While he disagrees with the tactics of Hamas, and while he believes that the response of the Israelis was totally predictable, Hussein Ibish, executive director of the Foundation for Arab-American Leadership says Israel also lacks the high moral ground in Gaza incursion. Ibish's remarks came during his appearance today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.
Israel can claim, he says, that it is defending itself from Hamas rocket attacks. But Hamas, he argues, can also claim that Israel is an occupying force. He contends that Israel never really withdrew from Gaza but only "redeployed" making the Gaza an occupied territory.
Ibish, who is also senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, says both Hamas and Israel have unnecessarily put civilians at risk.
His hope is that the Palestinian Liberation Organization be recognized after this conflict as the true representative of the Palestinian people. And that, with the help of the United States, a peace treaty be reached between Israel and the PLO. A treaty that encompasses both the Gaza and the West Bank.
5 comments:
Several things struck me whilst listening to this speaker.
He was attempting to sit on both sides of the fence - and we all know what that can do to you!! He is manoevering himself into a position of power - in my opinion. He talks about being on the Obama task force that will advise on affairs in the Middle East . This will put him in a position of power and will allow him to guide the thinking of the new administration. You could tell from what he said that he can't wait for the new administration when he can wield this influence.
In an interview last year with Alan Keyes he was asked directly if he thought Israel had the right to exist........... he said it was recognised by the UN, therefore had the right to exist. He then went on to say ......... but things can change, and the demographics in Israel will cause a shift, and Israel, as a democratic country will have to follow that shift. What was implicit in this statement was that the Arabs in Israel will eventually out-breed the Jewish population, and in that way they (the Arabs) will gain back the Israeli State. He obviously sees this merely as a waiting game.
He spoke at length about the so called 'atrocities' of the IDF, naming the UN school that was bombed, and the convoy - the obviously has not seen the explanations that were given, nor can he have read the Reuters report. He spoke about the building which people were told to evacuate to and then implied that the subsequent bombing of the building was a deliberate act of aggression by the IDF. He fell short of really condemning Hamas, but was very quick to outkline what he saw as Israel's 'crimes'.
It's good to hear these people talking, for unless we hear all sides we cannot come to a reasoned decision about who or what we support. Well, all I can say after listening to the guests today and yesterday is: AM YISRAEL CHAI!!!! ( does that give you a clue? lol)
"Ibish, who is also senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, says both Hamas and Israel have unnecessarily put civilians at risk."
Oh really? It isn't Israel firing from within a densely populated region, knowing full well that there are civilians around.
It isn't Israeli IDF using women and children as human shields.
It isn't the Israeli families who are being left unprotected by their military and government.
Hamas is full-square responsible for the deaths of women and children. Period.
-LD McLellan
`Terrorists spread terror. that is exactly what has happened to Israel for the past 8 years as Hamas sends rockets on to israeli land. Some wonder at the fact that Israel waited this long before saying enough is enough.!! Hamas will not negotiate,in good faith,as their aim is to get rid of Israel. In war, civilian innocents get killed or injured, but here hamas is allowing the elderly and the women and children to be directly in the places from where they launch their rockets. Seems that humanbeings amount to just property.Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinians and does not want to occupy that land, neither do they want it to be a firing range for the hamas.
Jamie_38
Congratulations, Gary & Crew.
Nobody can question your respect for the freedom of speech, even when it doesn't fit your own convictions.
ASC
THE DRAFT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THE KIDS TODAY
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