Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza settlements - what do you think?

[donnie]

my feeling is that it is a bit of an empty gesture, since they continue their expansionist policies of extending settlements in the West Bank, and also continue to construct the wall which annexes yet more Palestinian land.But perhaps I am being cynical - what do other people think?

I tend to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause for the exact reasons you mention Peachskin. It many also be an ironic fact that the Hamas, or other schism's thereof, leaders who organise attacks on civilians in Israel do not have a global pulpit to spout their belligerent rhetoric as Sharon and Netanyahu do. The relative mystery that surrounds the resistance organisations allows for a certain romanticism, which I imagine works in their favour. It's very hard to be sympathetic with Sharon precisely because there is no mystery the man. He is an acknowledged war criminal.

And war is by definition terrorism. It is atrocity. It?s so strange how sanitised it is here in the west. Israel?s version of this happens to be sanctioned and funded by the west, so as it?s on the ?side of good? it?s just called by a different name.

MT I guess terrorism seems like far more of a dirty word iyswim. Whereas sometimes war is portrayed as just or at least legitimate.

Oh, I know Ark. But I just meant it's a con really, isn't it? To make it more acceptable as long as it's happening over there. It just makes me shudder.

Totally - its like with Iraq - everyday so many people dying I have to admit sometimes my brain switches of oh 30 people dead oh okay..... then I think hang on that thirty people are still people - somebodys mum or dad - child. I suppose right or wrong when its happening near to you it feels more real.

Janh - how much longer are you going to persist in posting text from a racist website (masada2000)??

Why didn't you chose these texts from masada2000 :

"ISLAM: A Religion of Peace? Or is it preparing to sodomize the world! HINT: Islam Cannot be Tamed!"

or this:

" Arafat Was Gay...not that there's anything wrong with that. But it sure explains why his wife, Suha, stays in Paris!"

I don't recall the Guardian accusing Arafat of being gay (and so what even if he was - how does this contribute to the Palestine Question ?) nor about Islam "sodomising" the world ?

Janh - don't insult our intelligence - PLEASE !!

peachskin, I only looked at the maps/history page - didn't see the rest. Sorry.

Intersting points raised about tacticts used in war time.

The Vietnamese Viet Cong used underground tunnels to get around and booby traps in the dense jungles of Vietnam to fight the US army. They had no planes, no tanks, no A-bomb, nothing in fact except guerrila tacticts.

The US army used napalm to burn the jungles and bombs that created huge craters - the effects are still visible if you travel to Vietnam.

The Viet Cong "won" the Vietnam War, and the rest is just history as they say.

Military historians recognise that an army that has the highest morale can sometimes win a war, not the army that has the biggest guns.

It seems that targetting civilians has become an acceptable form of war (although banned by International Law). Immoral and horrific, but it has become a reality.

Bulldozing Palestinian homes seems to me to be a form of terrorism as is emptying your magazine into a 10 year old Palestinian girl because she has come too near an Israeli checkpoint (she was lost on her way from school).

I find Israeli tacticts as horrific as a suicide bombing - both tactitcs target civilians. Both are immoral and illegal.

Janh - no need to apologise ! You haven't done anything wrong !! But I found the website more and more offensive the more I looked at it !! Even the historical stuff on it is inaccurate I am afraid.

I am no expert in politics, but I have a Masters in Politics (with a focus on the Middle East and CEntral Asia) so I can usually tell if something looks dodgy !