I don't believe the civilians could have stopped it. I think of the families on my street and wonder what we could have done. We couldn't have done much about it!!!!!!!!

Those 6 mths. that you're talking about - Gaza border crossings were not open to them.

I never once thought about them being Jewish until you brought it up. I don't care what religion they are and I think that you have issues. It sounds like you hate Muslims.

The Curtain of Separation



History seems to indicate that there were two curtains in Herod's Temple: One at the huge gated entry into the Temple and the other separating the Holy of Holies and the main sanctuary. These curtains were said to be 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and as thick as the palm of a man's hand. We are told that these curtains were so heavy that 300 priests were needed to manipulate each one. The curtain being torn from top to bottom was a foreboding omen indicating that God's hand had torn it in two and that his presence was leaving that holy place. (See the Jewish Talmud, Yoma 39b).



The curtain separated the Holy Place from everyone but the high priest. The Holy Place was where the presence of God dwelled on the mercy seat. The curtain was a constant reminder to the Israelites that their access to God depended on another physical human, and that this access was only granted through the physical works of the sacrificial system.



“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. And the veil of the temple was torn in half from the top to the bottom” (Mk.15:37-38 KJV).



“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life” (Matt.27:50-52 NIV).



Consider the enormous significance of this monumental historical event. Picture Jesus' loud and painful cry “it is finished” (Jn.19:30), as the Roman solder plunges a spear deep into his side and his life blood drains to the ground. At the same instant, the Temple veil tears apart as a powerful earthquake shakes Jerusalem. Furthermore, picture the high priest who having just condemned Jesus to death the night before was splashing the blood of Passover lambs against the altar of God.



When Jesus cried out “it is finished” and the curtain tore, the relationship between God and humanity was altered forever. The tearing of the curtain of separation from top to bottom forever opens the way for all humanity to eventually fellowship directly with God the Father.

The ceasefire agreement that went into effect Jun. 19, 2008 required that Israel lift the virtual siege of Gaza which Israel had imposed after the June 2007 Hamas takeover. Although the terms of the agreement were not made public at the time, they were included in a report published this week by the International Crisis Group (ICG), which obtained a copy of the understanding last June.

In addition to a halt in all military actions by both sides, the agreement called on Israel to increase the level of goods entering Gaza by 30 percent over the pre-lull period within 72 hours and to open all border crossings and "allow the transfer of all goods that were banned and restricted to go into Gaza" within 13 days after the beginning of the ceasefire.

Nevertheless, Israeli officials freely acknowledged in interviews with ICG last June that they had no intention of opening the border crossings fully, even though they anticipated that this would be the source of serious conflict with Hamas.

Despite Israel's refusal to end the siege, Hamas brought rocket and mortar fire from Gaza to a virtual halt last summer and fall, as revealed by a report by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) in Tel Aviv last month. ITIC is part of the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Centre (IICC), an NGO which is close to the Israeli intelligence community.

In the first days after the ceasefire took effect, Islamic Jihad fired nine rockets and a few mortar rounds in retaliation for Israeli assassinations of their members in the West Bank. In August another eight rockets were fired by various groups, according to IDF data cited in the report. But it shows that only one rocket was launched from Gaza in September and one in October.

The report recalls that Hamas "tried to enforce the terms of the arrangement" on other Palestinian groups, taking "a number of steps against networks which violated the arrangement," including short-term detention and confiscating their weapons. It even found that Hamas had sought support in Gazan public opinion for its policy of maintaining the ceasefire.

On Nov. 4 -- just when the ceasefire was most effective -- the IDF carried out an attack against a house in Gaza in which six members of Hamas's military wing were killed, including two commanders, and several more were wounded. The IDF explanation for the operation was that it had received intelligence that a tunnel was being dug near the Israeli security fence for the purpose of abducing Israeli soldiers.

Hamas officials asserted, however, that the tunnel was being dug for defensive purposes, not to capture IDF personnel, according to Pastor, and one IDF official confirmed that fact to him.

After that Israeli attack, the ceasefire completely fell apart, as Hamas began openly firing rockets into Israel, the IDF continued to carry out military operations inside Gaza, and the border crossings were "closed most of the time", according to the ITIC account.

Israel cited the firing of 190 rockets over six weeks as the justification for its massive attack on Gaza.


You tell me who broke the cease-fire.

Israel never intended to honor their agreement in June. They didnt even try!

To show the world we are changing, and do it from a position of strength!


1.) We should move a Naval Fleet into the Med. directly off shore of the Gaza strip, and demand Israel pull out or we will target all of their fighters and artillery!
At the same time we should tell the Palestinians that we will offer this protection as long as they cease firing rockets at Israel.
2.) We should then demand both countries enter into negotiations with us aboard a US Navy cruiser!
3.) We should order Israel to withdraw to the UN Mandate of 1948. Move Marines and Army Divisions (F*ck the UN) into place as moderators until Israel gets the message that the days of unconditional US support and subjucation to them are over!

Yahoo News today:

Aid deliveries have been massively disrupted by the conflict, with agencies warning that residents are running out of food and even having to burn their furniture to stay warm in the bitterly cold nights.

