Human Rights Watch: Israeli troops killed civilians trying to flee violence in Khuza'a
Human Rights watch is investigating reports of Israeli soldiers firing on unarmed civilians who were trying to flee destruction in KhuzaÔÇÖa a week and a half ago.
ÔÇ£Israeli forces in the southern Gaza town of KhuzaÔÇÖa fired on and killed civilians in apparent violation of the laws of war in several incidents between July 23 and 25, 2014,ÔÇØ the group says in a report. ÔÇ£Deliberate attacks on civilians who are not participating in the fighting are war crimes.ÔÇØ
The report describes three incidents. From the description of the first incident:
On the morning of July 23, Israeli forces ordered a group of about 100 Palestinians in KhuzaÔÇÖa to leave a home in which they had gathered to take shelter, family members said. The first member to leave the house, Shahid al-Najjar, had his hands up but an Israeli soldier shot him in the jaw, seriously injuring him. [...]
As one group walked unarmed to Khan Younis, Israeli soldiers fired on them, killing one and wounding two others.
From the description of the second incident:
Israeli soldiers fired on a group of civilians who had been told to leave their home in KhuzaÔÇÖa, killing Mohammed al-Najjar, a witness said.
From the description of the third incident:
On July 25, an Israeli strike killed three civilians ÔÇô Motassem al-Najjar, 5; Kamel al-Najjar, 62; and Salim Qdeih, around 70 ÔÇô who were among 120 people sheltering in the basement of a home, witnesses said. [...]
Those who had survived the attack on the basement fled after the strike and walked to Khan Younis, carrying white flags and raising their hands when they came across Israeli soldiers. An Israeli missile strike hit one group of them, killing a man and wounding his cousin, the cousin told Human Rights Watch.
It is perhaps the last taboo in Hollywood but the carnage in Gaza is prompting an increasing number of artists and celebrities to do the unthinkable: criticise Israel.
Figures as varied as Rihanna, Jonathan Demme and Selena Gomez have broken the cardinal rule, and risked giving their publicists cardiac arrest, by publicly expressing solidarity with the Palestinians.
The insurrections have triggered a backlash from industry heavyweights such as Jon Voight, Joan Rivers and Howard Stern, verbal volleys in interviews and social media which are Tinseltown's version of civil strife.
"My name is Jon Voight and I am more than angry," the Midnight Cowboy star wrote in an open letter the Hollywood Reporter at the weekend. "I am heartsick that people like Pen├®lope Cruz and Javier Bardem could incite anti-Semitism all over the world and are oblivious to the damage they have caused."
The actor was responding to a letter from more than a hundred Spanish artists, including Cruz and Bardem, accusing Israel of "genocide" in its assault against Hamas militants.
About 1,800 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed and more than 9,000 injured in the past four weeks, according to health officials in Gaza. Israel has lost two civilians and 64 soldiers. A Thai migrant worker was also been killed.
Hollywood has close ties to Israel ÔÇô a cause which tends to unite prominent, liberal Jews such as Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Barbra Streisand as well as conservative non-Jews such as Voight.
The bombing of UN-run schools and rising civilian casualties in Gaza however has emboldened diverse figures to speak out ÔÇô only in some cases to swiftly retreat.
The actors Mark Ruffalo and Wallace Shawn, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and the director Jonathan Demme, have experienced jeers since taking a stand.
"I don't see this as being politics or statehood for Palestine or Hamas," Demme, who directed Silence of the Lambs, told AP. "I think it's about taking innocent lives and the destruction of a culture. I've never been ashamed of my pacifist point of view of things at any time since I became a card-carrying hippie back in the '60s."
The Daily Show host Jon Stewart also waded in, choosing his words carefully. "Just merely mentioning Israel or questioning in any way the effectiveness or humanity of Israel's policies is not the same thing as being pro-Hamas."
Two weeks ago Rihanna tweeted the hashtag #FreePalestine to her 36 million followers only to delete it eight minutes later, amid a surge of critical responses, saying it was an accident. A source close to the singer told reporters she was "pro peace" and not taking sides.
