One can't really cover up chatting with Israeli bloggers during wartime when it appears on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, 28 July 2006.
It's very difficult being moderate. I'm battered for fraternizing with Israelis. I'm assaulted for having friends who actively support Hezbollah. Both sides know where I stand. I don't lie to anyone, and I hold my ground in argument (sometimes - okay, most of the times - a bit too vociferously).
Months ago, I wrote a post on my personal blog, In Lebanon, attacking Arab governments for de-humanizing Israelis. Arab governments intentionally distance their citizens from having any contact or understanding of Israelis. Israelis becomes an abstract construct. When one hates Israelis, one doesn't hate people, one hates a concept, and that is one of the most dangerous things the human mind is capable of doing. One no longer sees a living, breathing member of one's species.
A few days ago, a close Sunni Lebanese friend of mine, we'll call her Yasmine, developed a close relationship with an Israeli in Athens. Her family is under constant attack and is providing shelter and aid to many of Lebanon's internal refugees, most of whom probably voted for Hezbollah. His family is under attack. He has relatives serving in the Israeli military participating in the campaign against Lebanon.
Yasmine and her Israeli friend kissed one night while dancing. Afterward, she broke down crying. What had she done?! It took awhile for me to explain that she is not a traitor. She is not aiding the destruction of Lebanon. She is not directly harming her family (although her father would probably have a bit to say about the drinking, close dancing, and kissing). She did what was natural. She created the kind of bond that will prevent violent action from occurring again. Israel now has a face. How could she wipe it off the planet?
Hezbollah Supporting Friends
Michael Totten wrote a telling piece about Hezbollah. In the article, he writes about his horrible encounter with them and how their press spokesman threatened him. However, he's quick to point out that Hezbollah is not al Qaeda.
In fact, for all of the party's rhetoric, many Hezbollah supporters do not want "Death to Israel! Death to America!" I just spoke with two Shia men, Muhammad and Rida, in the United States who are proud American citizens. They rhetorically support Hezbollah, but are smart enough not to send them any money or officially lobby on Hezbollah's behalf.
Muhammad and Rida support the war in Iraq. Rida's brother is serving in Iraq. Muhammad is actively involved in his union's activities, and his wife is on the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of their children's school. She's thinking of running for the school board.
Yet, they support Hezbollah.
How can this be, you might be asking? It's because of the sectarian nature of Lebanon. They support the political party that supports their people. Rida's village, Bint Jbeil, has been razed multiple times. Hezbollah took care of them financially. Hezbollah provided medical aid when they needed it. Hezbollah fought against the Southern Lebanese Army (SLA), which tyrannically ruled over south Lebanon while Israel controlled it. The SLA had members of multiple sects, but was led by Maronite Christians.
The Lebanese government didn't help the people in the south when their area was controlled by Palestinians. The Lebanese government didn't protect them when Israel occupied the area. The Lebanese government did nothing to try and shut down the Khiam prison camp. Neither the Syrian or Lebanese governments tried to liberate the south from SLA and Israeli rule.
Hezbollah's supporters stand by the people who took care of them.
Most of them don't want the utter annihilation of Israel. They want the defense of Lebanon. I would say the majority are anti-semitic, but their anti-semitism isn't nearly as virulent as that I've seen in Europe and other Arab countries.
Hezbollah supporter and her Jewish boyfriend
To give you an example, my friend Zeina is brilliant and gorgeous. She was the number one student at every institution she's ever attended, including where she did her graduate studies at one of Europe's most prestigious schools.
Her boyfriend is Jewish. She talks with him on the phone daily.
One of her relatives died fighting Israel during the occupation of the south. He's considered a martyr, and his picture hangs throughout southern Lebanon.
She is no anti-semite. She aggressively challenges those around her who make anti-semitic remarks. She doesn't hate Israel. Yet, she supports Hezbollah. They provided aid to her family. They liberated her land.
She knows Christians, Sunnis, and Druze will never come to her aid. They didn't before. The utter racism of many other Lebanese political parties also makes it impossible for her to support any of them. They make it known that she is not wanted. They don't even want her in the country.
The Evil of Hezbollah
Obviously, Hezbollah hardliners are just as bad or worse than Iranian fanatics. Even Shia Lebanese are frightened of these guys, which is why they are not the face Hezbollah shows to the outside world. Hezbollah recruits young, attractive, intelligent, professional, moderate candidates to run for office. These people are the public face who publicize all of Hezbollah's humanitarian projects.
Sadly, the Shia population of Lebanon has few other choices in Lebanon's sectarian framework.
As can be seen in the archives on this blog, I cannot stand Hezbollah. I marched on 14 March and started this blog to counter the message Hezbollah, Syria, and pro-Syrian Lebanese parties send to the rest of the world. I hate religious politics. I don't want to be led by men with beards (although, David Obey is okay). I believe in coming to peace with Israel.
I write this to show the complexity of the situation in Lebanon.
There are those in Lebanon whose sectarian racism comes out often. Readers of this blog who are disgusted with me for associating with people who support Hezbollah will be happy to know that there are people in Lebanon willing to kill Shia on sight. But that's exactly what I'm fighting against. There are tens of thousands of good, innocent people who support Hezbollah for internal sectarian reasons who deserve another option.
This is the tragedy of moderation. For all that I have said above, I will be hated by everyone. It will be said that: "I support terrorists. I'm an anti-semite. I'm a traitor. I'm a limp wristed idealist." All of this is far from the truth. Anyone who knows me or has read this blog long enough knows that I believe strongly in imposing myself on others and pushing for what I believe in. Most of the time, to accomplish one's goals and to further what is good, just, and honorable, one must begin with knowledge.
One must know the Lebanese system. It's impossible to negotiate with al Qaeda. I take aggressive action any time I encounter anything that comes close to support for that evil organization. It's impossible to befriend a supporter of al Qaeda. I've encountered them before. They no longer walk on the streets.
For Israelis and Westerners, the situation with Hezbollah is different.
For Lebanese and Arabs, the situation with Israelis is different.
Erecting barriers of ignorance only escalates the conflict. Yasmine, Muhammad, Rida, and Zeina are good people confronting a whole slew of issues thrown at them. I'm doing my best to navigate and find a solution.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Chatting With Israelis
121 comments:
Wow, fascinating ! I should come back to this blog...
This post gave me a serious insight of what's going on in Lebanon. It is so complex...
I hope that the world will push for a ceasefire soon.
HEy, thank you so much. I love the complexity of your thinking.
