David Grossman: Israel’s success in Gaza only proves it is strong, not right
When the clouds of colored smoke dissipate from the politicians’ claims of sweeping and decisive victory; when we discover the actual achievements of this operation, and how far they are from what we really need in order to live a normal life here; when we finally admit that a whole country eagerly hypnotized itself, because it needed so badly to believe that Gaza would cure it of Lebanon-itis - maybe then we will settle accounts with those who, time after time, incite the Israeli public, whipping them into a frenzy of arrogance and a euphoria of power. Those who have taught us over the years to scoff at belief in peace and any hope for change in our relations with the Arabs. Those who have convinced us that the Arabs understand only force, and therefore that is the only language we can use in our dealings with them. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056955.html

Hamas goes after Fatah
“What’s happening in the Gaza Strip is a new massacre that is being carried out by Hamas against Fatah,” he said. “Where were these [Hamas] cowards when the Israeli army was here?” http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292907998&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Press in Combat
According to Nachman Shai, a former Israeli-army spokesman, some of the current restrictions are a result of what happened in the 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “The media were everywhere. Their cameras and tapes picked up discussions between commanders. People talked on live television. It helped the enemy and confused and destabilized the home front.” http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmJkNjE2NzM2OTM5YTJkNGMxZDAzZjYzYjA3YjkzYjk=&w=MQ==

It’s the Iran, Stupid!
“Iran, Iran, Iran. Iran threatens us three ways. Once through Hamas and Hezbollah. A second time through preparing global public opinion for the possibility of doing without Israel. A third time with nuclear [weapons development] and ballistic missiles. If we were a normal country, we would stop quarreling over the Palestinian issue and the Golan Heights issue and we would deal with Iran. The day after the new government is elected, it needs to say to the international community, that for now we are not talking about the Syrians or about the Palestinians. All of you together can just go stick it. Until there’s a solution to the Iranian problem, we’re not dealing with settlements or with settlers or with anything else. Only after the source of the problem - Iran - is resolved will it be possible to discuss the symptoms of the problem in Judea, Samaria and the Golan.” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056942.html

Surprise!
In Amsterdam, a Dutch lawmaker marched in a demonstration where the crowd hollered Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the Gas. Socialist lawmaker Harry van Bommel said he did not repeat calls for another Holocaust and only chanted, Intifada, Intifada, Free Palestine. The Norwegian finance minister took part in a protest where comparisons were made between Nazis and Jews. A British lawmaker whose grandmother died in the Holocaust said Israeli soldiers were acting like Nazis and most recently, a senior Vatican official, Cardinal Renato Martino, said Gaza under the Israeli military offensive resembled a big concentration camp. “We have always seen a link between violence in the Middle East to anti-Semitism but we have never seen anything like what we are seeing now”, said Abraham Foxman, a Holocaust survivor and the national director of the ADL. “Not on this scale, not in this intensity.” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056844.html

The Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned British Parliamentarian Gerald Kaufman last week for telling his fellow lawmakers in the House of Commons that Israel is exploiting the guilt that non-Jews feel about the Holocaust in order to justify defensive operations in Gaza. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3657894,00.html

Und schon wieder ein Übersetzungsfehler
“Israel ist die eigentliche Bestie, Israel ist der Verbrecher.” Diese Worte des Wiener Predigers Adnan Ibrahim sorgen seit Tagen für Gesprächsstoff, auch die “Jerusalem Post” berichtete über den Vorfall… Als “Einmischung in die inneren Angelegenheiten” bezeichnete IGGiÖ-Medienreferentin Carla Amina Baghajati die Forderung nach Suspendierung. Eine “deutliche Fehlübersetzung” sei das Wort “Bestie”, befand IGGiÖ-Integrationsbeauftragter Omar Al-Rawi. Das arabische Wort hätte mit “wild und unmenschlich” übersetzt werden müssen. http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4103&Alias=wzo&cob=391662

Factory of Martyrs
Saber Jnaid said his son, a Hamas fighter, had been killed 12 days ago during Israel’s 22-day onslaught on the Islamist militant group. He could not formally receive condolences until fighting stopped on Sunday and Israeli forces pulled back. “May God make the Islamic resistance stronger,” the grey-bearded father told Reuters as he sat with relatives. “I have 10 more sons and I hope all of them die as martyrs.” http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3658801,00.html

Why Israel won’t survive
Israel, its true nature as failed, brutal colonial project laid bare in Gaza, is extremely vulnerable to such a campaign. Little noticed amidst the carnage in Gaza, Israel took another momentous step towards formal apartheid when the Knesset elections committee voted to ban Arab parties from participating in upcoming elections. Zionism, an ideology of racial supremacy, extremism and hate, is a dying project, in retreat and failing to find new recruits. With enough pressure, and relatively quickly, Israelis too would likely produce their own de Klerk ready to negotiate a way out. Every new massacre makes it harder, but a de-zionized, decolonized, reintegrated Palestine affording equal rights to all who live in it, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and return for refugees is not a utopian dream.
It is within reach, in our lifetimes. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10215.shtml

Juden raus aus Palästina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNZrSSlDlz0

Back To Square One
The initial Camp David Accords have not been followed by any side. The 1978 Camp David accords talked “negotiations among Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the representatives of the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza.” But Jordan and Egypt have been missing in action during any negotiations with the Palestinians. This has been a major problem and must change. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3659043,00.html