Americans and Israelis - Thoughts and Comparisons
I ran across Israellycool while reading through those that are Liveblogging what is going on in this conflict.
He has some excellent observations, in which I expand on, in comparison with how we seem to take for granted these same things in America.
Give it a read.
We as Americans should take a good, long, hard look at Israel, and their Unity. It is something that does not exists here anymore.
And I am very afraid that when it comes time for Americans to act, we will not have any sort of unity at all. We have become splintered, full of hatred of each other based on ideologies. It should be what ever is best for America, yet, you are reviled and rediculed if you call yourself a Republican or on the opposite calling yourself a Democrat.
What seems to escape those that redicule and revile either side, is that no matter what ideology or political philosophy you follow, WE ARE ALL AMERICANS!
If and when the terrorists come, they will come for ALL Americans, not just one specific ideology or philosophy. Race will not matter, color will not matter, what party you are affiliated with, what kind of car you drive, how old you are, all of this will not matter to the terrorists.
Unlike Americans it seems, terrorists see all of us, all those I listed above and more, as AMERICANS. They do not see hyphenated Americans such as Irish-Americans, African-Americans, they don't see Black Americans, White Americans, they don't care!
Get it through your thick skulls!
They see ALL of us as Americans, and they will do whatever it takes to do as much damage, and take as many lives of Americans as they can possible.
It is sickening that Americans cannot even see themselves as Americans. The terrorists have a better understanding of who we are even more than we Americans do.
This seems very reminiscent of our media here, one example being the New York Times.
I am sure if the New York Times tried the same thing they have here in America over in Israel, they would have been physically thrown out of the Country and banned from ever coming back or be in jail right now.
You want to know where our Men and Women in the Military stand on this issue?
I by no means encourage or want civilian casualties, but that is a war zone at the moment, and those that stay behind run the risk of being hurt or killed.
It is also a well known tactic, and has been noted that terrorists hide, shoot their weapons and rockets from and dwell among the cilvilian populations to force those they attack to kill the innocent. They expect to hide like cowards among women and children while killing others. It is the most sickening and depraved tactic, and it works. The media eats up and reports down to the very person who was injured or killed for civilians, but barely will mention any casualties on Israeli side.
Do they think that Israeli civilians are not getting hurt and killed either?
Does it matter to the media?
Do you even know how many Israelis that have died or been injured during this? Even an approximation? In the pictures that are show all around, I have seen 500 + pictures of scenes shot during this conflict, of which I think I saw maybe 3 injured Israeli pictures, all the rest were of Lebanon citizens.
If the news media is going to report, at least do so from BOTH sides.
Best I could find seemed to be through Wikipedia, not sure how accurate, but here is the totals:
It looks like Israel will definately have their hands full locating and destroying all the Ammunition and armaments Hezbullah has gotten from Iran:
If your wondering what Israel wants, that it may have broader plans for the region, well, it has:
A commenter, Andrew, on Israellycool, seems to hit the nail squarely when reminding an errant Israel-basher about history and defense.
He has some excellent observations, in which I expand on, in comparison with how we seem to take for granted these same things in America.
Give it a read.
Liveblogging the War: Saturday July 15th - Sunday July 16th
By Aussie Dave
6:20PM: Our Defense Minister Amir Peretz:
"Hizbullah is very surprised...We had the audacity to strike Hizbullah’s most sensitive center. They are surprised by the resilience of the home front; they are surprised because they do not hear the Israeli public panicking and calling on its government to call off the operation (In Lebanon. On the contrary, Hizbullah sees before it a united country and it is vital that this resilience continues, because it will determine the outcome of the entire war."
I have mentioned this before. We are becoming more unified here in Israel, as left-wing and right-wing find common ground: the will to survive. For instance, I spoke with a very left-wing colleague of mine at work, with whom I hardly ever agree. Today I asked him if he agrees with what we are doing in Lebanon. He answered: "Absolutely."
Hizbullah have made a grave error: they have underestimated the power of a united Israel.
We as Americans should take a good, long, hard look at Israel, and their Unity. It is something that does not exists here anymore.
And I am very afraid that when it comes time for Americans to act, we will not have any sort of unity at all. We have become splintered, full of hatred of each other based on ideologies. It should be what ever is best for America, yet, you are reviled and rediculed if you call yourself a Republican or on the opposite calling yourself a Democrat.
What seems to escape those that redicule and revile either side, is that no matter what ideology or political philosophy you follow, WE ARE ALL AMERICANS!
If and when the terrorists come, they will come for ALL Americans, not just one specific ideology or philosophy. Race will not matter, color will not matter, what party you are affiliated with, what kind of car you drive, how old you are, all of this will not matter to the terrorists.
Unlike Americans it seems, terrorists see all of us, all those I listed above and more, as AMERICANS. They do not see hyphenated Americans such as Irish-Americans, African-Americans, they don't see Black Americans, White Americans, they don't care!
Get it through your thick skulls!
They see ALL of us as Americans, and they will do whatever it takes to do as much damage, and take as many lives of Americans as they can possible.
It is sickening that Americans cannot even see themselves as Americans. The terrorists have a better understanding of who we are even more than we Americans do.
6:10PM: It's official: Al Jazeera are aiding the enemy.Link
The Israel Police on Sunday detained an Al-Jazeera news team after it broadcast live footage which disclosed the area of Sunday's deadly Katyusha attack in Haifa, in violation of military censorship rules, police and security officials said.
