Israel, US to train Fatah forces
Of course, this is nothing new. But for some reason people seem to think its a big conspiracy when its not.
US and Israeli loyalities to either side change quicker than a teenager's hormone-afflicted crushes. Remember how once, they were funding Hamas? and then Fatah. And then Fatah cum Arafat were bad bad bad. That was in 2000. Now they are teh good guys again.
So anyway, according to today's Haaretz, Israel has agreed to "extensive training of members of the Presidential Guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in areas near Jericho, in the Jordan Valley".
The article goes on to state that this request was made through the Americans and that Israel agreed to the transfer of thousands of rifles and ammunition to Abbas' Presidential Guard.
So yes, there is something far more sinister occurring.
posted by Laila @ Thursday, May 24, 2007
4 Comments:
Hi Laila
I'm puzzled by this post. You start out by saying that the training is not a "big conspiracy". Then you remind readers that there is a history of changing loyalties (although to be fair, is it a wonder that Israel will support the side that is less virulent and uncompromising in their destruction?) But finally you end your post saying that it is something far more "sinister" [than a conspiracy]. So what it? Don't be so coy. Come out with it.
Respectfully,
Arnie in NYC
Nice metaphorical allusion on the loyalties, Laila!
Dear Laila,
I do not know how you have the patience to post messages like Arnie's from NYC. He is obviously a loyal reader, which makes one wonder why he would bother to give your blog so much attention if as his messages imply you are simply a loonie. My guess is the reason is as simple as "the truth hurts" - and his conscience is giving him a little bit of indigestion which translates into the retch he spits out.
Well, Arnie, I also belong to Laila's asylum (even though I am blessed not to know the inside of its walls) so let me say a few loonacies to you myself. You ask "is it a wonder that Israel will support the side that is less virulent and uncompromising in their destruction". In response to this pondering of yours, I'd like you to read this exerpt from professor Finkelstein's "An Introduction to the Israel-Palestine Conflict", you can find the full text on his website if you are interested. PAY CLOSE attention to the SOURCES he sites, and check them out for yourself if you won't believe your eyes. Now let me ask you, who is "virulent and uncompromising in their destruction"? More so, is this SINISTER enough for you?
"To be sure, Ehud Barak did disapprove of Operation Defensive Shield. Sharon, he scolded, should have acted "more forcefully." In the meantime, dismissing criticism of Israeli atrocities as driven by anti-Semitism, Holocaust Industry CEO Elie Wiesel lent unconditional support to Israel - "Israel didn't do anything except it reacted.... Whatever Israel has done is the only thing that Israel could have done…. I don't think Israel is violating the human rights charter.… War has its own rules" - and went on to stress the "great pain and anguish" endured by Israeli soldiers as they did what "they have to do." Boasting that he "left them a football stadium," one of Wiesel's agonized Israeli soldiers operating a bulldozer in Jenin later recounted in an interview: "I wanted to destroy everything. I begged the officers…to let me knock it all down, from top to bottom. To level everything…. For three days, I just destroyed and destroyed…. I found joy with every house that came down, because I knew that they didn't mind dying, but they cared for their homes. If you knocked down a house, you buried 40 or 50 people for generations. If I am sorry for anything, it is for not tearing the whole camp down.…I had plenty of satisfaction. I really enjoyed it." A B'Tselem investigation found that, typically, "in the Ministry of Education, not only was the computer network taken, so were overhead projectors and video players. Other equipment, including televisions and file cabinets full of records, such as student transcripts, were simply destroyed…. Hard disks were taken from civil society organizations that had invested years of work and millions of dollars to compile this material." "It was simply unbelievable," one young Israeli conscript recalled, "people simply made an effort to both destroy and rob…. The sergeant major would bring a truck and load up. It was done openly." "The total picture," B'Tselem concluded, "is one of a vengeful assault on all symbols of Palestinian society and Palestinian identity. This is combined with what can only be described as hooliganism: the result of thousands of teenage boys and young men in uniform allowed to run wild in Palestinian cities with no accountability for their actions." Haaretz reported that Israeli soldiers occupying Ramallah "destroyed children's paintings" in the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, and "urinated and defecated everywhere" in the building, even "managing to defecate into a photocopier" - no doubt with "great pain and anguish." (51)
And the sources:
51. "Camp David and After: An Exchange - An Interview with Ehud Barak," in New York Review of Books (13 June 2002) (Barak). For Wiesel, see Megan Goldin, Reuters (11 April 2002), Greer Fay Cushman, "Wiesel: World doesn't understand threat of suicide bombers," in Jerusalem Post (12 April 2002), CNN (14 April 2002), Caroline B. Glick, "We must not let the hater define us," in Jerusalem Post (19 April 2002), Elie Wiesel interview with Gabe Pressman on "News Forum" (21 April 2002). Tsadok Yeheskeli, "I made them a stadium in the middle of the camp," in Yediot Aharanot (31 May 2002). Montell, "Operation Defensive Shield" (B'Tselem). Amira Hass, "Someone even managed to defecate into the photocopier," in Haaretz (6 May 2002).
Salam Laila
I don't think about the links between Hamas and Israel, to say, it's not conspiracy, how we would describe it?
Fatah refuse from the beginning the victory of Hamas in legislative election, however Hamas has a program completly different from the schedule of Mr Abbas, I'm sorry we can't speak about civil war in Palestine, we see a very dangerous quarrel but it's not a civil war, a quarrel is between Palestinian elite, for this reason I'm optimist, soon or later dialog is the unique issue.
Post a Comment
<< Home