[Closed] Would Nuking Israel Solve the Problems in the Middle East

If the root of all evil - religion - could somehow be eliminated, that would be a way forward.

um no imho

A root of evil perhaps. Not the root of [i]all[/i] evil.

More fizzy drinks, that's what the miggle east needs.

isreal+money+ U.S.A=POWER=freedom to rule the middle east 😀

No. Don't be silly. Get back under your bridge.

Wondered how long it would take someone to shout troll. My point is that if mot other countries pulled the stunts that Israel do they would be bombed to **** in two seconds flat. World is ruled by a shower of asshats.

No.

The remaining states would find something to wave swords at each other about.

No - but bombing certain Israeli/American banks would do the world an enourmous favour.

[i]"Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear" [/i]

I shall need some pretty good proof of this. I find the idea of Israeli commandos having itchy trigger fingers more plausible (although people who worry about Palestine may be very different in Turkey from how they are here).

In the late 19th century, the zionists of Vienna sent representatives to Palestine to investigate whether it would be possible to (re)establish a Jewish national homeland there. They concluded that it was not, as there were a lot of people living there who were not Jews.

If this astute observation had had more influence over the Zionist movement in subsequent years we would not be where we are now. But we are. "Nuking" them is not now a solution.

I absolutely don't sympathise with Israeli behaviour on this or on a whole range of other things, but I think we don't understand how the world looks from there, even to reasonably sane moderate people. They established a state in the very recent past by a massive effort of self-organisation and ruthless ethnic violence and rather amazingly have managed to hold and consolidate it steadily ever since in the face of substantial opposition.

Gaza is run by armed islamist lunatics who, given half a chance, kill Israelis. The fact that they do that largely because they come from a 50-year-old population of displaced refugees now numbering 1.2million living in a bombed-out city the size of the Isle of Wight is the sort of fact that looks more obvious and interesting from further away, and the idea that they would stop if Israel stopped blockading them is not very obvious. What on earth Israeli policy-makers think the end-game for Gaza is I dread to imagine.

That story is mental - I agree though with OP that if this was any other country there would be UN sanctions.

The flotilla was in International waters the Israelis attacked the ships using drones.

Can you imagine living in Gaza and not feeling angry, they lived there for generations and because another religious group say its their land they get locked up in what is nothing more than a large jail, no water, food, electricity cuts, no jobs. Do you blame them feeling aggressive?

What on earth Israeli policy-makers think the end-game for Gaza is I dread to imagine.

I thought I had been hardened by what Israel has done over the years, but this has truly shocked me - I really did think that there was nothing Israel could do to stop the humanitarian aid convey.

But obviously I hadn't figured just what a murdering bunch of bastards they really are ...... who clearly don't give a **** what the rest of the world thinks.

And I like this : "[i]The European Union has called for an inquiry to establish what happened.[/i]" .......[b]FFS[/b]. As the OP suggests, would they be calling for a enquiry if it was Iran ?

We don't need a "do absolutely nothing" ****ing enquiry. We know that the Israelis are war criminals who will even attack civilians sheltering in UN compounds with chemical weapons. We need extensive sanctions and the complete isolation of the racist state. We need the US to stop propping it up. And we need to carry this on until it brings about it's collapse, and a democratic non-racist secular Palestine can be established.

The UN created this monster, in response to the crimes committed by the Germans - now the UN has a clear responsibility to right the wrong.

All of you saying if it was any other country are talking twaddle. Yep there might be a few pointless sanctions but no action. Anyone forgetting that another state recently torpedoed another sovereign nation's warship (makes what the Isrealis have done look like a school yard fight). There's plenty of other examples of countries going postal on their neighbours without anyone else doing anything.

And no nuking them would just end up with us all dead. Best thing to do is to withdraw a lot of support and let the region grow up. Europe forgets that it's only been 65 years since our last really big fight and it took two world wars before we realised we couldn't keep behaving like pricks and had to sit down and live with each other.

Israel/the Jews have served as massive stabilising factor in the Middle east, since they have unified the arab populations in a shared goal and target for their hatred.

If you removed them from the equation, it would be simply a matter of time before the region broke down into internecine tribal warfare between arabs, whether over land, resources or honour.

The middle east needs Marmite. There's no yeast in unleavened bread (which is pretty prevalent), and that results in a lack of zinc, which apparently makes people more aggressive. Send them some marmite and they'll be right as rain.

yes

At the risk of feeding the troll:

we need to carry this on until it brings about it's collapse, and a democratic non-racist secular Palestine can be established.

