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The terrible cost of thwarting Hamas [Israel]
The Times of Israel ^ | Wednesday, July 23, 2014 | David Horovitz

Posted on 07/23/2014 6:25:39 AM PDT by Star Traveler

Israel’s mood at the start of this war with Hamas was one of confident assurance. We wouldn’t be deterred by the rocket threat, and Hamas would be contained.

That’s utterly changed. The rockets turned out to be the least of our concerns. And the national mood now is a mixture of anguish at the growing toll of IDF dead, anger at the feckless response of parts of the international community — notably the US — and confidence in the troops and (atypically) the political leadership.

To lose the lives of 30 Israelis to terrorism is, appallingly, nothing new in a country that survived the suicide bombing onslaught of the second intifada. As the former Shin Bet intelligence chief Avi Dichter pointed out on Tuesday, 30 Israelis were killed in a single Hamas suicide bombing at the Park Hotel in Netanya on Passover Eve March 27, 2002. That was the worst, but still only one of dozens upon dozens of bombings that battered Israel’s buses, restaurants and shopping malls a decade ago.

But to lose 30 soldiers battling vicious Islamic extremists in Gaza produces anguish of a different nature. Our soldiers are our future. They’re the youngsters among us, who have been required because of Israel’s unique geographic and geostrategic peril to place themselves on the front line for years of service before their young lives have really begun. We feel guilty that we’ve pitched them into war. We, the safe civilians, draw our strength from the sky-high level of their determination and motivation to protect us. We wish it were us, the grownups, who were on the front line. We’d have much preferred for the rockets, targeting all of us, to have been the chief threat.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesofisrael.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hamas; israel
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To: Star Traveler

“A diplomatic source in the Gulf state, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Qatar had transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to Arab Bank for the salaries of some 44,000 Hamas civil servants. Those civil servants — employed by Hamas in Gaza since its takeover of the Strip in 2007 – were rendered jobless by the unity agreement with Fatah last month.

But the money was never processed by Arab Bank and delivered to Hamas, the source told The Times of Israel, due to pressure from the Americans, who consider Hamas a terror organization.”


It says right there that Hamas is Terrorist, Hamas is the Palestinian government in GAZA.

So... if we send funds to the Palestinian government, WHO are we actually sending it to ?


121 posted on 07/24/2014 8:55:48 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Eva

The Palestinian civilians are griping and complaining about how Hamas has made their lives absolutely miserable ... :-) ... which is good for them to recognize!


122 posted on 07/24/2014 8:55:50 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

” Palestinian Authority Arabs attacked the IDF humvee ambulance that carried the bodies of the three Israeli teens out of the PA Arab village of Halhul,north of Hevron.”

Does that say Hamas or Palestinian?
These Palestinian “mothers” celebrate when their sons die murdering Israelis. They celebrated and passed out candy on 09/11/2001. I’m really tired of your propaganda for these vile people.


123 posted on 07/24/2014 8:57:57 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God! ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Star Traveler
It shows up in many many posts ... saying to nuke the entire area of Gaza, to drive them into the ocean, to starve them out, to ship them overseas to another country

SO... the issue isn't whether US directly/indirectly funds HAMAS, it's that posters on FR say dumb ass things ?

124 posted on 07/24/2014 8:58:15 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Star Traveler; Eva
but that the Palestinian civilians can’t do a thing about it, because Hamas has shown itself to be totally ruthless,

Which is why we send billions to the government of Palestine (which is HAMAS) because they can be trusted to pass it on to the innocent Palestinian civilians.


125 posted on 07/24/2014 9:02:44 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Star Traveler
That’s what you’ve got going on, in that there are people who need help - and then - there are criminals who take advantage if that situation.

Unfortunately, Those CRIMINALS are the GOVERNMENT of Palestine, and the MONEY goes through their hands first.

Which the articles you posted ADMIT, and which you have admitted.

So.... whether we like it or not, OUR MONEY is going to HAMAS.

Let me put it this way. IF we cut off FOREIGN AIDE to Palestine, who would it hurt more , HAMAS or the non-Hamas citizens of GAZA(who aren't seeing a dime of the money) ?

126 posted on 07/24/2014 9:08:01 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: UCANSEE2

There is the Palestinian Authority (Abbas being the head of it) who does get money from Israel, from the USA, and from European countries, which Israel has lobbied in the past for it to continue, as Israel doesn’t want to have their soldiers administering the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria.

In Gaza Israel doesn’t directly send money to Hamas, however Israel still wants Hamas in some kind of minimal control of the population for civil administration, they just don’t want Hamas armed.

SO ... that’s why Israel says that they want to leave Hamas in place — but — engage in a disarmament mission. If they can disarm them, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to think can be done, then they will leave Hamas in charge of the civil administration of the Palestinian civilians.

And with that, they will also be transferring tax money to that government. If that tax money is not flowing from Israel right now to Gaza, it will with disarmament.

