Gaza rocket strikes open field in western Negev

[Behind the Aegis]

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday fired a Qassam rocket at the western Negev, striking an open field.

The attack came a day after two barrels containing large amounts of explosives washed up on Israeli beaches, one each at Ashkelon and at Ashdod. Both barrels, containing between 15 and 25 kilograms of explosives each, were neutralized by police sappers.

Sources in the Southern District police said they believed the barrels, which originated in Gaza, were intended to explode next to a ship or near beachgoers.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the barrels.

Police have banned fishing or swimming at the beaches between Ashdod and Zikim today over concerns that there may be additional explosives still in the Mediterranean or on a beach.

The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service say the barrels are connected to a series of explosions heard at sea on Friday night shortly before midnight, about two kilometers north of the northern border of the Gaza coast.

more...

[alex456]

1. One of my roommates was in Kiryat Malachi

last year, when a rocket exploded in an open field near the pharmacy where she worked. Luckily, no one was injured. I understand the tremendous loss suffered by the Palestinians in Gaza due to 1) economic hardships which are the fault of Israel, Hamas, the PA as a whole, and Egypt (along with all the nations of the ME, let's face it) and 2) their Civil War with Hamas and Fatah - which, yes, did lead to many dozens of deaths during the Gaza war because Hamas figured it would be a good time to kill off their other enemy. I also know that Israeli policies must change to help their economic situation especially - a people can not develop without jobs and an optimistic future for their children, so I certainly do not remove blame from the Israeli leadership (leadership, not people). After living in Tel Aviv, and traveling through much of the country, meeting Jews and Arabs, I can say that the majority of both communities want a better solution - not the blanket "peace" term that gets thrown around which means absolutely nothing, but they want something BETTER.

HOWEVER, you may have noticed I have not posted that much on DU. That is because I feel hostility on this message board whenever Jews or Israel are mentioned. I am a good Democrat - since when did that mean the demonization of Israel and her people? To give an example today which was not related to Israel, there are two greatest threads. 1) About the Pope saying he disagrees with the British equality laws for the GLBT community and 2) about Bishop Williamson and the possible legal issues because of his holocaust denial. All posters were up in arms over the Pope's disagreement, yet most were all for free speech when it came to the Holocaust denial Bishop. I think both are statements made by two incompetent individuals, but that's my opinion. The difference in response does seem a little lopsided to me though.

Perhaps this should be its own post, but the news of the rocket explosion set me off.

[azurnoir]

2. Can you link to the DU thread

were you clam most supported Williamson's "free speech"?

[alex456]

4. Yeah, here are the two threads

Bishop Williamson: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4246264

Not everyone by any means, but several (not that I am against free speech, but Europe has these hate speech laws that must be obeyed).

Pope bashing equality law: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4252984

which I also think is despicable, but free speech is free speech if you're an absolutist.

[azurnoir]

5. The first thread you link to

had precious little supporting the Bishop's right to free speech, now there was another thread linked to in that one that was hard to make heads or tails of due to "deleted subthreads"

as to the Pope I did not mention that but he has again very little support here on his statements

IMO I am a "semi-absolutist" I support free speech as long as it does not incite violence in the case of Holocaust denial that denial is very demonstrably untrue that I have very hard time with saying that it should not be allowed and further more I do not support Germany's jailing of a denier due to the fact that it creates a "martyr" for his cause situation, let the arsehole talk and then prove him wrong something that is not too hard to do
now with GLBT rights I have a harder time because of the number of religious fundies who feel they are on a holy mission this applies to all of the big 3 Abrahamic religions who seem to have some degree of homophobia in common and I'll go even further when it comes to DADT I question it being repealed while we're still Iraq not because I believe it's right but because I believe that from what I have read about the demographic make up of the troops and the Christianizing of the military IMO there a good number of troops that would be as happy to "bag them gays" as they would the actual "enemy" we're supposed to be fighting

[alex456]

6. I by no means think the Pope

was right. He is wrong on this Equality issue and almost every other issue as far as I'm concerned, including re-communicating Bishop Williamson. This is why Williamson is important - because he is now not just a leader of the Traditional Catholic movement, but he's now a recognized official in the Catholic Church proper - with the Pope's blessing. It is also impossible to "prove" to a Holocaust denial of its existence, since they are not interested in the truth - only hate. The article attached to that link speaks about another bishop trying to give Williamson a book and he just shooing it away as a "big lie". While still a smaller percentage, more and more Europeans and others deny or are just ignorant about the facts of the Holocaust and all of the Reich's victims. An officially recognized Bishop of the Catholic Church spewing this tripe is not good for the world.

And the other thread with the "deleted subthreads" got so toxic and hateful that it was locked. I am not suggesting most people on DU hold these views, I'm just saying that even a few on a LIBERAL message board makes no sense and disturbs me. There was a previous thread where some people said another Church figure (from Poland) had a point when he said "Jews use the Holocaust as a Propaganda weapon": http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7579728#7579919

I don't care if it's just the same 5 people saying this stuff - It doesn't belong anywhere on a liberal forum.

[azurnoir]

7. Lot's of stuff doesn't belong on a "liberal" forum

but it's here as to the Bishop it seems if you read the more recent threads that the Pope "realizes" his mistake, that does not make it right and really does nothing for the churches image but then again it is the Catholic church did you know they once albeit in the middle ages had a Pope whose nickname was "skin villain" I can shudder as to why that was

[azurnoir]

3. Here's some help

a list of threads in the past 13 months concerning Bishop Williamson linking to the advanced search page does not work

Latest Breaking News forum
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you will very little supporting his "free speech"