Doctor's anguish stirs ugly debate among Israelis

[DogPoundPup]

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

January 28, 2009 at 5:04 AM EST

JERUSALEM — Israelis are arguing over whether they should pity or blame a Palestinian doctor for the Israeli tank shells that hit his Gaza apartment and killed his three daughters and a niece.

"I prefer to believe the Israeli army, that a sniper shot from his house, and not the doctor," one Israeli posted on an Israeli news website.

"Is there such a thing as an Arab who is not Hamas?" asked another.

snip~
The doctor dropped his head in hands and cried: "They don't want to know the truth; they don't want to know the truth."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090128.wcasualties28/BNStory/International/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail

[azurnoir]

1. the Israeli government has dropped that fig leaf

They are now talking in terms of bombing Palestinians not Hamas, the honesty finally is almost refreshing.

[LeftishBrit]

2. "Is there such a thing as an Arab who is not Hamas?" - is that comment for real?!

At any rate, this is a truly tragic story.

Keren's comments at the end are refreshingly reasonable.

[azurnoir]

3. Her complete statement

"I think people knew very well what the army was doing inside, they knew civilians were killed, they read the numbers," Ms. Keren said. "But they don't care. They think there's no other way. That after eight years ... we're sick of living this way and this is what needs to happen."

that sounds reasonable to you?

Ms. Keren instinctively opposed the war, but could not argue the justifications of all her friends who supported it. "I don't have answers," she said. "But this just never seemed like a solution. Hamas will never go away; they can always shoot at us again. In the end, you have to talk with your enemies."

that end piece sounds more like arse covering for the first

[LeftishBrit]

4. I read it differently

I read the first statement as an attempt to analyze and explain (not agree with) the views of the majority in Israel; and the end piece as giving her own views, which differ from the majority.