Comments on: Kfar Kana. So what?

By: Danny the Admin

Danny the Admin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:14:18 +0000

The only problem is that we understand occupation differently. In our views, it is Arabs who occupy our land of Judea and Samaria.

By: Sammy

Sammy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:15:37 +0000

I have no problem with most of your ideas presented here. However, in regards to the analogy btween the Israelis and Palestinians, you have missed the point that they are not at equal positions. One is an occupier and the other is living under occupation. Thus, as for the ends justfying the means, certainly that cannot be used equally between an occupying soldies and a freedom fighter. In fact the int’l law gives freedom fighters the right to defend themselves by all means possible, and the right to change their political situation and to end the occupation. Thus, the ends do justify the means in the Palestinian case, and no the ends do do for the Israelis. The rules of the game are different for the two sides in unequivilant war and occupation.The problem lies in the misunderstanding or rather it resulted from the distortion offacts, when the Israelis lables freedom fighters “terrorists” it converted it to whole new game. The Israelis want to bring any ressistant movement, like Hamas or Hizbullah, to it’s knees, by attaching a stigma to their just cause for fighting the Israelis. Many times we get lost in the details.

By: John Sullivan

John Sullivan — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 22:07:42 +0000

Yes, Israel does have a responsibility to look out for the security of lebanese civilains regarding Israel’s acts of violence. That’s the basis of just war theory, the Geneva Conventions and international law.No, it’s not “anything goes” when it comes to war, in my mind and that of almost everony I’ve ever knoww about. Just war theory addresses means used in war, and the ends do not justify the means according to most schools of moral philosophy. If you believe otherwise, so be it; you’re not alone. But then you don’t have a leg to stand on in criticizing terrorism as distinct from attacks on combatants. If “anything goes in war,” according to you, there’s no moral distinction between mowing down a bunch of kindergartners or a bunch of soldiers. To you there is no such thing as a distinction identifying such a thing as “terroism”–it’s all “anything goes.” Clearly the Palestinains have just ends in part–ending the occupation. If you’re one of those nutcases that thinks Jews truly are “the chosen people” and have been given Eretz Israel by God, say hi to the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus for me. Since Palestinains have some legitimate ends in mind, and Israel has refused to end the occupation as it must do according to int’l law, morality, decency, and humane-ness, then Hamas’s terrorism is as justfied as the IDF’s bombing of Lebanese civilians–which you defend. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. There’s a reason that moral standards need to be consistent, and your approval of Hamas’ terrorism, under your code of morality in war, demonstrates why.Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden and Tokyo (firebombings) were terrorist acts, the single biggest terrorist acts in history. Why Americans and those in the West deny this baffles me. Actually it doesn’t baffle me, but how they can ignore that reality as an intellectual matter is disturbing to me. The West generally says the ends don’t justify the means, so the saved lives of American G.I.’s are not justification for the A-bombs. Needless to say the est. of 1 million is absolute speculation without precednt or attention paid to the numerouss other politcal, diplomatic,a nd military variables at issue. Targeting civilians with violence for political purposes is terrorism. The US is a hypocrite, as is Israel.If Hezbollah dropped leaflets in No. Israel warning civilians to flee, would their rocket attacks and concomitant casualites be justifed? Bet you don’t think so. I certainly don’t.

By: SRS

SRS — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 23:24:51 +0000

The Thinker: No need to apologize. Obviously, everyone is (or should be) entitled to their own ideas. In the interest of not becoming a blatant hypocrite, I am not going to insult your own “moral posturing” as you did mine. However, I would like to answer to some of the points you brought up. I do not think myself superior to anybody, even you. Clearly you missed the essence of my entire post, or perhaps I failed to commuicate it effectively. I do feel lucky to be alive and well, but feeling lucky is not the same as feeling superior. If I felt superior, I wouldn’t feel lucky because I would be of the mind that I was solely entitled to said safety. I believe that everyone is entitled to feel safe. I love your love letter/snow white soul comment!! You made me laugh! You should try writing a love letter to yourself, I can help you with the wording if you’d like!!I agree with the good old “good men” philosophy. I just disagree with your interpretation of what evil is. I suppose you would classify me as a part of the “Axis of Evil”! If my philosophy and good intentions are going to land me in hell, well then maybe that’s where I want to be. It can’t be all that bad if it’s full of peaceful minded people. NK: I’m so glad you liked what I had to say. Thank you for the kind compliment. Please remember that not all Americans are blood thirsty and power hungry. A lot of people are, but I think most people just want to live in peace. JCR: Thank you for your insight. I adore your realism!

By: Sumita

Sumita — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 20:34:33 +0000

I am sorry. to everyone involved in this conflict who thinks it is either wrong or right. both sides, people of both opinions, all opinions, beliefs, EVERYTHING, please accept my comfort. I am sleepless thinking about this, and i know yu all must be too. I have no solutions or answers or gung-ho arguments for right or wrong, i just… love you. i love the world. i love humans. May all of your own Gods be with you.