I wasn't sure at first if you were one of those Lebanese I call right-wingers - I'm related to alot of them! - who wants to exterminate Hizbullah right now. I'm really, really glad to read your comments.
As a Lebanese-American with a history of sympathy for the Palestinian cause (but not unconditional sympathy), who is also married to a Jew - well I get a lot of the same sort of comments. I'm a Jew-lover, a Zionist appeaser, a mouthpiece for Hizbullah or an Islamonazi. Etc. etc. People call names without any knowledge of who they are addressing.
Keep up the good work, unknown person, and be well.
i just got my wall street journal. good job man. it's even better since it's on the first page!
www.elasmar.blogspot.com
LP. You are not alone. You will not be "hated by everyone". (ok, some, I'm sure).
Here's from one man who understand everything you wrote and wholeheartedly agrees.
I think you hit it right on the head there, when you explained how dangerous it is to de-humanize another group into an abstract concept. It is ESPECIALLY easy to fall into that trap when bombs/missiles are falling over one's head. "Us and Them" becomes the norm.
Again, great write-up!
PS: I assume you've made it to the US now? Or are you still in Syria?
israeli's are a concept, yes, and so is every civilian a concept.
However hezbollahs are also a concept. And they and the concept of lebanese? are equally not treated properly.
All of the middle east is and has been very much treated as some 'terrorist organisation'
beyond doubt, in the realms of media, general public consciounce,
i hate the israeli version of it, i hate ours, and i think were i in lebanon, i might hate yours an exactly equal bit, but from here that is not the looks.
is it strange it is all a bit weird?
"(sometimes - okay, most of the times - a bit too vociferously)."
As you mention, it is much harder to hate when there is a face to the 'enemy'. Thanks to Michael Totten, Carine, Lisa, and you , among others, I feel as though in some way I have Friends over there. MJT is a friend of mine and his regard for you is obvious. I hope that thanks to the efforts of you and others like you the human side of the issue will remain in the light where others can see it. I am not qualified to opine on the situation (not that that stops many) but I will say that I believe that the information and perspective your writing lends to the subject are very valuable to the rest of us. Educating others is often a thankless job, but a very neccessary one. Please keep up the good work, don't let the trolls get you down.
Lindsey
I have to say that as an American Jew who married a American Lebanese man, I am appalled at the lack of true support our government has shown towards Lebanon. My brain cannot process the sheer horror shown in photograph of the Lebanese that have been killed, injured or hurt. So, as a jewish person I must offer my apologies for the atrocities inflicted upon your innocent people. I know, as a culture the Lebanese are a proud people, with a rich heritage full of life. I also believe that Israelis are entitled to live in peace as well, but I do not think that Hezbollah represents every single Lebanese. Right? Before all of this horrible fighting began do you think that every Lebanese thought every jew was a bad person? All I know, is from experience- Jews and Arabs are a very similar people- the food is the same, the importance of family is the same, they argue with each other in the same way, both jews and israelis have mothers that can make a person crazy...aside from each other's political and war-time errors, land problems, invasion, occupations,etc, etc. the biggest difference is that they have different phone numbers they use when they call upon god. I know this is a gross over-simplification, but could'nt the Jewish and Arab peoples find a way to rejoice in their commonalities instead of their differences? By the way, Mr. President- you suck!
Thanks for the helpful blog. Would most HA supporters insist that it remained armed or would they be ok with it being just a political party?
Probably anything you say can be said about anything else in the world from communism to nazism and even the same el kaida you mentioned. Of course hezbollah is more than a rocket firing brigade , they are running social programs and other stuff. And i bet there are even sunnies and christians among nasrallah supporters.
But concentrating on individual trees makes people lose the idea of the forest. Practically what you posted means very little. It all boils down to the question the poster before me was asking: 'Would most HA supporters insist that it remained armed or would they be ok with it being just a political party? '
what about amal by the way?
Excelent article.
your rhetoric sounds nice.
..but when I hear about all the the missiles that the hezbollah are shooting at israel, the part about them being good people just doesn't sink in.
sun zhu states - "to win the war, use confusion to your advantage."
So if I read this correctly, it goes back to the issue that the Lebanese government is a fiction and that Hezbollah is the real "state" in the southern area. You realize that that takes away some of the Shia's claim to victimhood. They're loyal citizens of their government (Hezbollah) supporting its war effort, and liable to become casualties of it.
I don't say that to justify killing more civilians, but to lay out how your post modifies my understanding of the internal structure of Lebanon. Please correct me if I have misunderstood.
Ah, this article was exactly what I've been looking for. It IS confusing for many Americans to understand this, and I was one of them, but not anymore thanks to this article. Thank you for taking the time, while your beloved country is falling apart before your eyes, to try to help others understand. It really explains so much to me, and not just about your relationship with HA.
"Yasmine" living with such incredible guilt because she kissed an Israeli, good grief! You folks in Lebanon have so very much to recover from. So many incredibly deep wounds that must be encouraged to heal. You really truely need, somehow, when this is all over, to get a strong government representing all the needs of all the people, and it seems like such an out of touch dream at this point. But it will happen because you have such a strong love for your Lebanon. I'm rambling I guess. But now I understand when you talk about how it is so hard to explain.
LP, keep doing your best to navigate and you'll eventually find that solution! Thank you!
Finally I found Lebanese blog that not one sided and think about bigger picture, thank you!Just one question, you wrote:” many Hezbollah supporters do not want "Death to Israel! Death to America!" may be so but they support those who want death to America and death to Israel. Hezbolalah are Islamic radicals , would agree with that definition? And as Josef Farah formulated: ”the conflict between Islamic radicals and Jews in the Middle East is really very simple. The Islamic radicals want all the Jews dead. The Jews, meanwhile, want to live.” So supporting those who want Jews dead but do not want them dead in the same does no make a big sense to me. I am asking as a friend, please explain it to me I want to understand
Nobody and Al,
You make excellent points. The truth of your statements also hits pretty hard, because you're right that most of the Nazi and al Qaeda supporters are probably similar to the Hezbollah supporters.
I guess what I was really trying to capture was that the most significant force mobilizing the masses around Hezbollah is the Lebanese sectarian issue, followed by defense of Lebanese national territory.
The destruction of Israel part is there. I'm not denying it. But I don't think this is where the majority of their support comes from.
Then again, this could all be anecdotal evidence. Hezbollah supporters who want the destruction of Israel would probably steer far away from me, and I would most likely argue with them and then discard them as someone not to become involved with.
Good points. Hard to deal with.
Anon 5:39,
Hezbollah's followers strongly believe in their "right" to "resist" Israel.
