Opinion
Disaster in Gaza
Uri Misgav
Published: 07.01.09, 17:44
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
119 Talkbacks for this article
1. Where are the empathetic articles for citizens of the south?
Nadya ,   Berlin   (01.07.09)
It always strikes me to see and read how concerned Israelis are with the lives of the Palestinan population, who in supporting the Hamas brought this disaster on THEMSELVES. Why are not more empathetic articles like this one beeing published on the situation of Israelis under comstant rocket attacks? Israel should stop being apologetic and instead express in one united voice support for its own citizens who did ABSOLUTELY nothing to deserve to be showered with rockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Say it: Hamas is responsible, not Israel
Tony ,   USA   (01.07.09)
Give me a break; why are some Israelis beating their breasts over deaths directly caused by Hamas? Why does the Israeli Left enjoy wringing its hands over supposed Israeli misdeeds? What flawed character trait causes this? Get over yourselves; stand up and fight!
3. Eh?
Jonathan Boyko ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (01.07.09)
I may be way off here... But wasn't the building attacked because of two brothers firing mortar shells at IDF troops? Were all the people there hearing impaired and couldn't hear the firefight? Also, those who'd been in the military know that during such events, the launch site doesn't get hit withing seconds. In best case scenario those civilians had at least five minutes to flee away from the building. Yet - they stayed. So now we should consider ourselves immoral for attacking a building we've been fired at from, and which those civilians refused to leave? There's obviously another option. The two jolly brothers could've forced the civilians to stay inside the building - as Hamas and Hizb Allah usually do. Soooo... We are responsible for two armed idiots holding their own people hostage? Am I the only one to whom it sounds a bit... Um... Off? Do I consider the attack a tragedy? Surely do. Did I want this to happen; these civilians to die? No. However, I know of one guy who did want this to happen. Name's Mashaal. You've probably heard of him.
4. what utter crap
Danny   (01.07.09)
The only thing that is correct in this article is that this is like Qana 2, ie theatre for the world to take the pressure off an enemy that cannot win an actual fight. 1) UNWRA has admitted over and over that it works with Hamas - like UNIFIL with Hizbollah - it has to. UNWRA also employs Hamas people and funnels money to a Hamas government. It also seems perfectly willing to run a PR op for Hamas. UNWRA is also solely responsible for there being an ongoing refugee "problem" by perpetuating these camps. 2) This school has been videoed with mortars being fired out of it. The UN has even complained about it. This is ALL public record and documented. 3) The IDF should be hitting the enemy where ever they are. By allowing the presence of civilians to prevent strikes, it guarantees that Hamas embed themselves deeply within the civilian population. Again they have boasted about this and this tactic a matter of public record. If the IDF makes it clear that it will strike where ever Hamas is then they will not be motivated to hide behind women and children. 4) The whiny "expression of regret" is for who exactly? I don't regret it in the slightest. These are people who DECIDED to fight and somewhere along the thousands of rockets I kinda lost any sympathy for them. We should have ONE message - If you don't want people to die, don't pick fights with us end of story. You want to "resist" then this is inevitably the end result. 5) Finally as have been repeated pointed out the population in Gaza ARE our enemy. They chose this leadership, they want to shake it off, they want to have a leadership committed to peace with it's neighbour then and only then will they stop being the enemy.
5. Wsr
shai ,   Israel   (01.07.09)
Just as accidents in the process if war killed our own troops by "friendly fire", it can kill civilians by accident, too.
6. Uri,you're a coward and a looser.You have no military skills
You are a traitor.Go ,   wash the dishes now.   (01.07.09)
7. IDF Massacre in GAZA
Marvin Jaffee ,   USA   (01.07.09)
The IDF should stop immediately its operations in GAZA. This is a black day for Israel. How can Israel talk about international law when it is viloating every one of them. How can the IDF instruct the Gaza civilians to leave their residences and then bomb the school, the place where they took refuge in? The United Nations announced today that there were no Hamas militants in the school. Obviously the IDF is pursuing an extermination war and a "final solution" against the palestinian civilian population.
