I wonder what Israel will do tomorrow or Saturday when an Irish ship is set to dock in Gaza to deliver humanitarian goods.

I respect you too much to believe you are willing to leave this at face value.

 

This blockade has been in place for two years and we're only now hearing of problems due to a ship attempting/intending to stir up a confrontation by trying to break the blockade.

 

A blockade merely means that ships cannot come and go as they please... kinda like a basketball team defending to prevent easy layups by their opponents. Sometimes, while playing solid defense fouls are called for overly aggressive or just sloppy play. IMO. Israel could have handled this better, but if I had the whistle, I would have called the blockade running ship for charging.

 

If the Irish ship permits the Israelis to inspect their cargo instead of trying to ram past the blockade ships (just like hundreds before them have done that we never heard about for two years) AND there are no weapons to be transferred to Israeli enemies, there should be no problem whatsoever.

 

If they try to break the blockade, they deserve whatever happens to them.

I respect you too much to believe you are willing to leave this at face value.

 

This blockade has been in place for two years and we're only now hearing of problems due to a ship attempting/intending to stir up a confrontation by trying to break the blockade.

 

A blockade merely means that ships cannot come and go as they please... kinda like a basketball team defending to prevent easy layups by their opponents. Sometimes, while playing solid defense fouls are called for overly aggressive or just sloppy play. IMO. Israel could have handled this better, but if I had the whistle, I would have called the blockade running ship for charging.

 

If the Irish ship permits the Israelis to inspect their cargo instead of trying to ram past the blockade ships (just like hundreds before them have done that we never heard about for two years) AND there are no weapons to be transferred to Israeli enemies, there should be no problem whatsoever.

 

If they try to break the blockade, they deserve whatever happens to them.

 

Sadly, I know nothing about players lately that actually attempt to stop an easy layup.

 

I was going to add more to my last post but wanted to see what was said about it first. I am not up on what the Israeli ships look like and how big they are, I would guess these ships entering the area are no match for them? I am guessing a small ship such as maybe a Frigate sized one could do the job? Would these ships be willing to ram another ship? Or will they turn? I find it hard to believe that they would not turn away.

 

I agree it could have been handled a lot better by Israel, and their comments afterwards needed A LOT of work.

 

I think Israel has no choice to stop it, but for possibly other reasons than you may think. If they do not stop the Irish ship, then those that think Israel did this to only cause some sort of trouble for a ship from a Muslim nation, it would tend to validate their claims.

 

But as I said before, no one can blindly take a side in this matter. If Israel did no wrong as they claim, then an independent investigation will clear them.

 

But I do not think that is the Irish ship does not stop when asked/commanded that they will deserve anything that happens.

I wonder what Israel will do tomorrow or Saturday when an Irish ship is set to dock in Gaza to deliver humanitarian goods.

 

What have they done in the past? I've been assuming that they've stopped all ships. Is this not correct?

What have they done in the past? I've been assuming that they've stopped all ships. Is this not correct?

I think all the ships in the past has agreed to be boarded. As late as yesterday Ireland officials have asked Israel to let the ship pass, but today Ireland and Israel were to work on some type of agreement.

Sadly, I know nothing about players lately that actually attempt to stop an easy layup.

Too true... :lol:

 

The rest of your post is the rational, reasoned tone I have come to expect from you. :thumb:

Too true... :lol:

 

The rest of your post is the rational, reasoned tone I have come to expect from you. :thumb:

 

One thing I think Israel could have easily done was say somewhere in their statement is "We are sorry if their was any lost of inncent life", or something along those lines. It's not saying you could have done it a different way or that you were wrong in the whole ordeal. But if they say it now, after they refused to say they were sorry for anything, it will be seen as what it is, they are not sorry but just bowing down to pressure to say they are sorry.

Now that I have stated that I do not believe Israel is without flaw... maybe you can tell someone without a great depth of understanding in the nuances of Muslim divides and geopolitical affairs, what you believe Israel's best course of action is. :thumb:

 

You still really didn't say what flaws you think Israel has.

 

And I think you're kind of missing the point, this really isn't about religious divides anoymore. Does that make it worse? Sure. But now it's about the rights to a homeland. Palestinians are being rounded up and placed on what can be equated with reservations while Israelis continue to build new settlements (which they claimed the would stop doing) on Palestinian land. Stop the settlements and it's a start. It's an unecessary provocation that would go a long way in ending this.

 

If we really want to place blame in this matter, we should probably blame the UN who decided the plunk the Jews down in the middle of Palestinian land.

 

Moreover, Israel needs to stop giving the middle finger to world public opinion. They are causing more problems for us in the middle east than they are helping and they need to realize that they have obligations to the United States and not just a free pass to erage the world, knowing we'll have their back.

You still really didn't say what flaws you think Israel has.

