Are Police Taking Sides in Anti-Israel Protests?
NYPD actions at a recent rally may shed light on their evolving relationship with groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
At Sunday’s pro-Palestinian “Break the Siege in Gaza” (BTSG) rally in Times Square, I had an altercation with a NYC cop who works with the Community Affairs division of the NYPD. He refused to give me his name, so I’ll just call him the “lieutenant.”
I was across the street from the BTSG group, taking pictures, when a pro-Israel group, sponsored in part by the Silent Majority, started to set up shop. The NYPD interrupted them and told them to move their group to an assigned pen on 39th Street, three blocks away. Some members of the group objected and decided to carry signs up and down 7th Avenue. Others accompanied the police to the 39th Street area. I was walking back and forth between the two groups when a friend with an anti-Hamas sign told me that a policeman had threatened to arrest him because he was walking around outside of his pen. I asked who it was and he pointed to the lieutenant. When I asked the lieutenant if that was true, he told me to move along.
I thought that if I took out my camera, a person who was apparently trained in community relations would express some interest in politely explaining police actions to the community. As you can see in this video, that’s not what he did. When I asked a few questions about freedom of assembly, he pushed my hand and the camera away and told me to stop recording.
One organizer from the Silent Majority, who is also affiliated with Gathering of Eagles, said that the police seemed to be harassing pro-Israel and pro-America folks lately. She believed that these pro-Palestinian rallies were defended on site by teams of lawyers. Also, she said, we “know Bloomberg has used CAIR to instruct the police to be ‘sensitive.’” At the recent Gaza war protest in San Francisco, photojournalist Zombie noted the same phenomenon.
Are the police taking sides? Are they trying to avoid violent confrontation by pressuring the supporters of Israel, who are less likely to be violent or to cry “Islamophobia”?
Probably — by now, the police know how violent these Gaza rallies can be. A synagogue was firebombed and cars were torched in France. Protesters threw stones and firebombs at riot police in Athens. In London, protesters burned Israeli flags and hurled missiles, including fireworks, at the police. At these fiery rallies, the subject of peace rarely comes up.
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Mary Madigan is the publisher of the Exit Zero blog. She also guest blogs on Solomonia.
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65 Comments
1. Ken Besig:Even the Israeli Police seem to use kid gloves when dealing with violent Arab Israeli Moslems while using an iron fist against peaceful Jewish Israeli protesters.
Jan 16, 2009 - 3:25 am 2. David Thomson:I am sure that the reasons are the same in Israel as they are in New York. The Moslems have apparently unlimited funds to conduct what is now called “lawfare” against anyone they see as an enemy. Usually their victims can’t easily afford a legal defence, not to mention the time and effort they have to waste on these frivolous Islamic lawsuits. Moslems also can be extremely violent, even murderously so, not just against counterdemonstrators, but against the Police or other authorities and often against completely uninvolved and innocent bystanders. And of course, when the counterdemonstrators or the Police use any force to defend themselves, the above mentioned “lawfare” battle begins.
Moslems also play on the pity card presenting themselves as an oppressed and discriminated minority and use Israeli and American human rights organizations to promote their demands.
There is a monster growing in the heart of the West and it is called Islam. The only question for Europe, for example, is whether Europe will be Islamicized or Islam Europeanized, no one doubts that within another decade, Christianity will be a minority in Europe and Islam the dominant faith and culture. There is still a chance for America, but only if Americans will confront, now, the radical imams and their Islam. Right now, it looks like Islam is on the upswing, and what used to be Judeo Christian America, on the losing side.
Race guilt may very well destroy civilization. Muslims are normally perceived by the politically correct establishment as dark skinned victims of oppression. New York City is a very left-wing area of the country. Why should we be surprised if its police officers are compelled to adhere to the suicidal doctrines of the left?
Jan 16, 2009 - 4:20 am 3. nadadhimmi:There are over 100 arned conflicts raging across the world and i-slam is involved in ALL of them. Even a “journalist”, as stupid as a group as they are, should be able tp figure that one out. But, no, the problem, to them is not i-slam, but rather EVERYONE ELSE.
