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Israel and Hamas: Bombings Intensify

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 08:17:00 AM EST
Tags: Israel, Hamas, Gaza (all tags)
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Israel has called up 75,000 reservists and struck Hamas Government buildings. Hamas has claimed credit for firing rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The Israeli military said some 150 rockets fired from Gaza had hit Israel since Friday and at least 83 more were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Gaza is a small place with a lot of people, and there have been at least 38 civilian casualties, some of them children. Israel says it is acting in self-defense, and the rockets Hamas is firing at them come from Gaza.

This morning, Hamas fired 20 rockets at Israel. Israel says Operation Pilar Defense will continue. [more...]

Everyone seems to be on one side or the other. It's hard to know where to go to get neutral reporting. The one place you won't find it is on Twitter. There is hatred on both sides there, but from what I've seen, it is mostly critical of Israel.

Who started this round? Both sides accuse the other. Here's a timeline. The author's conclusion is "Hard to say."

Hopefully this will end soon without too much more loss of life.

Please keep your comments free of vitriolic attacks, name-calling and unsupported allegations. I'm not taking sides right now. While I'm not joining those criticizing Israel, I do have some sympathy for those under attack in Gaza. I may report on major developments, but I don't intend to get into who's right and who's wrong. Readers can, so long as they do it politely. If it turns into a hate-fest against one side or the other, I'll just close the thread.

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    Israel and Hamas: Bombings Intensify | 10 comments (10 topical)

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    If that timeline doesn't go back... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by unitron on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 12:28:02 PM EST
    ...at least as far as World War One, then it's incomplete.

    Some things being observed in my house (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 05:16:00 PM EST
    Iron Dome appears to be more like Iron Colander...okay.  Everyone was wondering how this thing was going to work, and it works but it isn't 100%.

    My spouse said yesterday the press was in Israel discussing where rockets had hit and they showed where they hit and the buildings they missed and then shortly after that rockets hit those buildings.  It is always nice when those firing can get some feed back as to where they missed and by how much.  Then they can tee it up much better.  Does the press ever think about that?

    If Iron Dome intercepted over half of those (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Mr Natural on Sun Nov 18, 2012 at 09:01:15 AM EST
    crappy little Gaza rockets, it's doing a pretty good job.

    Parent
    Civilians always die in war (2.00 / 1) (#3)
    by diogenes on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 12:46:29 PM EST
    Wasn't inflicting civilian casualties the whole point of Hamas shooting rockets into Israel and starting this whole thing?  If Cuba shot rockets into Key West would the US really not respond?  It's easy to be pompous about the risks of war when you live protected by two oceans.

    And??? (5.00 / 3) (#4)
    by Yman on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 03:54:02 PM EST
    of course civilians always die in war.  What's your point?  Also, who are you directing your "questions" at?  Is someone actually saying that Israel shouldn't respond?

    Parent
    What for? (none / 0) (#1)
    by koshembos on Sat Nov 17, 2012 at 07:53:09 AM EST
    Facts such as who started are quite clear unless you go into Republican type arguments denying evolution or global warming.

    Most importantly, this skirmish will end like all the previous ones with death and destruction and without advancing peace or promising future quiet. The Egyptians tried to mediate without success. Hopefully, they'll do it again soon. No one else has standing with both sides.

    The twitts show the very ugly side of our society. Israel always brings out the worse hate from crazies and the pretend progressives. On the other side similar hate is generated. That is also a price of the war, except this one poisons us.

    Another chapter in a never ending book (none / 0) (#7)
    by Slado on Mon Nov 19, 2012 at 11:32:10 AM EST
    Until the Arab world accepts the right of Israel to exist this will never end.

    Israel does itself no favors but in my humble view these are merely reactions to the larger reality that far too many in the Arab world would simply like Israel to go away.  

    Since Arabs will never accept Israel then the only other possible conclusion is for them to finally destroy it and since that's not going to happen as long as we support Israel we will continue to have these conflicts.

    Pessimistic yes but also realistic.

    I don't buy that they want Israel (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Mon Nov 19, 2012 at 12:21:55 PM EST
    to go away. If Israel didn't the exist, power-intoxicated firebrand "leaders" of the Arab world would have to invent it. The same way the American MIC has needed a powerful, looming threat somewhere in the world since the end of WWII. It serves a psychological need for self-definition and moral superiority by defining one's tribe over and against an eternal, threatening "other" - scapegoat -- and also serves as a convenient, all-purpose distraction for the people from the deficiences of their own corrupt leaders. The same dynamic, imo, has held  true within Israel.

    And of course, as always, it's all been very good for the investors in the armaments industry around the world.    

    Maybe (none / 0) (#10)
    by Slado on Mon Nov 19, 2012 at 01:20:00 PM EST
    but I don't see the same dynamic in Israel.

    They are not blameless but they are for the most part acting in self preservation.  You have your radicals and your moderates but collectively I think they are much less hostile towards the other side then vice versa.

    Any doubt in your mind what the Arabs would do with a superior military and nuclear weapons?

    Parent

    Enough with the tribalism, already. (none / 0) (#9)
    by jondee on Mon Nov 19, 2012 at 12:38:59 PM EST
    it doesn't work.

    Israel and Hamas: Bombings Intensify | 10 comments (10 topical)

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