This seems very reminiscent of our media here, one example being the New York Times.
I am sure if the New York Times tried the same thing they have here in America over in Israel, they would have been physically thrown out of the Country and banned from ever coming back or be in jail right now.
You want to know where our Men and Women in the Military stand on this issue?
Link
I am the Marine that wrote to you about the News Media betraying us.
I just wanted to tell you that we, Marines, SUPPORT Israel in their war against Hamas and Hizbullah. I cannot express to you how many Marines I have talked to or have heard say how proud of Israel they are. I cannot tell you how happy I am that Israel is destroying Hamas and Hizullah. We all CHEER when we watch Lebanon being bombed on TV in the Chow Hall. I hope Israel annihilates Hamas, Hizbullah and Syria. Because the way we see it, that is less Jihadists for us to fight. I can't speak for all Marines, but the Marines that I know and talk to stand by Israel 100%. And I am in the infantry, we are front line Marines. Warriors. We support Israel because we have fought the same people they are fighting, Jihadists. This is a world war. It has been a world war since 11 September 2001. Hopefully now people are realizing the true scale of this conflagration. And Israel is fighting the same enemy in Gaza and Lebanon as America is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, just on another front in the same war. And we see the Israeli Soldiers as brothers in arms against a common enemy. Myself and the Marines in my unit, Veterans of 2 tours in Iraq, support Israel all the way to victory. And I THANK the State of Israel for their determination, fortitude and vigilance in the destruction of Evil.
God Bless America.
God Bless Israel.
And God Bless all freedom loving people worldwide.
- US Marine and Veteran of the current world war.
PS Pay attention to Somalia. We are currently losing Somalia to the Jihadists and we are doing nothing about it. Someday we will have to go back Somalia and it will be a bloody mess.
I by no means encourage or want civilian casualties, but that is a war zone at the moment, and those that stay behind run the risk of being hurt or killed.
Meanwhile, here's why civilians are being killed in Lebanon.
"We have a pretty good idea where they are launching their rockets from - villages and small communities - and [as such] we have warned civilian residents to evacuate their homes," he said.
It is also a well known tactic, and has been noted that terrorists hide, shoot their weapons and rockets from and dwell among the cilvilian populations to force those they attack to kill the innocent. They expect to hide like cowards among women and children while killing others. It is the most sickening and depraved tactic, and it works. The media eats up and reports down to the very person who was injured or killed for civilians, but barely will mention any casualties on Israeli side.
Do they think that Israeli civilians are not getting hurt and killed either?
Does it matter to the media?
Do you even know how many Israelis that have died or been injured during this? Even an approximation? In the pictures that are show all around, I have seen 500 + pictures of scenes shot during this conflict, of which I think I saw maybe 3 injured Israeli pictures, all the rest were of Lebanon citizens.
If the news media is going to report, at least do so from BOTH sides.
Best I could find seemed to be through Wikipedia, not sure how accurate, but here is the totals:
Link
Israeli: Twelve Israeli soldiers were killed, two captured, and six more wounded. 12 civilians have been killed, Eight in Haifa city on 16 July, and another 500 civilians were injured, 56 seriously. The INS Hanit was fired upon and heavily damaged. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz confirms 4 sailors dead.
Lebanese: At least nine Hezbollah members have been killed as well as 11 soldiers in the Lebanese army.
Reuters reports that 141 Lebanese civilians have been killed and another 323 have been wounded.
BBC News reports the total killed, as of 17 July, to be "more than 130".
CNN International cites Lebanese authorities as reporting about 130 total killed.
Foreign nationals:
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry has reported that two Kuwaiti nationals have been killed by Israeli bombing.
A family of four Brazilians, including two children, was killed in the Israeli bombings in Srifa, drawing condemnation from foreign relations minister Celso Amorim.
Four members of a German-Lebanese family, including 2 minors, from Mönchengladbach, Germany were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Chehour in southern Lebanon while on vacation.
An Argentinean woman died in a rocket attack on Nahariya, Israel.
Seven Canadians, including four children, were killed and 6 severely injured by an Israeli attack on Aitaroun in South Lebanon on 16 July.
It looks like Israel will definately have their hands full locating and destroying all the Ammunition and armaments Hezbullah has gotten from Iran:
Link
Ynetnews reports:
According to the A-Sharaq Alwasat news agency, an Iranian military source said that Iran transferred 11,500 missiles and rockets to Hizbullah between the years 1992 to 2005.
According to their report, Hizbullah currently has four kinds of advanced ground-to-ground missiles: the short-range FajR (100 km range), the Iranian 130 missile (90-110 km range), the Shahin missile (up to 150 km range) and a rocket 335 mm in diameter (150 km range).
If your wondering what Israel wants, that it may have broader plans for the region, well, it has:
Link
"Only if the two goals which Israel has set for itself – removing Hizbullah and disarming it, including rockets, and returning the kidnapped soldiers – there will be a point in discussion the Lebanese offer," a senior state official said.
A commenter, Andrew, on Israellycool, seems to hit the nail squarely when reminding an errant Israel-basher about history and defense.
Your world view seems to be that the Jewish people being subjegated and oppressed is a naturally consigned role. It's OK for thousands of missiles to rain down on Israel, but its not OK for Israel to move towards removing this existential threat?
posted by sanity | 4:02 AM
<< Home