Death of Innocence.

[Mo Docherty]

remember what empire did,remember Iraq,remember kosovo,remember ireland,remember murdering gadaffi

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palestinians are refugees in their own land

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spineless nettyyahoo still reeling from attack from hamas

[Mo Docherty]

remember balfour

[Mo Docherty]

Dresden Bombing was uniquely cruel

[vic mcclymont]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation spread on here.
1, Hamas are continually firing rockets into Isreal.
2, Carpet bombing in Ww2 was started by the Nazis.
1 in 4 UK ******s do not believe Hamas invaded Isreal an killed Jews.
When Isreal departed Isreal in 1996, the left behind ploughed fields with crops growing. Hamas trashed the fields and crops.
Vic

[Gerard Fisher]

I appreciate that this is a forum for us ex-seamen for talking about the good old days. However, my time at sea wasn't spent only talking about good and bad trips and the many interesting characters we met on the way. We also spent time in the bar discussing world events. I sailed through the Suez canal in 1976 on the Silver Osprey on our way to Jeddah to deliver refined petroleum products. The canal had recently reopened for commercial shipping and I could not help but see some destroyed tanks and other military transport on the banks. The Middle East was topical then as it still is today.

Therefore, in that spirit of open discussion, I thank this forum's moderators for tolerating this very important topic of trouble in the Middle East even if we are not participants. This will be my final post on this subject.

The label 'Terrorist' gets applied liberally these days without much reflection on who is, and who isn't one.

My idea of a terrorist is someone who instills fear or causes indiscriminate suffering, injury and death to innocent and unarmed civilians. This loose definition will do for now. Thus, a serial killer is a terrorist. The IRA, ETA and Hamas are also terrorists. These 3 are/were independence organisations with a political axe to grind. In the case of the IRA and ETA, these paramilitary organisations were, through political negotiations, made to put their arms away and subject themselves to democratic processes. Politicians at last doing what they are elected for - promoting democracy and solving problems that should never have reached the stage of armed conflict.

The Palestinian problem must follow the same democratic peace process despite the blood curdling pronouncements of Netanyahu about destroying Hamas. Hamas is of the people of Gaza and can only be destroyed by killing all Gazans. Hamas is not very different to the partizans of WW2: French, Greek, Yugoslav, Italian, Dutch, Belgian and Pole. All composed of civilians who took up light arms against German occupation forces. All armed, by the way, by Britain who provided them with guns, dynamite and grenades. Hamas are no differently armed - guns and rocket launchers against one of the world's most well armed countries, Israel, with army, navy, air force and intelligence services supplied by the West. Hamas faces overwhelming military odds.

During WW2 the German army carried out reprisals against partizans in the occupied countries. They warned the partizans: "For every one of our troops you ambush and kill we will kill 20 or more randomly selected civilians". That was terrorism.

Given that the death toll of Gazans is in excess of 33,000, I cannot see how Israel should not be called a terrorist state. Regardless of what Hamas has done, the indiscriminate killing of Gazans is out of all proportions. It is pure revenge, all the more appalling for the support given by the liberal West. Some of the extremist language coming from Israeli politicians could just as well be from their Old Testament prophets.

Once again, thanks to our moderators; this will be my last comment on this topic.

[j.sabourn]

Probably what a lot think as well. Most of us have lived through war situations in early life, and also seen and been part of the ruination caused in lesser wars in later life. So no amount of repeating the obvious is going to change those who have already been confirmed in whatever Church they belong to. Cheers JS
PS I would take exception to ex seamen under different circumstances though , once a seaman always a seaman at heart , if not in use. JS….

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Gerard
Having been told on site that this is a Merchant Navy site I am so glad you wrote that, it is what we used to do talk about how to solve the problems of the world, any subject was considered while sitting on No four or five hatches, and there was never any animosity, I am forever thankful for this site for bringing back those old memories, and now some new ones. Thank you.
Cheers Des

[David E Hewson]

Probably all going to the long term plan of Hamas Des. They have no qualms of sacrificing their own to achieve their aims. Divide and Rule has and is always going to be there in the annals of warfare. Just ask yourself why the people of Palestine allowed Hamas to live and act among them and apparently cheered them on in their quest for victory over Israel. There are unknown depths to any story appearing to those not in the know and war in any case is all supposition in any case. War of any kind is a loss of human morality of any kind. The media has an enormous input to this as always. I”ll continue to take the crossword out of my daily paper , the rest of it I leave to others to read and digest. See now the news on this medium has for some time the reader having to pay for ? Would be like getting blood out of a stone in my case , 3/9d. Would be more attainable. Mostly today people can afford toilet paper. Cheers JS
As to Israel losing friends they can’t have been true friends as a friend in need is a friend indeed. Probably why we have missing members of the site today who were genuine members but saw the light of those infilidating it and trying to reduce its morality to their own warped senses. JS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGH94HoSJ2s&t=944s. This is a link that gives an excellent unbiased history of Palestine and how the conflicts began. Britain does not come out with flying colours.

[David E Hewson]

#1

Israeli official policy is that their forces are not allowed to fire on a suspected Hamas activist if they think it will result in the deaths of more than 20-25 innocent civilians. With such a 'generous' collateral damage ratio, the killing of the aid workers is no surprise. We are only hearing about it because many of the victims were foreign volunteers.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...=share_btn_url

[happy daze john in oz]

Whilst the Jewish population has always been in that area the feeling between them and the Rabs has not changed.

Look around at all the Arab nations in that region, none have opened their arms to the people come on in.
Why is the question.

Is HAMAS such a bad choice for the people of Gaza that the rest of the Arab nations do not want to know them?

Most no doubt are fearful of a bigger conflict in the middle east if they involve themselves in any way, so stay way for safety.

But many question, should the state of Israel have been established where it is?

Yet for many years Jews and Arabs have lived side by side in Israel.

There are so many theories as to why the current conflict is ongoing, I am of the opinion the medication, the war, is far more than is needed for the disease.
But the 'doctor' Notayahoo thinks otherwise.
Only time will tell if the medication is of the correct dosage.