All my life, I have known about Israel. I am aware of what

[babylonsister]

happened in WWII, and I was happy that we were supporting Israel.
I grew up as a Christian, and I know without a doubt that Santa came from ?
I have been to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and I think Jerusalem was the greatest place
ever to visit: the history was unreal.
What's happening now? It's not so much; I can't rectify what is going on.

Help me: why is Israel doing this, explain the timing, and why the outright attack
on the UN?

[HuffleClaw]

1. my interpretation

the blatantly deliberated attack on the un peacekeepers was to ensure this 'war' can continue unabated for a week or so longer without foreign 'interference', for the PLAN has always been to goad SYRIA into responding militarily (and by proxy, IRAN). a plan that has failed utterly too, so now that the 'bad guys' aren't playing the game according to the plan, the israelis/americans are pretty much at a loss as to what to do next.

[BlooInBloo]

3. "blatantly deliberated"?

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

6. Not so funny imo: the UN TOLD the Israelis where they would be:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,1991...

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today said he was "shocked" at Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting" of a UN post in Lebanon, in which up to four UN observers were killed.

Mr Annan described the strike as a "co-ordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post."

He said it took place "despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire."

"Furthermore, General Alain Pelligrini, the UN Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular UN position from attack.

"I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop.

"The names and nationalities of those killed are being withheld pending notification of their families. I extend sincere condolences to the families of our fallen peacekeepers."

[BlooInBloo]

9. That's not what I was rofl-ing about...

... I was just trying to imagine what it would look like for someone to "blatantly deliberate", and this is the only thing I could come up with:



Now THAT'S what I call "blatantly deliberating"!

:rofl:

[lumpy]

18. Maybe flatulantly deliberating.

Sorry, I needed a laugh also.

[freakinoutinaz]

10. don't believe everything you read...

I'm surprised you believe everything you read. The UN has been anti-Israel for many years. Kofi Annan is hardly a big supporter of Israel, so I will take his words with a grain of salt. I sincerely doubt Israel "targeted" the UN observers. Israel has leafleted every place they have bombed in Lebanon so far - prior to dropping bombs - so that innocent civilians could leave. Do the Hisbollah do so before firing rockets into Haifa? Do the suicide bombers distribute psmphlets warning the innocent Israeli women and children to leave the markets and restaurants before they explode their bombs? Think about it.

Be careful what you believe about what you read. Be more discerning.

[babylonsister]

11. Thank you for your opinion, freakinoutinaz.

I believe things I read when the head of the UN whispers these 'things'. The UN has been anti-Israel?
Please, kind of the rule of DU is to put up links to your meanderings, or pipe down.
Please supply links to what you believe/think. Here's mine:

UN attack looks deliberate: Annan

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,1991...

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today said he was "shocked" at Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting" of a UN post in Lebanon, in which up to four UN observers were killed.

Mr Annan described the strike as a "co-ordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post."

He said it took place "despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire."

"Furthermore, General Alain Pelligrini, the UN Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular UN position from attack.

"I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop.

"The names and nationalities of those killed are being withheld pending notification of their families. I extend sincere condolences to the families of our fallen peacekeepers."

[bigtree]

12. "Be careful what you believe about what you read."

Being anti-Israel doesn't open anyone up to attacks.* You don't have to take his word, there were other countries participating in that mission who will be speaking for their own who were killed.

If we measure our actions by what Hizbollah has done in this conflict then we are truly scraping bottom. Is there no more integrity to be had in our response than to blame the innocents that are mowed down for their own slaughter?

[liberalitch]

26. Ding, Ding, Ding We have a winner!

You have too much common sense..... you'll have to leave soon.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi freakinoutinaz!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[HuffleClaw]

21. how about

deliberatedly blatanted?

[LostinVA]

27. Self delete

[TomInTib]

2. The dreidle is hard to predict.

The world has gone crazy, 'sister.

[babylonsister]

7. Too simplistic, my friend, not that we're going to fix it! nt

[Erika]

4. I just feel sad for the good people of Lebanon

who are being decimated, by a nation who supposedly believes in God. Would God destroy the infrastructure and seal these people off from getting food, water, and medicine? This is what Israel has done.

Then they kill U.N. observers.

[babylonsister]

8. Erika, me too. Really. I'm without words. nt

[DYouth]

5. Israel-US have been trying to eliminate Arab opposition for a long time

And with the targetting of the Hamas government, Hezbollah, and major threats towards Syria and Iran, they may just get there way.

Sure, all of these groups have committed terror at one time or another and some form of tyranny (although its simplistic to call them terror groups -- no one except US/Israel does). But why are they being targetted and not the Saudi royals, the mother of all tyrannies? Or the Jordanians or Egyptians (the Congress after heated debate deflected a redirection of 100 million dollars from Egyptian funds to HIV/AIDS and Sudan in protest of their repression -- we love democracy, right?) or Uzebekis or Colombians?