Hezbollah calls itself "the resistance." They don't want to be known as the annihilators or the anti-semites or whatnot. They want to be seen as the defenders of Lebanon. But so as to distinguish them from the Lebanese government, they make their movement proactive.
It was a proactive movement to begin with. They began by resisting, and now falsely continue the battle.
The Shia community believe that Hezbollah protects them. They've been taught by years of intentional Syrian neglect of the Lebanese Army that their Army cannot protect them.
Memories of the Lebanese civil war when the Army broke apart and joined the militias doesn't help either.
Lebanese have a lot to deal with other than the Hezbollah crisis.
There are so many memories of war.
Hezbollah's weapons are as much an internal issue as they are an international issue.
As Michael Totten wrote, maybe Lebanon was destined for another war. Either Israel was going to do it or Syria or Lebanese factions marching against each other.
Not to compare apples and oranges, but Renee's use of the world "guilt" and her alluding to "incredible wounds" got me thinking about something here.
The jewish people as a whole, have had their own set of deep rooted "wounds" (The holocaust, various arab-israeli conflicts, and countless pogroms throughout the ages). I speak here of collective wounds, communal wounds, trauma experienced as a people (not at an individual level), which shapes a people into what it is today.
And I can't help but think that there is a certain common ground there (like I said, apples and oranges, I'm not comparing the Holocaust to the Lebanese civil war, not by a longshot).
There are certain deep seeded feelings we share as peoples that many people in the west today don't "get".
I'm not sure where I'm going with this. So I'll stop my rambling now.
Peace.
World News
The Times July 28, 2006
Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers
From Yonit Farago in Jerusalem
WHILE Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.
Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.
In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.
Jonny Cline, of the international student group, said that Jewish students and youth groups with their understanding of the web environment were ideally placed to present another side to the debate.
“We’re saying to these people that if Israel is being bashed, don’t ignore it, change it,” Mr Cline said. “A poll like CNN’s takes just a few seconds to vote in, but if thousands take part the outcome will be changed. What’s vital is that the international face of the conflict is balanced.”
Doron Barkat, 29, in Jerusalem, spends long nights trawling the web to try to swing the debate Israel’s way. “When I see internet polls for or against Israel I send out a mailing list to vote for Israel,” he said. “It can be that after 15 minutes there will be 400 votes for Israel.
“It’s very satisfying. There are also forums where Lebanese and Israelis talk.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry must avoid direct involvement with the campaign but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs.
Amir Gissin, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s public relations director, said: “The internet’s become a leading tool for news, shaping the world view of millions. Our problem is the foreign media shows Lebanese suffering, but not Israeli. We’re bypassing that filter by distributing pictures showing how northern Israelis suffer from Katyusha rocket attacks.”
Click here for more on the blogs of war
Interesting...
I wonder if some of the trolls we've seen lately have anything to do with this.
very very nice article.
go on! our region needs people like you, like me, like my friends.
our voice should be heard right out loud.
let's stop the madness
may peace come upon as and upon the whole world
inshaala amen
As someone with no first hand knowledge about Lebanon I must say this is one of the most illumination explanation I've read. Thank you for that. It is clear to me that even if Israel manages to blow up every last Katyusha, HA will still remain a major player in Lebanon, if not by the force of arms, then by the weight of numbers. The connection you describe between HA and the Shia is too strong and genuine to be destroyed or replaced.
So, if in the end HA is disarmed (as I fervently hope they will be), the rest of Lebanon will still need to engage them constructively.
Not so seriously now, when you say:
"It's impossible to befriend a supporter of al Qaeda. I've encountered them before. They no longer walk on the streets."
It sounds like you have the chopped-up remains of Zwahiri and co. under your floorboards, the result of a chance encounter in a Beirut back alley... Not that I would mind if you did.
Lebanon Profile
I am glad I found your blog. It does explain somewhat complexity of Lebanon politics and Lebanon life. And most important, it tries to see all points of view.
Bad Vibel
I am not surprised. People, particularly young people interested in what's going on, do read blogs and post their opinions on forums. I think that other side (if one can talk about other side) is not quiet either.
From my own experience on non-english forum I found that in the last couple of days there appeared a lot of new people both pro- and anti-israeli.
Another point. I found article quoted by anonymous translated already on that polish forum I am on, and on couple of other blogs. It does seems that someone wants everyone to pay attention.
Great post -- I have one question --
From an Israeli point of view, what does it matter practically if not _all_ of HA supporters want to kill all the jews if those supporters channel their resources and political clout towards those that do?
This is not a rhetorical question. The leaders of Israel have a pretty heavy charge--to ensure their folks are not killed. In light of that what can they practically do to separate the genocidal HAs from the others?
Thanks again and be well!
Marc
Interesting post. However, your post mentions nothing about how the Palestinian situation drives all politics, policies, view points, hatred, etc in the middle east. Until the Palstinian situation is not resolved, reactionary ideoligies like those of Zionism and Hizbollah will haunt the middle east for years to come.
Great post! Keep navigating :)
Thoughtful post.. There should be a way to acknowledge the Hexbola in
how they seem to amke great strides in social welfare..I was listening to a tv (journal) taking calls from across the country. I was touched by a caller who thought
she had a good idea (she seemed so excited that she had thought of this.
I'll mention that she was an african American (just to acknowledge her own historical oppression) She thought why doesn't everyone all different continents chip in 1 dollar and buy
Golan Heights and give it to the Palestinians.. The point was that
she was trying to help with a suggestion for a solution.. Maybe the blogoshpere can begin to think of solving some issues..She gave her "best intentions". sheril
You do a pretty good job of insulting yourself and explaining Hezbollah supporters, but you miss the essential problem with such support. You describe what is essentially Hezbollah's economic support for unfortuate people. Basically, you describe the buying of people's support and you see no problem with this. If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
lebanon.profile said...
Nobody and Al,
You make excellent points. The truth of your statements also hits pretty hard, because you're right that most of the Nazi and al Qaeda supporters are probably similar to the Hezbollah supporters.
I guess what I was really trying to capture was that the most significant force mobilizing the masses around Hezbollah is the Lebanese sectarian issue, followed by defense of Lebanese national territory.
---------------------------------
The thing is that as a fundamentalist movement hezbollah has a very high ability to sustain casulties without blinking. IDF can kill their soldiers by hundreds , hezbollah does nt mind this. The only way in which IDF can really make them hurt is by targeting their shiite support base.