And also, right now Hamas is officially designated a foreign terrorist organization - but the Palestinian Authority is not. Israel will talk and negotiate with the Palestinian Authority, but they will not with Hamas. When Israel is in Egypt talking about a cease-fire, Hamas is in Iomega room and Israel is in another room - while Egypt goes back and forth from room to room conveying proposals ... :-) ...


127 posted on 07/24/2014 9:08:47 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: UCANSEE2

The Palestinian civilians are seeing the money, but Hamas has weaseled itself into many different places so that they skim money off the top, just like criminals do. It’s not that “no money” goes to the civilians, it’s that not enough of it is getting there, as it should, because of criminals operating in the same fashion as criminals do here in the USA, and fooling people for as long as they can before getting caught.


128 posted on 07/24/2014 9:12:36 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: UCANSEE2

That’s why there are foreign agencies there to administer these programs. That’s the purpose of them being there, to take away as much of the administration of the programs from Hamas.


129 posted on 07/24/2014 9:14:17 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

I have to be leaving soon, so I wanted to say this before that happens.

Thank you for the debate. While I may differ with you on your opinion, I appreciate it when someone sticks to their guns and at least tries to defend what they say, without getting deep into personal attacks.

It is how we learn. Hopefully we all learned from this conversation.


130 posted on 07/24/2014 9:14:50 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: UCANSEE2

I should also note ... that the recent money announced for Gaza is not to the Hamas government, but to UNRWA, to administer it.


131 posted on 07/24/2014 9:15:48 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: UCANSEE2

Thanks and I appreciate it.


132 posted on 07/24/2014 9:16:25 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: UCANSEE2

That wasn’t my quote, that was a response to me, but your point is well taken.

Please take the time to read this Andrew McCarthy article before it disappears from the web, entirely. Last night, the WSJ would not allow a link to the article. This morning the article was moved to “the Corner” on National Review. Now the only way to read it is through a link. It looks like pressure is being brought to shut down the truth.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/383478/will-obama-snatch-defeat-jaws-victory-over-hamas-andrew-c-mccarthy


133 posted on 07/24/2014 9:16:27 AM PDT by Eva
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To: Star Traveler

So.... maybe we should say that HAMAS is taking money from the US that was intended for the innocent citizens ?

We aren’t FUNDING Hamas, they are just keeping the money we sent them.


134 posted on 07/24/2014 9:24:36 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Star Traveler
That’s why there are foreign agencies there to administer these programs.

Don't kid yourself. They are just there to take a cut of the pie.

135 posted on 07/24/2014 9:28:12 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

That’s not what the Israeli Ambassador said at the UN Human Rights Council yesterday ... :-) ...

United Nations to launch probe into Gaza operation [Israel and Hamas]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3184424/posts

http://www.timesofisrael.com/united-nations-to-launch-probe-into-gaza-operation/

Manor, the Israeli ambassador, vowed that Israel would “destroy” Hamas’s military infrastructure.

“However, the Gaza residents are not our enemies. Israel is fully committed to international law,” he said.

— — —

The USA is the ONLY MEMBER to vote against it. And furthermore, as Israel constantly states and does, it says that those Palestinians in Gaza are NOT the enemy, despite the false accusations by Israel’s enemies that they are. Israel makes it abundantly clear that it’s Hamas that they are after and NOT Palestinian civilians. As the Israeli Ambassador says, Israel abides by International Law (and thus does NOT commit war crimes)!


136 posted on 07/24/2014 9:29:14 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler
that the recent money announced for Gaza is not to the Hamas government, but to UNRWA, to administer it.

UNRWA Gives Rockets to Hamas

"UNRWA staff said last week that they had “informed the relevant parties and successfully took all necessary measures for the removal of the objects.” However, Channel 2 reports Sunday that—rather than destroying the rockets—UNRWA workers called Hamas to come remove them. …"

137 posted on 07/24/2014 9:34:54 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: UCANSEE2

Well ... when I’m working at a job, I expect to be paid too ... :-) ...


138 posted on 07/24/2014 9:35:52 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: UCANSEE2

I can understand that, as the people there don’t want to get killed ... :-) ...

But what was done was important, in that it was reported and they said to get it out of there. If everyone does that, then that will close down the avenues that Hamas has taken in storing and hiding these and preventing them from being destroyed by Israeli strikes. I see this as a very positive development.

This disarmament that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has talked about in the last few days and what the EU Minister voted on, to disarm Hamas (a couple of days ago) is the beginning if a process that is going to take a while to accomplish. But I do believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can get the political cooperation for doing this from countries around the world.


139 posted on 07/24/2014 9:43:09 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler
Ambassador

Politics...diplomatic language aka "lying".

those Palestinians in Gaza are NOT the enemy, despite the false accusations by Israel’s enemies that they are. Israel makes it abundantly clear that it’s Hamas that they are after and NOT Palestinian civilians.

Well, they need to get over that.

I'm sure that any fool with a "man on the street" microphone in Gaza, could lay to waste the foolish assertion that "Palestinians in Gaza are NOT the enemy".

140 posted on 07/24/2014 9:45:01 AM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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