President Bush's visionary hero

J. Isaacs

It is not just Mahmoud Abbas who has ignored the murder of Carlos Chavez. Why have the BBC and Sky News television reports omitted it as well, leaving Melanie Phillips to break this recent news?

DOV KORET

If abbas had any class he would cancel all negotiantions with tha State of Israel, stamp his foot & go home to africa. DK

Nicholas K

What have the lefty commentators that normally grace these boards with barbed gibes have to say? Let me guess...it is the Israelis fault once again. I find it truly amazing that Israel constantly finds its self the scorn of the apparently enlightened intellectuals that hold sway within the west MSM & esteemed education systems. Consider these simple facts: • As a country Israel is is not much bigger than that of Wales...yes Wales (for those that failed in geography Wales is part of the UK – its self a tiny nation) - at its narrowest point it is only about 19km wide • Total Israeli population = approximately 7.2 million people. And yet it is surrounded by 22 Arabian countries with a total population of approximately 320 million. • Has faced three wars in its short history...all instigated by its neighbors which are hell bent (well documented) on its total destruction How is it then that this small fledgling nation has been turned into some sort of monster? This is the only lighthouse of Democracy in a region blanketed by corruption, oppression, & the perpetual persecution of all that dare ask...no, dream of the very freedoms that we all take for granted. Crazy I say. Nicholas K

Manuel

Give the BBC a sporting chance - it may well decide that it is in everyone's best interest to know that Israel "massacred" some "freedom fighters" in Gaza today. As for poor Carlos Chevez, well his murder will not get a mention - it runs counter to policy. Abbas once again reminds us of his intentions and strategy but will Bush & co take any notice? Likewise, Abbas' talk is hand in hand with his murdering colleagues in Hamas - they are one & the same when it comes to "peace" with Israel. That's the last thing they want. Now they see the US weakening its resolve, they will push their terror and demands even higher.

No Hope

Abbas is no different from Arafat. There will never be peace. Not even when the last jew has been killed and Israel does not exist any more. And with the lack of political will and justice today, that will indeed happen. After that the shia's and sunni's will start fighting. An then there wil be no peace either.

BJ

In the interests of balance it should be pointed out that according to Israel "Two rockets were fired at the town and rescue officials reported that four people were lightly injured in the attacks". This rocket onslaught on the "besieged town" of Sderot followed an IDF tank raid on Gaza which killed five Palestinian civilans. So in addition to the Kibbutz labourer Mr Chavez we should also note the deaths yesterday of three Palestinian farmers: As'ad Eissa Radwan Tafesh 65 Marwan Smeer Ouda 22 Sa'id Mustafa al-Sammouni 50 Also blown up by tank shells: Ayman Fadel Malaka 35, a car trader and Abdul Salam Atiya Abu Laban 19 a student. Many of the 50 wounded in Gaza, including five seriously, will no doubt also be civilians. I don't think the BBC mentioned them either.

Adam B.

BJ, as with most of the media, you state facts without context. Did you not read Melanie's article? 1500 rocket and mortar attacks in 2007 alone, attacks that are deliberately targeting civilians. What is Israel meant to do? It pulled out of Gaza, and in reply has had nothing but violence from Gaza. Of course civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, but the blame lies with those who instigate the violence and create the situation, ie Hamas terrorists who are committed to the genocide of the Jews (read their charter). Would Britain do nothing if 1500 rockets were landing on Kent?

elixelx

BJ, you seem to know the names of all the Pal dead. Any thought of sharing your source with us? and are you absolutely certain they were farmers and not human shields?

elixelx

Oh, and BJ, are you absolutely certain that the rockets TODAY would not have been fired at Sderot if the Israeli tanks hadn't started the kerfuffle? How do you know this? Have you a source in Hamas which tells you which rockets are fired for retaliatory purposes and which are for terror?

Stuart

BJ, you certainly got the bashing you deserved for suggesting the balance. Palestinian Terrorists deliberately aim for innocent civilians by sniper fire and rockets. IDF aim for Terrorists and it is indeed a regret that innocent people may get caught in the crossfire. I happened to read article 49 of Geneva convention the other day and while Israel has to take steps to avoid civilian caualties it certainly has the right to persue combatants at war with it in their homes. The answer is STOP FIRING ROCKETS, an action fully under the control of the Palestinians. Then you won't get retaliation. Don't play the numbers game. It is not relevant to compare numbers of casualties on both sides as some concept of fairness. If Israel has superior fire power, defence and medical facilities then their casualties will always be less.

Barry Larking

And it comes closer each day ...

Last evening Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, the Conservative Security spokesperson said on BBC 2 television Newsnight that the way to counter "extremist Islamic views" gaining ground in the UK (she was quite specific about this), was to 'address' UK foreign and domestic policies. I take that to mean appeasement; for how else can one describe such a position? If the Islamists threaten you, then change your ways seems to be a reasoned interpretation of Dame Pauline's words.

