! This post hasn't been updated in over a year. A lot can change in a year including my opinion and the amount of naughty words I use. There's a good chance that there's something in what's written below that someone will find objectionable. That's fine, if I tried to please everybody all of the time then I'd be a Lib Dem (remember them?) and I'm certainly not one of those. The point is, I'm not the kind of person to try and alter history in case I said something in the past that someone can use against me in the future but just remember that the person I was then isn't the person I am now nor the person I'll be in a year's time.
Hamas has formally offered a truce in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has dismissed the offer saying that it’s just a ploy to let Hamas “rearm and regroup”.
Gosh, how nice it must be to know everything all the time.
Looks like my question has been answered.
Technorati Tags: 
The only reason why Hamas is calling for a \”truce\” is because the Israelis have crippled Gaza in RETALIATION and DEFENCE against TERRORIST attacks against Israel by HAMAS. Hamas must FIRST desist from those attacks UNILATERALLY and demonstrate a for a sustained period that they are serious about peace.
Then, and only then, should Israel step down her operations against Hamas and enter into negotiation. Ultimately, there can be no peace process without a renunciation of violence from Hamas. Such a renunciation should go hand in hand with a recognition that Israel is and will continue to exist.
Stu, why are you always assuming that everything Israel says and does is automatically wrong, and everything Hamas says and does is automatically right?
…because if we stick with the status quo of the situation, we might as well get the ovens stoked up ans try and get the contract before Siemmens wins it again!
Ah George, I could set my watch by you. Much more of this and there’ll be a borough councillor vacancy in Brookside. đ
Max, I don’t assume everything Israel does is wrong and everything Hamas does is wrong – far from it – but if you weren’t blinkered by the fact that Hamas are arabs and Israelis aren’t you would see that what Israel does is wrong on such a grander scale. Militants attacking the country illegally occupying their country with homemade bombs is on a whole different level to a national army using overwhelming force against a country they’ve been illegally occupying for half a century. If Israel wasn’t in Palestine they wouldn’t have half the problems they have now.
Axel, slight randomness going on there! Almost on 300 comments though …
May I be so bold as to suggest that Wonko assumes such because he seeks to court controversy over the issue? I find it a little bizarre.
Take a country, any country you care to mention. It’s neighbour one day declares that it wants to “wipe it off the map”. It then proceeds to fire rockets daily, sends in sucide bombers and launches an all out campaign against that country. That campaign is funded and supported by allies who also believe that the country should be “wiped off the map”.
The country under fire, whilst seeking to protect it’s citizens and visitors, fights back against the aggressor. She fights back such that the original aggressor now calls for a truce. If you were that country, how would you then deal with the agressor? Would you simply accept, unconditionally, anything they said? Would you accept their word, mindful of the killing and suffering that they had inflicted upon your people? Would you accept that word even if appeared to be offering peace?
I contend that Israel should not accept the word of terrorists at face value. Rather, they should demand preconditions ahead of any truce. Those preconditions should start with the immediate ceasation of rocket and suicide attacks; that includes those claimed in the name of other militant groups in Gaza. There must follow an unequivacable statement from Hamas that they recognise the right of Israel to exist and following on from that a full and complete repudiation of violence. These claims must be demonstrable.
Then and only then, should Israel relax her security operations in Gaza. It is upon that basis and only upon that basis taht a peace process may begin which stand any hope at all of being both meaningful and lasting.
I like to play devil’s advocate because sometimes that’s the only way to get a balanced view. I do genuinely believe that what Israel does in Palestine is on a different level completely to what Hamas or any of the other groups in illegally occupied Palestine.
However, that revisionism is surfacing again George …
This isn’t true George and you know it isn’t. What would be more accurate would be …
Then add your bits afterwards and see if they still make sense or seem reasonable.
Just an aside – Israel pledged to abide by the will of, and be a responsible member of, the international community when it joined the United Nations. They’ve failed on both counts, can they be trusted to deal with the democratically elected government of Palestine in a fair and honest manner?
Here is part of a piece I wrote the other day and I repeat again here.
“We must be political realists. In reality the historic arguments about Israelâs coming into existence are irrelevant. ISRAEL EXISTS and the speculations about what is right and wrong, what should be done and not done, should start from the premise that ISRAEL IS.
For the most part the opponents of Israel live in the same twisted and counterfactual world as do the Islamic extremists who still to this very day postulate and pronounce on the historic legitimacy or otherwise of the nation of Israel. To suggest, as some undoubtedly do, that the state of Israel is âillegitimateâ or that Israel enjoys âno historic claimâ to the land is to play directly into the hands of the real opponents of freedom in the world today.”
I believe that this is precisely the position that Wonko finds himself in when, without any hint of irony, he says :
“I do genuinely believe that what Israel does in Palestine is on a different level completely to what Hamas or any of the other groups in illegally occupied Palestine”.
George, we accept that Israel exists, we also must accept that Palestine exists!
The thing is, we as the external bodies must accept resposibility for what is going on, we supply IDF with bombs and stuff and someone else supplies Hamas with their gear, they BOTH are as bad as each other, so they both need treated like naughty kids, the only problem is doing that bi laterally.
Israel and Hamas will continue to happily blow each other up as long as there is covert conflict between the USA & allies and Iran & allies. Until that is resolved, we are all pissing in the wind.
Wonko- Seimens made the crematoria for Aushcwitz and the ghettoisation of Gaza has certain historical parrellels
Political realists.
Come on George – you are here preaching the gospel but not putting into practice, the good thing about putting your views in writing, you cannot deny saying them afterwards
Israel are bandits are bandits in my opinion and they cannot be trusted democratically elected government of Palestine in a fair and honest manner.
John, I don’t quite understand your comments: “…you are here preaching the gospel but not putting into practice”.
I have no difficulty in putting my views into writing: I am more than willing to justify them.
I don’t understand the second part of your last sentence though I am saddened by the first part of that same sentence, the meaning of which is quite clear.
I certainly do not agree with your assertion that “Israel are bandits are bandits”.
Israel is a legitimate and democratic nation state and for these reasons alone deserves our support in defeating terrorism: a menace that today confronts us all.