Hamas rocket and mortars attack on Israeli towns have intensified.
Proportion has nothing to do with justice.

[Barney]

Mr. Ackerman is correct.

Israel has for too long shown disproportinate restraint.

What other nation absorb as much continual bombardment of it's civilian or even military perssonal and so as much restraint?
Hamas was continually warned to desist. They ended a cease fire.
This situation is the predictable result of a plot by Hamas to incite the jihadists to come to their aid. This ploy does not seem to attract even those islamo-fascists any longer.

You reap what you sow.

[guiyelmo]

When Mr. Smith says that "Israel and its supporters cannot possibly argue ..." he is forgetting that there is not such an entity as: Israel and its supporters:: There is the Kadima party and the lame ducks pacifists, appeasers from the EU or even the hypocrites moderates from the muslim world, nazis or whatever, that in the face of the failure of the the Ariel Sharon's policies that rerurned the Gaza Strip to the terrorists, still keep lobbying for the policy of giving land in exchange for peace or appeasing the terrorists. However, given that the current policies are being implemented by Kadima that let the situation develop to this point, just as with the Lebannon war, many objections could be found to the current policy, but of course with a ddifferent meaning of Mr. Smith's one.

[Diana Smith]

How to make a terrorist?

Take his home and land and kick him out.
Raise the hand of veto against any UN decision that gives him a little bit of concern of being human.
Imprison him in a populous land and starve him.
Captivate tens of thousands of his people and relatives forever.
And finally just to make sure the recipe works, drop hundreds of tons of bombs on his crowded closed territory

[Michael]

Isn't it Hamas' rockets falling on Israeli towns that damage Israel? And Israeli bombs falling on Hamas targets that damage Hamas?

We now seem to live in a bizarre world where attacks on Israel are said to "damage Hamas", suggesting that if militants blow up every last inch of Israel, it's actually Hamas that would have been destroyed.

That's perverse!

Israel is damaged when it's fired upon, and the same goes for Hamas!

Damaged international relations are a small price to pay for stopping Hamas rockets.

Unfortunately, civilian casualties in Gaza really are primarily the Palestinians' problem (ask their hospitals if unsure), unless you write for The Times it seems.

I say, save the emotional doublespeak for times of peace and be clear that when arms are fired, it's those in the firing line that are most in danger of damage.

[John Ball]

Israel's action is neither wrong nor disproportionate.

Just how many rocket attacks should they endure before they give Hamas a bloody nose?

One? A hundred? A thousand?

Perhaps the 'closet anti-Semites'and 'armchair pacifists' can suggest a number.

[Alex Rychlewski]

How dare the Israelis act the injured party? They kill 300 people for how many Israelis killed?
This is no eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. This is senseless slaughter in the worst possible tradition.

[David - Dublin]

How do you define terrorism? Let us imagine that the world measured terrorism in the way it should be measured. Let us imagine it is defined by the number of sons lost to mothers. The number of brother lost to sisters. The pain caused due to the multiple deaths caused to an extended family. If we are to measure terrorism in this way then we can easily conclude, the real terrorists are the Israelis.
The pain caused to the wider Israeli population is minimal. The average Israeli is so removed from the despair and the pain suffering of the Palestinians. The support for these scurrilous actions by the average Israeli is sickening.
Israel are the real terrorists. Their barbarism is unrivaled. Israel is a right wing terrorist haven. The Palestinians are a defenseless people. 280 people murdered for what? There is no justification for this slaughter. Israel displays yet again its lust for racist mass murder. The Israeli leadership gives a new meaning to the word 'disproportionate'. Who will stand up to this oppressive school yard bully? The Israeli’s are guilty of theft, murder, oppression and the most racist of behavior. Even though it is on a smaller scale given what the Israeli’s went through in the Second World War it is criminal that they replicate the actions of their oppressors. Dispossesion of a people’s land. Terrorists acts to force them from their land.
Murder on a large scale in 1948 (which has been documented by Israeli historians). Mass incarceration in deplorable conditions.
The incremental slaughter of the Palestinian people will not come without a price. The actions of the Isreali leadership ensure Israel will not live in peace for years to come. It is incredible Condolezza Rice a woman whose parents and ancestors suffered under an oppressive regime, should endorse the actions of the most oppressive government on the planet. America’s role in this oppression proves they are as morally corrupt as the Israelis.
I do not agree with the rocket and mortar fire launched into Israel. But If Israel thinks that these barbaric responses will cause the rockets to stop they have already proved they are sadly mistaken. What is the point? The repeated hard line right wing responses by Israel only strengthen the resolve of the Palestinians and ensure a new generation is equally determined to resist. In the meantime how many more Arabs will they slaughter? How much more pain will Israeli cause?

[CarlA]

Israel displays a lack of professionalism here. Follow professionals and use Arab tactics. The same UN-approved tactics that allowed the Arabs to murder black Africans by the millions in Southern Sudan, murder Kurds by the hundreds of thousands, enslave black Mauritanians, etc. So many examples, so little space.

According to many, the only way to peace is: 1. Appease Hamas and Hezbollah (both promise to exterminate Israel) 2. Forget that Arabs expelled Jews by the hundreds of thousands after 1947 3. Accept rocket fire into your territory as normal and not acts of war 4. Feed and sponsor those that claim your extermination is their goal, et cetera.

This attitude is beyond double standard. For example, Russia invaded and recolonized Chechnya. there was full acceptance and approval in the EU. The EU is happy to welcome Russia after it invaded Georgia. China gets to do similar without a tear. So many examples, so little time.

I see a trend. Jew-hatred has always been the only religion Europeans share.