What can the UK do to buy off threats against it – threats which comfortably pre-dated 2003 or 2001? Well, bomb Israel, embrace Sharia Law, start chopping heads off after a break of three hundred years, and so on. This comes not from Respect or even the SWP's millionaire comic apologists; it comes from the senior spokesperson of the Conservative Party, someone who has spent a lifetime in the inner circles of the British Establishment for whom weighing one's words spoken aloud is a reflex action.

phil

I respect all of you who show concern by bothering to comment ,but dont you feel like me, that what is the point ? Israel will always be condemned for trying to exist and the Palestinians will continue to be supported by those that dont bother to do research ,and they are many more than us .Israel has lost the important battle of propoganda- and truth-what a change since the Munich massacre and Entebbe !Murderers and terrorists have become heroes and Israel has replaced them in the minds of so many.We who write mostly care for the future of both parties but until the morality of this world changes *the meek will not inherit the earth*

Sempronius

Phil, you ask what is the point of commenting. The point is that if those who care about the truth shut up then those who lie win by default.

phil

ok sempronius ,well said -i will keep trying

Beans

I'm a little worried that Melanie's article suggests it's OK to kill someone because you have a quarrel with their father.

Scipio

Cut off all water, electric, and power supplies from Israel to Gaza. Would Britain supply to Nazi Germany utilities in 1944?

Dr. Freudson

How little are you worried Beans? Like Moses - keep taking the tablets.

Frank Pulley

Scipio You ask: "Would Britain supply to Nazi Germany utilities in 1944?" Well 617 Squadron did try to redistribute the water supplies more fairly in the Ruhr round about then. As Maurice Chevalier said, "Ah, yes, I remember it well."

Stuart

"I'm a little worried that Melanie's article suggests it's OK to kill someone because you have a quarrel with their father." The son was a terrorist too!

Achad Ha'amoratzim

So if I understand BJ correctly, before Israel sends troops into Gaza, it's okay to fire thousands of rockets into Sderot with the announced intention of turning it into a "ghost town" (Hamas' wrods), but once Israel takes steps to stop the rocket attacks, further attacks become justified as "retaliation" for Israel's agression. And if I understand the AP and moderate holocasut denying peace loving Mahmoud Abbas, thousands of rocket attacks are unfortunate, but it is intolerable aggression, a threat to the "peace" process, and an insult to Pres. Bush and the Palestinian people if Israel conducts a limited military operation to stop the attacks that Abbas can't or won't stop.

Reid of America

Don't confuse theater with reality. The Annapolis peace process is theater. Reality is no divison of Jerusaelm and no right of return. Olmert's government will fall if he seriously entertains either. Eventually Gaza will revert to 1967 borders meaning it will return to Egypt. Egypt then will exterminate Hamas in short order. What happens to Judea and Samaria is the big issue. Jerusalem will never be voluntaily divided. People who believe it will don't understand Judaism.

jose garcia

i am wondering if the propaganda war has been lost by israel, why dont they do something about it, they could perphaps stream their own TV NEWS by satellite, just like the bbc international news, even if it was only a few hours a day, it could be done cheaply, another good idea would be to do the same to the arab countries surrounding israel and turn public opinion

J. Isaacs

Jose Garcia has a very good point. Furthermore, Israel could, doubtless, provide some much prettier girl newsreaders than the BBC, which now has a very matronly lady on News 24 TV after 1a.m. GMT. It really is not worth watching since Natasha Kaplinsky (of Jewish Bielorus parentage) left for sunnier climes. Even a news ticker with a still photograph of Leonardo Di Caprio's Israeli girlfiend would be better.

Dave M

Bush has caved on Israel and the Palestinian terrorists and on Iran as well. He has decided to abandon Israel and let the Iranians have the nuclear bomb in spite of the fact that they have told us they will use it - on us. He once said you were either with us or with the terrorists. Now he says a bit of terror is Ok if it gets me out of office with my legacy. Sir, your legacy will be remembered thusly, as John Kerry once said, "I chose to win before I chose to lose". No peace will come from a Hamas that chooses the death of Israel to meet some barbaric religious tome. And so we move on to the elections. Come 2009 maybe a Mr. Barak Obama will be President. And he, Sir, will finish the job. And all the lefties will cheer, for a very short time. When historians write the history of this President, not sure if they will use a laptop or a quill pen, they will wonder why given the identical circumstances that we faced in 1938, a Winston Churchill was not waiting in the wings. But that is just a question on an essay. President Bush has the chance to save this world from this unfolding malevolence and has just shrugged.

S Weson

As the Islamic radicals feel that death is the path to glory and untold pleasure, is it not only the generous thing to do but accommodate them?