8. Give it a rest
A NIce Fellow ,   Montreal   (01.07.09)
Where is your article about the southern residents of Israel, moron?
9. You're wrong
Realist ,   Israel   (01.07.09)
I do not advocate targeting civilians, but your article continues the fundamental mistake that got us into this war--ignoring reality. The fact is that the Palestinian civilians are our enemies. They elected Hamas and participate in huge rallies calling for the liquidation of Israel and celebrating terrorist attacks. If they are going to hate us they should at least fear us.
10. THERE WE GO AGAIN
DAVID ,   JUDEA   (01.07.09)
back on the high moral horse , doing some serious "yafut nefesh" , meaning beautifying oneself. All this talk that the Palestinian people are not our enemy is rubbish. These same bleeding heart liberals forget the handing out of sweets in the streets whenever Jewish blood runs in the streets. Its the same Palestinians that support Hamas and go out in big masses to shout for our destruction. When are fools like Misgav going to wake up , probally when these same innocent Palestinians, run amock in the streets of Tel Aviv, killing and plundering evrything in their way.
11. The entire military assault
Mary   (01.07.09)
on Gaza should be acknowledged as such when over 600 people are killed. Do the people of Israel have no hearts??
12. Are Gazans really innocent civilians?
Joe ,   Ramat Gan   (01.07.09)
In 2005, Palestinians, Gazans included, overwhelmingly voted Hamas into power and in 2007, Hamas essentially "ethnically cleansed" the Strip of any lingering Fatah supporters by either throwing them off of buildings or kicking them into Judea and Samaria. What population was left over overtly condones and cheers on Hamas' genocidal platform and policies. Are these really "innocent civilians" as the international media would like us to believe or are they the modern-day equivalent of the Nazis who were "just following orders"?
13. Get the facts right and tell the whole story
Concerned Israeli   (01.07.09)
This author blatantly ignores the fact that many Palestinian witnesses to the IDF on the UNRWA school are documented as corroborating the IDF's story that says mortars were fired from the school. The IDF is completely justified in firing back from any launching pad used to target Israeli civilians, even if it has a UN stamp on it. In fact, Hamas deliberately uses UN facilities to hide behind civilians, which in itself is a war crime. The author also completely ignores the fact that UNRWA employs numerous Hamas members to run its facilities and has been documented in the past as facilitating Hamas in its terrorism - http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/article/53 Journalists should get the facts straight, especially our own. There's enough biased reporting out there as it is.
14. civilan 'disaster'
elliot ,   usa   (01.07.09)
regrettable for sure and disastrous for those getting whacked but war in such a populated place always produces this kind of result --in short address complaints to hamas for whom they voted
15. Israel Has A Long History Of Attacking UN Positions
World Citizen ,   the world   (01.07.09)
The attack on the school was no different from the attack on the UN observation post during the second Lebanon war. The Israeli IDF was given the position of both places. They were notified when shelling became dangerously close yet they continued to do it. And when the murdering was finished they claimed it was all just a sad tragedy. The world has heard these Isreali excuses play out exactly like this so many times they no longer even consider them as having an ounce of truth to them. Your military and politicians are guilty of war crimes. There will be justice for the Palestinian people one day.
