Just curious. Is this about convincing the voice for Zionism that they should not be what they are? If not then to what end?

I was responding to Lance’s assertion, which was to the effect that shooting a 3 year old was applauded by Israel and IDF. When his source was checked it revealed that the story was about a soldier being charged.

So that was a complete bait and switch. Some would call it dishonest as well as hateful.

Quite normal here at DV.

That’s funny, I heard it another way…

Wrestling with a pig is useless. You get all dirty and pig enjoys it.

There are reasons for this waning support.

Americans are waking up to the fact that we are being forced into wars for Israeli hegemony that are depleting our blood and treasure, and if the Zionist Lobby has its way, this will be an endless scenario, with Israel gladly holding our coat for years to come. Americans are angered to see a disproportionate amount of media and government power being weilded by a tiny fraction of that 2% of our population that American Jews comprise.

Americans see the aftermath of Katrina, crumbling infrastructure and failing schools and wonder why we still have the money to prop up a criminal state that routinely spies on us, sells our secrets and high tech weaponry to our enemies while thumbing its nose at us.

Americans see a dangerous and parasitic relationship that cannot even be discussed. They see their politicans — and even entertainers — fearful of being labeled “anti-Semites” for merely questioning Israel’s behavior or saying “no” to more handouts, while they can’t afford health care or pay their mortgage or send their kids to college.

There’s always more money for Israel, no matter how poorly the people of this country are doing. That won’t fly forever, so the need to dehumanize, even demonize, Israel’s enemies (real or imagined) is paramount.

But it is not working the way it used to. People are waking up. A sizeable portion of us aren’t alarmed that we have a man running for president with an Arabic name, no matter how desperately the right-wing Jewish organizations demand we should be. And if they succeed in sabotaging his campaign, they will further demonize themselves among, at the very least, Black voters in this country.

Still, don’t expect to see Palestinians given the honor of names in death, or expect to see weeping mothers and murdered children receiving the same coverage Israelis would rate any time soon. Don’t expect journalists to question terms like “terrorist” and “settler” or to see CNN, ABC, MSNBC or any other network’s talking heads make the obvious link from illegal occupation to resistance, targeted assassinations to suicide bombers or air strikes on civilans to rocket attacks.

But Americans are making those links themselves, and that’s a start.

Finally, regarding Jaime and his eternal defense of the IDF, I could tell him that not only do these thugs loot charities, it is their standard MO to rob civilan homes, which they do regularly after trashing them. The money, jewelry and other belongings they take from an already destitute people to make themselves a little fatter are not items that would be used for “terrorism,” but for simply existing.

I would tell Jaime this, but I hold to an old adage: Trying to teach a pig to sing is a waste of time, and it annoys the pig.

Anyone else who bothered to read the article can see that it’s about a hearing: an Israeli officer was charged with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and other infractions .

Anyone here ever heard of Hamas or the Al Aqsa Brigades charging any of their “soldiers” with violent misconduct ?

I haven’t either.

That’s because they don’t.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/nov/24/israel

“Record of a shooting

Watchtower
‘It’s a little girl. She’s running defensively eastward’

Operations room
‘Are we talking about a girl under the age of 10?’

Watchtower
‘A girl of about 10, she’s behind the embankment, scared to death’

Captain R (after killing the girl)
‘Anything moving in the zone, even a three-year-old, needs to be killed’ ”

——-
AP story would probably read as follows:

“Heroic IDF Thwarts 3-Year Old Terrorist”

Film of Israeli ticker-tape parade at 11.

“Israel seized the assets of a Hamas charity in the West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday, accusing it of funneling money to the group’s militant activities and helping to recruit members.”

It does not justify it, but it does explain it.

Thousands of Palestinian orphans protest Israeli army looting of their food
March 13, 2008

Thousands of Palestinian orphans on Tuesday took to the streets in this southern West Bank town to protest recent raids by the Israeli occupation army of their orphanages and boarding schools.

Hundreds of Israeli troops, backed up by armored carriers, raided the Islamic Charitable Society in downtown Hebron earlier this week , vandalizing property and looting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of food materials, clothes, shoes and furniture donated by local and foreign donors for the benefit of the orphans.

The charitable society, the largest in Palestine, runs two orphanages and several boarding schools, which cater for as many as 7000 children who have lost either or both parents.

“Israel is treating us the way Nazi Germany treated the Jews,’ read one of the placards carried by the protesters. “Israel represents the Nazis of our time,” read another sign. A third placard read “We shall triumph.”

http://www.uruknet.info?p=41954

Thats the image they like to maintain!

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

George Galloway makes the same observation at the end of this video interview.

And Palestinian civilian deaths matter less when they are the victims of systematic starvation?

You make it sound as if every Palestinian is bent on the destruction of Israel.

Then again, it’s always the same old song and dance with you, isn’t it Jaimie? Completely ignorant and close-minded to a side of a debate that isn’t the side you so happen to choose.

1) BBC’s usual slant has historically been against Israel. If they are reporting more even handedly as of late, it is indeed a recent development.

2) Those 100+ people in Gaza would still be alive today if Israel hadn’t been attacked. For those who watch the regular media, note that missile launchings from Gaza have mostly tapered off over the last few days, as have responses from the Israeli military. This biased article does not mention the missile and mortar attacks against a civilian population that precipitated Israel’s latest incursion.

3) Israeli deaths matter more when they are the victims of psycho attacks such as the slaughtering of children studying a school.

Americans may have trouble understanding how words not spoken can be the most eloquent words of all, but such are the subtleties of European civilisation!