The Complicated Nature of the Israel-Gaza Conflict
Shortly after Israel started its major (air) offensive against Hamas targets in Gaza, Arab leaders instantly condemned the Jewish nation-state for its “aggression.” At the same time, however, Jordan and Egypt, two key Arab states and nominal friends of Israel, made clear to Hamas that they believed that not Israel but the Palestinian terrorist organization provoked the Israeli attacks. When hundreds of Gazans tried to cross the border into Egypt when Israel attacked Gaza, they were pushed back, even shot.
While Hezbollah, Hamas and other extremists are defending their case to the Arab public in every Arab country, the rulers of these countries remain mostly quiet, criticizing Israel because they have to not because they want to.
The reason is simple: every single Arab country secretly hopes that Israel’s attacks will weaken Hamas considerably.
Hamas is not a friend of Arab states, nor vice versa. Instead, Arab leaders consider Hamas a tool of Iran. They want Israel’s attacks to succeed so that Hamas will be weakened, forcing the terrorist organization to do business with Arab states who are advocating a peace plan aimed at recognizing Israel’s right to exist in return for the lands Israel conquered in and after 1967. Hamas wants no part of this plan while the official Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, seems willing to seriously consider it.
In addition to the above Arab states believe that Fatah is more Arab-minded whereas Hamas is an Iranian tool. Weakening Hamas in favor of Fatah, then, would enable (mostly Sunni) Arab states to play a bigger role in Palestine and it would limit Iran’s influence in the region which the Persian Shiites are constantly trying to increase. Ousting Hamas from Gaza and replacing it by Fatah, then, decreases Iran’s role in Palestine and, therefore in the region and increases the role played by Sunni Arab states.
Having said that, these Arab leaders know that they cannot let Israel attack Gaza for too long. They can play Israel’s offense down for a few days, condemn Israel without doing anything, but after those first few days they will have to take a public stand against Israel for if they do not, their own people may turn against them. Lest we forget, Hamas, Hezbollah and other extremist organizations have a fantastic PR machine in place in these countries which they use to let entire peoples pressure their government into ‘defending’ the Palestinian organizations.
Give it a few days more, tops; by then Arab leaders will start condemning Israel more aggressively and passionately, possibly even talking about cutting (diplomatic) relations with the Jewish state, etc. Israel knows this as well, however, meaning that the Israelis will most likely keep the attacks on Gaza reasonably short but effective (which explains the high amount of attacks carried out in just two days time).
Hypocrisy in Action: Where were Egypt, Russia, OIC, EU, Britain, Sarkozy, US & Austria when Hamas was pounding Israel with daily barrage of rockets?
http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/12/hypocrisy-in-action.html
“Innocent Civilian” Hamas Terrorists Killed by Israeli Airstrikes
http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/12/innocent-civilian-hamas-terrorists.html
how to resolv this conflict?
we, the out side world can’t do a thing, the problem lies inside palesinian people, just look at them what kind of muslims they are, they have fractions,partys,organisations and so one….
if they did follow the sunnah of the profet muhamad s.a.w.s and the sunnah of the first generation of the muslims Salaf-us-Salih this confilct will be resolved rightaway or wouldent be existed
muslims against sharia?
well, this is something, i newer heard something like this.
is like humans against air or, birds against wings or……..
segja: I’d ask Michael about his view on this. If I’m right, you’ll be quite shocked at his answer, as you apparently are of now of such a notion.
Michael: I’m a little confused. I understand the there’s nothing stopping Iran and Hamas from working together, but is Hamas not a Sunni group? That’s the impression I’ve gotten from my research. Surely they’re working toward a fundamentalist Sunni agenda?
Unfortunately, there really doesn’t seem to be a will to accept any sort of compromise by either party. Much as it galls the Hamas supporting Palestinians, the destruction of Israel is not acceptable to a significant part of the world. And much as it galls some Israelis, a viable Palestine needs to exist, as a neighbor, which means Israel cannot simply annex all the real estate captured during the 1967 war. Both Israel and the Palestinians seem unwilling to accept the logic of agreeing to accept a solution which will allow both to live in peace, but will require both to give up some of the much cherished claims to real estate.
Being neither Israeli or Palestinian, I can’t feel the deep seated attachment to the land the way they can. But, the question is – if the only choice is to share, or to continue a war of annihilation, is there any way to convince people of both groups to accept half a loaf (half the land) and no more war? If not, then I see no way to resolve this that any of us would be happy to be part of. Because the killing will go on until one of two things happens: (1) One side wins a sufficiently crushing victory to force the other side to accept whatever terms the victors will offer; or (2) one side will annihilate the other. This is not a happy prospect. But so far, no one has offered any suggestions which have worked, even in part.