Jan 16, 2009 - 4:48 am 4. DLAW:Ken Besig:
Don’t be a bigot. Do you personally know any violent Muslims in the United States or is it just hearsay?
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:15 am 5. Oren:The police here in Israel treat the left with an iron fist but religious extremists Jewish and Arab are treated lightly both feeling that they are above the law.
But it is journalists who need to take note. Why not look at what is happening in Zimbabwe? And many other far worse conflicts. Where was the world for the last 8 years when Hamastan was attacking Israel?
A bully attacks often, but when his victim hits back once, all of a sudden it is news?
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:17 am 6. hp:reminded me instantly of this couple month old piece from atlas shrugs:
Islamists Day Parade Gets Ugly
in particular, the image burned forever in mind was the one of the police officer which is supportive of her description of officers taking off shoes and hats to kneel down and pray on the streets while on duty. the impression being given was he and the others like him who did so were supposed to have been actively patrolling in protection of all citizens.
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:24 am 7. Jonesy55:“no one doubts that within another decade, Christianity will be a minority in Europe and Islam the dominant faith and culture.”
Actually I think they do doubt that. Muslims make up about 3% of the European population, slightly less than half of those are women. Unless each and every one of those muslim women is going to have about 30 muslim kids in the next decade while nobody else has any, there’s no way that Islam can become dominant numerically in that time.
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:56 am 8. bill:DLAW,
Are you an ostrich? Just asking…
Jan 16, 2009 - 6:23 am 9. Thomas:Jonesy55
No surprise that being a leftist Islamist shill you distort the numbers:
Jan 16, 2009 - 6:45 am 10. Jonesy55:as it stands today, Muslims in France and the Netherlands approaching 10% of the population. When the Mediterranean Initiative of Sarko opens the Arab floodgate along with the Turkish masses in waiting, the chaos will accelerate and spread elsewhere in the borderless EU.- I placed orders for popcorn because it will be fun to behold when the Islamist beat the s***t out of the Godless Communist: believe or not they don’t really like the Gramscian Marxist.
Being of Eastern European at birth, we are well ahead in knowing the future of Marx-Lenin-Stalin’s little children.
Ha, ha, ha! Not even Putin likes you anymore.
Thomas, yes of course, how silly of me. Even accepting for the moment that ‘muslims in France and Netherlands approaching 10% of the population’ (which is in fact the upper end of estimates), that doesn’t change the fact that across Europe as a whole it’s much much less.
Have fun with your popcorn, just don’t expect anything too exciting or you may be disappointed.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:22 am 11. orman:is the link made above “Radicalization in the West: The Home-Grown Threat” broken? THe NYC site it leads to eventually doesn’seem helpful.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:26 am 12. kelly k:“There is still a chance for America, but only if Americans will confront, now, the radical imams and their Islam.”
Yesterday at work, the topic of the recent French anti-Israel demonstrations came up in a discussion. Everyone at the table except me expressed the feeling that these violent, firebombing arsonists were victims of white French oppression and bigotry.
For huge swaths of America’s liberals, from the middle-class to the elites, narcissistic self-identity as a liberal is much more important than confronting ugly realities.
Just look at DLAW. Someone points out that every major armed conflict in the world involves Islam, and DLAW’s response is pious indignation about bigotry. Do you PERSONALLY knowing any violent Muslims? Personally, get it? That’s all that matters. If you don’t personally know any personal Muslims who are personally firebombing synagogues, then it mustn’t be happening.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:26 am 13. John Galt:There are over 1.25 billion Muslims and probably less than 5 million Jews (I don’t count the assimilated as Jews).
So if you are refereeing a fight between two such entities its obvious which side you will lean to.
In addition to that over 40% of so called Hispanics (most of them are Indians who speak Spanish) are antisemitic. Over 35% of blacks are antisemitic. Then you have the European-American Catholics. This group has a long history of anitsemitism.
