Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Spare A Thought For The Downtrodden Today!


Israel has announced that its use of cluster bombs is legal! It dropped four million of them (see photograph) on Lebanon during the recent war. They still kill civilians amongst whom are children.

Israel is still continuing to expand illegal settlements hence again stalling the farce that is called 'The Peace Process,' or 'The Road Map.' Israel has no intention of entering into any arrangement that gives the Palestinians their own sovereign nation and the brutal forty-year occupation will continue.

Israel, with American assistance, is still encouraging the division between Fatah (who lost the democratic election) and Hamas (who won it but are now isolated in Gaza). Turning brother against brother (divide and conquer) was popular in the Old Testament and, for the unscrupulous, it continues to this day.

The crushing blockade of Gaza continues with supplies of food and energy being further shrunk and regular assassinations and military incursions continuing. Palestinians in Gaza die in hospitals because of lack of medicines and life support equipment.

Meanwhile, the world continues to look the other way and pretend that the terrible injustices and war crimes being carried out daily by Israel aren't occurring.

When will Israel's day of reckoning come?

Photo Link.

12 comments:

billie said...

perhaps when the rest of the western world comes crashing down under the sheer weight of corruption and greed it has amassed. hope your holiday was a happy one :)

Daniel said...

It was indeed, Betmo. Hope yours was too. I agree that corruption and greed have much to answer for!

GDAEman said...

Yikes! That guy in the picture is holding a cluster bomblet.

I've written extensively on the topic following Israel's abuse of cluster munitions in Lebanon in 2006:

Haaretz Article exposes Israeli Military.

US Prohibitions on Israeli Use of Cluster Bombs.

Lebanon Damage: Israel's Indiscriminant use of cluster munitions.

Gulp! Another not-so-cheery note. Maybe 2008 will be better.

Unknown said...

The more things change the more they stay the same. The world notices only when it is expedient to do so. Israel seems to have forgotten the lessons they should have learned from the Holocaust. Didn't the U.S. and the world turn a blind eye to the mass murders of the Jews and others during WWII - until it was expedient to pretend horror? Israel's
crimes (and those of the U.S.) are no less than those of the Nazis.

Daniel said...

Atrocities are viewed differently depending on whether you are the 'goodies' or the 'baddies'.

Atrocities, Worried, are atrocities no matter how you dress them up! Cheers.

Anonymous said...

from Graham Bell.

The sooner fail-safe non-time-fused cluster bombs and non-command-detonated mines are outlawed throughout the world the better; they have no military use whatsoever now and whenever they have been used in recent years, almost every casualty has been an innocent civilians .... often well after the end of hostilities. [Have a passionate dislike of cluster bombs; jumped off a helicopter during the VN War and almost landed on top of an unexploded cluster bomb in soft dirt so don't expect any unbiased opinion from me].

Daniel said...

Your bias is forgiven, Graham. Both mines and cluster bombs are abominations! Then so are depleted uranium and phosphorous bombs! Let's face it, war itself is an abomination!

Interestingly the two countries which account for 75% of the world's arms sales are America (63% and Britain 12%). Their claims of wanting peace in the world might be somewhat questionable, wouldn't you say?

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

There is no excuse for Israels actions in the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians.Murder and mayhem has never been one way traffic in this conflict,there is plenty of blame to go around.

But to give the Palestinians a state in this period of their history is tantamount to giving up the state of Israel.This will never happen,they have drawn a line in the sand and they are there to stay.

I believe right or wrong,Palestine belongs to the Palestinians,the Balfour agreement was a quick fix to the "Jewish problem" unfortunately time has moved on and the rights and wrongs of the conflict ,for the people in the west,has been lost in the mists of time.

After all can we claimed Australia on fabricated facts.We are in no position to judge the Jewish people on anything except the scale of the deaths.The principle remains the same.

Daniel said...

The rights and wrongs of the situation have not been lost in the mists of time, Phill! They are still very real to some, especially if you happen to be a Palestinian under occupation.

Israel's plan for a large Jewish State which swallows up all the remaining Palestinian land is monstrous and deranged and is what happens when people are driven by elitist, religious fanaticism.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Daniel,I agree some what with your comments,about some more than others,but the conflict is not going to be solved diplomatically.Much the pity but that's the reality.

As you know Israel is backed by the only hyper power left on earth the U.S. which is led at this moment by a nut who will go as far to attack Iran to defend Israel.

And don't get me wrong the motivation for attacking Iran is not just about Israel.The machinations for this are endless.

I believe we are all marking time,the showdown(I am an atheist) The "Armageddon clock" is ticking,and it is getting close to the midnight we are all dreading.

And if the U.S. heaven forbid,vote one of these fundy crazies into the Whitehouse in my opinion the clock will speed up.

Not so much interesting times ahead,downright dangerous.

Daniel said...

Phill, I agree one hundred percent with your last comment. Right on!

GDAEman said...

Wow. You spawned quite a discussion.

Myself, I've been delving into a new medium... video animation. Here's what's come of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-chbZBHp8zs

Good Luck in oh eight.

GDAEman

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