By late Monday, Palestinian medics said at least another 26 people had been killed, bringing the overall Palestinian death toll to 918, including 277 children. Another 4,100 have been wounded.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=17707


Palestinian kids raised for war
Taught to hate, kill Jews through 'Sesame Street'-type TV show


Palestinian children are taught to hate Jews, to glorify "jihad" (holy war), violence, death and child martyrdom almost from birth, as an essential part of their culture and destiny.As captured on an Israeli video documentary produced in 1998, a "Sesame Street"-like children'sprogram called the "Children's Club" -- complete with puppet shows, songs, Mickey Mouse and other characters -- focused on inculcating intense hatred of Jews and a passion for engaging in and celebrating violence against them in a perpetual "jihad" until the day the Israeli flags come down from above "Palestinian land" and the Palestinian flag is raised.

In one song on the "Children's Club," very young children are shown singing songs about wanting to become "suicide warriors" and to take up "a machine gun" to direct "violence, anger, anger, anger" against Israelis. During the show, which features children aged 4-10, one young boy sings, "When I wander into Jerusalem, I will become a suicide bomber." Afterward, other children stand to call for "Jihad! Holy war to the end against the Zionist enemy."

Other "highlights" of the "Children's Club":

Groups of children are gathered together, shouting for "Jihad against Israel."

One girl, who appears to be in a Palestinian school classroom, sings of donning "battledress" to "attack the Zionists."

A small girl chants the now-familiar ditty, "When I wander into Jerusalem, I will become a suicide bomber."

An adult narrator reads material in a Palestinian school pamphlet: "I have raised my children for jihad and on the principle that they never give up on their land."

One segment depicts a small boy on the street chanting, "Revolution until victory."

Another boy is shown in class proclaiming, "We will settle our claims with stones and bullets."

In Palestinian school classrooms, the message is the same. "In the Palestinian case, what we see is the cynical use of children, who are exposed to a state-run ideology that pushes them to their death, in the name of Palestinian nationalism," she says. "Children are taught to idealize death, to view it as a positive. In many cases, they are told that death is not death at all, but rather the beginning of a new life."

How can children be sold on dying in battle?

"The state threatens children if they're not willing to commit jihad," says Wurmser, "and tells them they will be punished by God if they do not commit jihad. If they do commit jihad, they and their families will be benefited by the state. [Their families] are promised major financial benefits if they kill themselves in suicide attacks against Israel." This is not to say that some parents won't object to having their children converted to terrorists, says Wurmser, "but in the more religious families, there is no sense of sorrow. We see Palestinian mothers who have lost children - especially parents from very fundamentalist Muslim backgrounds -- who are not upset at all, but who say their sons have brought great honor to their families." This is typical, she says, of "radical national Arab regimes who have adopted the Islamic line."

That's sad, Thomas.

They are taking their childhood away.

Yeah Winx and they have plenty of Americans support them and their cause.

and all because Hamas refuses to stop firing rockets into Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Beersheva, Hamas could have prevented this war and can stop it at anytime by merely accepting peace alongside Israel. But as we have heard from Hamas leadership repeatedly...they will never cease their attacks on Israel no matter how many Palestinian civilians are killed all in the name of God and religious hatred. This is why the blood of the Palestinians is on the hands of Hamas.

That’s written by Israeli sympathizers. It’s a joke. Both sides of the debate should stick to the facts.

Hey Karmafury, Thank you for your input on this topic. I think that you possibly are the only one who has come up with positive suggestions, to some bad situations. Insanity, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The thought of changing the rules of engagement is great. I totally agree, but who calls the shots? How many of us have said "ya, I know those are the rules but this is different"? Its easy to say "no exceptions", but even then its not practical because someone has to run the administration of such a force. The power is always going to be concentrated in the hands of a few. Which few and who's going to be left out? Just playing "devils advocate" there, because I still think that you had the intelligence to say "somethings wrong" and come up with some sort of solution, you should continue working on it....

I suppose we should use our military to conquer a few dozen other nations that do not agree with us 100% of the time. There are dozens of nations behaving far worse than Israel, should we send troops to all of those countries as well?

Personally, I think the USA is fighting enough wars at the moment. Maybe after we bring our troops home from one country, we can invade another, but I would prefer waiting until we have brought our troops home from a few other countries before we invade someone else (unless absolutely necessary).

Yep... And while blocking normal traffic of foods and such (i.e. greedy merchants) they looked the other way while food and medial supplies went in through the rather large net work of smugglers tunnels...(which Israel knows about).

More than one side to this...

Israeli citizens also have mothers, daughters, sons and innocents within their ranks...

get real... The same groups of people been fightin for that small piece of the Earth for 1000's of years...

Israel pulled completely out of Gaza in 2005.

So, the current Gaza conflict is not about land.
It is about radical militant Islam - Hamas style - and
believe it or not, Hamas' political power over the area
and their Fatah rivals. Also a big miscalculation on the
part of Hamas on the potential Israeli response to
continued rocket attacks.

What a waste.