The UN created this monster, in response to the crimes committed by the Germans - now the UN has a clear responsibility to right the wrong.

The second paragraph blames the creation of the State of Israel on external forces i.e. the UN. This is fiction: the Israelis themselves created Israel on the ground in the vacuum left by the Brits pissing off back to Europe. Recognition by others came after the fait accompli (and in that there is a lesson about why foreigners' huffing and puffing is largely irrelevant in IsPal politics).

And yet the first paragraph advocates a solution (a single secular state that both peoples are able to live in) that practically no Israelis or Palestinians want and would entirely be a creation of external forces! At least, I assume you're saying the Israelis should be allowed to live there - you don't mention it specifically. Maybe you have another solution in mind...

All of you saying if it was any other country are talking twaddle. Yep there might be a few pointless sanctions but no action.

You really are talking bollox. The vicious crippling sanctions against Iraq were hardly "a few pointless sanctions but no action". The sanctions against Iran for allegedly wanting to develop nuclear weapons are hardly "a few pointless sanctions but no action"......of course no sanctions at all against Israel for [i]actually[/i] having nuclear weapons - just massive aid instead.

I didn't hear the whole story on the news but it seemed to be along the lines of "Israelie commandos stormed a relief convoy in international waters and someone on one of the boats dared to pull a knife"

They seem to be untouchable, with friends & bankers in very high places.

Perhaps we should unify against Israel with an international boycott on Jaffa cakes?

that practically no Israelis or Palestinians want and would entirely be a creation of external forces! At least, I assume you're saying the Israelis should be allowed to live there

Nonsense. The Palestinians would perfectly happy to have a secular state if they could have their land back. And no, I see no place for American, British, French, whatever, Zionists in Palestine. They can get off the stolen lands and return to their countries - there is no persecution of Jews in the US, Britain, France, etc. Why for example, is Dame Shirley Porter heiress to Tesco, living on land taken from the Palestinians - was she being persecuted in her home country ffs ?

And it's a sad day indeed, when you are accused of being a "troll" for speaking in support of justice for the Palestinian people. Are you a Zionist konabunny ?

.

EDIT : Actually konabunny, don't bother answering that, you are obviously a Zionist by this comment : [i]"Israelis themselves created Israel on the ground in the vacuum left by the Brits pissing off back to Europe"[/i]

The claim that it was was no ones land and no one was living there, is a classic Zionist myth (that's why millions of Palestinians are crammed into the tiny Gaza Strip making it the most densely populated place on earth). As is, that they themselves, created Israel on the Promised Land.

Wouldn't have happened if they'd taken up the several not so subtle hints first and turned back. Or not decided to try and fight off a highly trained bunch of commandos and generally got on the wrong side of the wrong people.
When will you anti semites wake up to reality? Isreal will happily leave palestine alone if they don't keep acting the fool.
You don't poke a bear with a sharp stick and expect to get away with it.

Obi_Twa - Member
Wondered how long it would take someone to shout troll. My point is that if mot other countries pulled the stunts that Israel do they would be bombed to **** in two seconds flat. World is ruled by a shower of asshats.

If you're not a troll, then you're not clearly blinkered. Do you not watch the news?

They can get off the stolen lands and return to their countries -

Surely the lands were rightfully and reasonably won in the 1948 war of independence?

To the victor, the spoils!

Where do you draw the line? - should Americans all retreat across the Texan border because it was "stolen" from Mexico?

Ironically it 48 years today since Israel executed Adolf Eichmann who had similar thoughts.

Surely the lands were rightfully and reasonably won in the 1948 war of independence?

To the victor, the spoils!

Where do you draw the line? - should Americans all retreat across the Texan border because it was "stolen" from Mexico?

So if american support was withdrawn, and the Arab nations wiped Isreal from the map, would that be right? to the winner the spoils!

and not really a war of independence, more an invasion and land grab.

Like I say MSP - just where do you draw the line?

I think most people would say that you accept the status quo, whatever wrongs have happened in the past, and move on - saying that somewhere was "stolen" so should be returned only serves to open up a pandoras box of claims and counterclaims worldwide.

edit - and regards the "invasion and land grab" - the outline for a "jewish homeland" was set out in the Balfoour declaration of 1917 and and accepted by the league of nations (forerunner to the UN) in 1922 - a long time before the 1948 war when arab nations tried and failed to "wipe israel off the map".

