Opinion
Switch on the lights
Ariella Ringel Hoffman
Published: 06.09.07, 07:20
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35 Talkbacks for this article
1. In your dreams....
Josh   (09.06.07)
Does this writter really think an agreement will do it? "let's think what we haven't yet done to the million-and-a-half residents there "...how about Torahs solution, removing them from the land?
2. Is this satire?
ANiceFellow   (09.06.07)
Seriously. Is this a satire of the cowardly, morally bankrupt, intellectually depraved, and suicidal ultra-left in Israel? If so, it is a great piece!
3. #2 - sorry this is probably not Satire
Eric ,   Tel Aviv   (09.06.07)
This is unfortunately the actual opinion of those who want to have peace, even at the expense of Israel's very existence.
4. should we have negotiated with Pharoah, too?
Moses Rabenu   (09.06.07)
5. Switch on your brain
Yoav Naor ,   Haifa Israel   (09.06.07)
6. So what should be done to protect Sderot?
Robert Tilden   (09.06.07)
Poopooing other plans is not constructive. I fail to see what the writer would do that would work. Personaly I think we left Gaza and its time Gaza ends all contact with Israel. Israel shouldnt even let the UN go though Ben Gurion if their final destination is Gaza. Let the Egyptians deal with Gaza. The Palestinians can drink their own filth and light fires with stucks. A total blocade including everything. I wouldnt accept anything from Gaza even if it is the severed head of Haniya, lynched. We should wash our hands from them.
7. Hamas wants Israel to Die, or hadn't you noticed?
dan ,   San Jose USA   (09.06.07)
They voted for Hamas, so cut off their power and water. In the end, it will the kindest thing for them as well as Israel.
8. Talking and deals have NEVER worked either.
Fedup ,   Israel   (09.06.07)
They don't wanna talk. They don't want any deals accept deals that are unfairly stacked in their favor. We have no partners in Gaza. Only blood lovers, who are committed to our destruction. Dove talk is naive.
9. What a stupid leftie article
freejay ,   Israel   (09.06.07)
You cant compare Gazza to Lebanon....thats ridiculous. Completely different terrain and Gazza is only a small enclosed flat area....Lebanon is hilly with lots of cover......complete opposite! Look at a map and see how small Gazza actually is. A 10 year truce is your answer? hahahahahaha, what a joke......why do lefties want to give all our enemies time to build up their arsenals? That doesnt make sense! This plan is suicidal from the start.
10. Ariella: Did they offer you a $2M yacht to start your exile?
Lemmings Hotline ,   sd usa   (09.06.07)
Because thats the only deal you will get out Hamas.
11. Delusional leftists show severe symptoms of Oslo syndrome:
Uzi ,   Haifa   (09.06.07)
They behave as if they themselves, Israel and maybe the US determine what happens in the Middle East. Feeling besieged they are unaware of "possession is nine tenths of the law" and that it's rather the Arabs who should come forward and spell out what they offer Israel in return for what they want. Delusional leftists also don't get it that in this case "land for peace" is both immoral and unworkable. The Arabs had used the 'territories' to threaten, pester and attack Israel before we took these territories in self defence. The Arabs consistently and persistently demonstrate that they don't want, can't make and won't maintain real peace. The Arabs continue to plan, prepare and perpetrate genocide against Israel. Delusional leftists can't see that it would be suicidal to concede anything in response to aggressive threats and action. The delusional leftists must realize that it's rather the Arabs who should offer, accept and be convincingly satisfied with 'painful' territorial compromises.
12. Workable plan for painless end to Israeli occupation:
Uzi ,   Haifa   (09.06.07)
Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah in Judea and Samaria, or even help Hamas to do so, in order to make it easier to abolish the PA and wipe it off the world map and consciousness. It will also open the way for the Kingdom of Jordan to take charge as the only viable nation state of all the Arabs of Greater Palestine. Having got rid of the PA, Israel and Jordan should agree on the border between them in Judea and Samaria and maybe cede Gaza to Egypt that would sort it out quite smartly. Everybody, Jews and Arabs, should continue to live in peace where they are and nobody should move from their homes or land. Israelis who would thus become residents of the Kingdom of Jordan should be given rights and conditions like the Arabs in Israel.