Cruz and Bardem also partially retreated, issuing statements to clarify that they had great respect for the people of Israel, mourned their losses and yearned for peace in the region.
Rivers, a veteran comedian and staunch Israel supporter, mocked Gomez, 22, for expressing solidarity with Palestinians. "Where did she go to college? Ask her if she knows how to spell 'Palestinian'".
Russell Brand and Sean Hannity exchanged insults, with the British comedian labelling the Fox anchor intolerant and a terrorist, and Hannity calling Brand "Mr Katy Perry" and a D-list actor.
Much of the entertainment industry has remained silent ÔÇô unusual given otherwise voluble opinions about gay marriage, climate change and south Sudan ÔÇô and observed the Hollywood Reporter's dictum: "Rule 1: Talk about anything political in Hollywood ... except Gaza."
Passions are running so high, however, that even silence from the likes of Spielberg, Streisand and Katzenberg is now considered a statement of sorts.
"Some of the biggest, most well-known supporters of Israel have been the least vocal," noted the Jewish Journal. "Eager to support Israel in times of quiet, they prefer to keep a low profile when things heat up."
so, Netanyahu is tapping Kerry's phone whenever he's in the region and shares the transcripts with Putin.
cite a source (other than Richard Silverstein) pls.
eavesdropping on Kerry is whatever, but I'm genuinely fascinated by the possible Russian angle.
of course he is the only source.
this seems unbelievable to you? Netanyahu's contempt for the (current) U.S. government is open and well-documented.
I never said it was unbelievable to me, but I've been conditioned by many years of dealing with Richard to assume that whatever he says (unless independently corroborated) is bullshit.
as with anything he prints, I just want to see another source before I bother to entertain it.
RE: US Money to Israel.
It is my understanding that an earlier peace agreement between Israel and Egypt included stipulations that the US would give each country massive amounts of military support. Most of this support is in the form of payments to US arms manufacturers. Egypt and Israel order weapons, we pay for them. As long as Egypt and Israel don't go to war with each other they are guaranteed the money.
you fucking dunce
Stories about Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan's alleged double life have been circulating for years.
Now, the Israeli businessman behind hits like "Pretty Woman," "Fight Club" and "L.A. Confidential" has finally come forth with a stunning admission - for years he served as an Israeli spy, buying arms on its behalf and boosting its alleged nuclear program.
In a far-reaching interview aired on Monday with Israel's Channel 2 TV's flagship investigative program "Uvda," Mr Milchan detailed a series of clandestine affairs in which he was involved and particularly how he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs.
"I did it for my country and I'm proud of it," said Mr Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before making it big in Hollywood.
Even there, he says he continued with his clandestine work while maintaining close ties with Israel's leadership.
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According to an unauthorised biography published two years ago, Mr Milchan worked for Israel's now-defunct Bureau of Scientific Relations, known as Lekem, which worked to obtain information for secret defense programs. The bureau was disbanded in 1987 after it was implicated in the spying affair for which Jonathan Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, was sentenced to life in prison.
Mr Milchan also says other big Hollywood names were connected to his covert affairs.
"When I came to Hollywood I detached myself completely from my physical activities to dedicate myself to what I really wanted - filmmaking," he said. "(But) sometimes it gets mixed up."
The 68-year-old founded the New Regency film company and has produced more than 120 movies since the 1970s, working closely with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Sergio Leone and Oliver Stone. He forged an especially close relationship with Robert De Niro, who along with actors Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, is featured in Uvda's broadcast.
"I had heard but I wasn't sure," De Niro said, of Mr Milchan's activities. "I did ask him once and he told me that he was an Israeli and of course he would do these things for his country."
meanwhile the spineless leader of the so called free world rubber stamps another 225 million for the zionist's ethnic cleansing /holocaust killing machine
FUCK YOU
President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a measure providing $225 million in emergency aid to Israel for its Iron Dome system, a key line of defense against rocket attacks Hamas has launched from Gaza.
The House and Senatecleared the bill on Friday. Israel had requested the money to speed up production of Iron Dome components and to maintain stockpiles.