Dear Sir or Madam,

You have made a post that dares to criticize Israel. As you know, this makes you an anti-semite.

I would like to point out the following facts that are relevant to the discussion:

[x] 6 million Jews died in the holocaust.

[x] You are an anti semite.

[ ] Israel made the desert bloom and we have beautiful beaches.

[ ] The Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years.

[x] All arabs want to push the Jews into the sea.

[x] Israel is a shining example of democracy and ethnic discrimination does not exist.

[x] Suicide bombers are killing Israeli citizens and collective punishment will put a stop to this eventually.

[x] The IDF are showing remarkable restraint; They have the power to nuke the entire region but choose not to.

[x] It is the fault of the Palestinians that they don't rebuild infrastructure fast enough after we bomb it.

[x] Arafat walked out on camp David, proving that 100% of Palestinians want war, not peace.

[ ] The Jews are God's chosen people and this is the land that was promised to us by a book.

[ ] It is not a genocide until hundreds of thousands of Palestinans are killed and we aren't even close to that yet.

[x] 100% of Palestinians are terrorists.

[ ] The Arabs drove the Jews from their homeland thousands of years ago so it is about time for some payback.

[ ] Israel has killed fewer people than Iran or Iraq which means we are a peaceful state.

[ ] Carpet bombing an entire country is a perfectly rational response to the kidnapping of a soldier.

[x] It's not a concentration camp, it's a safety wall!

Therefore, your claim of [Israel attacking a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters] is false and we should continue to send money and military support to Israel.

Yours sincerely,

AIPAC

the entire region needs to be disarmed and then they can go back to throwing sand at each other. imho Israel are covered in the tar they paint everyone else with. I'll bring the feathers.

lol at DrJ's post! 😀

IMO The middle east has largely been screwed up in the west’s support of many despotic regimes, Iran, Libya and Iraq had massive western support before they turned sour (turned sour from our point of view, it was already pretty sour but for a small minority in those countries).
Those countries are not so dissimilar to the regimes currently in operation in Saudi and other countries in the region, which still have massive western support despite atrocious human rights records.
Israel is part of the problem of the region, and the calling cry for the religious fundamentalists recruiting from the disenfranchised, but the large group of disenfranchised have been created through many mistakes in the region.

the arab countries in the area aren't big fans of the palestinians.

if you killed all the people in israel (ironic solution OP!), syria, jordan and egypt would be scrapping over the territory - there wouldn't be a palestinian state.

So does this count as terrorism or piracy?

Actually konabunny, don't bother answering that...

You're accused of being a troll because the vast majority of your posts in your various identities are designed to produce more heat than light. Too bad this forum doesn't have an "ignore" function.

Cheerio!

Far too many people have been and are suffering in the area. Peace is the only solution. Until this is accepted on all sides the suffering and killing will continue.

Sadly I can't see peace in the region while Netanyahu, and some party members are in power and powerful. Netanyahu has not shown any real interest in a compromise to peace and tends to fabricate reality to fit into his prejudiced and rather insane judgements and ideas.
USA dropping support is a good step but they need to stand by what they say and get tough when necessary.

TheFunkyMonkey - Member
Wouldn't have happened if they'd taken up the several not so subtle hints first and turned back. Or not decided to try and fight off a highly trained bunch of commandos and generally got on the wrong side of the wrong people.
When will you [b]anti semites[/b] wake up to reality? Isreal will happily leave palestine alone if they don't keep acting the fool.
You don't poke a bear with a sharp stick and expect to get away with it.

Wouldn't have happened if they'd taken up the several not so subtle hints first and turned back. Or not decided to try and fight off a highly trained bunch of commandos and generally got on the wrong side of the wrong people.
When will you anti semites wake up to reality? Isreal will happily leave palestine alone if they don't keep acting the fool.
You don't poke a bear with a sharp stick and expect to get away with it.

I'm assuming this post is satire because you can't possibly be serious.

You don't poke a bear with a sharp stick and expect to get away with it.

FMonkey

have you ever been to Israel?

or do your 'opinions' just come from the Jewish chronicle

konabunny - Member

the vast majority of your posts in your various identities are designed to produce more heat than light. Too bad this forum doesn't have an "ignore" function.

In my "various identities" ? It's something which you keep banging on about - isn't it konabunny ? How appropriate that a Zionist should have irrational suspicions and be some sort of conspiracy theorist.