So those are the facts.
If it wasn’t for the huge number of Jews living in the metropolitan N.Y. area the situation would have been a lot more lopsided.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:53 am 14. Laurent:The NYPD have been stuck in the middle of every world conflict since 1946, when the UN was moved to NYC. They have followed a simple rule: keep opposing groups (Turks v Greeks, Turks v Armenians, Pro and anti Castro Cubans-remember them in the 1960’s/) apart. Use police crowd barriers. No change, except that the Palestinians from Yonkers are more numerous.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:58 am 15. WJ:For the average policeman, where are his/her punishments going to come from? If he/she enforces the law and is even-handed, the higher-ups will tend to punish them for not showing enough “sensitivity” to the most vocal, complaining, grievance seeking group.
Jan 16, 2009 - 8:23 am 16. Mike_K:DLAW:
Ken Besig:
Don’t be a bigot. Do you personally know any violent Muslims in the United States or is it just hearsay
I have to confess that I did not personally know the Muslim limo driver from Irvine who decided to drive to LAX and start shooting at the El Al counter.
Neither did I personally know the Muslim who drove his car through students at UNC campus.
You’re right. I don’t personally know any. Thank God.
Jan 16, 2009 - 8:43 am 17. JimmyJack:At least 15 of those who died on 9/11 personally knew violent Muslims (namely, each other). A few hundred more in airplanes made a fleeting acquaintance with some violent Muslims. I doubt most of the approximately three thousand dead personally knew any violent Muslims.
Jan 16, 2009 - 8:58 am 18. barry 0351:The idea folks is to accept and eventually submit to islam.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:00 am 19. barry 0351:the ones in charge of this country want what the Mullahs have, unquestioned authority from the government by the masses (Us) and the fear of a god to back it up.
America is being given to our enemies by our leaders.
I give the USA fifty years and America will be Dar Al Islam.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:02 am 20. exDemocrat:Do you personally know any violent Muslims in the United States or is it just hearsay?
If a muslim is non-violent s/he is just a bad muslim.
There is nothing moderate about isslam.
Isslam should be banned as a subversive death cult.
Let’s roll.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:10 am 21. inmypajamas:I personally know a Muslim family with parents who immigrated from Lebanon & Kuwait and are virulently anti-Semitic but not actually violent. The children, thankfully, do not seem to share their parents’ Middle Eastern brainwashing, having been born and educated here, but it is hard to escape completely the views that you are brought up with. The current situation in Gaza actually provoked a “I hope all those mfers die!” statement from the mother referring to Israelis. She only watches Al Jazeera, which she encouraged me to watch to get the “truth” and counter-act the “pro-Israel” American media. This is a woman with an advanced degree in biomedical engineering and who runs her own business and whose husband is equally well-educated and successful. They also stopped attending a local mosque they deemed “too fundamentalist” because the mosque members were harrassing the mom and daughter about not wearing hijab so I guess that puts them in the category of “moderate” Muslims. While neither of them would ever personally engage in violence, I would not be surprised to learn that they contribute substantial money to organizations that do under the guise of being Palestinian charities. Unfortunately, I am sure they are probably representative of the attitudes of large swaths of “moderate” semi-Westernized Muslims.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:19 am 22. inmypajamas:Oh, and for all those Jews who voted for Obama thinking he supported Israel, these two “moderate” Muslims voted for him for exactly the opposite reason. They were convinced that he would bring a pro-Palestinian perspective to the White House and stop the “influence of the Jewish lobby”. The mom even mentioned Obama’s connection to Rashid Kalidi as evidence of this. The One seems to magically be all things to all people. It’s a little frightening how “cult of personality” his whole schtick is.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:26 am 23. deguello:The moral of the story is clear:those who refuse to engage in intimidation and worse,will lose out to those
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:29 am 24. LawhawkSF:who don’t. Islamicists perceive westerners as cowardly, ineffectual bags of wind,pathetically unwilling to break misapplied laws,or even disobey thuggish cops,repressing their freedom of speech. This is why they will win.
