Declaration Of War?

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:15 pm

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 71,00.html

How is bombing a major city not an open declaration of war? They threatened that if Israel bomb Beirut, they bomb Haifa. Israel has not bombed Beirut, Hezbollah have still launched a Katyusha at Haifa. What possible justification is there for something like this?

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:58 pm

I give up trying to understand the middle east. Israeli, hope everyone you know your end are okay pal.

DCat · Post by **DCat** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:00 pm

Echo that sentiment.

Like Iain, I gave up trying to understand it all many years ago.

Take care my friend.

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:43 pm

My brother, his wife and their five month old son are living about two minutes drive from Stella Maris, the Christian neighbourhood of Haifa that was attacked. But they'll probably come and stay with us for a while. The katyusha (rocket type) has a maximum range of a city a few kilometres further south than me, so technically we are within katyusha range, but for all realistic purposes I'm as safe as I could be. Worst come to worst, if a katyusha falls near here, every house in Israel must by law have a safe room, thats where most of the people in the North are spending their days/nights. I feel for them :?

simon redshaw · Post by **simon redshaw** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:43 pm

I can't understand the Middle East anymore myself and I know people who have lived there! Its so much to do with religion and the deep-seated Arab hatred or distrust of Israelis and vice versa. Whenever something happens that looks like progress then another thing happens to knock the peace process back.

Anyway, echo the sentiments. Take lots of care Israeli. All the best.

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 9:14 am

when my daughter told me they would be studying "the Arab-Israeli conflict" in next year's history syllabus, I told her "Good luck! It's tangled, difficult and for most of us, impossible to try and understand."

To quote a t-shirt worn lately by one of my favourite actors "War is not the answer" . Good wishes to you and yours Israeli Tiger {hugs}

Kinoulton · Post by **Kinoulton** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 9:28 am

.... and to compound just how complex the "Arab Israeli conflict" is, a lot of the current trouble is (we are told) being stirred up by Iran.

Iran isn't an Arab state, in fact they can be quite anti-Arab, hence their running hostility with Iraq.

RoyalBlueStuey · Post by **RoyalBlueStuey** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:34 am

I'm not touching that one with a twenty foot poll.

Couldn't even begin to take sides on that one. How about less focus on the Golan Heights and more focus on the Moral High Ground (Do you see what I did there?).

Although saying that I've never met a jew I haven't liked and every Palestinian I've ever met only seems to want to talk about Palestine.

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:04 pm

Kinoulton, the reason for that is the same reason that Jordan is so pro-Israel. Jordan is run by a Hashemite family, and the Palestinians in Jordan are trying to overthrow this family, hence the Jordanian Royal family has, as it were, a common enemy with Israel. Its in Jordan's best interests to stay friendly with Israel.

Sim · Post by **Sim** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:07 pm

I did a huge case study on the Arab/Iraili conflinct last year in history and we spent months and months on it and still we covered nowhere near everything that is happening and why, its a hugely complicated and volitile place and something that i don't think many people will ever understand. The currewnt situation is getting worse and worse and i can't imagine living there, i hope you and your friends and reletives are safe and well Israili.

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 7:19 pm

As safe as anyone and safer than most. Except for some Haifa family, we don't have any close family in the North, although quite a few friends who are currently safe.

PG · Post by PG » Sat Jul 15, 2006 1:01 pm

Hey IT -

stay safe out there - remember that 'Fear is not the only power at work in the world today'. (saw this on a banner outside a church by Ground ero in NYC)

GB - see you in August !

PG

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 1:18 pm

After realising I knew precisely nothing about the current situation I read 'Bad News From Israel' and decided to educate myself.

How do I see the current situation? Seems like Israel are merely replicating what the US and UK have done in Afghanistan, going to war over countries harbouring or aiding terrorists. Obviously there are massive differences but it is still interesting to see the British press condemn the Israeli's. Essentially the whole sitauation is our fault anyway, you could track the causes of this conflict back to the appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930's.

Echo everbody else's statements too, stay safe IT mate.

World war three anyone?

PG · Post by PG » Sat Jul 15, 2006 2:26 pm

Yes, Sammy - I find the BBC's coverage particularly anti-Israel, which as you say, is curious. Re-arrange the following words into a well-known phrase: 'kettle, pot, black, calling, the'

But then whoever it is that controls the media has their own agenda - I think they'd rather have us all watching reality TV and not giving a monkeys.

As for your kind offer of WW3 ?

No thanks - I think they used up all the good ideas in the first two.
Let's make tea, not war. I'll put the kettle on...

PG