Despite what some haters have to say about Obama skipping the reality Palestinians are living under — in refugee camps, contained by walls, and under siege — in order to visit every Israeli memorial and political faction, we have evidence he visited Gaza and received a warm welcome and nifty t-shirt from Abu Tir:
Note, an undercover Ehud Barak to the left (now you can see how he snuck into Beirut to assassinate Palestinians, including, reportedly, the writer Kamal Nasser).
Yes, this image is a play on his visit to that town under perpetual Palestinian siege, Sderot. Yes, they did present him with this cheesy ass t-shirt (see below), which actually shows what a gimmick the rocket attacks are. They are aimless, and despite hurting some people, and killing others, are trivial in comparison with the scope of destruction and oppression levied by Israel towards the Palestinians.
That does not mean that attacking civilians is justified, but it does mean that Obama’s photo opportunities in places subject to a fraction of the violence at the heart of this conflict calls into question the basic comprehension needed to bring and end to this conflict — Israel is the belligerent occupier, and the displacer that originated this conflict through constructing an exclusivist state.
Related posts:
- When the Leader of the Free World Visits…
- I’m Too Sexy for My Shirt
- Punishing Gaza
- Just What We Need, Another Freaking Poet…
- About Freaking Time
That does not mean that attacking civilians is justified, but it does mean that Obama’s photo opportunities in places subject to a fraction of the violence at the heart of this conflict calls into question the basic comprehension needed to bring and end to this conflict…
As if you, Will, know how to bring an end to the conflict. Do share!?
Posted by programmer craig | July 26, 2008, 11:14 pmThe idea that there should be a “balance” of violence is preposterous. Israel is defending its people from Palestinian attacks. If that requires a “disproportionate” response, then so be it. The notion that whoever commits “the most” violence is immoral and unjust. The blame is on those who initiate violence, not on those who defend themselves.
The Palestinians are not defending themselves by launching rockets, mortars, sending out homicide bombers or sniping Israeli civilian cars as they pass through the West Bank. These are unjust acts of aggression and terror. That Israel must respond to this violence with force is just and moral.
The Palestinians are fully responsible for their situation.
Posted by Anonymous | July 27, 2008, 12:01 amIt was pointed out to me that Abu Tir is from Jerusalem, not Gaza. While this is true, it does not negate the appeal of his henna-dyed beard for photoshop projects.
Will
Posted by Will | July 27, 2008, 12:26 amThat’s a real beard!? I suppose you will try to claim the nose is real as well?
Posted by programmer craig | July 27, 2008, 12:37 amhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7526731.stm
“Those (fatah) who carried out this crime are making war on God, on the security of Gaza, and on the resistance,” he said. “They will not be released after six months but will be hanged from the gallows and shot.”
Why no mention of that story, Will? Don’t you find it all interesting that Fatah terrorism is considered a crime against God himself when the victims are HAMAS members? I know I do!
Doesn’t merit any discussion at all?
Posted by programmer craig | July 27, 2008, 12:59 am“despite hurting some people, and killing others” — that’s the problem right there. People like Will give the Palestinians a pass because they haven’t yet calibrated the aim on their rockets just yet. Using this absurd logic, perhaps the Israeli’s should get a pass seeing as they don’t kill thousands upon thousands of Palestinians with their modern and advanced rockets. Is there any doubt what groups like Hamas would do if they had advanced weaponry? I wonder what kind of pass Will would make up for them in that scenario.
Write on.
Posted by Anonymous | July 27, 2008, 7:56 amThis reminds me of the ancient story of a Jew who was captured by the Romans for practicing Judaism. They wanted to feed him to the lions in a Colosseum, literally, in front of thousands of onlookers. They burried him in the dirt, so that only his head was sticking out, and then released a lion that had been starved for days.
As the snarling lion approached the Jews and was about to bite his head off, the Jew opened his mouth and bit the lion’s tongue. The lion roared with pain and ran back to the cage, whimpering.
The crowd shouted, “Jew, fight fair!”
The Palestinians can launch whatever rockets they want. They are launched to maim and kill innocent people, and it is only by the grace of G-d that they have killed and injured so few. All it takes is one lucky hit on a school (and many have come very close) and you have dead children to bury.
No nation in the world would allow such a situation to continue, much less to get worse.
When the Jews fight back, the world screams, “Jew, fight fair!”
Nothing has changed, except that now the Jews can defend themselves.
Posted by Anonymous | July 27, 2008, 11:30 am:that’s not Jimmy Kimmel there on the left?? Oh, sorry, I thought it was… Since Father’s Day Obama has been f***ing Jimmy Kimmel, along with Sarah Silvermann and Matt Damon.
Are you sure that’s not Kimmel?
Posted by Anonymous | July 27, 2008, 2:09 pmThey are aimless, and despite hurting some people, and killing others, are trivial in comparison with the scope of destruction and oppression levied by Israel towards the Palestinians.
So why do they continue to do it?
Do you think they should stop?
Posted by Roy | July 28, 2008, 1:44 pm