"The United States is proud that the Iron Dome system developed in coordination with Israel and funded by the United States has saved countless Israeli lives," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Continued bipartisan support for Iron Dome funding ensures Israel will retain vital defense against rockets and artillery in light of the enduring threats."
The Iron Dome system has brought down most, but not all, of the thousands of rockets fired by Hamas over the past month. Militants fired 119 rockets from Gaza toward Israel on Sunday alone, the Israeli military said.
The two sides agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza starting Tuesday after weeks of fighting, including an Israeli ground assault launched last month.
The U.S. has defended Israel's right to defend itself but in recent days stepped up criticism of military actions that have taken civilian lives, particularly after an Israeli missile ripped through a United Nations school filled with displaced Palestinians.
"The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians," Mr. Earnest said earlier on Monday. He called on both sides to end the violent conflict.
No-one considers Hamas to be anything other than a psychotic liability but that's now pretty much the global opinion of Netanyahu's administration, too.
meanwhile the spineless leader of the so called free world rubber stamps another 225 million for the zionist's ethnic cleansing /holocaust killing machine
FUCK YOU
President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a measure providing $225 million in emergency aid to Israel for its Iron Dome system, a key line of defense against rocket attacks Hamas has launched from Gaza.
The House and Senatecleared the bill on Friday. Israel had requested the money to speed up production of Iron Dome components and to maintain stockpiles.
"The United States is proud that the Iron Dome system developed in coordination with Israel and funded by the United States has saved countless Israeli lives," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Continued bipartisan support for Iron Dome funding ensures Israel will retain vital defense against rockets and artillery in light of the enduring threats."
The Iron Dome system has brought down most, but not all, of the thousands of rockets fired by Hamas over the past month. Militants fired 119 rockets from Gaza toward Israel on Sunday alone, the Israeli military said.
The two sides agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza starting Tuesday after weeks of fighting, including an Israeli ground assault launched last month.
The U.S. has defended Israel's right to defend itself but in recent days stepped up criticism of military actions that have taken civilian lives, particularly after an Israeli missile ripped through a United Nations school filled with displaced Palestinians.
"The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians," Mr. Earnest said earlier on Monday. He called on both sides to end the violent conflict.
Iron Dome is a defensive system, and is in no way a "killing machine".
No-one considers Hamas to be anything other than a psychotic liability but that's now pretty much the global opinion of Netanyahu's administration, too.
yes, they're just anti-Semitic maniacs.
now if only Israel would stop being so difficult and just agree to entrust the safety of half the world's remaining Jews to these people, we could end this madness tmrw.
the dissonance that accompanies any discussion of Hamas is pretty next level.
I can't find hummus for love nor money in Barcelona. I know it exists here, but only certain shops sell it, and I haven't found those shops yet. This vexes me.
mickalphabet said:
On a rant note, Yyou might enjoy this from our president Higgins, laying into conservative Michael Graham
Thanks for that. Michael Higgins is passionate, eloquent, and honest - rare qualities, especially in a politician. An inspiring man.
meanwhile the spineless leader of the so called free world rubber stamps another 225 million for the zionist's ethnic cleansing /holocaust killing machine
FUCK YOU
President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a measure providing $225 million in emergency aid to Israel for its Iron Dome system, a key line of defense against rocket attacks Hamas has launched from Gaza.
The House and Senatecleared the bill on Friday. Israel had requested the money to speed up production of Iron Dome components and to maintain stockpiles.
"The United States is proud that the Iron Dome system developed in coordination with Israel and funded by the United States has saved countless Israeli lives," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Continued bipartisan support for Iron Dome funding ensures Israel will retain vital defense against rockets and artillery in light of the enduring threats."
The Iron Dome system has brought down most, but not all, of the thousands of rockets fired by Hamas over the past month. Militants fired 119 rockets from Gaza toward Israel on Sunday alone, the Israeli military said.
The two sides agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza starting Tuesday after weeks of fighting, including an Israeli ground assault launched last month.