Even if israel would nt think in terms of collective punishments (and it certainly thinks in these terms) it will anyway end up doing something like this if only because of hezbollah tactics of locating its bases in places like bint ajbel. Even before it can fight hezbollah properly IDF should drop leaflets telling people to move away and wait a few days before they can move in ground forces. So however IDF approaches the matter it will always end up by manufacturing some humanitarian disaster.
Given the uneven distribution of IAF attacks in this war i understand that israel indeed moved the clock back by a few years in lebanon as a whole but the clock went back by the whole decade in places like dahiya and south lebanon.
The question is how much hezbollah itself is committed to the development of the regions which serve as its support base. I understand they were investing millions of the iranian money there. Now IDF in three days has undone the work of the decade. Does hezbollah mind this at all?
The main problem, as you say, is a lack of choice of Shia, who want to support the development of the Shia community.
You implied, but didn't quite state, that only Hezbollah (Hizbullah?) was a choice on the ballot that Shia could vote for -- this is the main problem.
I suspect it is related to a lack of free speech, alternative and honest newspapers about what Hez is and does, and the willingness of Hez fanatics to murder other Shia who disagree.
I understand that in PLO controlled areas, those who publicly expressed opposition to Arafat or support for peace with Israel -- were murdered.
(Israel is doing a LOUSY job at protecting free speech in the "occupied territories controlled by the PA).
Please consider starting a pro-Shia development political group, without arms. The reasons such a group "won't work" are the Shia underlying problems that need to be addressed.
My free opinion, worth at least twice the price! Maybe 10 times.
Please keep up your own good work. Yet stay safe.
Brilliant post.
..A somewhat less vexed Israeli
One FATAL flaw with your reporting on what is going on with hezbollah.
You left out the driving supreme goal of the one who pulls Hezbollah's strings.
Iran's Ahmadinejad has stated loudly and often his determined goal of destroying Israel.
Just because a number of hezbollah supporters behave in a normal fashion dooes not make them 'good' or acceptable.
They are better described as useful pawns and idiots for the cause of the top leaders of Hezbollah whose goal is destruction of Israel.
The bottom line when all is said and done.
Better to destroy them before they destroy you Israel.
The propagandist and liars say hezbollah cannot be defeated.
The reality is Israel cannot be defeated even with the whole world aligned against this small country. In the end they will come out the head of the nations and no longer the tail.
Many Christian's like myself see the battle lines drawn and there are no longer any on the fence in the battle of Israel vs. Islam.
Israel
In this exerpt from the Guardian
Hezbollah is coming for Lebanese who speak freely their views which critized them.
Your Hezbollah reveals their Nazi like tendancies in their own words.
You put a human face on totalatarian rule by Islamic devils and that pig don't fly L.P
You keep you identity hidden out of fear ? or you alreadly know who this party of Satan really is ?
---------------------
'If Israel wins we will go back dozens of years'
Ali and his men said they see the current fighting with Israel as a war of survival, not only for Hizbullah but for the Shiite faith.
He says the struggle is not just against Israel but also against the Lebanese Sunni. "If Israel comes out victorious from this conflict, this will be a victory for the Sunnis and they will take the Shia community back in history dozens of years to the time when we were only allowed to work as garbage collectors in this country. The Shia will all die before letting this happen again."
He warned that even if the international community asks Hizbullah to lay down its arms in the frame of a ceasefire he and his men will keep their arms.
"This war is episode two in disarming Hizbullah. First they tried to do it through the Lebanese government and the UN. When they failed, the Americans asked the Israelis to do the job."
He refuted Israeli claims the Hizbullah has been weakened: "Things are going very well now, whatever happens we are winning. If they keep bombing us we will stay in the shelters, and with each bomb more people support the resistance. If they invade they will repeat the miserable fate they had in 1982, and if they hold one square foot they will give the Islamic resistance all the legitimacy. If they want to kill Hizbullah they have to kill every Shia in the south of Lebanon."
"The real battle is after the end of this war. We will have to settle score with the Lebanese politicians. We also have the best security and intelligence apparatus in this country, and we can reach any of those people who are speaking against us now. Let's finish with the Israelis and then we will settle scores later."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3282996,00.html
LP ,
You put a good face ,a human face on darkest evil.
The Germans lived in the midst of this same illusion ,but eventually woke up ,a least those who survived the reich of another Jew hater intent on a final solution.
He failed as will Nasrallah
You make evil look good,that makes you an instrument for the devil' deception.
22 July 2006
A Dream - A Warning to Israel
Subject: Revelation of [three] Islamic/Hezbollah plans to attack Israel
My friends in Israel, wherever, I hope it doesn’t take a N.W.O attack on the Queen Mary II, the Washington Monument, the President of the US, or the destruction of Florida and Alabama, before you take my friend seriously; particularly that which, if you proceed, are about to read. May God have mercy on Israel if you all wait that long. Nevertheless, I continue.
I called “Bob” just 30 minutes ago. He had told the Lord that I would have to call to “confirm” his most recent vision(s). He had held the visions since the evening of Wednesday the 19th, when he was admitted for extremely painful kidney stones. He was saying Lord, “If Al doesn’t call then these visions may not be from you, but maybe just pain-related hallucinations?” As he was eating corn, 40 minutes ago, my call came in. The Holy Spirit spoke, “There’s Al calling”. It was I.
There are three attacks being planned, by three teams; (1) attack against a secular target, (2) an attack against a religious target, and (3) one against a military target. All three teams are operating independently; and all three teams are now in-country as of 22 July 2006. Therefore, it will serve no purpose to look for them at any border crossing, port, or airport. The Lord spoke to Bob and said, “Come and see”, as in what is being planned against the State of Israel.
“ATTACK AGAINST A SECULAR TARGET”
[This is why I sent a query about a “fountain” located in a walking mall in Israel]
In this attack there was a large city “seen”, maybe Tel Aviv, if such a “scene” as follows exists. Bob saw a “European-looking city”, with a downtown walking mall, very upscale, and maybe even with cobblestones or a stone pavement in neat order. There were flower planters, benches, and shops on left and right sides of the mall. There was a fountain, and on the left side of the mall was a woman walking. [Note: This woman is a different woman than the/any female seen in earlier visions.]
She was a gorgeous woman, with olive skin, possibly of Lebanese descent, with deep auburn hair, with a reddish sheen. Her top was a sleeveless, light burgundy-colored sweater, with a mock turtleneck. She had on a light cream colored skirt, with a burgundy and brown print. The skirt was full and came to just about/above the knees. Her dark brown pocket book, which matched her hair, was slung on her left shoulder, and also matched her shoes, which had slightly elevated heels. Her beauty is such that it is “distracting”. Her entire outfit was high class, and could have cost from 700 to 1500 dollars, since it is actually her “martyr suit”. She is a hell-bent, suicide bomber.