16. justice, morality, and double standards
tom ,   toronto, canada   (01.07.09)
why does israel have to be infallible to be just? why can every other nation on earth justify its existence, and its right to self-defence, without resorting to these crazy gymnastics? what other nation on earth would endure three and a half years of unprovoked aggression against its civilians, and then entertain discussions about its right to self-defence? 9/11 brought nato troops to afganistan, even though neither britain, nor canada, nor germany had been attacked. this article rightly raises qana in the context of civilian casualties - qana, where hezbollah's propaganda department cynically stage-managed the deaths of children (why were children from an orphanage moved into a building used to store explosives?) to manufacture news footage. (the video even includes out-takes and re-shoots). that propaganda halted israeli troops in a way that no rpg or sam ever could, but only because the prime minister was more willing to apologize for hezbollah's lies than to trust in his own cause! the arabs cannot hope to possibly win a shooting war, so they take aim at israeli civilians from behind human shields, and behind sympathetic news reporters.. any other army on earth would count to ten, and blast them to "paradise", because that is war, and that is what armies are supposed to do. no other army would drop leaflets and lose the element of surprise, or issue personal invitations by cellphone to clear the area. under international law, hamas is to blame for civilian casualties if they deliberately locate military facilities in civilian areas. israel must make this clear to the international media, and demand that the international court in the hague prosecute the hamas war criminals for each and every civilian who dies in gaza or in israel, as the result of their crimes. in biblical terms: "be not afraid, for your cause is just", but watch your back for apologists and the leftist rabble.
17. You support the IDF op, until the inevitable happens?
Matt ,   UK   (01.07.09)
Some people want to have their cake and eat it. The situation in the south was intolerable, they say. Israel was right to respond, they say. The IDF must strike the terrorists. And then, once they are confronted with the reality of fighting an enemy force embedded in a civilian populace, the hand-wringing and soul-searching begins. We're monsters! We don't care enough! Woe on us at every level! It happens every time there is a major confrontation. The *blatantly* obvious solution would be to note the use of civilian shields. YouTube has a video of a Hamas politician acknowledging and glorifying the use of human shields here (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RTu-AUE9ycs&NR=1) But you know full well that it is easier to shame Israelis in to holding back, than to shame the Arabs in to not firing from schools. The logic of *that* position is simple enough: continued terrorism against Israel.
18. Pathetic excuse for criminal actions
David H. ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (01.07.09)
That you would make excuses for criminal actions of Hamas is unbelievable and unexcusable. Under international convention, warring parties are not allowed to use populations as hostages or screens for their attacks. Israel is allowed to defend itself under these exact circumstances. Why didn't you same something about all these same arabs were giving each other candies and celebrating every time that one of their terrorists killed one of our people? You are beyond shame.
19. ''Sane'' Israel thinks you're wrong.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (01.07.09)
Not one comment from Israelis or Jews glorified killing. Not one comment took pleasure in the deaths of these people. But most catagorically reject any blame on our part. Put the blame where it belongs - on Hamas. We went into this war with the greatest reluctance - after literally years of provocation. Hamas knew the consequences to their civilian population. Of greater irony is that even the Gazan civilians knew the consequences & still they support Hamas & even better, many support shooting missiles at us. Please save your holier-than-thou moral lectures for idealistic idiot bleeding-heart liberals with zero brains. Thank you.
20. #7, Marvin Jaffee, "The UN announced today"
Jake   (01.07.09)
If the UN was so sure that there were no "Hamas militants" at the school, why did it only announce this today? Why did they not announce it yesterday? Yesterday the UN said it would launch an investigation to look into the matter. Where do the results of this investigation come from? Every indication is that mortars were fired from the school, that the school was booby trapped by Hamas explosives, that these explosives detonated in a seconday explosion that caused most of the deaths, and that Hamas "militants" were dead on the scene. As for the UN statement, it is entirely based on second hand sources from "he said", "she said" and has no intrinsic value. I suggest you tone down the level of vitreol in your rhetoric as well.
21. The UN has not disclosed any evidence to support its claims
Jake   (01.07.09)
that no Hamas militants were hiding in the UN school and targetting the IDF with mortars. In fact, yesterday, the UN declared it would launch an "investigation" to find out what happened, and only announced its results today. In other words, there were no UN personnel eyewitnesses at the scene, so they must have relied on what they heard. By contrast, the IDF has video footage of what happened, and Hamas fighters were found among the dead.