The U.S. has defended Israel's right to defend itself but in recent days stepped up criticism of military actions that have taken civilian lives, particularly after an Israeli missile ripped through a United Nations school filled with displaced Palestinians.
"The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians," Mr. Earnest said earlier on Monday. He called on both sides to end the violent conflict.
Iron Dome is a defensive system, and is in no way a "killing machine".
nah dude....Iron dome is defensive...but since it denies Hamas their military edge (killing more Israelis than Israel kills Palestinians)...it allows Israel to be more offensive (killing more Palestinians than Hamas kills Israels)....so it's actually an offensive weapon....or something.
At the time of writing this, almost 1900 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli armyÔÇÖs assault on Gaza. Around 80% of those killed are civilians, with almost 400 children and over 200 women. Over 80 families have been completely wiped out; killed in single strikes. The operation, entitled ÔÇ£Protective EdgeÔÇØ, has been more destructive, in its claim of human life and urban infrastructure, than IsraelÔÇÖs 2008/09 assault, Castlead. There is very little to suggest that Israel, in all its misunderstood morality and goodwill, plans to stop its cleansing of Gaza any time soon.
Lifeless, bloodied Palestinian bodies, severed Palestinian limbs and wailing Palestinian mothers have become near staple daily viewings. I donÔÇÖt volunteer to see these images but their ubiquity makes them unavoidable. And as common as these images have become in all the online spaces I occupy and frequent, the characterization of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ has become far more widespread. Wherever I click, I see calls for ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ to stop fighting and agree (and stick to) a ceasefire; condemnations of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ in causing so much suffering; distribution of blame to ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ and the lamenting of suffering on ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
But there are no ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
See, the problem with this talk of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ is that is assumes a semblance of equality ÔÇô equality in the position of power and thus ability. Yes, there are two sides in this conflict: there are the Palestinians and the Israelis. Well, there are more than two sides if we take history and geopolitics into consideration, but who wants more nuance on a Sunday. But that characterization of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ ends there; it ends with drawing out who the involved people are.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ donÔÇÖt have the right to self-defense.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not receive billions in military aid.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not enact apartheid laws to ensure ethnic hegemony.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not exist at the systemically violent prerogative of the other.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not ethnically cleanse.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ havenÔÇÖt lost almost two thousand lives in less than a month.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have the deliberate and mass targeting of civilians engrained into their military doctrine.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ are not states.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have their their homes, their hospitals, their schools, their places of worship and their shelters destroyed.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ are not under land and naval siege.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ havenÔÇÖt had their electricity and access to water severed.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have their daily calorie intake counted.
And the lives on ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ are not equal in the weight and worth.
So donÔÇÖt talk about the responsibility of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ to make peace; donÔÇÖt talk about how the blame of the suffering is on ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
The slave and the master werenÔÇÖt ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ; the tyrant and his subjects were never ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ. The native and the settler were never ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ ÔÇö so why do we treat the Palestinians and Israelis as ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ?
Until and unless there is some pretense of actual ÔÇÿbalanceÔÇÖ in the positions of the Israelis and Palestinians ÔÇô there are no ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ. It is an uncomfortable confrontation, but it is a confrontation with the right side of justice and history.
Comments
cite a source (other than Richard Silverstein) pls.
eavesdropping on Kerry is whatever, but I'm genuinely fascinated by the possible Russian angle.
b/w
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/hollywood-divided-gaza-support-israel-backlash
b/w
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/04/gaza-bomb-israel-conflict-game-available-download-google-play-android
What the actual fuck?
lol.
of course he is the only source.
this seems unbelievable to you? Netanyahu's contempt for the (current) U.S. government is open and well-documented.
I never said it was unbelievable to me, but I've been conditioned by many years of dealing with Richard to assume that whatever he says (unless independently corroborated) is bullshit.
as with anything he prints, I just want to see another source before I bother to entertain it.
