Israeli settlers burn down Palestinian house in hate crime:

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Melissia**

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/01/west.bank.violence/index.html

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli settlers damaged cars and tried to burn down a house in Palestinian villages in the West Bank Monday night and Tuesday, police told CNN. The actions followed removal of three illegal shacks in a Jewish settlement.

These incidents are what some Israelis call "price tag" actions: Any activity against settlements and outposts is met by violence against Palestinian property.

Israeli police removed three illegal shacks Monday in the Jewish outpost of Havat Gilad. Police and civil administration representatives were stoned by the settlers on the scene. Eight people were arrested in the incident, Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.

Monday night, Israeli settlers blocked roads in Jerusalem, demonstrating against the outpost's removal. The demonstrators burned tires and clashed with police. Twenty-three demonstrators were arrested, Rosenfeld said. Three other settlers were arrested in the West Bank, he said.

There were also several incidents of torching cars in villages around Hebron on Monday night. On Tuesday, people tried to burn down a house in the village Hiwara, south of Nablus.

The incidents are under investigation, Rosenfeld said.

"We call upon the international community not to remain silent ... the people call us on a daily basis to protect their lives because they are afraid (of) the settlers," said Ghassan Douglass, a Palestinian official in charge of the settlement activity north of the West Bank.

The Palestinian owner of the burned house, Rami Edmaidi, told CNN that a group of Israeli settlers broke the window with an iron club, threw a Molotov cocktail into the bedroom and fled. Due to the thick smoke, his brother and sister-in-law had to be taken to the hospital for breathing problems, he said.

Edmaidi said this is not the first time incidents like this have occurred. "Yesterday my uncle's house was also attacked by the same settlers."

Douglass told CNN the situation has worsened since February 18, when the United States vetoed a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. "This Thursday the (Israeli) right wing are calling for the day of rage. There isn't any international party able to stop them either."

American-sponsored talks between Israelis and Palestinians fell apart in September when Israel resumed settlement construction in the occupied West Bank after a 10-month freeze.

Palestinians have indicated they will not resume talks until all Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is frozen.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Israel, which annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967, considers the entire city to be its sovereign capital, a claim not recognized by many in the international community.

**Grakmar**

Ugh, Israel/Palestine

I used to have strong feelings on the issue. But, I just can't figure out who the good guys and who the bad guys are any more.

Both sides have strong arguments for their cause and both sides have committed terrible atrocities. Reasonable peace proposals have been put forward, but it seems any time Israel is willing to compromise, Palestine isn't, and any time Palestine is willing to compromise, Israel isn't.

I think it's time America starts to re-consider our stance on the region. Maybe pulling out and ignoring both of them is the only remaining solution.

**filbert**

Par for the course in that part of the world sadly.

**Melissia**

Maybe they need to exert stronger pressure over Israel to stop the settlements? I mean I strongly support Israel's right to exist and their right to defend themselves, and have defended them for defending themselves. But a peace process requires both parties to take action. Or maybe we need to give the PLO an army and let them exterminate any settlers that move into PLO territory.

**biccat**

Melissia wrote:But a peace process requires both parties to take action.

I agree, but there has been a lot more action on the Israeli side than there has been on the Palestine side.

Israeli settlements don't take land from anyone, they don't tear down Palestinian homes to build them, and they aren't built on holy sites. Instead, they're taking formerly unused land and puttnig it to valuable use. The objection of the Palestinian Authority seems to be that Jews are moving into land that is supposed to be Muslims Only.

Not only that, but the Israeli settlements provide work opportunities for Palestinians in the West Bank, otherwise they'd be unemployed.

Melissia wrote:Or maybe we need to give the PLO an army and let them exterminate any settlers that move into PLO territory.

Fomenting religious wars (well, genocide since you seem to be suggesting that the Israeli's can't fight back) is a good idea?

**Scrabb**

Shouldn't the title end with: ...and were arrested by Israeli police?

**Frazzled**

Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

**Ahtman**

Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

You can create quite as big a trollstorm or present your biased views with a local story like that.

**WARBOSS TZOO**

biccat wrote:
Melissia wrote:But a peace process requires both parties to take action.

I agree, but there has been a lot more action on the Israeli side than there has been on the Palestine side.

There's also been hundreds of Palestinian deaths at the hands of Israelis for the death of any given Israeli at the hands of a Palestinian.

**dogma**

biccat wrote:
Israeli settlements don't take land from anyone, they don't tear down Palestinian homes to build them,

They have done so in the past. Just look into the history of Hebron.

biccat wrote:The objection of the Palestinian Authority seems to be that Jews are moving into land that is supposed to be Muslims Only.

That's not really it. Its complicated, but in general both sides are supposed to be ostensibly seeking a two-state solution, and the settlements (administered according to Israeli law, and not the law of the PA) are a direct contravention of that idea. Then you add in the issues regarding Palestinian naturalization in Israel compared to almost no barrier impeding Israeli settlement of Palestine, and the umbrage taken becomes very substantive.

biccat wrote:
Not only that, but the Israeli settlements provide work opportunities for Palestinians in the West Bank, otherwise they'd be unemployed.

