Wark STILL wrong about Israel

Bruce Wark, Just how long did you live in the Middle East? What is your frame of reference that you claim to understand the dynamic that is the complicated Israeli/Palestinian/Hamas relationship in your article, "War crimes" I was inclined to believe, as you did, that perhaps the Israeli reaction to these things is overzealous---maybe even criminal. That is until I went there to visit my wife who was stationed there as a peacekeeper. While there we took the time to tour all around the best spots that were safe to do so. Then came the Intifada of 2000. I was standing in the Canadian base listening to the rockets being fired from Lebanon. I saw all kinds of things that are not reported on mainstream North American media. Let me just say, the Palestinian and other forces are very good at playing the “downtrodden” card. They take every advantage of being the poor/underequipped foe of the larger force. I am surprised the Israeli government uses as much restraint as it does! Let me just ask you: If there was a radical group of natives on McNabs that would periodically fire rockets into downtown Halifax (remember how small a country Israel is!), how long would you be willing to turn the other cheek if we were not allowed to go to the island because it was “foreign”? Technically, the native people of Canada own this land. We are squatters and if the international community said we could not go in, how long would you, as a Canadian, stand for the periodic killing of our people? How about unprovoked rocket launches that took out...let’s say, for the sake of argument, the Lower Deck? Then the following week, they sank the Bluenose floating in the harbour? I can tell you right now, you would change your tune and you would change it fast if it was your desk that was fired on by a rocket, if it was your kids’ school that got hit and you didn’t know if your kids were alive for hours while they dug them out. The last Israeli government offered the Palestinians everything they asked for, short of Jerusalem. They refused outright because they were not given full control of the Holy City, and that Israeli government was thrown out because they offered too much and still could not get peace. It will not matter what is offered. Palestinians do not recognize Israel’s right to exist. After that visit, my opinion changed. If Palestine wants peace, they could have it any day of the week. They don’t want it! I feel for the regular people, but they should not have elected Hamas. They made their bed. If they fire a rocket into a populated part of Israel, I say fire enough back so that there is no way whoever fired it is still alive. They were offered peace, but they sadly chose war. My grandfather always told me: “It is not a good idea to poke a bear.” Wark and a lot of liberal media are taking the high and mighty road and saying Israel should not be picking on this poor little nation. That’s because you haven’t been there. Someone should tell them to stop poking the damn bear! ---posted by Mike at thecoast.ca