How predictable


By Marian Lebor
September 1, 2010
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How predictable. Peace talks – no matter how slim the chance of success - have always been a pretext for terror. Even during the Intifada, when terror attacks occurred on an almost daily basis – and sometimes more than once a day - we dreaded visits from American and European special envoys because we knew that as night follows day, there would be an attack specifically timed to coincide with the peace mission. This would inevitably be followed by a visit to the scene of the attack, from where the envoy would make sombre statements about how we mustn’t let this latest atrocity derail peace efforts.

And so last night, as Benjamin Netanyahu was on his way to Washington for peace talks, six Israeli children were orphaned when their parents were shot in cold blood. A pregnant woman and another young man were gunned down in the deliberately timed terror attack.

Pity those children and the families of all the latest victims of terror. Pity ordinary people on both sides of this conflict who simply yearn for a normal life, free from fear, hatred and violence.

COMMENTS

clevenson

1 September, 2010 - 07:42

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"six Israeli children were orphaned when their parents were shot in cold blood"

Well what about all the thousands of Palestinians killed by wonderful Israel. They are not important because they are not Jews of course.
Are you not surprised that the settlers were attacked. They are occupying land that does not belong to them.

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 08:11

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-2 points

Yep, Hamas playing right into the hands of the Israeli government. How predictable indeed.

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 08:52

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`JIC, Israeli nationalist news would say that - they are the settlers' mouthpiece and as such Hamas played into their hands

Joshua18

1 September, 2010 - 11:19

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"Are you not surprised that the settlers were attacked. They are occupying land that does not belong to them."

Exactly the excuse used by the IRA.

Joshua18

1 September, 2010 - 11:24

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2 points

"They are not important because they are not Jews of course."

You have it exactly the wrong way round. You do not care about the murder of Jews because you really don't like them very much. And as you don't differentiate between the terrorist and legitimate nations defending themselves, you really should spare a thought or two for the countless thousands of children orphaned and killed because of British military action in Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Then there are the many thousands of children both orphaned and murdered by the British at Dresden.

Jonathan Hoffman

1 September, 2010 - 11:40

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0 points

"They are occupying land that does not belong to them"

You and your Guardian-reading cronies don't get it do you, clevenson. The land was acquired as a result of a defensive war; was offered back at Khartoum; and was the subject of UN Resolution 242 which says there needs to be peace for it to be returned.

Slaughtering 4 innocents and 1 foetus ain't peace - even you can see that, surely?

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 11:49

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Slight correction, Jonathan. UNSCR 242 says:

Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:

(i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;

(ii) Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."

i is not preconditioned on ii

Indeed, killing four innocents and 1 foetus isn't peace, and it just plays into the hands of the extremists on both sides -- which is what the terrorists wanted.
Remember before the 1981 election, which the pro-peace Shimon Peres should have won, the terrorists attacked settlers outside Jericho, causing a large number to vote for Begin's Likud.
In the 1996 election Peres would have won had it not been for the bus bombings, which helped Netanyahu win.
Same again in 2001, when Sharon won.
The terrorists are trying again now to derail the process.

Yvetta

1 September, 2010 - 11:54

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clevenson, you've reacted like Pavlov's dogs - Marian wrote as follows: "Pity those children and the families of all the latest victims of terror. Pity ordinary people on both sides of this conflict who simply yearn for a normal life, free from fear, hatred and violence."
See - "both sides".

Jonathan Hoffman

1 September, 2010 - 12:19

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"which should include the application of both the following principles"

To any rational reader, that is absolutely conditional.

It gives israel every right to stay in the West Bank if there is no cessation of hostility on the other side.

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 12:38

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Jonathan, that's precisely what has been debated since 242 and 338 were passed. Those who framed the resolution kept it sufficiently vague so that both sides, and the Five Permanent Members, could agree to it.
So Israel has no inherent "right" to stay on the West Bank, with or without 242/338.

Jonathan Hoffman

1 September, 2010 - 12:59

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You're wrong as usual, TelegraphScum.

Israel can stay there as long as there is no commitment to peace from the other side.

And there is nothing in the Fourth Geneva Convention to stop it, either.

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 13:04

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-1 points

Moderators, why is Jonathan Hoffman allowed to get away with abuse? It demeans this blog and tarnishes the Zionist Federation.

Jonathan Hoffman

1 September, 2010 - 13:17

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1 point

"When you can't respond - smear"

'Twas ever thus with the Guardian-reading Israel haters.

Why don't you go onto CIF where your comments will be kept and the pro-Israel ones deleted?

Give yourself an easy life, T-sham

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 13:19

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-1 points

Jonathan, how many more times does one need to repeat: I take the Times, Wall Street Journal and Sun/NoW, and when I am feeling particularly frisky Commentary.

telegramsam

1 September, 2010 - 13:20

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-1 points

Moderators, Jonathan is really abusive. How is he allowed to get away with it?

ibrows

1 September, 2010 - 14:51

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Jon_i_Cohen

Abbas is not responsible for these deaths, just like Bibi is not responsible for the crazy rantings of the rabbi against Abbas the other day.

Joshua18

The IRA analogy is a good one, Ireland wanted the occupying English to leave, likewise, Hamas want the Israeli occupation to end. Peace in Ireland was only achieved by ending the occupation and bringing the IRA into negotiations. Likewise, Israel must end the occupation and negotiate with Hamas, or there will be no lasting peace, history proves this to be the case.

Jonathan

The Geneva convention actually prohibits the occupying power - Israel from transferring either the native Palestinian population from their land, or transferring their own people into this territory, i.e like illegal Jewish settlements, so on both counts Israel is breaking international law

clevenson

1 September, 2010 - 19:41

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1 point

I love the comparisons with Northern Ireland. Pre 1998 Sinn Fein and the IRA had no representation in the province. Today of course they are power sharing.

Today the Palestinians have no real representation apart from the puppet corrupt regime imposed by Israel/USA called the PA. A few years ago after fair elections Hamas won power. Israel didn't like the result so no power.

Surely the Ulster analogy suggests that one day the Palestinians and Israelis will share power. That will be a great day and it is going to happen. I am convinced of this. What will you do on that wonderful day Johnny H?

ibrows

1 September, 2010 - 20:17

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clevenson

correct, Abbas is a joke and does not offer adequate representation for the Palestinians, he ignores the realities of the occupation, and is 'negotiating' (if we can really call it that) from a position of ignorance hand in hand with the US.

Lets hope for some sort of power sharing, an end to the occupation and negotiations must involve Hamas, as it also ultimately had to with the IRA.

Anonymous

2 September, 2010 - 09:58

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