Speaking as a lawyer, I can tell you without hesitation that violent Muslims in the United States are not hearsay. Open your newspapers (even the lefty newspapers) and answer your own question. I don’t have to know a violent Muslim personally to know that they exist any more than I have to know someone who suffers from tuberculosis to know that it exists–and that I don’t want it. As for America submitting to Muslim domination, I also worry. But I’m more hopeful. The First Amendment gives them a voice, but the Second Amendment gives us a defense. There is more than one possible revolutionary outcome here. I know which side I’m on.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:41 am 25. Mary Madigan:There is a monster growing in the heart of the West and it is called Islam
There is a monster growing in the heart of the West, and it’s called the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, ISNA, the Muslim American Society, the Muslim Students Association and their foreign sponsors from nations like Saudi Arabia are supporting terrorism. They’re also supporting the rallies we discuss here.
The NYPD and Federal Authorities do put more pressure on pro-Israel protesters, but they also give the supporters of Israel, America and democracy the ammunition needed to dismantle the Muslim Brotherhood. As criminal organizations, CAIR, the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups are vulnerable to further prosecution and RICO-based lawsuits.
This tactic may be time consuming, but it does work. These were the weapons we used to dismantle the mob in America.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:44 am 26. Tantor:What I have observed in the anti-war demonstrations in Washington, DC is that ANSWER, the communist organizers of all of them, work with radical law firms before the demonstrations and teams of lawyers during them. The law firms harass anyone who objects to various ANSWER tactics like pasting their posters all over neighborhoods or insisting ANSWER follow local legal codes for their march. When ANSWER marches, they have a team of lefty lawyers at the march and call out for marchers to make complaints of police misconduct at the march. I suspect the police are intimidated by these tactics.
For example, at the last inauguration I witnessed protestors assaulting the police with snowballs, plants torn out of hotel pots, full soda cans, and other debris to the point where it became a dangerous situation for passersby. The police pepper-sprayed the most violent portion of the protestors and arrested a few others.
The radical lawyers took the police to court for violating the rights of the protestors, specifically their right to free speech and assemble. It went on for months. My speculation is that, even if it doesn’t cost the individual police any money or hurt their career, they probably don’t want to waste time with these idiots. So harassment works.
Right wing counter-protestors, by contrast, are not so well-organized nor well-funded. They usually represent only themselves and are not backed by a foreign government, as large radical organizations are. They are not inclined to sue the police. They don’t bring lawyers with them to make gratuitous lawsuits. Consequently, the police do not fear them and handle them more harshly than the radicals. They know they can push conservatives around.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:54 am 27. Lynn:The question of whether or not anyone here personally knows any violent Muslims is absurd. Violent Muslims do not associate with infidels. It’s prohibited by their religion. They are waging jihad. Duhhhh.
Jan 16, 2009 - 11:17 am 28. Leon:Here’s a working link for the NYPD paper:
Jan 16, 2009 - 11:24 am 29. Kirk Parker:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/public_information/NYPD_Report-Radicalization_in_the_West.pdf
Mike_K,
To extend your remarks, I didn’t personally know Mohammed and Malvo, either, but they did live in my town for a while, right before they headed to DC to start their own little personal jihad.
And I didn’t personally know the fellow who shot up the Seattle Jewish Federation, but I have been in the same room with some of the survivors of that incident and heard them speak about what it was like.
So yeah, nothing to see here (or anywhere else, for that matter.)
Jan 16, 2009 - 11:40 am 30. always right:Thanks for changing the topic about police handling demonstrations to
‘if you don’t know any violent moooooslem personally, then you don’t know squat!’ discussion.
/typical
Jan 16, 2009 - 12:05 pm 31. Mary Madigan:DLAW – I don’t know the members of this group personally, but if you’d like to meet violent genocide and jihad supporters in New York City, the Islamic Thinkers Society holds Islamist indoctrination programs on on 74th street in Jackson Heights Queens and on 34th street in Midtown Manhattan.
