Quotes from The Washington Post
"Tens of thousands of Palestinians escorted the body of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi"...
...or what little they could manage to scrape up with a pooper-scooper...
..."through the streets of Gaza City on Sunday as Palestinians and Arab leaders condemned Israel for his assassination and warned that fracturing the militant group could fuel greater extremism."
In other words, stop killing terrorists who target you, or else you will be the target of terror? WTF?
"Hundreds of hands reached out to stroke Rantisi's shrapnel-scarred face and touch the bloodstained shroud stretched over his body outside the city's main mosque, while thousands of mourners shook their fists at Israeli F-16 fighter jets roaring above the funeral procession."
Huh. I guess the F-16s were fresh out of napalm...
"'Bush stands next to Sharon and after that they assassinate Rantisi," said Hani Reda, 25, as he stood near Hamas members assembling for the funeral procession in new camouflage uniforms and black masks. "We should carry our fight against the Americans as much as we are against Israel. Israel and America share the same face.'"
If by "the same face" he means actual democratic civilization, as opposed to barbaric theocracy, I guess this guy has a point...
"Across the West Bank, Palestinians demonstrated against the assassination. In Nablus, protesters shot, then burned effigies of Bush and Sharon, according to news service reports."
I guess that makes them feel better. Since they can't, you know, actually win a war, or protect their own leaders...
"Egypt and Jordan, whose assistance Sharon has said he wants in the implementation of the disengagement plan and Gaza withdrawal, denounced the killing. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher warned that the assassination threatened to 'push the region to the edge of an abyss,' according to news agencies. Jordan's King Abdullah said the attack would 'only breed more violence and undermine the peace process.'"
Your region is already an "abyss." Say, King Abdullah, when was the last time you called for free elections?
"In a statement posted on its Web site Sunday, the military wing of Hamas, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, warned: 'One hundred responses are on their way and the blood of Yassin and Rantisi will explode in the coming volcanoes.'"
How about we drop a Daisy Cutter on their Web server? Or a MOAB, if they really get annoying?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Al Barger
Everyone in these funeral processions is there to express their support for Hamas. What is the good, logical reason that the Israelis should NOT just take out such an event? Clean out about 10,000 self-proclaimed Hamas supporters all at once? After all, these people are all gathered together to actively support Hamas in the continuing mass murders of Jews.
Looks like a good chance to thin the herd.
2 - Sandra Smallson
Rantissi dead? Not a moment too soon. Plus, it seems to be working, this strategy of the Israelis. When Yassin was killed, they threatened attacks. On my last count, three major attacks were foiled and Hamas seem disorganised. Rantissi has now been killed, they've threatened "a volcano" or a "100" attacks..me thinks, Hamas are in trouble:) They are cutting off the heads and we all know the suicide bombers are illiterates who are easily brain washed. If the semi literates are exterminated, there would be no one to do the brainwashing. I am in no way suggesting that the end of Hamas attacks is upon us, but I am suggesting that they would be less precise and therefore easy to foil.
Since Yassin was killed, I have not heard of any major attacks inside Israel itself. That's gotta mean something.
By the way, who can enlighten me on this comment. The legal rep for the Palestinian govt was on TV the other day saying he could not live in Israel bcos he is a Christian. Is it true you've got to be Jewish to live in Israel? I find this hard to believe. Anyone with info in this should please fill me in...
3 - Ms. Tek
Acquisition of Israeli Nationality
Israel's Nationality Law relates to persons born in Israel or resident therein, as well as to those wishing to settle in the country, regardless of race, religion, creed, sex or political belief. Citizenship may be acquired by:
Birth
The Law of Return
Residence
Naturalization
Acquisition of nationality by birth is granted to:
Persons who were born in Israel to a mother or a father who are Israeli citizens.
Persons born outside Israel, if their father or mother holds Israeli citizenship, acquired either by birth in Israel, according to the Law of Return, by residence, or by naturalization.
Persons born after the death of one of their parents, if the late parent was an Israeli citizen by virtue of the conditions enumerated in 1. and 2. above at the time of death.