 

And I think you're kind of missing the point, this really isn't about religious divides anoymore. Does that make it worse? Sure. But now it's about the rights to a homeland. Palestinians are being rounded up and placed on what can be equated with reservations while Israelis continue to build new settlements (which they claimed the would stop doing) on Palestinian land. Stop the settlements and it's a start. It's an unecessary provocation that would go a long way in ending this.

 

If we really want to place blame in this matter, we should probably blame the UN who decided the plunk the Jews down in the middle of Palestinian land.

 

Moreover, Israel needs to stop giving the middle finger to world public opinion. They are causing more problems for us in the middle east than they are helping and they need to realize that they have obligations to the United States and not just a free pass to erage the world, knowing we'll have their back.

Middle finger to the world? Yeah, we all know Isreal has created all of these problems in the God forsaken toilet we call the Middle East.

Middle finger to the world? Yeah, we all know Isreal has created all of these problems in the God forsaken toilet we call the Middle East.

 

:lol:

You still really didn't say what flaws you think Israel has.

 

And I think you're kind of missing the point, this really isn't about religious divides anoymore. Does that make it worse? Sure. But now it's about the rights to a homeland. Palestinians are being rounded up and placed on what can be equated with reservations while Israelis continue to build new settlements (which they claimed the would stop doing) on Palestinian land. Stop the settlements and it's a start. It's an unecessary provocation that would go a long way in ending this.

 

If we really want to place blame in this matter, we should probably blame the UN who decided the plunk the Jews down in the middle of Palestinian land.

 

Moreover, Israel needs to stop giving the middle finger to world public opinion. They are causing more problems for us in the middle east than they are helping and they need to realize that they have obligations to the United States and not just a free pass to erage the world, knowing we'll have their back.

 

You are blind. Israel owes nothing to the US. The US clearly does NOT have their back under the current administration, which allowed Iran to create first one and then two nuclear warheads. Israel knows that the administration is unlikely to side with them anymore, and they are preparing to defend themselves against what they believe may become imminent threats. Good for them.

 

Great Mideast policy, Mr. President.

You are blind. Israel owes nothing to the US.

 

:lol:

I would venture to say that if we continue to give them $3 billion a year in military aid they owe us something.

You are blind. Israel owes nothing to the US. The US clearly does NOT have their back under the current administration, which allowed Iran to create first one and then two nuclear warheads. Israel knows that the administration is unlikely to side with them anymore, and they are preparing to defend themselves against what they believe may become imminent threats. Good for them.

 

Great Mideast policy, Mr. President.

 

What's your source on the nuclear warheads? And what's your preferred policy vis-a-vis Iran? Invasion? I find that as naive as you regard this administration's policy, if not more so.

:lol:

I would venture to say that if we continue to give them $3 billion a year in military aid they owe us something.

Using that reasoning... just imagine the number of votes $800 billion in Federal Stimulus money will buy...

What's your source on the nuclear warheads? And what's your preferred policy vis-a-vis Iran? Invasion? I find that as naive as you regard this administration's policy, if not more so.

I assume he's talking about Iran having amassed more than two tons of enriched uranium which would suffice for two nuclear warheads. I also doubt Hearsay is saying anything about invasion, at this point that is merely an assumption on your part.

You still really didn't say what flaws you think Israel has.

 

And I think you're kind of missing the point, this really isn't about religious divides anoymore. Does that make it worse? Sure. But now it's about the rights to a homeland. Palestinians are being rounded up and placed on what can be equated with reservations while Israelis continue to build new settlements (which they claimed the would stop doing) on Palestinian land. Stop the settlements and it's a start. It's an unecessary provocation that would go a long way in ending this.

 

If we really want to place blame in this matter, we should probably blame the UN who decided the plunk the Jews down in the middle of Palestinian land.

 

Moreover, Israel needs to stop giving the middle finger to world public opinion. They are causing more problems for us in the middle east than they are helping and they need to realize that they have obligations to the United States and not just a free pass to erage the world, knowing we'll have their back.

I cannot see how my enumeration of Israel's flaws makes my points any more relevant... especially when you are doing sich a fine job pointing them out.

 

The reason I mentioned land mass in earlier posts is the fact that the so-called poor down and out Palestinians could have been easily assimilated 60 years ago by their charitable Muslim brothers... but no one wanted them. They have been more valuable as pawns on the world stage... a political football kicked around by evil manipulators.

 

I know for a fact that "peace loving/law abiding" Palestinians have been treated as well if not better in Israel than than are in any other nation... 20% of the Israeli population are Arabs (that's one in five Israelis for those of you keeping score at home.) There is a much higher percentage of Arabs in the population of Israel than there are Jewish people in the population of any Arab nation. And yet we keep hearing how the Israelis need to be more tolerant... primarily from intolerant neighbors and enemies.

 

Please tell me how the problem at its very root isn't simply the very fact that there are many upset that Jews exist at all... ??????