Because these are independent actors. We want everyone in the Middle East to act on what we tell them to do. We want to own that part of the world. That's why it's becoming like this. It's the pathetic overreachings of an Empire at its end.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. Why?

If you know about the history of Israel, then you are aware of the bloody history. You are aware that in her 60 years, she has been in a perpetual state of war. Even with a conservative government, and a national identity, it is still a secular democracy in an area that doesn't find that type of government satisfactory.

As for the alleged "outright" attack on the UN post, we need to wait for more information to emerge. I know the popular thing to do here, as of late, is to automatically think this was intentional, it is a part of the PNAC plan, or whatever the newest conspiracy theory is.

The fact is the situation is very complicated, with many players. However, a few seem to think only one player is responsible...Israel. The hate and vitriol I have seen spewed at Israel is repulsive. There have been some legitimate concerns and criticisms. However, most of those get buried in anti-Israeli propaganda, out-right lies and deception, misunderstanding, name-calling, personal attacks, and lack of knowledge.

[babylonsister]

15. Sorry, my dear, I don't have vitriol for Israel, but

call a spade a spade.

UN attack looks deliberate: Annan (assurances were given positions would be spared)

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,1991...

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today said he was "shocked" at Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting" of a UN post in Lebanon, in which up to four UN observers were killed.

Mr Annan described the strike as a "co-ordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post."

He said it took place "despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire."

"Furthermore, General Alain Pelligrini, the UN Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular UN position from attack.

"I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop.

"The names and nationalities of those killed are being withheld pending notification of their families. I extend sincere condolences to the families of our fallen peacekeepers."

[Behind the Aegis]

17. I didn't say you personally did.

There is nothing but speculation at this point. But, for some, that seems to matter not. It is always best to assume the worst about Israel and her intentions.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. My short answer? "I don't know"

I support Israel's right to exist. I believe they have the right to defend themselves. I believe Hezbollah provoked them and they were fully justified in doing something to get those soldiers back...

... but not this.

Aside from the very clear moral and human problems with the way they've behaved these past few days, I can't figure out how they think this can be successful or wise from a strategic standpoint, either. They're putting their moral authority in the toilet, and they're making enemies of many people who may not have had much of a problem with them before.

It's a head scratcher. I don't get it.

[babylonsister]

16. What's even more of a puzzlement is that our 'diplomats'

are acting like Israeli puppets; who's in charge?

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Again. My short answer? No one. Neither Israel or Lebanon has any oil

and Bush -whom Mo Dowd recently noted acts incredibly put out that this pesky Presidentin' gig cuts into his busy mountain biking schedule- really has never bothered to TRY to do anything resembling a competent job. I don't think he gives a shit, honestly.

Plus I figure he's probably back on the booze, so he may only have a few hours during the day where he's even capable of fucking up properly.

[orleans]

19. read some of these articles posted on randi rhode's website

http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/live/

and maybe download her show from monday 7/24 & tuesday 7/25--she talks about it a bit

http://www.geocities.com/randirhodesarchives/

[mogster]

22. Extremism, plain and simple

There's no other rational explanation for targeting civilians, aid organizations and intnl. overbuilds like the UN. It is a continued pattern, not a singular incident. Go read the ynet, jpost or arutz article comments, exchange the word 'Israel' for the word 'America' and you're basically in freepland. Same insane argumentation, same limping logic, same violent attitude.
Read the articles themselves, and you'll see the same opinionforming lingo you see in the rw papers (WP, NYT no exception) in the US - example; 'Left-wing extremists' are always used for the peace demonstrators, although WE know this is the voices of moderation, of reason. And that they cover the full political spectrum, apart from the religious rw.
Peace is treason to them, because you don't trust peace to keep the knife out of your back, subsequently you choose war - or at best; cold war.

[smacky44]

23. You simply believe the fantasy that your parents and others taught you.

[liberalitch]

25. Then many of us were taught the same "fantasy".....

By our EXTREMELY liberal parents.

I too have been to Israel.... even lived there for two years.
GREAT PEOPLE!
GREAT PLACE!
EVEN BETTER FOOD AND DRINK!
THRIVING ARTS AND SCIENCES COMMUNITY!

Ya know what FUCK HEZBOLLAH!

.....and there ya have it.

[rman]

24. It's more of the same of what has been going on for over 50 years

It's because it's so much more now that people who didn't notice before, are now noticing.
For now, i'll leave the explaining to others, but i'll point you to a resource that can provide some insight:

Rachel Corrie
http://www.rachelcorriefoundation.org/

videos:

Rachel Corrie - The Killing Zone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVtqnubZv9k&mode=related&search=

Rachel Corrie - Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JI-axaRF4&mode=related&search=

Remember Rachel Corrie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ni1gxVkbY&mode=related&search=

Rachel Corrie - Related Footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugOiF4araMg&mode=related&search=


Video Israel Doesn't Want You to See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW1-_JmXQt0&mode=related&search=