Persons born in Israel, who have never had any nationality and subject to limitations specified in the law, if they:
apply for it in the period between their 18th and 25th birthday and
have been residents of Israel for five consecutive years, immediately preceding the day of the filing of their application.
Acquisition of Nationality according to the Law of Return
On the establishment of the State, its founders proclaimed "...the renewal of the Jewish State in the Land of Israel, which would open wide the gates of the homeland to every Jew..." In pursuance of this tenet, the State of Israel has absorbed survivors of the Holocaust, refugees from the countries in which they had resided, as well as many thousands of Jews who came to settle in Israel of their own volition.
The Law of Return (1950) grants every Jew, wherever he may be, the right to come to Israel as an oleh (a Jew immigrating to Israel) and become an Israeli citizen.
For the purposes of this Law, "Jew" means a person who was born of a Jewish mother, or has converted to Judaism and is not a member of another religion.
Israeli citizenship becomes effective on the day of arrival in the country or of receipt of an oleh's certificate, whichever is later. A person may declare, within three months, that he/she does not wish to become a citizen.
An oleh's certificate may be denied to persons who:
engage in activity directed against the Jewish people;
may endanger public health or the security of the state;
have a criminal past, likely to endanger public welfare.
Since 1970, the right to immigrate under this law has been extended to include the child and the grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of the grandchild of a Jew. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure the unity of families, where intermarriage had occurred; it does not apply to persons who had been Jews and had voluntarily changed their religion.
Acquisition of Nationality by Residence
Special provision is made in the Nationality Law for former citizens of British Mandatory Palestine. Those who remained in Israel from the establishment of the State in 1948 until the enactment of the Nationality Law of 1952, became Israeli citizens by residence or by return.
According to an amendment (1980), further possibilities to acquire citizenship by residence, were included in the law.
Acquisition of Nationality by Naturalization
Adults may acquire Israeli citizenship by naturalization at the discretion of the Minister of the Interior and subject to a number of requirements, such as:
they must have resided in Israel for three years out of the five years preceding the day of submission of the application.
they are entitled to reside in Israel permanently and have settled or intend to settle in Israel;
they have renounced their prior nationality, or have proved that they will cease to be foreign nationals upon becoming Israeli citizens.
The Minister of the Interior may exempt an applicant from some of these requirements.
Source
Seems to me that basically, that says that unless your parents were born in Israel and were not Jewish, then unless you are Jewish, you cannot obtain citizenship. This would mean that Israel has the "right of return" for any Jewish people, but for any arabs that have been pushed out, they cannot come back.
Say what you will, but if a huge tidal wave came and pushed the current state of Israel into the sea, it would be the best thing in the world. The Israeli government is no better than the devil himself.
And the holocaust was a terrible thing, but is no excuse to use the same treatment in kind. Thank God most Jewish people I know are really nice, friendly and don't have a chip on their shoulder and don't think they deserve a handout. Seems to me that this is another form of "Government Welfare" to help the government of Israel out.
Its a shame but until, Israel does right by other people, they are going to keep having misery. Seems I read a "wise man" saying somewhere about people brining it on themselves. Too bad the innocent suffer for it.
4 - Eric Olsen
Ms. Tek, I vehemently disagree with your characterization, am in fact astonished by it. You want Israel to disappear into the sea? The people too? Jews have been vilified, persecuted, and murdered specifically because of their religion for millennia - they are STILL unwelcome virtually everywhere, other than perhaps the US. Don't Jews deserve to have one place THEY CAN COUNT ON where they will not be persecuted due to their religion?
The final category of citizenship, naturalization, says nothing about religion.
5 - Roger
Although a shallow thought, I think that the Israeli Air Force should have dropped a Bunker Buster bomb on the masked cowards during the funeral.
That's what I think!
6 - Ms. Tek
Cry me a fucking river.
So have blacks
So have Indians- both American and from India.
Turks.
Hispanics
The Irish at one point.
Gypsies
etc... etc...
Everyone has been persecuted at some point in their life.
But mind you, if a black person says they want their 40 and a mule, then there is something wrong with that. There have been so many mass genocides, rapes, murders, in this world time and time over. If it wasn't for the UK and US there would be no "state of Israel". (or half the other 'states' in that region).