This woman is ideologically on the radical the fringe of the Hezbollah. Moreover, she has compromised more than one Israeli sexually, with “pillow talk” to get the info she needs. Men will run after her; and she leads them as if she had “a ring in their nose”. This woman has an all-woman support team; all of which are Arabic women. This “concept” is very deceptive, since it is males who usually carry out such assignments.
Furthermore, she was also carrying a rope-handled shopping bag, the type that upscale stores use for expensive- taste shoppers. The bag was white with burgundy trim. The logo/emblem on the bag was from an upscale store or shop, and was styled in neat Hebrew letters.
She continued walking and when she reached a trash receptacle she dropped the shopping bag into the waste bin. She continued walking and shortly perished in the ensuing explosion. The explosion had all the effects of a tactical nuclear device, as it vaporized the mall. [Note: This technology is new, and although my “contacts” tell me there are now miniature nuke devices which are operational, they were not “on the shelf” in the mid 80’s when I served in DOD.] The ensuing blast was tremendous and the cloud of smoke boiled, volcano-like, straight upward.
“ATTACK AGAINST A RELIGIOUS TARGET”
This attack is “religious” in nature since it occurs near the Wailing Wall; as follows: Looking westward from some point on or near the Mount of Olives, toward the Eastern/Golden Gate, there arose a deep demonic growl. A figure arose, cackling over the expected defeat of Jerusalem. The figure spread its arms, which grew into jet black wings WHICH SIGNIFY a BIO-CHEMICAL ATTACK. The being’s eyes had blood red veins within them, and the eyes were as coals of fire. There were/are to be cries from within Jerusalem, since the attack is bio-chemical; and as such prevailing winds will carry the pernicious cloud across the Temple Mount; thus descending directly down upon worshippers at the Wailing Wall.
The current “leader” of the Hezbollah has an evil spirit of Hitler upon him; and will not accept defeat, and as such will demand a scorched earth policy, killing Arabs and Jews alike as he releases this device, in his attempt to destroy Jews. This attack can be defeated if known of in advance. Israel, you now know of this, up front, since I am sending it to many in Israel.
“ATTACK AGAINST A MILITARY TARGET”
This attack is planned against a military base somewhere in Israel. Hopefully the description herein will identify the actual base or facility. The “hit” will be dangerous, if accomplished. The facility is apparently a command and control communications [and intelligence?] nodal point. It’s a reinforced concrete facility. Some of it is above ground with about 3/4ths underground. On top of the above-ground structure is a “half sphere-shaped” dome. There are three reinforced walls or barriers round this facility. The purpose of the attack is to seriously degrade [command and control] communications. This attack is coordinated with the Syrians, and the Syrian army is planning to commence an attack if this succeeds. God Almighty alone can prevent this attack but he must have people who will listen to his voice.
Bob says the current Hezbollah leader will eventually literally lose his head, as he will “reap what he has sown”; particularly because in planning against the Jews and Israel he is defying the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Bob was also shown that the Lord will send a *** “little David, to take this Hezbollah leader out. With this “little David” will be two bosom buddies, who think alike, as in Joab and Abner, in the days of the kings of Israel. This “little David” speaks fluent Hebrew, is a native (Sabra) and could one day be exalted; and thus become the Prime Minister. The Arab world will be traumatized/shocked by the Divine intervention accompanying this event.
As a result of this defeat of Islamic terrorism, the European Union will rise up in indignation against Israel. In these scenarios the victim (Israel) will become the “victimizer”. Then will come the “covenant” which will precede Ezek 38 and 39. [Note: This should be the prophesied seven-year peace deal signed by the false messiah; or as we Believers call him, the anti-Christ. I personally believe this man’s name will be “Apostikane”. Since the KJV Bible has the phrase “the Assyrian” exactly 13 times, [thirteen meaning “depravity/rebellion] I believe he comes from Syria and will be of mixed Jewish-Arabic blood.]
Dear folks, I have repeated what I have been told. The blood is now off my hands as well as Bob’s. Furthermore,
as noted in the first paragraph, I suspect several of Bob’s earlier prophecies may have to come to pass, since that is probably what will have to happen to make people believe what they have read above. Nevertheless, so be it. My hands are clean. The ball is in your court.
In the Name of the Lord,
A.C.
*** Such a figure is alluded to during “Jacob’s trouble”, or in some/a ‘post-King David’ period, yet before but the return of Messiah. This Davidic figure is alluded to in the following Authorized Version scriptures: Jer 30:1-9; Ezek 34:23-24; and Hosea 3:5; which I was never aware of until 1999. However, I’m not a theologian. I just “read the Book”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pWwH1EzGY4
All Lebanese should watch this Hezbollah movie
The ultimate goal of an Israeli soldier is to finish his 3 years duty without getting himself killed, go to that one year trip to South America, study computer software in the Technion university, get a nice job in CheckPoint, marry Bar Refaeli and have 3 cute kids.
The ultimate goal of a Hezbullah fighter is to die as a martyr.
What the hell is wrong with these guys?
Seattle ,Washington -
Mad Moslem attacks defenseless Jewish women.
Inside most Moslem's is a devil waiting to kill Jews and Christian's.
This cursed religion ,led by Satan wreaks hovac all over the earth ,not just against Israel.
The cosmic battle of kingdom's has begun. The Kingdom of God and the Kngdom of Satan.
If you want to 'learn' how it unfolds and ends read the Bible, especially books of Joel,Amos,Zechariah,Ezekiel
Matthhew 24 ,Luke 21 Jude and Revelation.
The gunman, Naveed Afzal Haq, 31, was arrested without a struggle at the Jewish Federation. He was later charged by Seattle police with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Haq is a U.S. citizen, police said, and their initial conversation with him by phone while he was inside the building indicated that he was a Muslim.
Police would not disclose the content of the conversation.
Laura Laughlin, special agent in charge of the Seattle FBI office, said the suspect is a U.S. citizen who is not from Seattle. Agents were working to contact his relatives, she said.
When asked if the suspect was a Muslim, Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said at a news conference "you could infer that that was his background." Kerlikowske gave no further details about the man except that he was between 30 and 40.
A hospital spokeswoman said three of the victims are in critical condition. The surviving women range in age from 23 to 43, including one who is pregnant. The fatal victim was only identified as a white female.
"We have five victims, all female, ranging from their early 20s to 40s, who have been brought to Harbor View [Medical Center]," hospital spokeswoman Pamela Steele said.