13. In a perverse way, she may be right
Sidney ,   USA   (09.06.07)
When Hamas is allowed to bring in rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv and Haifa, the elites who control the country and regard the people of Sderot as expendable may get serious about defense.
14. Ariella, time to get that brain defect of yours checked!
Erin ,   TA   (09.06.07)
15. Cutting off electricity and water is not enough
Larry ,   Eastbourne, UK   (09.06.07)
Israel was supposed to have "disengaged" from Gaza. To my mind this means that not only should Israel cease to supply water, electricity etc to Gaza but should no longer be the conduit for any goods whatsoever. The border crossings should be closed and there should be no movement of either goods or people between Israel and Gaza. Why does Israel continue to allow a terrorist entity to exploit its goodwill? If Palestinians in Gaza decided that they wanted peace rather than to continue terrorism, then obviously the situation would be different. At present Israel is putting no pressure on the Palestinians to renounce terrorism. Cutting off all supplies is my preferred route before sacrificing the lives of hundreds of soldiers in what would be an extremely dangerous invasion of Gaza.
16. stupidity 101
Hilda ,   US   (09.06.07)
If this is a course in college it should be ttitled Stupidity 101. You don't deal with evil by appesement. I guess Arielle would go beg that monster in Iran not to eliminate Israel he is desperately trying to bring about. Just as one rids the garden of weeds by pulling themout or poisoning the roots, one should eliminate evil not by coddling it but by routing it out.
17. switch on the lights
khader herzallah ,   amman-jordan   (09.06.07)
I endorse almost every thing in Ariella Hoffman article,it is balanced, rational and realistic.You can never achieve peace by continuously oppressing the palestinians by all hurting measures,They are human beings,their insincts will come on surface when you hurt them.You see the images of the frightened israeli children when a Qassam hits Sderot do you think the images of the Pals children is different when they are hit by an IDF?Thinking human and peace loving is the solution.Live and let your neighbour live as well .Olmert and Abbas or Haniyah are vanishing but the future is our and your children.Lets work together for their wellbeing.
18. Fairness??
Bob ,   Poland   (09.06.07)
The Palestinians are so helpless by these killings and fire a home missile into it's use-to-own country killing no-one, the Israeli troops come back and kill so called 'militants'. This excessive use of force is not buying Israel Intl. support.
19. SHUT OF POWER AND WATER, IT WORKED IN LEBANON SO WHY NOT?
David ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (09.06.07)
The author is a poor excuse for a human. What, to give your enemy that seeks to destroy you? No one in their right mind has ever done that.
20. Another Suicidal Idea
OS ,   Israel   (09.06.07)
How much more inventive can the leftists be in their desire for national suicide. Ariella - you have no idea with whom you are dealing, how they think, how they function - they do not respect any of these so called humanitarian, balanced, logical moves. The Arab's interpretation of the "disengagement" is that they won and that we left with our tail between our legs. They value only strength and in their eyes any type of compromise is weakness. Past experience shows us that any promises they make and any agreements that they sign are worthless - so why put ourselves at risk? And no - a ground military operation is not the way to go since it is not worth the risk to our soldiers. We need to hit them where it hurts - so if turning off the electricity will do it - then turn it off - same with water, gas, fuel - after all you all wanted to disengage - so do it already. And if none of this works - then do what any other country in the world would have done right away when its citizens are attacked - get the planes in the air and bomb the **** out of them and then leave a huge swath of land that is totally clear so that the kassam launchers can't set up shop. So - Ariella and all the other leftists - wake up and smell the coffee - before we are left with no place to sit and drink that coffee.