But no, wait........I can't deny it anymore - you are clearly far too clever for me. Your cunning perception has exposed my little game of trickery......yes mate, I'll put my hand up and admit it - I'm also ton, Stoner, and Aracer on here. And I would have got away with it, if it hadn't been for that razor sharp mind of yours..........you pesky genius you 😐

And btw here's a TopTip.......deal with the lack of an "ignore" function on here, by, well, [i]"ignoring"[/i] my posts 💡

Presumably you are able to overcome the overwhelming urge to read them.

I've read the BBC article first then come on STW to see if it had got a mention 🙄

I've skim-read most of the posts as I'm angry and haven't got time to read them fully yet.

Nuking is not the answer but a wholesale shift from 'favoured (ie. can do no wrong) state' to 'pariah state' akin to North Korea (but not Iran, what have they ever done to anybody?) is now needed immediately.

This move might even calm down/irritate less/take the wind out of the sails of (dare I even say appease) Islamic fundamentalist militants...

Headfirst; I have a lot of sympathy for Iran,however part of that is removed by the fact that their nuclear programme is aimed in part to the removal of Israel. "You will learn of our nuclear capabilities when the room temprature in Tel Aviv goes up to 20,000c" is a direct quote.

ducky: hadn't heard that quote!! Iran is still a pussycat compared to Israel though.

Iran's much worse than Israel in intent IMO, just that Israel has far greater capacity to act on its malignance. I find it useful to not have to pick sides, when it's clear that both participants are irredeemable c***s.

if you had terrorists coming on to your land and blowing up buses, shopping centres etc killing innocent women and children just like the ****ing ira used to do over here i bet you'd be pissed off enough to do something about it, i hope i never get that knock at the door telling me my family has been murdered by a chicken shit terrorist **** who doesn't have the balls to attack a legitimate military target, and why is it that so many tossers always blame the isrealis for going to far when then the arabs nearly always start the trouble, if you can't do the time don't do the crime.

If you nuke Israel and kill my family, I may well kill you.

Thanks.

if you had terrorists coming on to your land and blowing up buses, shopping centres etc killing innocent women and children just like the **** ira used to do ............blah, blah, blah, blah,

Yeah of course, because an unarmed humanitarian aid flotilla is exactly that.

Tosser.

what goes around comes around! you dick

MMB clearly you have no knowledge or understanding of the situation you are referring to. Check out the number of 'soft target' Palestinians and Arabs killed by the Israelis against the numer of Israelis killed in terrorist attacks. Check the population density and per capita income of places like Gaza. Is a humanitarian convoy a legitimate military target? Much better to find out and think before engaging in a poorly expressed amd misspelt diatribe.

mmb, how about reading it as israel invaded Palestine displacing the population treating them as second class citizens. Wouldn't you be pissed off and want to get your land back.

It works both ways.

As for killing cilvilians might i bring your attention to Hiroshima, Coventry, Dresden, I would suggest the killing of civilians for political gain is a well accepted method of warfare. Over the years the actions of Mosad haven't been exactly in accordance with the geneva convention. I am not saying Hamas are innocent, they have as much blood on their hands as Israel.

The big difference is money, israel has it the palestians don't, on that basis how do you expect the palestians to fight, in a pitched battle? no general would be that stupid. Look at what you have and fight to your strengths.

I hear they may have had some metal bars on the boats. Bloody trouble makers. 🙄

mmb - Member

what goes around comes around! you dick

So you are suggesting that the Palestinians in Gaza kill a few Israelis in retaliation then ?

Well don't start complaining if it happens then.

It should also be remembered that these were ships in international waters, if they had been in israeli waters boarding a ship would be a reasonable action if the israelis had concerns. I would suggest that the israeli navy could have forced those ships into international waters, or into harbour with moderate force, and no need to board if they had wanted to.

To do it under the cover of darkness in international waters strikes me as a deliberate act of aggression, I would suggest Israel went into this in the knowledge that what has happened would have happened. I would also suggest that israel doesn't give a damn and believes that their bankers will support them.