"They have sustained wounds to the knee, groin, abdomen and arm. Three of the five have been taken to the operating room," she said.
Thanks for your blog. It definitely gives me more insight into what is going on in Lebanon.
What you wrote does help me understand a bit more, I think, but I would like to know what makes you think Hezbollah is so much nicer than al Qaeda?
It seems to me they are just smarter.
Their money comes from Iran, from drugs, from other criminal activities and from "taxes" they collect from supporters but also from people they can intimidate.
Hezbollah look to me like an extension of Iran. OK, they are Lebanese and they are surely not _just_ an extension of Iran's theocracy, but they are theocratic and they are murderous. And any good they do is done with money that doesn't fairly belong to them.
So what do you find good about them?
And for that matter what do you find bad about Israel? Isn't it crystal clear that if they are not attacked from Lebanon they will have no problem with Lebanon?
They will dance with you, and work with you to get on with your life. They don't want to rule Lebanon; they don't want to tell you what to do. Can you say that about Hezbollah?
Or is what you like about Hezbollah precisely that they want to tell you what to do, that they offer some leadership even if it's dead wrong?
“Israel’s largest pitfall is the militaristic belief in the country and its leadership,” Nasrallah said.
The sheikh referred to Israel as a “temporary country.”
“Israel was established as a military state; the army was not established as an army of a country,” he said.
The Sheikh's fatal error is that he sees Israel is only about;
"" militaristic belief in the country and its leadership""
As so many who fought Israel in five previous war and lost every one is their fatal error in ignoring the Holy One of Israel who fights for His people.
As a Christian Zionist I have very little confidence in Ehud Olmert and the IDF which leftist,liberal policy has weakened.
But I have much faith in the God of Israel and have no doubt that He will pull the LAST big surprise on the Party of Satan and all the hordes of hell aligned agaisnt Israel. Israel's enemies as they fade into the dust bin of history will have their last lesson that Israel is here to stay and that the only true God is the Holy One of Israel.
Picture the hezbollah fighter after his death on the battlefield as he stands before the Creator of the Universe and realizes that He is Jewish and allah has been Satan all along.
That is a picture of hell and all Islamic jihadist will see it on judgment day.
Tatiana:
YOu said If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
Unfortunately, that's the behavior of every poor and destitute people all over the world. That's how the world works. Politicians everywhere have been buying their constituents vote and loyalty for times immemorial, be it through tax cuts, be it through increased social services (or promises thereof), be it through lobbying as they do in Washington.
This is reply to UJU (UK/JEWISH/USA) force. ok. who is bombing whom now ??. you have to clarify the subject before speaking like a mad creature. firstly, there was no country called Israel until 1948. When you British decided to put all those bad Jewish people in Palestine and called it Israel. Following this catastrophic event, the world have never seen peace. The Jewish by the support of their biggest allies(USA and Britain)killed millions of innocent Palestinians and abducted their lands unlawfully. the Jewish played their best games and unfortunately won. Exactly like Vampires, they were abused and you know that abused people tend to abuse. Therefore, We WOULD REACH THE CONCLUSION that all the Jewish have psychological disorder. They want to kill more and more. They want to ruin more and more. YOuR so-called lovely country is taking advantage of their disorder by telling them to exploit more and kill all Arabs. Blair is so discriminative. He hates all Muslims and Arabs in general from the inside and trying to blame them for the so-called terrorist attacks. And its so ironic, that when people die in Iraq or Palestine OR Lebanon, Your country says "SO WHAT< We don’t care, Israelis are defending themselves. when you see in News every single day how Israel are killing the civilians and poor children. let me ask you a question? isn’t Israel the greatest Terrorist organization in the world when they take a whole land and claim it to be theirs. And they are never satisfied actually, because they want to kill more and more and take whole Lebanon and call it the great Israel. Of course this cannot be done without the support of their greatest allies (UK & USA) who are asking for multinational force NOW. TO kill more innocent people and exploit the natural resources of Lebanon. You are very Naive UJU and your likes because you think the USA would even think to support the Arabs. BUSH(AND HIS “SHIT” WAY OF supporting the Jewish) and his lovely baby BLair are laughing and having fun because they are about to achieve their goals of making a NEW MIDDLE EAST. WOW. a new middle east to serve them with petrol and minerals. And, serve Israel and the Jewish with whatever they want. Moreover. I want to correct your statement which says we are asking USA & UK to help the Lebanese. UK and USA planned with Israel to bomb Lebanon even without Hezbollah taking your soldiers. Unfortunately, you don’t know this fact as well because you are hypnotized with the media propaganda. So, USA and UK want to start a war and we want peace we TOLD THEM TO CEASE FIRE BUT THEY SAID NO. THAT’S WHY OUR PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING in your streets. England & America have the right to stop the war but they used the VETO to continue the war. SO who are the real terrorists:: Hezbollah who are trying to defend their country and help the thousands innocent abducted Lebanese prisoners in ISRAELIS JAILS or UK/JEWISH/USA (UJU) who wants to exploit every Arabic country from Iraq and Palestine to Lebanon. and who knows which country is the next. But, everyone knows that Iran and Syria are the potential targets. Hezbollah’ message is very pure and dignified. To return the innocent Lebanese detainees in Israel. They negotiated with Israel once and asked for the innocent detainees but every effort they made is futile. Therefore, they abducted 2 soldiers which is not wrong at all. If Israel was in the place of Hezbollah. TELL me. What would they do??
Thank you for portraying complexity with such a profound sense of humanity.
My heart goes with you.
Jean-Marc
Tatiana:
YOu said If I went to these same unfortunates and offered a higher price for their support than Hezbollah does, (better housing, better medical care or whatever), they would presumably come to me, the higher bidder. They would support me, not Hezbollah. This is the behaviour of a whore. And you seem to support it.
Unfortunately, that's the behavior of every poor and destitute people all over the world. That's how the world works. Politicians everywhere have been buying their constituents vote and loyalty for times immemorial, be it through tax cuts, be it through increased social services (or promises thereof), be it through lobbying as they do in Washington.
Sat Jul 29, 10:33:34 AM PDT
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To be honest i think that you demonize these people needlessly. They are dangerous fanatics with a very warped idea of the world. But they are nothing more than this. Obviously they believe in their own ideology. There is no reason to suspect that hezbollah does nt really care for its shiite people.
Because their perception of the things is so warped they are building with one hand and destroying with another.