21. Ariella
benateed ,   nahariya   (09.06.07)
This was too stupid to even qualify as a leftist ideas. it rnks with the womn who suggeted that we let the terrorists kill a few Jews just to make things look more fair. And what does this say about ynet's english editor. He/she strikes me often as some peace now fool.
22. so why not an all-out attack targetting hamas leadership?
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (09.06.07)
israel hasn't tried to obliterate all hamas, etc property and leadership, which avoids any so-called "collective punishment" of the gaza population and punishes the undisputed terrorists severely. until this is at least tried, the rest is a waste of time.
23. Government of Gaza responsible for services to Gaza
marilyn   (09.07.07)
for Gaza to be dependent on Israel for supplies of water and electricity, means these are services provided to a population, by another. This is madness how can there be true independence as an independent country.? Obviously the role of Government is not understood. Governmnts are servants of God ministering to people, with services . If however people receive such services there has to be a mutual respect and obedience to the authority, [ up to a point, for every goverment is responsible to god] now you have a hostile neighbor that is bent on your destruction, well let their elected government provide the services.Israel Government is responsible to ministering to Israelite citizens, no one else.
24. leftis'm is a mental disorder
chaim schonbrun ,   brooklyn n.y   (09.07.07)
if you ever needed proof,that leftis'm is nothing but a mental disease, this article proves it hey ariella' you belong in the olmert cabinet,together with that criminaly insane,traitorous pathetic incompotent fool,pretending to be prime minister
25. The definition of the author's "HOWEVER"
Brooke   (09.07.07)
First there is the sympathetic statement by the author, "The images of frightened children in Sderot are indeed heartbreaking, and what is happening there is unbearable. HOWEVER" blah blah blah. The HOWEVER really means, forget about what I just said what I really mean is the following statements. All of them suicidal for Israeli and empowering and corrupt for hamas.... If you give hamas a "hudna"-- truce--this will only serve to make them stronger, collect more deadly means to terrorize and murder Israelis---and that is according to them. Today we found out --SURPRISE---fatah is training the hamas with their newly acquired US training skills. When will you bleeding hearts really bleed for Israel and believe them when the arabs say they will not rest until they drive every Jew into the sea? Look at their actions and not their lying words. They have never lived up to one sentence in any agreement with Israel---ever. So why is your solution suddenly going to work when any peace overtures to the murderous "palis" has never succeeded and only served to kill more Jews and embolden their plan to believe all of Israel is in their grasp? Please answer this question---what is different NOW? What makes you think they will wait the entire 10 years and not strike once before the expiry date?. This truly is the definition of insanity=doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. You are part of the problem not the solution. Now www.jerusalemsummit.org is the SOLUTION.
26. to #17 & #18 Ever hear of moral relativism?
Brooke   (09.07.07)
As usual, the moral relativists MISS the obvious point---but that satisfies them, otherwise how can they make their ridiculous statements equating the terror that comes out of Gaza is equally wrong to a nation's right toself-defense . Israel, by the way is no longer in Gaza. Yet all that Israel has ever received from the "poor palis" is rocket fire, suicide bombings and insanity. Why, "occupation" is no longer an excuse! We left and yet they continue to shoot rockets--at daycare centres as "gifts to the children on their first day of school" !! How do you square that up? If they left us alone, we would be thrilled to never see them or hear from them again. Prior to the intifada, the "palis" had the highest wages, good health and education in all of the arab countries due to their interactions with Israel. BTW, while Jordan and Egypt occupied them, they didn't care---they never referred to themselves as "palestinians" being occupied by Jordan & Egypt!! These lands belong to the Jewish people who can trace their history thousands of years back. That is why the arab waqf is destroying the Jewish Temple artifacts this very minute and not allowing any media or archeologists to the site. Lying that Israel has no historical roots here. But I am sure this is all irrelevant---what do the facts have to do with moral bankruptcy. You guys bring your children and family to Sderot and then we'll see if you understand the concept of self defense and the ridiculousness of appeasement to a group who would only rest after they kill you and steal your country. Mr Poland, would you have told a Jew in a concentration camp who would strangle a nazi guard that his response is too strong and he should beware because people will not respect the Jews. Nothing the Jews do ever satisfies the moral relativists---why do we not hear the indignation from countries who said everything ould be fine if only Israel left Gaza? Where is their moral outrage that hamas is trying to kill as many Jews, but for lack of their technology, they can't---where is the outrage that rockets keep falling without any provocation from Israel? Why don't you write talkbacks on their sites? Oh right---they would try to kill you too if they could find you.