By: janine chase-russell (JCR)

janine chase-russell (JCR) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:50:45 +0000

In response to SRS and others who shared their thoughts on such a weighty and complex problem: Me thinks the callousness of the “so what” in regards to the deaths of everyday citizens–collateral damage to the State or military, triggered (pardon the pun) a variety of perspectives to which I would like to add.SRS’s notion that “our collective reality is what we make it” is part of a belief system that, unlike most religious propositions, is testable. It’s an hypothesis that would require quite the miracle to achieve–but it could be proven. If enough people believed in the things that SRS advocated for a sustained period of time and the violence slowed or finally stopped then there might be something to his proposition. Perhaps when the madmen have blown most of us up and there’s only a few of us left, we’ll be able to test your idea. As is, too many are “collectively” believing in “Bible prophecy”; Koranic teaching; end times scenarios; and all manner of irrational nonsense. Yes SRS it would be nice if more people had faith in modern humanity rather than the primitive (and at times deranged) rantings generated by the humanity of yore, but as much as I adore your idealism, NK’s and Idealism in general, many a human animal is hypnotized by its own religious delusions, and until the majority wakes up… here we sit, hoping not to become a smithereen. The evolution of reason has many obstacles…Keep on JuMpInG!!JCR.

By: NK

NK — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:15:39 +0000

SRS:I am an Iranian and I just wish to say that I started reading the article and the posted comments and felt that I needed to add my voice to this until I came to your piece and felt that you so eloquently said all I wanted to say!So I just want to thank you for your calm voice in this madness!”You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one….”

By: vince

vince — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:41:49 +0000

Trying to hold the moral ground is a Jewish exode inherited trait . It is not as positive as Jews would like it to appear. It probably started after the last king was taken into exile,and Jews were left to fend for themselves with only priest to lead them .There was the short interlude of the Hashmonean rebelion and later the ones against Rome, when killing your enemy by all means possible was still practiced.For the next two thousand years, Jews were again led by the local old weak priests who always advocated calm and obediance against violence,pogroms and mayhem against Jews wich culminated with the Hollocaust. With Rabbis as leaders of the flock,gentiles were assured that no harm will come to those who attack Jews.Rabbis went out of their ways to present this submissiveness as morally higher than the murderer’s. We all know that until the turn of this century, practically all jews were part of this system.Israel was lucky to owe its modern begining to Russian young Jews,who didn’t subscribe to this Martyr dogma. When they were hit ,they gave back tenfold,not hesitating to take out whole Arab villages,when Arab menfolk from there went on a murder rampage. That was deterence pure and simple. That was the new Jew,the Israeli.Unfortunately, the new Jew/Israeli didn’t last long.That glorious generation became old,their children became lawyers,doctors,dealmachrs businessmen fat and greedy. They left the villages for the big life and feel a lot more at ease in L.A. and N.Y than in Degania.Voids in the public and military sectors were soon filled with people loyal to one party or another irrelevant of capacity. An old and sick Sharon became more interested in political survival at 80 than what Iran or Syria or Hezzbolah or any other group was doing.The Arabs are watching from the sidelines as a small ,brigade size terrorist group is raining mayhem on the country for 3 weeks now. It is tempting.The leadership of Israel (as opposed to an Israeli leadership which no longer exists) is reacting like the the exode Rabbis of the last 2000 years.That is the biggest calamity to befall Israel, there don’t seem to be asingle real Israeli left in the Knesset.Many Israelis have left the Army out of frustration and humiliation at beingsubordunated to the likes of Mofaz,Barak ect…and at having to dance to the tunes of an Omri,an old senile Sharon, an opportunist Olmert,a Perez?I cry for them,I share their humiliation. But like the prophets of old, all I have been doing like most of you, was,send warning about what was coming, to no avail.Israel still has time to turn things around. Incompetent MKs should be kicked out fast. Proper leadership installed by hook if necessary.Competent military geniuses brought back,and yesmen ousted.Israel is lucky it was not hit directly by Iran-Syria, while Bush is still in the white house; but next time he is not going to there.So, Israel,use your time wisely and wake up from your apathyHazak veematz.

By: israeli girl

israeli girl — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 13:20:23 +0000

israel is the best and lets forget the rest:)

By: The thinker

The thinker — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:24:04 +0000

SRS:I’m sorry, but I don’t find your moral posturing all that impressive. If you stand idly by and allow your family to be shot in the heads, or burned alive then you are not a moral man. You are a weak fool. Or a coward. Take your pick. Sitting around writing love letters to your snow white soul is fine. I suppose it makes you feel superior to all the other people in the world who don’t have the luxury of a massive army between them and the evils of the world. Good men who do nothing are collaborators with evil. Good men who do nothing are not good men. Good men become good men by opposing evil, not standing around waiting for someone else to do it. People are judged on their actions, not on their intentions. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions– enjoy the trip.