I'm a supporter of the Jews.
But this act is not worthy of them.

just because the isrealis are better at it doesn't make them wrong does it, just think about for a minute, i don't hit the guy next door because he's bigger and i'll get flattened as a result common sense really and if the arabs excercised a little we wouldn't be having this discussion it only takes a few brain cells to stay away from the guy with a bigger stick and if they were left alone in the first place they would have no need to take such extreme action' yes it is a very bad thing that they have done as they have on many occasions but no worse than they have ever had done to them! murder of innocents is wrong no matter who does it.

if they had been in israeli waters boarding a ship would be a reasonable action

But the ships were going to the Gaza Strip, an area of land which the Israelis, in contradiction to the rest of the world, claim they are not occupying. Why would it be reasonable to board a ship in Gaza Strip waters ?

mmb, to continue your analogy, what if the guy next door decides he wants your garden? 6 days war, or should you say ok just have it?

I'm a supporter of the Jews

It has nothing to do with whether or not you are "a supporter of the Jews".

I oppose the Zionist State as much as I opposed the Apartheid State. But I have never been 'anti-white'.

ernie, i did say if it was in Israeli waters, If the ship did not enter Israeli waters it is an act of piracy. Not disimilar to what the somalis are doing. And a million miles away from the cases in Iranian waters where the Iranians had the decency to claim the ships were in their waters.

it wouldn't be reasonably you're absolutely right, but if i thought someone was planning to kill me or my family i would take whatever action i need to take reasonable or not i'd murder the bastard first to keep my loved ones safe and anyone who disagreed with my actions would simply be told to f****off as long as my loved are safe i wouldn't give a shit what anyone else thought who would under those circumstances. please forgive my slow respones i'm a one finger typist.

mmb, and we arrive at the crux of the problem, Israel is not fully accepted by the countries around them, land, power and water are all problems.

You have a group of kids fighting, everyone saying "he started it", but rather than banging there heads together and telling them to sort it out you have other countries, the USA, repeatedly condoning the actions of Israel making them feel invincible. So israel prevents the reconstruction of Gaza, refuses to accept the various UN resolutions against them. Develops Nuclear weapons, etc.

mmb you should be the israeli's gov's spokesperson. Your moral justification for use of extreme violence is without flaw.

EDIT: 😕 (just in case)

i wish i had a garden! i live in a flat! however you are right people should stand up for themselves and what they believe in but how they're going about it is wrong, the reason isreal took control of the strip in the first place was to try and stem the flow of terrorists just defending they're people is all, granted it didn't work but we managed to work out our differences with the ira when the cease fire had shown good intent from both sides but the isrealis can't be expected to stand back and do nothing until both sides make the effort but the arabs keep kicking off and as long as they do so the isrealis have a right to take action. both sides need to make concessions here.

mmb, you need to look at the whole story, the gaza strip is only part, look at the 6 days war, the Suez crisis, Yom Kippur, Golan heights, the division of the city of Jerusalem, the water of the River Jordan, etc. Each has a part to play, some are arab aggression, some israeli, it is the sum that is where we are now.

But the problem as it is now is that Israel feels invincible it sees no reason to talk, to acknowledge the refugees leaving in the west bank and Gaza have rights to Israeli land.

it wouldn't be reasonably you're absolutely right, but if i thought someone was planning to kill me or my family............

Still banging on trying to suggest that the unarmed humanitarian aid flotilla was on the way to kill people ? ....ffs

[b][i]"i wouldn't give a shit what anyone else thought "[/i][/b]

Yup, that pretty much sums up how the mind of a Zionist works.

Of course Israel however, is totally reliant on outside support.

Alternative headline:

[b]"Nation carries out search of vessels suspected of carrying contraband arms; 10 killed when crew resist with force"[/b]

The international waters issue is irrelevant - sovereign navies have long had the right to board and inspect vessels for illegal/contraband items, or are you telling us that Royal Navy drugs and fishing enforcement activities are illegal acts of piracy?

When you say "alternative headline" do you mean alternative to every headline outside Israel ?

or are you telling us that Royal Navy drugs and fishing enforcement activities are illegal acts of piracy?

So you must pretty upset with your Tory government then ratty ? Because William Hague has deplored the killings and called for an end to the Gaza blockade.

Maybe he thinks Royal Navy activities are illegal acts of piracy too ?

called for an end to the Gaza blockade.

[u]Called for an end to[/u] - he didn't claim it was illegal or a breach of any form of law, he didn't claim it was an act of piracy!