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/189768.php
Like the people who organize these protests, the Islamic Thinkers have ties to “nonviolent” terror supporting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
However, in a political context, personal violent actions are not important. Did Hitler ever, personally, assault or kill anyone? Does it matter?
Jan 16, 2009 - 12:25 pm 32. EdGi:Many southern cops took the same attitude towards the KKK, and in a previous century, ignored the “know-nothings”. Nothing was prevented or avoided, the cops corrupted their oaths, and nothing good came of ignoring thugs or allowing crimes.
Jan 16, 2009 - 12:50 pm 33. Mike K.:So the good protesters are easier to handle and threaten with police force. While the threatening protesters are allowed to get away with whatever they want because police administers don’t want a scene??? Where is the protection of the innocent in that? The public domain is where police are there to serve and protect the peace not allow it to ge to hell in a hand basket.
Note to self: Advise good people that like to obey laws to stop obeying laws to get what he or she wants. Is this RIGHT?!
New leadership is needed and people need to back up those leaders for doing the right thing and not criticizing them for their actions. Stand up to wrong doers and fight for justice.
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:25 pm 34. Mary Madigan:The NYPD arrested 10 pro-Palestinian protesters after Sunday’s rally. 7 cops were injured during attempts to make the arrests. Although the cops spent time herding Israel supporters, the violent pro-Palestinians were the ones who were thrown in jail.
However the police and the government tolerate groups like the Islamic Thinkers, who are promoting hatred, jihad and genocide. Cops may be watching these groups and using them as bait, but tolerating IT diatribes, like tolerating any terrorism, is harmful to the community.
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:27 pm 35. Raoul:DLAW,
Yeah, there were two Mulsim cousins convicted yesterday and then there’s the bastards who plotted to kill soldiers at Fort Dix.
Then there’s the two violant Muslims convicted down South. The violent Muslim got 15 years for posting a Jihadi YouTube on how to make a remote detonator.
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:31 pm 36. Raoul:Tantor,
ANSWER’s lawyers are the National Lawyers Guild, set up by the Communist Party USA back in the late 30s.
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:33 pm 37. Raoul:DLAW,
Here you go, violent and treasonous Muslims.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/January/09-nsd-041.html
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:35 pm 38. Mike K.:And you do not need to know any Muslum personally but I can see their actions when grouped together.
When grouped together, they are rude, arrogant, violent, lack concerns for others well-being and unlawful.
To me that speaks volumes about that group or people that associate with them. How about you?
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:38 pm 39. Mike K.:Response to Mary,
You stated: “The NYPD and Federal Authorities do put more pressure on pro-Israel protesters, but they also give the supporters of Israel, America and democracy the ammunition needed to dismantle the Muslim Brotherhood. As criminal organizations, CAIR, the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups are vulnerable to further prosecution and RICO-based lawsuits.”
That’s only if you can find a prosecutor willing to draw up a case and fight. It is not a given that the State’s Attorney will do this and bring charges.
Jan 16, 2009 - 1:45 pm 40. Marc Malone:In my town, on 9/11, about 150 Somalis gathered in a Somalian restaurant and cheered every time the news replayed footage of the WTC attacks. So, yeah, I personally know about 150 violent Muslims. So shut up, DLAW. Stupid Lib.
Jan 16, 2009 - 2:00 pm 41. Bless Israel:I urge everyone who is reading and posting on this site to go to these three websites and see for yourself the Truth about Islam the so called Religion of Peace!! Which is a complete lie!!! The Koran teaches it is the duty of all muslims to Convert you, Enslave you or Kill all nonbelievers or infidels!! And that includes any of liberal do gooders who think If we just talk to them they will not feel that way!! They believe that Islam should and will rule the world!!
thereligionofpeace.com
Wonder who is killing everyone around the world?
prophetofdoom.net/Prophet_of_doom_Prologue.Islam
You will see the words for yourself!!!
