that's really pathetic. G-d doesn't look kindly on those who scorn the jews
Oh Dear. But I thought India/Sri Lanka was a land of religios tolerence.
NOT!
How pathetic.
Everybody in Israel is, by necessity, connected to the military one way or another...
I just got satellite radio and have been listening to Tammy Bruce who has been on a tear about all of this since Monday.
Basically, and I agree with her, most of these Muslim governments are corrupt and hate us yet we go all out to help these people and places but would any of them lift a hand to help us in a similar situation? I think not.
And here we have the total hypocrisy of Sri Lanka not letting the Israel in to help because of concerns of the make up of the rescue team. I just wonder if we should send any help at all.
The sad thing is: probably the only thing the local media will release (and repeat) to the locals is that "Israel isn't here" without explaining exactly WHY they're not there...
You'd think a country as bad off as Sri Lanka is they'd be grateful for any help they could get.
I just lost a tad of sympathy for the countries that have suffered from this tragedy.
My bet is most of the victims would welcome the help from Israel.
better explanations
From the BBC article.
Neither side has officially explained the change of plan, although some reports say the objection came from Sri Lanka's military.
Sri Lanka Ambassador Diffa Digeratna is quoted by Jerusalem Post as saying that the change was due to the "the lack of accommodations in Colombo".
............
and
Israel Forced to Abandon Aid Operation
The Israeli army was forced to abandon plans to send a 150 member team to aid in recovery efforts in Sri Lanka following opposition from the island nation.
The medical delegation – including 60 soldiers – was set to leave today, but Sri Lanka’s army protested at the military composition of the relief team, Israeli security officials said.
Instead, a small team planned to escort 80 tons of equipment, including generators, tents, blankets and mattresses, officials said.
Israel’s army had planned to send medical staff to set up field hospitals, including internal medicine and paediatric clinics,.
About 500 Israelis who were on holiday in countries hit by tidal waves have not yet made contact, said Foreign Ministry director general Ron Prosor.
We've all read about the thousands of islamic "charities". I'm sure they'll be going all out to send aid. (/sarcasm)
And the poor devestated citizens are left to the mercy of their corrupt officials.
Probably had to move the weapons out of the same mosques they are now using as shelter just to make room.
Did they make all the other countries that are sending aid send "skeleton crews" because of "the lack of accomodations in Colombo"?
This reinforces my theory about some Muslims. Like far left CRATS, some are brain dead.
MILITANT BUDDHISM may sound like a contradiction in terms, especially while Islamic holy war is hogging the headlines. Nevertheless, in one of its periodic flare-ups in Sri Lanka, extremist Buddhist nationalism is threatening both the physical safety and the legal rights of that nation's Christian minority.
For purposes of comparison, consider: Sri Lanka is witnessing attacks on Christians at a rate far higher than the much noted wave of anti-Semitic violence in France. While church burnings and assaults on pastors and congregations have been mounting since the late 1990s, they apparently reached a crescendo early this year.
In the first four months of 2004, there were 44 assaults on churches in Sri Lanka, according to the tally maintained by Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Compass Direct, a wire service specializing in news of Christians who are persecuted for their faith, reports similar figures. Since Sri Lanka has about the population of Texas (20 million), this is the equivalent of 44 minority houses of worship--say, 44 mosques--being fire bombed or vandalized in that state in the space of four months.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/468rruhe.asp
We shouldn't give one red cent to the Sri Lankans - you want to spurn Israelis offer for help, you must not need ours either.
It seems that way, doesn't it?
Now, I don't have any sympathy for the likely reason, but I'm surprised by the "let them suffer" reactions--if only because that seems to be the Sri Lanka government's reaction too.
So maybe there's a sharp moral distinction between "oh, no, we can't have Israeli soldiers here!" and "making a statement" against that government. I'm not one of those "moral equivalence!" people. But if both result in the withholding of aid from people in need, aid that would come from people are otherwise willing and easily able to do so, the distinction begins to vanish before my eyes. Those who are more sensitive to nuance than I am, can you please help me see again?