This is not that i am a pacifist. I dont oppose israeli approach to tackle this problem by using force but lets keep some sanity. These people got this violent and insane ideology. They do believe in all these jewish american plots and conspiracies against islam. But they clearly have an idea of responsibilty towards their people. Their social programs are nor some propaganda trick.
anon10:41:56 -
Hezbollah’ message is very pure and dignified.
Lets have a small,impure and undignified funeral for Nasrallah and Hezbollah all dead and the Sheikh without his head !
I toast a drink and a cheerie ho to that. Bottomes up !
after reading all of these very interesting and diverse pointsw of views i am curious...indulge me a bit if you wouldn't mind. remove the hatred, distrust, current affairs, side-taking point views and list a top ten list of how we a international community could make EVERYONE in the region happy and yes, that would include Israel existing as a state and Palestine as well and taking into consideration that Lebanon would be in a peasceful state. Please, iam ask this question without irony, sarcasm and whatever.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
after reading all of these very interesting and diverse pointsw of views i am curious...indulge me a bit if you wouldn't mind. remove the hatred, distrust, current affairs, side-taking point views and list a top ten list of how we a international community could make EVERYONE in the region happy and yes, that would include Israel existing as a state and Palestine as well and taking into consideration that Lebanon would be in a peasceful state. Please, iam ask this question without irony, sarcasm and whatever.
Sat Jul 29, 11:21:30 AM PDT
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In case of lebanon its very simple.
1) disarm nasrallah... turn hezbollah into political party ... lebanese government is the only one that can declare wars or decide on cross border raids ... no more private militias ( hezbollah is actually the last one )
2) perform prisoners swap - israelis for lebanese ... plaestinians not included
3) clear up the issue with shebaa farms ... syria should officially disown this peace of territory... if not lebanon takes responsibility for its own security in case syria would suddenly demand it later
4) some minor issues...
5) sign both sides on peace deal or permanent ceasefire agreement
6) warn iran/syria to tell nasrallah to not go back to doing his shit
thats all ... goes without saying hezbollah would nt agree to it
just for kicks...what are #4, some minor issues?
peterbbb, you draw the line, you can go to hell. Good bye hizb hirabah.
water , mine fields maps .. small stuff
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
just for kicks...what are #4, some minor issues?
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Dont even touch on the palestinian issue. Its for generations now
i was talking as if palestinians have their own viable, decent place to exist- i as a jew, do not want the palestinians to live in squalor. i believe that they deserve land that has agricultural health, not some dirt patch that is has been offered in the past. the palestinians have the right to economic success just as much as anyone else. i was really just trying to think in a more conceptual mode, as you'll see from my utopian/idealistic or hopeful posts from another blog below...
As a Jewish American married to a Lebanese Christian American, I am stunned and saddened by the situation in both countries. However, the Israeli military is going too far with this counter-attack to Hezbollah. Pres. Bush is only exacerbating the issue further. I am sure he would not want his family to lay dying in the streets or crushed under homes that have been bombed into oblivion. Okay, so Israel is a close ally, and i support that, but I does not mean we trun a blind eye to absolute devastation brought upon other human beings. I think since 911, muslim society as a whole has been denigrated to something of a horrific stereotype. As a Jew who lost ancestors in the holocaust, I don't think German folk are hideous people. Moreover, the Lebanese are the most pro-western country in the region, living (before two weeks ago) a very sophisticated and westernized lifestyle. The villages being plundered are hundreds of years old with mostly a peasant life. The Beirutis are cosmopolitain in nature. They are not bad people. Hezbollah is not a friendly group of individuals, but when people are living terrible lives, sometimes resort to terrible actions. I do not think that a few bad apples should spoil the crate. In the end, Palestinians, Israelis, and the Lebanese, are quite similar peoples...The eat the same food. They all value family. They all tend to have very overbearing mothers. They are a festive people, they just dial a different phone number when they pray. Yes, I know I am generalizing, but the real end to the middle-east misery is for these culture to value what they have in common not how they differ and to also, put the past in the past and start anew with a clean slate. Peace to the innocent Lebanese, Israelis, and Palestinians- Jewish, Muslim & Christian.
7:43 PM
Anonymous said...
Samanatha.
Yes. Most people are very much alike, but differant. They could and would live peacefully together.. However, bad apples ARE in the crate and spoiling the whole group. The bad apples need to be thrown out or at least removed from damaging the rest.
Israel, Lebonan, Syria, Iran and all other nations as well as Americans are in this apple crate of mostly good./ It is very sad that these bad apples cannot be thrown out without damage to the good apples.
9:20 AM
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i completely agree with you. In principle, if you had the average family, one representing each group of people- Leb, Isr, and Pal, i think we see very clearly that they are not different from the average American family. I was speaking with my parents last night, trying to explain to them why israel has gone too far with all of this. they are jewish americans, so like most other jewish folks they have a sense of loyalty to israel, not because they support aggression or discord between israel and its neighbors, but because they view israelis as their extended brothers and sisters. no different from my lebanese mother-in-law feeling loyalty and sympathy toward her own family and friends in west bekaa valley. however, iread a an interesting article yesterday- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14066288/site/newsweek/
i beleive that Israel much like the US has become blinded by Nationality. I would even venture to say that the Palestinians have this as well, although they are still struggling to have a state in which to express and develope a true sense of real tangible nationalism. Lebanon will be in this boat too, as support grows even more for hezbollah. one would have to be completely uninformed and ignorant to not understand why this will happen. when someone is in turmoil and no one else supports them in the time of need, and miraculously an advocate and defender appears they find comfort in that. to me that is no surprise- it is human nature. In speaking with my parents, i used the example of the holocaust, as this was a parallel example that they could relate to...After hitler was no longer a threat to their people, jewish people did not trust germans for decades and this still is this case, but much less so. my grandfather would have given me a very hard time, if he were alive to see me buy my first volkswagen. but, since i am several generations removed from the horror inflicted upon my culture- the remaining people in germany that supported and hitler and his cause are old and powerless, the subsequent generations have done what they can to distance themselves from mistakes that their ancestors made. why should i hold that against them? they are human beings just like us. so, pardon my long meandering story- i believe that even if the reciprocal distrust, hatred, fighting- the whole ugliness of the "uneasy existence" were to end today, the damage between israelis and palestinians, israel and lebanese, israel and you-name-the-country, would take several generations to make things "just okay" and by that i mean a gradual disappearnce of absolute distrust and scorn from both sides. so, it is really up to people like us- to spread the word of " you know what? the lebanese, palestinians, israelis, iranis, etc...they are people just like us" I would like to see each of those governments take just a few steps in a more moderate direction away from religion being so closely injected into government rule. but that is a pipe dream, i know. I am not at all saying that they should be as liberal as america, but just a few steps away from fundamentalist rule would lift opression from all of these rich cultures. what do you think? consequently, i think my mom & dad might look at the news footage with a slightly more open minded perspective on the situation in lebanaon now. at least i can hope.