It is my understanding that an earlier peace agreement between Israel and Egypt included stipulations that the US would give each country massive amounts of military support. Most of this support is in the form of payments to US arms manufacturers. Egypt and Israel order weapons, we pay for them. As long as Egypt and Israel don't go to war with each other they are guaranteed the money.
you fucking dunce
Stories about Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan's alleged double life have been circulating for years.
Now, the Israeli businessman behind hits like "Pretty Woman," "Fight Club" and "L.A. Confidential" has finally come forth with a stunning admission - for years he served as an Israeli spy, buying arms on its behalf and boosting its alleged nuclear program.
In a far-reaching interview aired on Monday with Israel's Channel 2 TV's flagship investigative program "Uvda," Mr Milchan detailed a series of clandestine affairs in which he was involved and particularly how he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs.
"I did it for my country and I'm proud of it," said Mr Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before making it big in Hollywood.
Even there, he says he continued with his clandestine work while maintaining close ties with Israel's leadership.
Related Articles
Israel sends team to US for Iran nuclear talks 25 Nov 2013
Naftali Bennett accused after taking ancient Jerusalem coin abroad 21 Nov 2013
According to an unauthorised biography published two years ago, Mr Milchan worked for Israel's now-defunct Bureau of Scientific Relations, known as Lekem, which worked to obtain information for secret defense programs. The bureau was disbanded in 1987 after it was implicated in the spying affair for which Jonathan Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, was sentenced to life in prison.
Mr Milchan also says other big Hollywood names were connected to his covert affairs.
"When I came to Hollywood I detached myself completely from my physical activities to dedicate myself to what I really wanted - filmmaking," he said. "(But) sometimes it gets mixed up."
The 68-year-old founded the New Regency film company and has produced more than 120 movies since the 1970s, working closely with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Sergio Leone and Oliver Stone. He forged an especially close relationship with Robert De Niro, who along with actors Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, is featured in Uvda's broadcast.
"I had heard but I wasn't sure," De Niro said, of Mr Milchan's activities. "I did ask him once and he told me that he was an Israeli and of course he would do these things for his country."
please to go fuck yourself
dickwad
Eat a bag of salted dicks. Wash 'em down with a few Lowenbraus.
(how does it feel to get so royally played by Hamas btw?)
Iran, North Korea, Pakistan - Israel's new bedfellows. Who's played who?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2715466/Israeli-official-calls-concentration-camps-Gaza-conquest-entire-Gaza-Strip-annihilation-fighting-forces-supporters.html
https://www.facebook.com/MFeiglin/posts/695450140534104
Ignore Member Confirmation
Ignore Member: LazarusOblong
FUCK YOU
President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a measure providing $225 million in emergency aid to Israel for its Iron Dome system, a key line of defense against rocket attacks Hamas has launched from Gaza.
The House and Senatecleared the bill on Friday. Israel had requested the money to speed up production of Iron Dome components and to maintain stockpiles.
"The United States is proud that the Iron Dome system developed in coordination with Israel and funded by the United States has saved countless Israeli lives," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Continued bipartisan support for Iron Dome funding ensures Israel will retain vital defense against rockets and artillery in light of the enduring threats."
The Iron Dome system has brought down most, but not all, of the thousands of rockets fired by Hamas over the past month. Militants fired 119 rockets from Gaza toward Israel on Sunday alone, the Israeli military said.
The two sides agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire in Gaza starting Tuesday after weeks of fighting, including an Israeli ground assault launched last month.
The U.S. has defended Israel's right to defend itself but in recent days stepped up criticism of military actions that have taken civilian lives, particularly after an Israeli missile ripped through a United Nations school filled with displaced Palestinians.
"The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians," Mr. Earnest said earlier on Monday. He called on both sides to end the violent conflict.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/hamas-spokesman-osama-hamdan-i-have-jewish-friends-109708.html#ixzz39T00oXaY
you can't make this shit up.
No-one considers Hamas to be anything other than a psychotic liability but that's now pretty much the global opinion of Netanyahu's administration, too.
https://www.facebook.com/Thehummusinitiative?fref=nf
Iron Dome is a defensive system, and is in no way a "killing machine".
yes, they're just anti-Semitic maniacs.
now if only Israel would stop being so difficult and just agree to entrust the safety of half the world's remaining Jews to these people, we could end this madness tmrw.
the dissonance that accompanies any discussion of Hamas is pretty next level.