I am so sick of the fucking holocaust shit. No one says that is was not a bad thing- it was. But you don't deserve to treat other people like shit because you got shit on. Too fucking bad. I'm sorry. Now deal with it.
There were some Jews in that area before the state of Israel, but if you look at the stock now, I think you will find that vast majority come from European stock. What is Jewishness? Is it a religion? It is an ethnic group? Seems that depending on what advantage is wanted, that fluctuates too.
People should be allowed to practice their religion- no argument there. The Jews should be as free as the Muslims and Christians. However, this doesn't mean that you push other people out because you were given some land by other people because they felt "sorry" for you.
Yes, I am sick of that area. I don't think all Israelis are bad... No way. There are quite a few who agree that a government that has a policy of dealing with its problems with assignation and destruction is really fucked up. But hey... maybe I learned something here on Blogcritics. If people can wish ill on all the Palestinians, then all the Israelis can go to hell too. Just blow them all the fuck up and be done with it. That whole area has caused more world instability in the last 80 years than any other.
BLOW ALL OF THEM UP.
So fucking sick of the fucking holocaust shit. Time to get over it. You are not owed ANYTHING because of that. No one is owed ANYTHING. Shit happens. Buck up and move on.
7 - Ms. Tek
Oh before the morons and word twisters pipe in:
Anti Israel is not equal to Anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish.
That is also a lie and a falsehood spread by certain "groups".
I admit- I am anti-Israel. Proudly so. I wouldn't give one red cent to that place if I had it to spare. I can think of a hell of a lot more fair and worthy endeavors.
And there are a lot of Jewish people who think as I do as well.
8 - Roger
First I'm not Jewish I'm a white christian. I just don't like faceless mask wearing coward terrorist.
Send a fucking kid into public with a bomb. Real brite.
Dropping a 2000lb Bunker Buster on their ass in my book is like changing the filters in my car. Preventative maintenence...
9 - Natalie Davis
Prayers for all the dead and the murdering terrorists on all sides.
10 - Ms. Tek
Actually, what would be really cool would be to give Iraq to the Fundamentalist Christians and stick them over there too with a ton of weapons and explosives.
Then we'd have some real cool reality tv watching all of them blow each other up. In the meantime, perhaps the rest of the world can finally breathe normally again.
Give it about 50 years... they'll all kill each other off (thank God) and then we'll be left with some highly enriched soil and farmland. And maybe a moral lesson or two.
Someone call Pat Robinson, I'll book his ticket personally.
11 - Sandra Smallson
Ms Tek. Thank you for your detailed response. I don't agree with your interpretation of the Israeli enactments. I think the only part where it mentions Religion is in the "Right of Return" section. Other parts of the enactment seem to allow the same rights most other countries allow. I am not absolutely clear on the whole thing but certainly a lot clearer than I was when I initially asked the question. Thank you:)
With regards to the Holocaust, to say I am sick of it would be too harsh. What I am sick of is Jews going around like they were the only community of people to have shit happen to them. An example is that sentimental nonsense Eric posted..I mean, please, spare me! Everyone would like somewhere to call home. The Jews are not alone in that plight. Running around feeling like victims every chance they get. That's what pisses me off.
They have no exclusive right to sympathy. Everybody's got troubles. I am sick of watching Jews go around like, !Oh, feel sorry for me, remember the holocaust" and this constant self pitying persona they portray. Like they are always being persecuted even when there is no persecution happening. I feel the same way about blacks who can't get over the 400 years of slavery. That's just my opinion.
Having said that, I am a mixed race Christian with no love for or interest in the Jewish faith but I fully support Israel in their fight with the Palestinians. I think that the people that run Palestine are barbarians, evil on earth and must be extinguished. I have no problem with the Palestinain people. However, they do not seem to be able to do anything about the people that run them. Therefore, they must forgive us as we go about trying to do something about it.