Obsessionthemovie.com
Watch the video!!!
You do not have to know one of them personally to know that they want to kill you and your entire family!!!
Jan 16, 2009 - 3:13 pm 42. furious_a:DLAW:
Do you personally know any violent Muslims in the United States ?
Me, no, but I bet the passengengers and flight crew on the three highjacked 9-11 aircraft knew these violent Muslims
very personally.
I believe those violent Muslims were in the United States when they did their violence, which included
cutting the throats of flight attendants in order to gain access to the flight decks.
What a cretin you are.
Jan 16, 2009 - 4:07 pm 43. Rika Hirayama:I never took sides but since Israel attacked on innocent Palestinians and slaughtered them I believe I become a HUGE supporter of Palestine. God Bless Palestine. We are with you Gaza.
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:04 pm 44. Mary Madigan:That’s only if you can find a prosecutor willing to draw up a case and fight. It is not a given that the State’s Attorney will do this and bring charges.
The government did spend years prosecuting the Holy Land Foundation case, so there are some who are willing to devote the time and effort needed.
Photojournalist Zombie, who mentioned that the San Francisco police seemed to favor the pro-Palestinian protesters, has a post up about the violence that’s occurring in these MB sponsored rallies worldwide.
The ’spontaneous violence’ that occurs during these protests is as choreographed as the violence and manufactured outrage that we saw during the Danish Cartoon riots. It’s managed by the same organization, the Brotherhood. Muslim Brotherhood based organizations in Europe call themselves Hizb-ut-Tahrir.
If we want to stop this organized, criminal activity, we have to concentrate our efforts on the head of this monster. The Muslim brotherhood is the head, the protesters are just the hangnails.
Jan 16, 2009 - 5:40 pm 45. Gozer the Carpathian:Um I think this is a no brainer HELL YEAH the police are taking sides. Though I do believe it is totally for the reasons you state. That they are trying to keep themselves from being sued. It also makes sense that the law abiding ones are so much easier to handle and hence can just be treated off handedly because, “eh, they won’t do nothing.”
As for the other idiocy of knowing a violent muslim and “slaughtering innocent Palestinians” I just have to shake my head and sigh. Here’s hoping we can hold onto our first and second amendment rights so we can save folks like these two from themselves.
Jan 16, 2009 - 6:40 pm 46. DAVE:Mary Madigan:
Please refute the fact that Hitler was a closet Muslim.
Jan 16, 2009 - 7:54 pm 47. dandi:I think what happening its the same thing hetler did to the jews they just repeating history som one have to stop the killing in gaza they bombing babies do you get ittttttttttttttttttttt
Jan 16, 2009 - 8:34 pm 48. myth buster:Hitler was not a closet Muslim. Hitler was an overt pagan, who happened to agree with Muslims on a lot of things. Of course, there’s not really much difference between Islam and the Norse-Aryan mythology that Hitler believed in.
Jan 16, 2009 - 10:08 pm 49. Baker:if you support Israel, you should know that you participated in killing 400 children, 300 women and 100 elderly of Gaza Human beings, simple; you are a killer as you support the killer
Jan 16, 2009 - 11:14 pm 50. Baker:for more information go to
Jan 16, 2009 - 11:16 pm 51. furious_a:http://english.aljazeera.net/
Baker:
“Simple” describes your reasoning faculties. There’s another word for your sleazy moral equivalence, but there are ladies present.
Jan 17, 2009 - 6:28 am 52. Mary Madigan:if you support Israel, you should know that you participated in killing 400 children, 300 women and 100 elderly of Gaza Human beings, simple; you are a killer as you support the killer
Terrorist militias, their Islamist sponsors and anti-democracy supporters like Noam Chomsky like to use this argument. They believe that terrorist attacks against civilians in democracies are justified because people voted for (or otherwise support) leaders that terror-supporters/democracy-haters don’t like.