22. The Guardian: AP: Residents saw militants from near school..
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (01.07.09)
firing mortars. The Guardian has buried this in paragraph 6 of the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8205462 Paragraph 6: "Israel's military said its shelling at the school the deadliest single episode since Israeli ground forces invaded Gaza on Saturday after a week of air bombardment was a response to mortar fire from within the school and said Hamas militants were using civilians as cover. Two residents of the area who spoke with The Associated Press by telephone said they saw a small group of militants firing mortar rounds from a street near the school, where 350 people had gathered to get away from the shelling. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal." So, once again, the media have fallen into the trap laid by the terrorists, a duplicate libel against Israel of the Qanna lie. Yesterday a Gaza journalist Adnan, speaking with UNWRA head in Gaza, John Ging CONFIRMED that the Israeli bomb did not fall on the school but near by. This, with the Guardian article, prove, once again, that the media, in their mission of maligning Israel, have fallen in to a Hamas trap and have been caught out!
23. #15, you are absolutely right, it is the same
Danny   (01.07.09)
The soldiers in that camp where complaining that Hizbollah were using them as cover for **4** days until Israel finally struck. Here Hamas was using the yard for firing mortars until Israel hit back.
24. good article
ramallah ,   ramallah   (01.07.09)
the IDF , have lost the war and the battle..
25. Uri you fool
Tony ,   New York   (01.07.09)
Hamas militants were using them as a cover to shoot rockets out of the school. Which is morally worse?
26. What happened yesterday is simply a war-crime act!
Passeby   (01.07.09)
UN confirmed that there were no Hamas militants in the UNRWA school yesterday where the terrible tragedy happenned. I wonder how can some people still justify this act of barbaritywhich killed more than 40 INNOCENTs people!
27. Isael Losing in World of Public Opinion
Jerry ,   NYC, USA   (01.07.09)
The incredibly disproportionate use of Israel's military power and obvious disregard for the safety of Palestinian civilians (firing tank shells into schools the IDF was notified contain hundreds of civilians) is blackening Israel's image across the entire world. Israel should never have pulled out of Gaza as it did. Sharon and the Kadima/Labor gang are responsible for that and what has resuled since. Whatever "gains" Israel is gaining in this operation (designed to help Kadima and Labor for the elections) are being dwarfed 100-fold by the loss of support for Israel among many of its supporters, across the world, me included. Stop this insane operation or Israel will pay a very heavy price in the future.
28. Well Uri Misgav !! Learn how to analyze
Rami Abu ghalyion ,   Tulkarm-Palestine   (01.07.09)
I Have read evrey word At the outset, this is not the only massacre committed by Israel Israel's history in the commission of massacres such as Deir Yassin, Qana massacre, the Sabra and Shatila and the list goes on when the isreali killing the palestinian ,Israel resorts to call it was an accident or he suffer from psychological status in my a view killing of civilians has become a part of Israel's diplomatic policy Israel is now facing a big problem which it cant fighting a ganags war and this was so clear in Lebanon, even in Gaza Israel knows that there is will be a cease-fire and Israel does not want to start with the new U.S. administration with file of gaza Israel has failed in its war on Gaza IDF Have killed about 45 children on the basis delivering a msg to hamas that if firing-rockets continued in the future we will do again wt we have done in addition israel wanted from this crime to destruction the reality of the situation on the ground This is Israel's policy Remember Qana and Gaza in both sites israel has bombed civilian targets following to the UN only one day before the cease-fire
29. GAZA UN School
david ,   usa   (01.07.09)
You have a totally perverted sense of morality. Take a lesson from the torah when hashem tells avraham that sarah is correct in evicting yishmael. Rachmanut, like all other midot, has its place but not always and under all circumstances.
30. Shame on You
Aharon ben Yitzhak ,   golus   (01.07.09)
Shame on Uri for writing this drivel and shame on Ynet for publishing it. Why don't you both spare us the breast-beating guilt cries at least until the Jewish soldiers have finished their job and are out of danger. Your remarks and publication are treasonous. Furthermore war is not microsurgery. There will always be collateral damage and even friendly fire deaths. This war is 100% justified and hamas has to be destroyed. To make an omelet one must first break the eggs.
Next talkbacks
Back to article