Unfortunately Senator Norris is in the lesser hall of power in Ireland and not in the UN, a fine rant all the same.
On a rant note, Yyou might enjoy this from our president Higgins, laying into conservative Michael Graham
Thanks for that. Michael Higgins is passionate, eloquent, and honest - rare qualities, especially in a politician. An inspiring man.
:beerbang:
nah dude....Iron dome is defensive...but since it denies Hamas their military edge (killing more Israelis than Israel kills Palestinians)...it allows Israel to be more offensive (killing more Palestinians than Hamas kills Israels)....so it's actually an offensive weapon....or something.
anyway this guy gets it:
http://www.mrctv.org/videos/cnn-contributor-sees-problem-iron-dome-it-takes-away-hamass-military-leverage
A Case for Sanctions Against Israel
There Are No ÔÇ£Both SidesÔÇØ. The Israelis and Palestinians Are Not Equal.
At the time of writing this, almost 1900 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli armyÔÇÖs assault on Gaza. Around 80% of those killed are civilians, with almost 400 children and over 200 women. Over 80 families have been completely wiped out; killed in single strikes. The operation, entitled ÔÇ£Protective EdgeÔÇØ, has been more destructive, in its claim of human life and urban infrastructure, than IsraelÔÇÖs 2008/09 assault, Castlead. There is very little to suggest that Israel, in all its misunderstood morality and goodwill, plans to stop its cleansing of Gaza any time soon.
Lifeless, bloodied Palestinian bodies, severed Palestinian limbs and wailing Palestinian mothers have become near staple daily viewings. I donÔÇÖt volunteer to see these images but their ubiquity makes them unavoidable. And as common as these images have become in all the online spaces I occupy and frequent, the characterization of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ has become far more widespread. Wherever I click, I see calls for ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ to stop fighting and agree (and stick to) a ceasefire; condemnations of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ in causing so much suffering; distribution of blame to ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ and the lamenting of suffering on ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
But there are no ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
See, the problem with this talk of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ is that is assumes a semblance of equality ÔÇô equality in the position of power and thus ability. Yes, there are two sides in this conflict: there are the Palestinians and the Israelis. Well, there are more than two sides if we take history and geopolitics into consideration, but who wants more nuance on a Sunday. But that characterization of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ ends there; it ends with drawing out who the involved people are.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ donÔÇÖt have the right to self-defense.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not receive billions in military aid.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not enact apartheid laws to ensure ethnic hegemony.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not exist at the systemically violent prerogative of the other.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not ethnically cleanse.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ havenÔÇÖt lost almost two thousand lives in less than a month.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have the deliberate and mass targeting of civilians engrained into their military doctrine.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ are not states.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have their their homes, their hospitals, their schools, their places of worship and their shelters destroyed.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ are not under land and naval siege.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ havenÔÇÖt had their electricity and access to water severed.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ do not have their daily calorie intake counted.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ arenÔÇÖt occupied.
ÔÇ£Both sidesÔÇØ arenÔÇÖt compassionate headlines.
And the lives on ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ are not equal in the weight and worth.
So donÔÇÖt talk about the responsibility of ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ to make peace; donÔÇÖt talk about how the blame of the suffering is on ÔÇ£both sides.ÔÇØ
The slave and the master werenÔÇÖt ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ; the tyrant and his subjects were never ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ. The native and the settler were never ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ ÔÇö so why do we treat the Palestinians and Israelis as ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ?
Until and unless there is some pretense of actual ÔÇÿbalanceÔÇÖ in the positions of the Israelis and Palestinians ÔÇô there are no ÔÇ£both sidesÔÇØ. It is an uncomfortable confrontation, but it is a confrontation with the right side of justice and history.
This explains it rather well:
http://www.globetoday.com/one-of-the-most-beautiful-accurate-and-true-cartoons-ever-a-masterpiece/#
Bonus, music related.