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And I like how people still say we're Hamas supporters when not once did we say we do. I agree with Spector's comment that Hamas is nothing but an Iranian proxy, which in turn is a Chinise puppet state now. Hamas has no public approval amongst the Palestinians anymore, and the only reason they're still in power is because a lack of choice (fundamentalism or the corrupt PA?). However, I don't agree that there is a choice between peace or war. The PLO's original memo was straightfoward, the end of theocracy on Palestinian land, and the equality of all ethnic, relgious groups. I don't see any antisemetism in that statement, and the rise of Hamas has only come about seeing how much Israel wanted to make this a religous conflict by funding them and dismissing the voices of the more secular leaders. Just as much as Hamas is an Iranian proxy, Israel has alway been the U.S's proxy in the region. And don't forget that Hamas is Sunni and Iran has a Shitte government, so they can't even get along. Iran actually refused to fund some Gaza schools and social services this year when Hamas voiced support for the Syrian revolt (their headquarters aren't even in Damascus anymore, because they've been kicked out).
Also, this all comes at a time when Netenyahu needs to get reelected. It all comes at a time when Eritrea Jews are being beaten and harrased daily and battling for their rights. It also comes at a time when huge austerity protests and discontent are widespread (Housing Protests). A huge draft dodger, refusnik movement is gaining more attention. Sexism is awful, with there being a law trying to get pushed through that would segregage men and women on busing systems. And a couple of weeks before the bombings, Israel demoloshid a whole Palestinian village, not in the West Bank or Gaza, but in Israel proper itself. So who's really benefiting from all this?
Secondly you point to atrocities commited by Islamic extremists across the globe when this has nothing to do with such atrocities. We're talking about Palestine here, where Islamic fundamentalism is only a part of the bigger picture. The big picture is that these people just want the simple rights recognized by the UN and a majority of the international community. Next time you try to make an argument stay on topic. I'm sure there were also radical/nationalistic factions of the civil rights movements, but in the end they never represented their entire cause.
And I pointed to the analogy between the Palestinians and African Americans/Latinos because it is very similiar. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is not a war between two states, but, as Nelson Mandela has actually stated, a conflict between a dipossesed people fighting for equality, not a people trying to fight for a "state", just like South Africans and African Americans had to and still have to. I also don't like how you somehow think just because of splits within minority communities, it somehow makes it right to write off privelleged institutions that build such divides. Not once did I say whites were the vicitimizers.
And you choose to write off Hamas giving aid which has led to the problem in the first place. I state that because one of the biggest mistake through this whole conflict is that no one will help build the basic infrastructure that keeps Palestinian refugees in poverty and misery, but the only people who are making such an effort now are Islamic extremists like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which probably have no care and as I stated above, don't represent the will of the Palestinian people. I state this because policy can change to improve the lives of refugees, giving illegitimacy to these groups.
First I would like to state my side of the story and show why this is all happening in the first place. Western sources keep saying that Hamas fired the first shot and this is an act of aggression, but the whole thing started as far back as November 5th when the IDF fired at a mentally ill man trying to cross the Gazan border. In reaction, the PFLP (The Popular Front For The Liberation of Palestine, the Marxist faction of the PLO, not Islamist), fired back. I'm not arguing against Israel to protect itself, but recognize these people (The Palestinians), feel their entire life is under threat, so they have just as much of a right to defense as African Americans or Latinos has that right in America.
Second, people seem to be acting like we are Hamas supporter. No where during the rally have we called for the support of an Islamist state. In fact, my family being Serbian and having to battle the Waffen SS in Bosnia during World War 2, it's kind of insulting. SJP deplores any form of fumdamentalism (let it be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc.) and we speak against all forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, and antisemitism. In the end, Hamas does not represent the will of the Palestinian people just as much as Israel and the PA (The Palestinian Authority) doesn't. However, what we did state is that the only reason Hamas has such hegemony over Gaza is their support for social programs, their willingness to defend their people which the PA doesn't do, and their commitment to all the Palestinian dispora, while the PA only cares about those in the occupied territories. Also, during the 1970's, Israel actually funded Hamas due to the secular nature of the PLO back then, much like the United States funded Islamist groups in Afghanistan to counter The Soviet Union.
I respect those who throw their support to Israel, since I also understand that some of those people have family over there that have nothing to do with the conflict, but the escalation of the violence is only going to strenghten these groups like Hamas and create more of a racial divide withing Israeli/Palestinian society. In the end, we all want peace, but some choose to go for it differently. Why I guess people might think I'm "biased" and standing on the Palestinian side is because I believe in the orignal declaration of the PLO which called for a one-binational state solution. In the end, this is the only way people will be able to reconcile. We don't need another South Africa or Yugoslavia. If anybody has any questions I'm totally free to answer them. I will also be posting some links to back up information. Peace be with you all.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/politics/3004-israeli-army-killed-a-mentally-ill-palestinian-at-gaza-borders
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123275572295011847.html
http://mondediplo.com/2010/10/03binationalism
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/mar/02/world/fg-charity2
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4244044,00.html