[u]deplores the loss of life[/u] - thats what he said, didn't allege that they were illegal, immoral or unjustified (given that troops acted in self defence after being attacked with knives and iron bars by 'peace activists'), he deplored the fact that lives had been lost!

i'm not saying that they're right in their methods but until a cease fire is agreed isreal retain the right to defend, the whole thing is a bloody mess but how can people always say that the isrealis are always wrong when they'rwe not doing anything worse to their nieghbours than they're neighbours are doing to them, and where exactly are they supposed to go? let's not forget who created isreal in the first place it was the west was it not? and now things are messy we turn our backs and let them stand alone?
ernie lynch, zionist?, stop talking out of your arse man, are you seriously telling me that you'd give a shit what anyone else thought of you're methods if you'd kept your family safe! what exactly would you not do if it came down to it? would you allow them to be murdered because there is only so far you would go.
yes the isrealis have made many mistakes but they have to defend themselves and they've nowhere else to go so what do you suggest, what's your answer to the problem, mine is mediation keep trying to tell both sides that the bloodshed will not stop until they come to an agreement and learn to live in peace as neighbours, you hit me i hit you may not work in all situations but both sides are bad as each other and neither should take anymore blame than the other.

he didn't claim it was illegal

So the UK government is at odds with the UN and is claiming that the blockade is "legal" ? 😯

I don't believe you. Prove that the UK government is contradicting the UN.

mmb - Member

"i don't hit the guy next door because he's bigger and i'll get flattened as a result common sense really and if the arabs excercised a little we wouldn't be having this discussion it only takes a few brain cells to stay away from the guy with a bigger stick and if they were left alone in the first place they would have no need to take such extreme action'"

The guy next door isn't happy to stay there, he's knocked through into your living room and bricked up the door that leads from it into the rest of the house. Also he's cut off the water supply to your bathroom. Still going to stay away from him? Still think it's perfectly reasonable for him to attack you if you take action against him, just because he has the bigger stick? Or would you be happy to "leave him alone" after he's nicked your land and your water?

So the UK government is at odds with the UN and is claiming that the blockade is "legal" ?

Where did I say that Ernie?

I think you'll find I said he [u]didn't claim it was illegal[/u] significantly different things!

Tell you what, even better - you point me to a UN resolution that says the blockade is illegal!

but most of these isreali actions are the result of them trying to find ways of getting rid of the population that just keeps on causing trouble, aren't seiges also an accepted way of war, starve them out kick them out it's all the same thing the only reason the guy next door wants my garden is to stop me throwing bombs over the fence so he pushes me far enough away to stop it,at least that's better then all the death and misery is it not?. and before you say it no that doesn't work either so we come back to the point i have been trying to make, neither are right neither are wrong both sides are as bad as each other so stop having a go at the isrealis just because they are more effective at the same thing.

"the only reason the guy next door wants my garden is to stop me throwing bombs over the fence so he pushes me far enough away to stop it,"

Rubbish. Sticking with the already strained metaphor, he took the bottom of the garden, you threw petrol bombs at him as a result, so now he's completely within his rights to take the rest of the garden to keep you further away?

neither are right neither are wrong both sides are as bad as each other so stop having a go at the isrealis just because they are more effective at the same thing.

Bollocks - Israel is a rich, militarily powerful country - Palestine has been bombed to shit - starved of basic human rights - water, electricity and basic supplies.

Israel has also killed many more civilians than the 'terrorists' of Hamas.

he took the bottom of the garden to push the trouble maker out of range! make it harder for him it didn't work so he took the rest, wrong thing to do granted but that's better than more bombs! why can't you see that both sides are wrong and both are employing tactics that lead to more death.

Hague's full statement:

"??I deplore the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza Flotilla. Our Embassy is in urgent contact with the Israeli Government. We are asking for more information and urgent access to any UK nationals involved.? ?

We have consistently advised against attempting to access Gaza in this way, because of the risks involved. But at the same time, there is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations. It will be important to establish the facts about this incident, and especially whether enough was done to prevent deaths and injuries. ?

This news underlines the need to lift the restrictions on access to Gaza, in line with UNSCR 1860. The closure is unacceptable and counter-productive. There can be no better response from the international community to this tragedy than to achieve urgently a durable resolution to the Gaza crisis.

I call on the Government of Israel to open the crossings to allow unfettered access for aid to Gaza, and address the serious concerns about the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situation and about the effect on a generation of young Palestinians?."

I think this has the potential to be a very bad tempered thread; instead of taking opposite sides, why not think and post positively about how we change things for the better? (without rubbishing the other side)

I know it's not the STW way, nor has it had much impact in the area, but from tiny acorns and all that..