I would counsel President Elect Obama that his chances of success as a peace broker do not look good. Bush, Clinton, and Bush have all failed to convince the PLO to accept the existence of Israel and conclude a peace deal. Clinton felt, with some justification, that Arafat wrecked the deal. The prospects are not good, and, in fact, Obama stands a good chance of being sabotaged by his self-proclaimed friends in the liberal democracies of the EU if he isn’t careful. There seemed to be a lot of EU folks willing to talk sanctions against Iraq, but of course, then worked under the table deals with Saddam. Efforts to resolve the Middle East problem are likely to suffer the same fate. My advice for Obama is to have him hand this one off to the UN and the EU.
The window of opportunity for Israel to do what it thinks needs to be done – without being pressured too hard – is well known and clear, and not very large.
Michael: that’s a very difficult and nuanced discussion because I am greatly influenced by Sufis and have started traveling down that path, you could say. Sharia is also important in Sufism, albeit on a personal level, not a community level. In addition to that, the ‘real Sharia’ as I see it is the basis of Islam, not what other legal scholars made of Sharia after the prophet died (the entire Sharia, which is quite complicated cannot be found in the Qur’an; they were invented later) such as “stoning when cheating,” etc. So to me, real Sharia is: the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), not eating pork, not worshipping other Gods than God, zakaat (giving of alms), praying, worshipping God in all that you do but also compassion, love, tolerance, respect; generally good behavior. So when you ask me what do you think of Sharia, I first have to make clear what I think Sharia truly is and what it is not.
This Sharia, the real Sharia is the basis of Islam. So being against this Sharia as a Muslim is strange. You could say that the five pillars of Islam are the real Sharia.
Now, what most people, even most Muslims, mean by Sharia, however, is not at all the basis I just outlined above. It is chopping of hands, stoning, women testimony less important than that of men, women having to cover themselves; a grand set of complicated ‘laws’ ready to be implemented on a grand scale. This Sharia I oppose in the strongest way possible. Muslims who ’support’ this kind of Sharia now want it to be implemented nationally, leading to a society that is the opposite of compassionate, tolerant, loving and free. This Sharia tries to limit and dictate people in all that they do and at all times. This Sharia wants to replace the legal system we have in the West and implement laws that worked in the 10th century, and only in the Middle East without understanding that different societies and different times require different laws.
This is also the Sharia-movement, I take it, Muslims against Sharia resist. So, I agree with them and can only hope that segja does more research and stops identifying Islam with the Sharia created much later and going against the true essence and spirit of Islam in hundreds of ways.
A boat load of lunatics tried to sail a private yacht into Gaza under the pretense of delivering medical supplies. They were turned back by the Israeli Navy. The boats collided during the encounter. However, the damage was light. Unfortunately, head Moonbat, former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, did not fall overboard during the encounter.
Far-Left Hamas Supporters Coming to Gaza by Sea
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
(IsraelNN.com) Free Gaza, a far-left organization offering support to the jihadist Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority, sent a ship on Monday to defy the Israeli sea blockade on Gaza. Despite the major IDF military operation underway, sixteen Free Gaza activists, including a former member of the US Congress, are on their way to the region.
The ship, a yacht, left from Cyprus this evening carrying Free Gaza supporters from Britain, Australia, Ireland, Cyprus and Tunisia, as well as former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Free Gaza spokesmen told the press before they set off that their ship is carrying three and a half tons of medical supplies, including antibiotics. The yacht is the sixth of its kind sent to Gaza by the organization in four months.
A Cypriot doctor on board the ship said that they are sending a message to PA residents that “they are not alone.” McKinney said that she intends to call on American President-elect Barack Obama to condemn Israel’s Operation “Cast Lead” against the jihadist regime in Gaza. Link here. The Intellectual Redneck
Its time for the Israeli’s to stop before this escalates around the world. Im not a Jew or a Muslim however I am sickened to the stomach by the IDF and believe they need to change tactics or quite simply stop choking the Gaza strip, what do the Israelis expect from 40 years of perseuction. As long as the UK and the US bow down to the Israeli war machine we are all having to watch the Israeli bully boys flexing their muscles. I would like to see the IDF without their American backed F16 and tanks and let them know how it feels to defend themselves with sticks and stones. SHAME ON YOU ISRAEL THE WORLD IS WATCHING AND IT IS NOT IMPRESSED!!!
segja: “muslims against sharia?
well, this is something, i newer heard something like this.”
Judging by your exceptional command of the English language, it is reasonable to assume that you haven’t heard of a lot of things.
CNN Confirms Israel Broke the Ceasefire First
Mark Stuart- that narrative conveniently ignores the reason for that Israeli raid- the tunnels that Hamas was digging. Of course we could adopt Jimmy Carter’s view that these were ‘defensive tunnels’, or we could live in the real world and see that this in itself should have been a violation of the cease fire agreement.