Washington, DC - Americans for Peace Now (APN) today expressed serious concern about the rapidly escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel. APN urges the Obama Administration to urgently engage with Israel, regional parties, and the international community to bring about an immediate halt to the hostilities.
---------------------------------------------------------APN Resource Page on the Gaza Crisis
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APN mourns the loss of life and the suffering of innocent civilians on both sides. APN categorically denounces the firing of rockets and mortar rounds from Gaza into Israel and expresses its solidarity with the residents of communities in southern Israel. There is no justification for the targeting of civilians, and Israel has the right and the obligation to protect its citizens from such attacks and threats. At the same time, Israel's leaders must at long last recognize that military power alone has failed and will continue to fail to prevent rockets from being fired. Exercise of this power, on its own, will never ensure Israel's long-term security and stability on its border with Gaza. Military power cannot address the underlying issue of Israel's unresolved relationship with Hamas-ruled Gaza. That issue will only be resolved through diplomacy.
This escalation is just the latest symptom of years of successive failed policies, irresponsible actions, and a lack of strategic thinking that have permitted the situation in Gaza to remain on a slow boil.
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All you are saying is: "The way things are right now, they suck and are unlikely to change." That's true. The problem is: they are not offering any alternative.
This part is bullshit: "Military power cannot address the underlying issue of Israel's unresolved relationship with Hamas-ruled Gaza. That issue will only be resolved through diplomacy."
Political or diplomatic power can resolve nothing. The only way to resolve the conflict is through economics. Opening trade relations between people and allowing more exchange of services will help both sides. Reducing the role of politicians on both sides is the only way things can improve. (Not to mention that the whole origin of the conflict is political to begin with.)
Life in Israel: The south part of the coast is under intensive missile attacks. this has actually been happening for over 10 Y-E-A-R-S. But recently Palestinian terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip have fired over 110 missile rockets on Israel the past few days. Last Saturday, a jeep with 4 soldiers in it were directly hit by a Palestinian missile. Today a baby was seriously injured and 4 were killed. University has been cancelled, our friends are there fighting and many more have been called to reserve or are waiting for the call. US media didn't make headlines of the situation, until Israel reluctantly had to retaliate to try to stop the terror attacks, the only thing that has made the headlines was "Ferocious Israeli Assault on Gaza Kills a Leader of Hamas" . amazing......
Let's kiss the feet of the terrorists in Gaza and hope they don't kill us. What bullshit. Their agenda is to kill us. So no, there will NEVER be peace between the Muslims and Jews. So I am for a total war against them. Other then complete submission is a waste of time.
Should cut them the Water and electricity supplies this night if is possible!
So it goes, Israel wants peace, but Arabs only desire the total destruction of Israel. Its that black and white. Israel has no responsibility for the economic cesspool in Gaza, nor do its military actions directed to Gaza in any way contribute to militancy of the Palestinians.
What is Israel's strategy? Does it imagine that an overwhelming military push will aid long-term peace prospects?
This statement is PERFECT! I just shared it on Facebook. תודה רבה לשלום עכשיו
I support APN's call for a cease fire.
Have you notices the asymetry in the second paragraph? Rockets from Gaza are condemned. But Israeli airstrikes that kill many Palestinians are unmentioned. Israel is told there is no military solution, and diplomacy must be used.
As long as APN does not condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza civilians, that is effectively supporting Israeli airstrikes. If APN is serious about peace, it must condem Israeli attacks on Gaza, especially those that kill covilians (that is almost all of them).
Well, since the guy wiped out the Facebook post of what I had to say, here it goes. Our President has ignored Israel. He ditched their leader and friend of the United States to go on a really stupid show called "The View" where the hosts really have no clue what they are talking about and the president just wanted to keep his throne, i mean job. How disrespectful is that. Now, we have GAZA launching missiles into a peaceful country trying to start more trouble. And our leader is just sitting their trying to live like a rock star and plan his next photo op and tv appearance. I truly hate violence, but when it is necessary, it needs to be done to protect his people and to let others know that it will not be tolerated. So, I hope the Prime Minister takes appropriate action and I hope we as a nation and our TV hod of a leader will stand by him and offer anything Israel needs to protect it from harmful nuts.
The Hamas charter is the document which sets out the movement's ideology as it was formulated and honed by its founders. It includes its radical Islamic world view (conceived by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt), which has basically not changed in the 18 years of its existence. With regard to Israel, the charter's stance is uncompromising. It views the "problem of Palestine" as a religious-political Muslim issue, and the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation as a conflict between Islam and the "infidel" Jews. "Palestine" is presented as sacred Islamic land and it is strictly forbidden to give up an inch of it because no one (including Arab-Muslim rulers) has the authority to do so. With regard to international relations, the charter manifests an extremist worldview which is as anti-Western as Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
See the Charter of Hamas. They continually work toward making Islam the government.
http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/www.thejerusalemfund.org/carryover/documents/charter.html