Well, I told him that I will certainly not sign this petition.
The Gaza strip is a kind of concentration camp. When Israel was founded in 1948, the Palestinians living there were driven out and put into storage in Gaza. The place is the most densely populated area in the world. Crammed with refugees for now 60 years precisely. People who are obliged to live there on a subhuman level, survival alone is assured and even that not always, war or no war. No work, no future, no getting out. No hope.
Can't help thinking that what is happening now in Gaza bears strong similarities with the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. There is however one big difference: in 1943 the inmates were Jews and they were facing death by the German SS and in Gaza the supervision is carried out by the Israelian army. (For more details, see Sunday Herald - 1.13.09 "Gaza ghetto is destroyed and the world stays silent" or Reuters - 1.10.09 "Shadow of Warsaw ghetto over Gaza".
Sure, no government in any state could or would tolerate that its people are being targeted by rockets. However, these rockets have caused much fright and about 15 deaths. In Gaza killing is carried out on a wholesale basis, should now be well over thousand. And I can't help thinking that it would be better - if I were there - to die right on the spot than being treated in a hospital where there is more or less nothing.
For those who are interested, here is a video made by reporters from the British newspaper "The Guardian".
In order to win this "war", the Israeli air force is lavishing white phosphorus (WP) on the inhabitants. Imagine YOU come in contact with this chemical. It burns on your skin unless deprived of atmopheric oxygen and the particles continue to burn right down to the bone until the chemical is used up. For more details, see "globalsecurity.org" - White Phophorus and "haaretz.com" - 1.12.09 "White Phosphorus shells".
It should be said that the state of Israel has always cherished special treatment for the people conquered in 1967. Land confiscation, housing demolitions, driving people into abject poverty and hopelessness. Want more details? See UN report And in order to keep the stolen land and avoid any hostile reaction from the victims, they build a wall. In that they surpassed even the Communists whose Berlin Wall was at least erected on their side.
In a nutshell, they should be stopped. What is being done to the Palestinians is wreaking havoc worldwide. Hypocrisy and denial reigns. All this is not even in the interest of the Israelis themselves. Nobody with at least a little common sens can imagine to prepare a secure and carefree future for the coming generations when showing such total disregard for all neighbors and everybody else.
Posts
"Shadow of Warsaw ghetto over Gaza", oh Georg, those and these painful times... the whole matter read as if the jewish are now taking revenge for their own Holocaust, not against the old German National Socialists sadly but against the poor Palestinians trapped there.
ReplyDeleteAgain stupid racism and lack of religious, and ethnic tolerance are the treats of our civilizations.
I always wonder why always in these conflicts, it seems that the parts with the "whiter" skins are the fighting and violent ones.
Germas killed Jews, who were not as 'pure' or Arian as themselves, now Israelites kill Palestinians who happen to be browner than them too and so on goes the story
maybe we need to get rid of the white people in the 1st place, some seem to carry the hunger-for-power gene on them!
thanks for all the references Georg, i do read now & then "The Guardian" here, but mostly the book section, their articles are great!
thank you. thank you for saying what needs to be said.
ReplyDeleteGeorg, this a very passionate post and you anger pain comes through vividly. Using White Phosphorus on civilians is inhuman. I fail to understand how a race that has suffered the Holocaust can be so ruthlessly cruel. That whole area seems to be cursed...
ReplyDeleteOh i have been following the news but I somehow missed the white phosphorus news. I am aghast at it.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote with passion and heart.
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement. It's really great to be able to speak out one's mind, in writing. First time in human history.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we'll make a big hole in public opinion but it is certainly far more than nothing.
Berenice
Well, my dear, if you really wish to get rid of all the white people you've a hell of a job at hand. I won't mind, I would be spared anyway, because I am a little yellow. Got jaundice in India. Till now, I didn't know what chance I had.
This color-war idea is a new one and you should develop this for some more details. I would be happy to comment on your blog.
Betmo
The subject was first mentioned in your blog. You gave me the idea to write something, too.
Vinod
Thanks for those kind appreciation. And you are right, I feel strongly about it, especially when phosphor comes into the picture. And you are right again when you say the region seems to be cursed. Yes, they all suffer from religious indigestion.
Best would be to convert everybody by force to animism. Shinto or so. Would do them a world of good.
Tazeen
Thank you, Tazeen. In fact, I thought I would never hear from you again because of my disrespectful remarks about women and humor.
Georg
It's one of the most fair post on this matter. I hate to see after 7000 of civilization we are no better than before (just better weapons to kill).
ReplyDeleteThe number of fatalities reached a 1000 this morning, and yet the world waits and watches!