27. to hilda ,usa
hana ,   jerusalem   (09.07.07)
when evil asked god to live forever and has generations .god said yes you will be forever ... god can eleminate the evil ,, but sure god create us .. gave us mindes which can used it against the evil decisions .. hilda sure we are not gods but we obey his rule .. hilda we do not know the evil as god know so how to eleminate the one you do not trust it as an evil .. may be israil the evil ,the palastinians want to eleminate .. hilda let us obey god rule to negotiate as people not evil and not evil
28. brook
bakiza ,   jerusalem   (09.07.07)
i raed your post /sure it is not my openion in evry word // may be you are right ,may be you are wrong .. but i see you speake about the people if they are jews or arabs or nazi as if the generation stop on one point . as if there are no continued generatinns .as if there are no dead and new life as if that the man do not live only 70 years ,and as if the one is responsible for the history of the grandfathers and the coming generations // it is my point .that i think it is right
29. to #18 Your definition of fairness is really srewed up
Brooke   (09.07.07)
IF you can believe anything the hamas report, Bob, and if it is true that a kid has been killed-( they have fabricated stories like that with Mohammed Dura who was never killed and they claimed he was and refused to allow an investigation), -it is ONLY because the hamas paid the kid a few bucks to be the missile laucher, knowing full well that the world would be outraged, like you.if he should get killed by defnsive moves from the IDF in DEFENDING Israel. Instead of the true story of outrage that hamas has so little regard for their peoples' lives that they hide among their civillians, deliberately send kids to their death and shoot at only Israeli civillians---babies in day care centres. Why is that not fair to you? Because the palis do not YET have rockets that can kill Jews more often and accurately. Will it then be fair to you---more dead Jews. Is that what you think the world will then respect Israel? Is that what bothers you? Not enough dead Jews--Jews capable of protecting themselves against terrorism? Your moral equalization is actually morally bankrupt. How do you not see hamas has started the rocket fights--for no reason at all---Israel is not in Gaza--and you have a problem with Israel defending herself and her children--while the palis use their kids as human bombs and rocket launchers and propaganda tools so the Bobs of the worlds will get upset with Israel's "disproportiante response"? There is NO disproportinate response when people try to kill you--for no reason at all and want to steal your land and deny your right to exist---that is the hamas charter--and the PA's. Any comments about fairness with this? Search your soul--it is clearly lacking a conscience--or can we safely call this another example of anti-semetism.? Bob, it would be great if Russia --for NO REASON--starts lo lob rockets at your home and your children are terrorized and your property damaged and your neighbor murdered--and outraged people tell you to not defend your family. What would you do Bob?????
30. Is Ms. Hoffman historically learning-disabled
Roscio ,   Rome, Italy   (09.07.07)
Did she learn nothing from Oslo? The withdrawal from Lebanon? Gaza? Each "deal" brought only much more terrorism and more dead Jews. Hamas are NOT political nationalists, they are fanatic Islamofascists. It is in their OFFICIAL CHARTER that their two goals are the complete destruction of Israel and the BUTCHERING of every Jew in the world. Ms. Hoffman, if you like, take a nice ride into Gaza wearing a nice Star of David, and see how they deal with you - a Jewish woman. While you are at it, please take along with you the Olmert regime, Danny Rubenstein, and Peace Now. The only peace that the terrorists want to give you is the peace of Auschwitz. WHAT PART OF THIS DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?
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