They ignore the fact that terrorist militias are illegal, the methods they use, like the use of children as human shields, are a violation of laws that have governed human societies for tens of thousands of years. They downplay these crimes because they believe the enemy of their enemy (democracy) is their friend.
So, what kind of democracy-hater are you, Baker – Islamist, marxist, Chosmky-bot?
Jan 17, 2009 - 8:50 am 53. SoWhatsNew:If you (Israel) keep giving to an unreasonable child(HAMAS), he will keep asking for more. eventually you (Israel) will lose patience and retaliate.
Now the teachers (UN/MSM/Police etc.) will come and punish you.
I learned all this in grade school. Quash them before any one can question you.
** I am a Hindu and disturbed by the use of ’swastika’ in these protests. It is a symbal of prosparity for all every where. As symbolized by 8 lines for 8 direction as indetified in Hindu tradition. First Nazis and now these scums.
Jan 17, 2009 - 11:14 am 54. Leon in Israel:to Dandi and Baker:you are not listening to the reporters. They repeatedly note that many(and that is MOST) military operations (yes,also in this war as in all the previous ones)are aborted in consideration of the civilians that “might get hurt”…as well as the procedure of calling all known phone numbers of the buildings that are going to be bombarded before striking them. Does the US or European countries call and warn the enemy before bombing them so they can evacuate? We here in Israel do,but the Hamas uses the peoples from “the other jew hating groups” to cover their own operations and take care of two problems in one act. THEY are the cruel, they have the option of stopping the Israeli’s military operations by simply stopping to shoot rockets indiscriminatly at populated areas. Israel is FORCED by the international community to spend excesive amounts of resources battling the many more millions of Her enemies both in numbers and money. It is we the Israelies, Jews AND NON-JEWS who are frustated over and over again with the leftist policies of “OUR” (sigh) government and judicial systems that considers what will the world say more important than saving its citizens from mortal dangers. Thanks to The God of Israel we are still alive. I hope you pay attention to the fine details of reporting in the future, I don’t mean this sarcastically, I’m being staight with you. This world is to be fixed from the attitude of you AND me, not you OR me.Hope to hear from you to.
Jan 17, 2009 - 1:42 pm 55. too late:it is over. muslims win, you die. the police are part of the problem, barney fife on steroids, every one of them a sociopath. they are like the brown shirts of old. bad attitude, quick to strike you, tolerate no dissent, hmmm, sounds like a police state in progress. those mega prisons? they are for you if you step out of line, not for modern day bootleggers. the drug dealers will all be put on the street as soon as the space in prison is needed. protest? please dont waste your time. really, please do not expose your self to the police intelligence gathering system, as it is not good for you. meet quietly, in cell members private property, and assume your group is compromised, every word being recorded. no more than 2 present when serious plans are being made. work quietly, money in the right hands will do much more than your protest ever will. lawyer up, as criminal cases are often heard by some of the most corrupt judges, and this can work in your behalf. future is unclear, but: 1) iran has the bomb and systems to deliver as far as europe and their empire increases, 2) isreal folds after a mass exodus, 3) a cresent flag flys in every capital in europe, 4) islam fails in mexico, central and south america and this becomes one of the few places not infected and a counter strike starts.
Jan 17, 2009 - 3:38 pm 56. Quick Observation:Hey! Am I the only one that noticed that the swastika on that home made Israeli flag is backwards?! I guess just like guy is ignorant of the TRUTH regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict he’s also ignorant in other things as well.
Jan 17, 2009 - 11:22 pm 57. US citizen:I have to wonder if the Middle East Editors of this site have seen this article and the many disturbing comments it has generated. It makes me sad to see the kind of attitudes exhibited here. I hope the new generation of Americans can get past this.
Jan 18, 2009 - 11:16 am 58. Mickey Finn:Hang ‘em, all the mujahadeen and their peers. They get free speech here when we get free speech there.
Jan 18, 2009 - 11:41 am 59. Sanjay:Deal with it guys – anti-Israel riots are taking place all over the world. Your ugly policies of apartheid have been exposed. You have no problem doing to others what was once done to you. Of course nobody is on your side.
