Israel 'to intensify Gaza attacks'

[EC]

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "further intensify attacks on Hamas" in the Gaza Strip after talks with his defence chiefs.

He said the Palestinian militants would "pay a heavy price" for their rocket attacks on Israel.

Israel's military said Hamas had fired 72 rockets at Israeli cities on Wednesday, after dozens of overnight air strikes in Gaza.

Some 40 Palestinians are reported to have died in the recent hostilities.

Gaza medical officials say half of the casualties were civilians, a number of them women and children.

Hamas has said that all Israelis are now targets, accusing Israel of violating the Egyptian-brokered truce that ended exchanges in 2012.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28233135

[Oceander]

Time for Israel to go into Gaza with boots (and treads) on the ground and push Hamas into the ocean.

[musiclady]

Hamas has said that all Israelis are now targets, accusing Israel of violating the Egyptian-brokered truce that ended exchanges in 2012.

And the American left supports and defends these terrorist thugs.....

[EC]

I do think the Israeli response can be a touch over the top at times - who's to blame them, they know all too well what happens if you don't respond with force. They'd have 3 times the population if they had responded to the Holocaust in the same manner.

[musiclady]

I do think the Israeli response can be a touch over the top at times - who's to blame them, they know all too well what happens if you don't respond with force. They'd have 3 times the population if they had responded to the Holocaust in the same manner.

Good points, EC.

The Israeli military is certainly not faultless, but provoked??  Absolutely!

[EC]

It's actually one of the quiet shames of the UK, and something a lot of us remember and regret.

Hitler originally had the idea to simply deport the Jews - Madagascar was his choice. Had the UK co-operated by partitioning Palestine in 1937 rather than 1947, a lot of lives would have been saved. Still, hindsight is 20:20.

[musiclady]

It's actually one of the quiet shames of the UK, and something a lot of us remember and regret.

Hitler originally had the idea to simply deport the Jews - Madagascar was his choice. Had the UK co-operated by partitioning Palestine in 1937 rather than 1947, a lot of lives would have been saved. Still, hindsight is 20:20.

An important bit of history that I had forgotten.....

[Chieftain]

It's actually one of the quiet shames of the UK, and something a lot of us remember and regret.

Hitler originally had the idea to simply deport the Jews - Madagascar was his choice. Had the UK co-operated by partitioning Palestine in 1937 rather than 1947, a lot of lives would have been saved. Still, hindsight is 20:20.

This month's Smithsonian magazine has an excellent retrospective on "Lawrence's Arabia" and taking a look at how very little has changed in that area in the last century.  Interesting reading.....T.E. Lawrence is remembered in this country as a maverick and a hero, but I wonder if the Brits don't still remember him a lot less fondly........

[EC]

It's water under the bridge now.

I have an uncle in Israel, and several cousins (you lose track). He was demobbed during the partitioning. Happened to be seeing a girl at the time - she's still one of the most elegant women I have ever met, so he decided to not come home. Can't blame him, really. They truck farm - irrigation can be a problem, but they have good access to water for most of the year. Every single one of them, male and female, has done their service and are in the reserves.

All they want is to be left in peace. The Arab fundies won't let them, so they do whatever it takes.

[EC]

This month's Smithsonian magazine has an excellent retrospective on "Lawrence's Arabia" and taking a look at how very little has changed in that area in the last century.  Interesting reading.....T.E. Lawrence is remembered in this country as a maverick and a hero, but I wonder if the Brits don't still remember him a lot less fondly........

Any chance of a scan of that? Sounds interesting to read.

Lawrence of Arabia is still romanticized here, almost as much as Burton.

[Chieftain]

Any chance of a scan of that? Sounds interesting to read.

Lawrence of Arabia is still romanticized here, almost as much as Burton.

Better yet, here's a link to the story at the online mag....

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-lawrence-arabia-180951857/

Here's another you might like....a look at how the British regarded the War of 1812.  Personally, I've long believed we Yanks were damned lucky that that His Majesty sent Lord Wellington after Boney instead of those renegade former colonists....

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/british-view-war-1812-quite-differently-americans-do-180951852/

 

[EC]

Thank you for the link! I shall read it (probably after a nap - it's late here).

I did wonder a bit about what would have happened if we were not "otherwise engaged" in 1812 with a millennia long hatred. Believe me - the hatred for 1066 is still there, just below the surface.

Don't get me wrong - I like the experiment. It is probably the most free system ever devised. Brought a lot to the table in world terms, and, lets face it, it has been pretty awesome for residents.

[Fishrrman]

Oceander wrote above:
[[ Time for Israel to go into Gaza with boots (and treads) on the ground and push Hamas into the ocean. ]]

I agree. But they should go further.

In both Gaza in the west, and the West Bank as well, the Israelis should force out ALL the [so-called] "Palestinians" into Egypt and Jordan proper, then seal off the borders and claim them as Israeli lands.

That's the only "solution" to "the Mideast question" ....

[Chieftain]

Thank you for the link! I shall read it (probably after a nap - it's late here).

I did wonder a bit about what would have happened if we were not "otherwise engaged" in 1812 with a millennia long hatred. Believe me - the hatred for 1066 is still there, just below the surface.

Don't get me wrong - I like the experiment. It is probably the most free system ever devised. Brought a lot to the table in world terms, and, lets face it, it has been pretty awesome for residents.

Tell ya what...sleep on it, read those articles, then let's discuss co-authoring a fictional account of the War of 1812 where His Majesty does send Wellington over and ends up making the US a British protectorate just like Canada.  In fact, the War of 1812 over here was largely about preventing the US from making Canada US territory.

Interesting concept....could be good enough for three or four novels....figure a quarter of a million words.......

We should start writing it here....

 

[EC]

That could be a lot of fun ( though writing that many words is a serious pain in the metacarpals!)

There are plenty of historical references to use - not just weapons, but tactics. I'd see a few set piece battles, then the US fighting more like the Boers. I think the odd historical liberty would have to be taken - the storm/tornado that extinguished the burning of Washington DC might have to be lost for it to work out. I'd love to give Pike a huge shout out - he were impressive. One of the three US Generals in the rotunda at Sandhurst.

History is messy, but people don't like stories to be so.