I trust the Israelis will take care of the next Hamas leader within the next few weeks. I wish them well and all the luck in the world. I am sick of terrorists being referred to as political and spiritual leaders. Say what you want about the Israelis but they have never gone to a shopping centre in Syria and blown it up or a Mosque in Palestine and blown it up just to get a point across. They have targets. I am aware that innocent citizens might be killed during this targetting but that was not the intention of the Israelis. Intention may mean nothing to Palestinian sympathisers but to the average human it means a lot.
If Palestinian sympathisers can not see the difference b/w intentionally blowing up students in a university or a cafeteria and blowing up a car on the street which contained a terrorist leader, where unfortunately pedestrians may get killed, then I'm afraid such inability to tell such a simple difference does nothing but encourage these suicide bombers. .
12 - Ms. Tek
I demand that you give me the state of Illinois for:
MULATTO LAND!!!
I am sick of having to say if I am "black or white". I feel like a goddamned Jackson's song. I want a land where people like me who have be persecuted because we just don't "fit in" any category can romp and be left alone to fill out any damn slot on the paperwork we want!
No more oreo and chocolate milk jokes! No more people saying stupid things about my hair!
The only way you can come to my state is if you are Mulatto. I don't give a shit about the Illinois farmers
GET OUT!!
Or at least you will need a passport within Illinois if you are not mulatto or mixed race.
You better watch out. We may not have as many cows as wisconsin, but our cow shit is smellier. If you mess with us, we will cow paddy and wild onion you to death. We also have a surplus of Canadian Geese that just basically do nothing but shit all over the bike path and fuck planes up. We might throw some of them your way as well.
13 - Eric Olsen
The moral equivocation regarding the Holocaust as expressed by both Ms. Tek and Sandra is stunning. "Get over it?" The process of "getting over" having half of your existing population systematically exterminated, with the explicit and implicit support of most of Europe and the Catholic church, is exactly what the Jews are doing in creating and defending Israel. "Getting over it" means making sure it doesn't happen again.
If half of all Christians had been wiped out just 60 years ago, you can bet your ass that there wouldn't be a lot of talk about "getting over it" just yet. Islams are still whining about "losing" southern Spain 500 years ago - tell them to get the fuck over it.
14 - Ms. Tek
Hello,
Dear Blacks in America... Eric has just said that you should not "get over" having your ancestors dragged from Africa, raped, beaten, and brought to the US to work as slaves.
You are now all expect to write to the UN detailing all of the crimes against you race and demand some sort of compensation for it.
In the meantime, please do start to assasinate anyone who may be against your cause such as politicians or talk show hosts.
Ireland, please prepare your troops to invade northern Ireland and free your brethern... in the meantime get ready to attack british coffers and regain the wealth you lost.
India, please aim you missiles at the United Kingdom.
Islam is talking about Spain? Is Islam a country now? A state?
Yeah, I repeat.
GET OVER IT.
Only goes to show, if you are not from European Stock, then your abuses just don't matter as much in the world. Have we learned anything new here, boys and girls?
I think not.
15 - Sandra Smallson
Ms Tek, you lost me and perhaps yourself in comment 12 but regained some sort of sense in a majority of comment 14.
Eric, again, I am as touched by those comments as I am by the story of blacks as Ms Tek has brought to your attention, the story of the genocide in Rwanda, and so on and so forth. The Jews DO NOT own the copyright to persecution. What do you suggest African Americans do, to make sure slavery doesn't happen again?
I'm all for Israel, Eric but please, do not play this self pitying/victim Jewish shit. If a poll was taken the world over, even amonsgt those that support Israel, let me assure you, you will not find a high percentage of people sympathetic towards the constant moaning about the Holocaust matter.
We understand. It must have been dreadul. Thank God it's over. Hitler deserved to die. Okay..now what? Jews should be treated or referred to any different from others because??,,Indeed..GET OVER IT. By all means, always keep it in your heart. it is part of your history, but do not bring it out every chance you get like a get out of jail free card. We are bored and fast losing sympathy.