Jan 19, 2009 - 9:19 am 60. Mary Madigan:Peaceful pro-Isral demonstrations are also taking place all over the world.
The ’spontaneous outrage’ related to Gaza is almost exactly the same as the ’spontanous outrage’ that was related to the Danish Cartoons. This outrage was manufactured by the same people, Saudi Arabia, Iran and their MB minions worldwide. You’re not fooling anyone.
Jan 19, 2009 - 10:48 am 61. the rest of the WORLD:killing ALOT of INNOCENT people and ALOT of CHILDREN who get in the way of eleventy terrorists is allright!? and does not rightly warrant protests from the rest of the WORLD? your reasoning is fantastically ridiculous.
Jan 19, 2009 - 12:42 pm 62. Mary Madigan:Personally, I’m not in favor of using large scale military force to deal with terrorists. Using approved Geneva-conference-type warfare to deal with terrorists is like dynamiting an apartment to get rid of rats.
We need to move beyond the use of bombs, and we need to develop technology (and revive long-lost assassination skills) to precisely eliminate individual terrorists without harming the larger community. No matter how efficient they are, no matter how many leaflets are dropped to warn civilians, bombs are clumsy weapons that have no place in an urban area.
That said, it’s just a fact that these protests are manufactured outrage, carefully organized by the same groups that gave us the Danish Cartoon riots. Look at the sites that publicize them, look at the history of the Muslim brotherhood worldwide. It’s orchestrated hate.
There were no signs demanding that Hamas stand down, there were no signs protesting their war against Israel, no one was asking Israel to kill Hamas leaders and spare civilians. There was only hatred and genocidal rage, the founding principles of the Muslim Brotherhood and their sponsors.
Jan 19, 2009 - 5:21 pm 63. the rest of the WORLD:exactly you are right about the weapons that shld be used. but you are abit deluded if you think that the brotherhood organised ALL these protest. the fact is there are more protest NOT oraganised by the brotherhood. how do you explain why that is so? say for example, u are an overeligious jew, and the paper drew a cartoon of the jewish prophet doing insane things. tell me you would not protest? and who who be the main organiser of such protest? the overreliigious organisation of course! and how would you feel if the paper said “freedom of speech” and claim to be morally right? complete lack of justice i would say to them.
It is true there is a lack of outcry from the muslim world denouncing these terrorist activity. the truth of the matter is there is a fine line between being martyrs and terrorist activity. that line is blurred with the current situation in gaza and many muslims are in a dilema on would rather not comment.
as for media coverage alot of people here have been complaining about, say in an idealistic world, 1 person is killed, and 1 person would stand up and protest. 100 people killed, 100 people would stand up and protest. Which one would garner more media coverage and sympathy supporters? its very simple mathematics really.
the thing is, it is hard to see things from everyones perspective when you are looking down a narrow tunnel.
Jan 19, 2009 - 10:54 pm 64. Mary Madigan:say for example, u are an overeligious jew, and the paper drew a cartoon of the jewish prophet doing insane things. tell me you would not protest? and who who be the main organiser of such protest? the overreliigious organisation of course! and how would you feel if the paper said “freedom of speech” and claim to be morally right? complete lack of justice i would say to them
Political Islam is the only group that launches these sort of protests against cartoon figures. I would not call these protests ‘religious’, because they are an attempt to enforce sharia laws worldwide.
Most of the Islamic institutions that call themselves ‘religious’ are, in fact, legal, military and political institutions, and they should be treated as such.
Jan 20, 2009 - 6:59 am 65. hp:US Citizen I have to wonder if the Middle East Editors of this site have seen this article and the many disturbing comments it has generated. It makes me sad to see the kind of attitudes exhibited here.
this is child’s play compared to the vitriol spued at anyone perceived conservative during the “election”. the antagonists you are griping about here, the anti-isreals, could be doing anything else. words we can handle.
Jan 20, 2009 - 12:50 pm