The Hard Truth

GAZA CITY: A Palestinian militant from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, displays Qassam rockets during a rally in Gaza City 18 September 2005. (ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

Hamas is playing a dangerous game with Gazan lives – The Washington Post.

The hard truth is: yes. Just like the Assad regime in Syria, and Arab leaders in general, the calculus of Hamas leaders when it comes to the conduct of war and peace is rather different than what we are publicly told. Their ultimate mandate is not to protect their civilian population and build the state, but to protect their rule and increase their power, even at the cost of incurring heavy civilian casualties and destroying the state. If they can still retain control at the end, that’s victory enough for them.

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Jon Stewart – Just Another Fallen Idol

Jon Stewart Rips Apart How the Media Covers the Violence in Gaza – Mic.

Jon Stewart was quick to speak on the tragic developments in Gaza and to point out the asymmetric nature of the conflict. But on Syria, he remained silent until such time that Assad’s crackdown finally plunged the country into a civil war allowing for the emergence of Al-Nusra and ISIS. He, then, hosted guests like Fareed Zakaria whose main point was to insist on staying out of the fray, who spoke of all sides as being equally bad, and wondered where the good guys were, all while ignoring the asymmetric nature of the conflict. I long lost my respect for liberals like Jon. He could be brilliant at times, but his politics prevent him from being consistent, and that makes him a hypocrite. So, I don’t give a fuck anymore about how fair he chooses to treat certain issues. He’s just another ideologue.

Only Peace Can Counter Hate

Freedom for Palestine – OneWorld – YouTube.

Freedom for Palestine DOES NOT mean Death to Israel. It’s an endorsement of all relevant UN resolutions in this regard and of all peace talks premised on the notion of a two-state solution. If there are commenters on one side who clearly hate Jews, there are those on the other who evidently hate Arabs. To boot, both sets of haters have shown a willingness to kill. So long as this conflict is not resolved in a just manner, haters will keep scoring points and will keep making trouble. And Palestinians will keep getting denounced as terrorists by one set of people, and Israel will still be denounced as an apartheid sate by another. Media campaigns will not change this state of affairs, only peace can.

If Only…

Clashes in East Jerusalem, sparked by the revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager.

Arab Boy’s Death Escalates Clash Over Abductions – NYTimes.com.

The senseless killing of four teenagers in the Holy Land might pave the way towards further bloodshed, as usual. But, if we had leaders with any signs of life in the White House, – a pulse, a sense of shame, a little decency and foresight, – we might be able to transform this tragedy into a new and serious push for peace. All it takes is gumption and a little less cynicism – that is, the very things that could have prevented the carnage in Syria, and could still stop it today. If only…