2:02 PM
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i have a utopian dream/idea...as part of a multi-national effort, instead of trio of countries having their children learn military training- they ought to have a mandatory exchange students program. as part of your upbringing in israel, you must live with a palestinian family for a semester. as part of palestinian life, you go live with an israeli family for a semester. i know is a ridiculous concept/idea, however, i think the best way for someone to stop being your enemy is to make him you friend.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i have a utopian dream/idea...as part of a multi-national effort, instead of trio of countries having their children learn military training- they ought to have a mandatory exchange students program. as part of your upbringing in israel, you must live with a palestinian family for a semester. as part of palestinian life, you go live with an israeli family for a semester. i know is a ridiculous concept/idea,
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Yes. Ridiculous indeed.
One can't really cover up chatting with Israeli bloggers during wartime when it appears on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, 28 July 2006.
And maybe that's not such a bad thing. As our US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis -- a nice Jewish boy -- said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
"To stop apologizing for our positions"
Is there something inherently wrong with the concept of wanting to stop bloodshed with both parties? is it at all possible that a jewish person could really and truly feel sadness for an arab human being? Is it so wrong to want a good outcome for all the cultures in the region? The political rhetoric is what holds any form of harmony back. My concepts may seem utopian and ridiculous, yes, but i believe we all need to pull ourselves out of the much and try to move on and leave the baggage in it its place. i don't believe anything i've said has been inciteful to anyone posting here. Arab, Israeli, or Plaid with Polka-dots. I would happily share an afternoon over a cup of coffee with an Israeli or Arab, even if their idealogical philosophydiffered from mine- because we share other things in common- we are all human beings that in most cases can relate to the same pleasures in life- good food, good friends, family and the desire for a reasonably peaceful life. Am i crazy for believing in this? Violence begets violence. wouldn't you agree? the term "disinfectant": An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms. i think that it is repulsive to apply this term toward any human being, even if one percieves them as a "terrorist." they still are like any other person, they sleep, they eat, they seek kindness in their own lives, and they use they bathroom just the same as you and me. i think all parties need to have their eyes and ears open and try to find the common threads and progress from that point. now, how about that cup of coffee?
To Samanatha,
Hezbollah people say their ultimate goal is to die as a martyr. Milk and cookies will not make them feel differently. An F-16 just might...
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Is there something inherently wrong with the concept of wanting to stop bloodshed with both parties? is it at all possible that a jewish person could really and truly feel sadness for an arab human being? Is it so wrong to want a good outcome for all the cultures in the region? The political rhetoric is what holds any form of harmony back.
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Bloodshed usually stops whe both sides decide that the price they pay is not worth it. Or that both sides get tired of keep it going this way. It has nothing to do with universal love and brotherhood
i understand this quite clearly john, however not everyone in lebanon is a soldier for hezbollah. as an example, let's say i live down the street from a white supremacist. most likely he wouldn't sit down for a "milk and cookies" chat with me, but his sister might. she'd mostly share some of his ideals or understand his point of view, but she herself has her own sense of humanity. not everyone is guilty by association, and that is what we are all seeing now. not every jew or arab is "dirty" not every american is either. do you think that an f-16 is going to change anything? after all, this supposed "hezbollah person" may indeed hate israel and wants it destroyed, so he joins hezbollah. do you think everyone in this man's family absolutely agrees with his pursuits/endeavors? maybe they don't, but he is still their son or brother, or cousin. even if they disagreed with his philosphy before, they are certain to agree with him post-mortem, after he succeeds in illustrating that the very government that he was in opposition to flies over his home and kills him. that is exactly how groups like hezbollah gain support.
i agree with you nobody. but it does take a simple or idealistic notion to take stock in what is before our feet, to understand that the price has not been worth it.
Every Hezbollah fighter wants to die as a martyr. The IDF is simply offering its help as a sign of good will.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
i agree with you nobody. but it does take a simple or idealistic notion to take stock in what is before our feet, to understand that the price has not been worth it.
Sat Jul 29, 01:28:06 PM PDT
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No samantha . As one who has seen the meat of my people scattered all across the street or as one who did visit his friends in hospital this emotional stuff does nt help. Stay simple and technical . Thats the trick here.
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fighters. are the lives of the lebanese folk that reside in the bombed out villages less meaningful than our own? Are they less valuable than an Israeli family living out on a kibbutz? your joking about murder is not funny in my eyes; but you certainly are entitled to your opinion.
Innocent people of Lebanon should not be harmed. Hizballah guys must be killed to the last person holding an AK-47.
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fighters. are the lives of the lebanese folk that reside in the bombed out villages less meaningful than our own? Are they less valuable than an Israeli family living out on a kibbutz? your joking about murder is not funny in my eyes; but you certainly are entitled to your opinion.
Sat Jul 29, 01:44:23 PM PDT
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This universal love stuff is nonsense. Peace comes only when people learn to first count their own casualties and then the casualties of their enemies. And right now israel is the only country in the region that is doing this.
perhaps i am not as techical or truly embedded in the political rhetoric as many of you are and sometimes to follow these posts to really try to understand the perspective of the lebanese or hezbollah i scour the articles in the daily star and haaretz to try to make the learning curve smaller. but all i know is that i have a son who is half-jewish and half-lebanese with family in both countries and at my core i loathe that both of those cultures suffer. both lebanese and jewish cultures are incredbily interesting and complex and we can learn from them equally. i shudder when i look at the images and video of the buildings and more importanly the people with gaping wounds or sheets covering their corpses. all i am trying to say is that if governments and militia from either side get nowhere, certainly a grass-roots effort amongst the everyday man/woman/child couldn't hurt.
Samanatha,
I envy you.
People like you could invite Bin-Laden for milk and cookies hoping to convince him he actually loves junk food and diet coke.
no, i am not that naive, and i think i have made that clear in my previous postings. a mariage like my own between a jew and a lebanese is not always an easy one. religion is a factor, cultures sometimes collide, sometimes compliment each other, and so on. but i think that an enormous problem that we see unfolding and escalating every day at a certain point requires look at things from multiple perspectives. That is where i come from.
nobody said...
samanatha goldberg-malek said...
Frankly, I believe the IDF is acting in a way that is no better than Hezbollah fighters. They have managed to kill or injure more innocent civilians than they have actual hezbollah fi