16 - Sandra Smallson
Oh, and Europe and the catholic church are now to be blamed along with hitler and his cronies for the Holocaust? dear oh dear. In every tragedy, there is explicit and implicit support if nothing is done to stop it. When the WHITES persecuted the BLACKS all those 100s of years ago, the whole world did nothing about it immediately. Therefore, the BLACKS should blame the WORLD AT LARGE. When South african blacks were being systemetically destroyed, the WORLD did nothing about it immediately. Should black South africans ask for compensation from the UN? Honestly, Jews should learn to quit while they are ahead.
17 - Roger
We need Jesse Jackson to come and mediate. That way none of us would get a word in.
I'm sorry Ms.Tek that your parents put you in this multi-racial situation.
At least you don't have both sets of plumbing.
18 - Ms. Tek
Oh boy, Sandra, thank you...
You just brought up something that I had forgotten about.
SOUTH AFRICA.
Oh, how about the Aborigines in Australia which are STILL getting the short end of the stick?
What about the Native American policies by the Canadian Government? They were taken away from their homes, forced into catholic mission schools, told not to speak their language, beaten, sexually abused, forbidden to practice their beliefs.
Yes, the Jews have the monopoly on misery, being misplaced, being persecuted for their beliefs, just because of the sake that they are Jewish. How DARE the rest of the world tell them to GET THE FUCK OVER IT. The Israelis are mostly of European stock. Just by this fact alone, their suffering is worse. How dare the rest of us get sick of hearing about it, esp when when the bones in our own back yards aren't quite as "bleached".
Pathetic.
I don't see racism in each and every thing. I don't even go out of my way to look for it. Still, in a case like this, its blindingly apparent. Yes, we should care more about the holocaust than anyone else in this world. It is the single most horrifying thing that has ever happened on this earth. The pain and suffering is MUCH GREATER AND MORE IMPORTANT in comparison to what the rest of the world feels.
They get a country out of it.
Everyone else gets told to "suck it up".
Guess what-
Some of us are tired of it.
YOU SUCK IT UP.
DEAL.
GROW THE FUCK UP. Everyone else has to.
To bitch and moan about something that happened to you as if you have exclusive rights to it does not only seem very blinded, self serving, and ignorant, it also insults the intelligence of anyone who has bother to study world history beyond Europe.
Once again.
GET OVER IT.
19 - Ms. Tek
"I'm sorry Ms.Tek that your parents put you in this multi-racial situation. "
Huh? What is there to be sorry about? I'm attractive, intelligent, witty when I chose to be. I have no lack for suitors from any part of thwe world. I don't have an issue with being mixed... I'm glad~ I think it gives me my exotic, non-boring, looks. Its the rest of society that feels the need to label people that has a problem.
I don't even bother filling that shit out. I could have claimed a lot more funds if I would, but I don't believe in that shit. Accept me for what I am, as I am, or just kiss my ass and walk out that door. I have a hell of a lot more pressing matters to deal with than what color my skin is and how it got to be that way.
20 - Roger
Ms.Tek,You just seemed a little frustrated about the multi racial thing. Yeah if that's you pic on your site you are very beautiful.
21 - Ms. Tek
I'm not frustrated... that was a JOKE. That was IRONY. I was being SARCASTIC. I don't REALLY THINK we mixed people should take over Illinois.
I have only one pet peeve when it comes to this:
Poseurs like Hallie Berry saying that they are "black" when they are "mixed". Its disrespectful to the other parent. Last I checked, people could not reproduce by asexual reproduction- yet.
22 - Roger
Rantisi should have taken the day off.
Maybe rent some porn and order out for some Chinese.
I thought my 45 Auto fired a large slug. They popped a big cap in his ass.
Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust...
May God have mercy on his soul...
23 - Dirtgrain
Those who are oppressed are quick to become oppressors when the opportunity presents itself.
What the hell is up with all this readiness to kill and exterminate? Did love and compassion cease to be human concepts? If you say something like "kill them all," then you should be the one to do the killing. You fly your ass over Iraq, and you drop bombs on people. See if you can live with your evil self afterwards.
Better we should try every peaceful solution possible. When these fail, try harder.
24 - Eric Olsen
As I said, "getting over it" for the Jews involves maintaining and defending Israel.
25 - Ms. Tek
Getting over it for Black Americans means they should get their 40 and a mule or whatever money that they want.
Goose, Gander.