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Was Israel justified in attacking Hamas in Gaza?

Attacks justified?

  • Total voters
    81
  • Poll closed .
Could you clarify? Either:

1) justified in attacking Hamas in Gaza in principle
or
2) justified in attacking Hamas in Gaza they way they do?
 
i think an atack on Hamas is justified because Hamas sees it justified they launch rockets at Israel.

i still consider it wrong and contraproductive.
 
Yes.

Of course, it is not this black and white. Israeli acts of war, in particular the blockade of food, fuel, and medicine into gaza, led to the breakdown of the cease-fire that necessitated they take more direct offensive action to stop the rockets.
 
Technically, Israel is justified in attacking Hamas' military infrastructure. But thats it.
 
parky76 said:
Technically, Israel is justified in attacking Hamas' military infrastructure. But thats it.
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the second thread by applecorped is more clear in that regard. it also has the poll option .
 
Why does it matter?

Justification is subjective. Government policy should be judged objectively.
 
Yes. Hamas should have taken heed of an old Egyptian saying, "If you can't kill the wolf don't yank on it's tail."
 
BirdStrike said:
Yes. Hamas should have taken heed of an old Egyptian saying, "If you can't kill the wolf don't yank on it's tail."
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Hamas doesn't need to kill Israel. They use Israeli attacks to obtain more recruits from a disgruntled and vengeful Palestine population.

Hamas merely needs to survive in some form. And they can't be destroyed through conventional warfare.

As much as I hate the terminology, you're thinking 3rd gen warfare, this is 4th gen.
 
egslim said:
As much as I hate the terminology, you're thinking 3rd gen warfare, this is 4th gen.
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This is my friend egslim, with whom I am well pleased. :D

The question I have is the matter of degree: if the Israelis can demonstrate what their target list was, and why, and each is a Hamas point/target of even modestly reasonable validity, then they might be able to sell this to some on the fence observers. Hard core pro Israelis will say "of course, shrapnel for breakfast is the correct serving" and hard core anti Israelis will say "no attack is justified" as a reflex.

If the tanks roll, my personal vote is: Hey Israel, now what? You are taking a step backward.

You left, for good reason. What the hell do you want this useless place back for? Are your tanks rolling on behalf of Fatah and the PA? On behalf of Israel? For some other reason?

PS to the OP: it was Bush's fault, of course, since he failed to follow up on his 2001 commitment to the Roadmap for Peace between Israel and the Pals. He got side tracked with Afghanistan and Iraq, when obviously the most important thing in the world is the Pal Israel scrap.

Oh, wait, no it isn't. :( Not by a long shot.

It will be Obama's fault soon enough, him being the US president soon, unless he waves his magic wand of hope and cures the ill. If he does, one Nobel prize, well deserved. Hope he can pull it off.

DR
 
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parky76 said:
Technically, Israel is justified in attacking Hamas' military infrastructure. But thats it.
Click to expand...

Hamas locates rocket launchers in residential areas. Is it acceptable to target those, knowing there will be civilian casualties? Weapons smuggling tunnels in residential areas - are they targets? Egypt shoots at incoming "Palestinians" that cross their border illegally - are those civilians fair targets for Egypt?

It's not so easy to draw the line for what is military infrastructure and a legitimate target. There are going to be mistakes and unexpected casualties. This war has been inevitable ever since Hamas thugs took control of Gaza. Let's hope it's over quickly and Hamas is in ruins and unable to again terrorize the people of Gaza or Israel.
 
Is Hamas justified in launching rockets into Israel? No.

Is Israel justified in turning the Gaza Strip into an effective prison camp in which the inhabitants live in abject poverty? No.

Is Israel justified in the continued illegal occupation (by international law) of Palestinian territory? No.

Are Palestinian suicide bombers justified in blowing themselves and Israeli civilians up? No.

Is Israel justified in its massively disproportionate response both now and in Lebanon, where the metric seems to be one Israeli life justifies a hundred Arab dead? No

is Hamas justified in their level of obstruction of any peace process, in their ideological position rejecting Israel's right to exist? No.

Is Hamas justified in positioning its rocket launchers near civilian centres thus endangering civilian lives in any retaliation? No.

That should cover it for starters. Both sides need their heads knocking together.
 
kallsop said:
Let's hope it's over quickly and Hamas is in ruins and unable to again terrorize the people of Gaza or Israel.
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Unlikely. New leaders will rise to fill the positions of those killed, and they are unlikely to be less radical.
 
andyandy said:
That should cover it for starters. Both sides need their heads knocking together.
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There is nobody to do that, Andy, though Lord knows I'd like to get that head knocking job. Head knocking I think I can manage. Might even enjoy it with that pair of ruffians.

Does it pay well?

DR
 
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