Only about 13.5% of West Bank citizens are employed in Israel or the settlements, and the majority of these are employed in Israel. As a rough estimate the construction industry in the West Bank, basically the largest industry directly connected to the settlements, employed about 35,000 Palestinians in 2009, which is only about 1% of the employed population of the West Bank.

**CT GAMER**

Scrabb wrote:Shouldn't the title end with: ...and were arrested by Israeli police?

Not if you want to whip people up into a frenzy...

The actions in question are the work of Israeli radicals with a political agenda. They aren't sanctioned agents of the Gov. nor the police (obviously since the police seem to be clashing with them and arresting them).

So the solution would be to give the Palestinians guns? That would do wonders I think...

I think we have seen the results of the west's history of exportation of weaponry to that region of the world and the arming of various interest groups: Epic fail.

How about we let the authorities continue to arrest the lawbreakers?

**KamikazeCanuck**

Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

It would if was burned down by the Mexican Army.

**Frazzled**

KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

It would if was burned down by the Mexican Army.

mexcian gangs are beheading people in Arizona now.

**CT GAMER**

Frazzled wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

It would if was burned down by the Mexican Army.

mexcian gangs are beheading people in Arizona now.

maybe Melissa gave them machetes so they could fight to their their land back...

**Melissia**

Yes, there's atrocities happening all over. This one is part of a larger political issue of peace and stability in the middle east.

Noone is minimizing the deaths of people at the hands of mexican gangbangers in this thread except you, Frazzled.

**Frazzled**

CT GAMER wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

It would if was burned down by the Mexican Army.

mexcian gangs are beheading people in Arizona now.

maybe Melissa gave them machetes so they could fight to their their land back...

Only an idiot would say its their land. I'm sure you're not saying that however.

**biccat**

Melissia wrote:Noone is minimizing the deaths of people at the hands of mexican gangbangers in this thread

He is? Omagawd!

**Frazzled**

Melissia wrote:Yes, there's atrocities happening all over. This one is part of a larger political issue of peace and stability in the middle east.

Noone is minimizing the deaths of people at the hands of mexican gangbangers in this thread except you, Frazzled.

You're making a bid deal about it when its not. Crap is happening all over. Rockets are beiung fired into Israel daily. US soldiers are being attacked by Muslim terrorists in Germany. Whats the bodycount in LA going to be this weekend? When I was there the record was 23 and helicopters were circling our aprartment all night long with their lights. No one gave a gak. No one does give a gak.

**Melissia**

Frazzled wrote:
Melissia wrote:Yes, there's atrocities happening all over. This one is part of a larger political issue of peace and stability in the middle east.

Noone is minimizing the deaths of people at the hands of mexican gangbangers in this thread except you, Frazzled.

You're making a bid deal about it when its not. Crap is happening all over. Rockets are beiung fired into Israel daily. US soldiers are being attacked by Muslim terrorists in Germany. Whats the bodycount in LA going to be this weekend? When I was there the record was 23 and helicopters were circling our aprartment all night long with their lights. No one gave a gak. No one does give a gak.

If you don't care, then you can probably just stop posting in the thread, right? Right.

**Frazzled**

No, I've decided heaping scorn on people who do care to push their own personal agendas to be the best option. On the positive I found this which sums it best.

**Melissia**

Frazzled wrote:No, I've decided heaping scorn on people who do care to push their own personal agendas to be the best option.

Heaping scorn on yourself isn't healthy, Frazzled.

**Frazzled**

Melissia wrote:
Frazzled wrote:No, I've decided heaping scorn on people who do care to push their own personal agendas to be the best option.
Heaping scorn on yourself isn't healthy, Frazzled.

It keeps me warm.

**Melissia**

But spite works just as well and won't clog your arteries!

**CT GAMER**

Frazzled wrote:
CT GAMER wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Frazzled wrote:Wow like who gives a gak? We had a house burn down in Houston last night. Its not even on the news much less discussed here.

It would if was burned down by the Mexican Army.

mexcian gangs are beheading people in Arizona now.

maybe Melissa gave them machetes so they could fight to their their land back...

Only an idiot would say its their land. I'm sure you're not saying that however.

Depends how far back you wanna go in history.

Sort of like a certain geographic region in the Middle East...

**KamikazeCanuck**

A topic about religon, politics and the middle east on the internet has gone awry. I never thought I'd see the day.

**mattyrm**

I agree with Frazz for a change, whats the point in discussing this incident? I mean, sure we can have a nice big chat about the whole clusterfeth that is Israel/Palestine, but one incident?

This gak happens 7 days a week over there!

For every Israeli atrocity there is a Palestinian one, and we arent fighting Jews in Afghanistan, so.. kinda hard for me to care about this...er.. jolly good natured vandalism.

**Melissia**

Actually I figured what with all the other arguments one about the clusterfeth would fit right in...

**mattyrm**

Oh ok lets talk about that then..

Go Israel!

**CT GAMER**

KamikazeCanuck wrote:A topic about religon, politics and the middle east on the internet has gone awry. I never thought I'd see the day.

Nonsense!!! Nothing has "gone awry", it is in fact par for the course...

**biccat**

mattyrm wrote:Oh ok lets talk about that then..

Go Israel!

Seconded!

We have now reached a consensus. Any deviation from this mainstream position is antiscientific and indefensible.