ReplyDeleteIt's an apathy of epidemic proportions! We are desensitized to the point that we 'choose' to be bystanders to this killing.
hi again dear Georg
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to sound so violent with the whole "let's get rid of white people" statement, but also I think that this you said: "This color-war idea is a new one" is not completely true. I think for centuries the whiter-looking humans have been oppressing the darker-looking humans, and that's a fact, call it slavery or racism but it's sooo damn true!... I just thought it would be nice to be, for once, the other way around...
and I do agree with IdItIs, it's very sad that the US supports Israel for this matter, we, in this country, easily sell-out
a shame what is happening there, and it seems that the only thing we can do is pray (hoping somebody will hear)
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ReplyDeleteIt does not make any $en$e, and that any government, including ours, continues to back israel, is most baffling and wrong ; (
ReplyDeleteTis is the answering service from Gorgyporgy.
ReplyDeleteHiva:
Thank you for the compliment. I deserve it. As to those 7000 years you mention, it should be said we are now very skilled killers. We can do it "en gros", wholesale. That's new.
Id it is
Can't help thinking that whenever you write something about Israel, you are hovering around a taboo. It is up to us to leave this behind.
Berenice
Hallo my dear, thanks for coming back. But you make it worse. I wouldn't think it very nice to be killed by some browny or blacky just to create a better balance.
Come back a third time and make a new suggestion involving handshakes, understanding.
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I don't remember to have deleted anything. An Internet wonder??
Coffee
We'll see what your next administration can and is willing to do. But any change needs guts.
Cheers to all of you
Georg
So what do you make of the so called 'truce' that has been called...
ReplyDeleteTo IdIdis,
ReplyDeleteDuring a truce, killing is stopped. That's certainly a good thing.
Now, everybody is back to square one, more or less.
This being the Middle East, now I suppose, all those having something to decide are busy trying to find ways to con the other.
Georg
LOL Georg. well said. And, if I may add, while doing that they will all look and act so serious that you would never guess the cunning hiding behind!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, you do a great service by bravely announcing the inhumanity(OMG! White Phosphorus!) seen here. I have noticed for decades that whenever Israel bombs, it's "The Israelis committed to air-strikes" or it is phrased as "targeted warfare", but if the Palestinians strike it is usually labeled as "The terrorists in Gaza...", or "Hamas has bombed..", etc. This strange split in terminology feels extremely biased to me. I think BOTH sides need to learn to co-exist. I think the recent appointment by President Obama(I LOVE saying his new title!!) of this fellow who helped fashion peace in northern Ireland, decades ago, will surely help. Certainly cannot hurt.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Lisa Allender
btw, I found you through a link from Betmo's Blog
www.lisananetteallender.blogspot.com
www.practicewhatyoupeace.blogspot.com
Hi Vinod and Lisa.
ReplyDeleteSorry to answer that late. Our phone went dead till today since the great storm we had here on saturday.
Vinod
Both parties have a common background of artful deceit, sure. Still it is not difficult to see the facts hiding behind the smoke screen.
Lisa Allender
Thanks for commenting. Your observation is right and it is more or less the same over here.
Georg
Hi Georg...Thank you for the response, and for visiting my Lisa Allender Writes!Ilike this blog very much. My only complaint is I'd like to see more frequent entries here from you, if that is at all possible(?).
ReplyDeleteI'll drop in again soon; please feel free to do the same at my blogs. I try to post 4-5 times per week.
www.lisananetteallender.blogspot.com
www.practicewhatyoupeace.blogspot.com
Hi again.quick note--I commented at a post you placed in your blog, December 2007--on how you saw the Earth/the way the world works/God.
ReplyDeleteYou post very enjoyable, thoughful reads here.....
bon jour Georg,
ReplyDeletei did not find your remarks offensive. You are free to think whatever it is that you do. On matters that i don't agree with friends, we usually agree to disagree with civility.
bonjour georg,
ReplyDeleteonce while walking in NY city I found many jewish men ( born and raised in NY city ) with pamphlets in their hands asking passer byers - " are you jewish? ".
i was wondering at the gall of these men - this was a few years ago - 2001 - even before the pentagon and wTC attacks
few days ago another jewish guy spoke this on a major news channel ( abc i think ) " we will continue to attack palestine till they realise that we cannot be defeated" -i missed noting the name of the speaker
apparently the pastor at the church that i go " is all halo around israel - saying they are god's chosen people ! but he is not a bush supporter either !
anrosh.
To Anrosh,
ReplyDeleteDon't know really what to say to that. Could be that the quasi-colonial support of Israel by the USA has somehow unhinged the minds of many people living there.
As to your fist paragraph, I just don't understand that. What's the point to ask passers-by if they are jewish? Please explain.
Georg