AN ATTEMPT AT EVEN HANDEDNESS

This comment appeared this morning in the 'Comments" section of the previous post. There is a lot to be said about it, so I decided to write a post about it. I hope this will satisfy the anonymous writer.

First, the comment:

if you were even-handed, you'd write a post outlining how Hamas is using civilians as human shields and how they are preventing civilians from seeking medical aid across the border, how Hamas goes to schools/ hospitals/ mosques/ homes and deliberately fires missiles from there at Israelis to provoke a response which they hope will kill arab women and children, you would also highlight that Israel doesn't control the border with Egypt and the Egyptian Arabs are the ones preventing any flow of aid or goods through its border, you would also condemn anyone at the rallies which you attend you say all Jews should die or that Jewish children should be killed, or that Hitler didn't do a good job, etc...

I never read about your outrage towards Hamas who deliberately creates a humanitarian crisis that results in more death and destruction, yet you continue to harp on the Israelis who go out of their way to warn civilians of attack, treat civilians in their hospitals, provide aid through their borders, etc... Why is it that you never dedicate space to the real architects of the hardships which face people in Gaza today?? Hamas and the Egyptians. Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel and Egypt doesn't allow any goods through its border with Gaza.

If you were even handed wouldn't you arrange a protest against Egypt, since you attended one against Israel... Isn't Egypt to blame for this situation or even Iran which is supplying the weapons which Hamas is using?

Also, why not show solidarity with the Jews of Israel who are only protecting themselves from genocide? As a Sikh aren't you concerned about how the Jews are surviving the last 50 years in the middle east after being attacked time and time again.

I have edited nothing in this, except to capitalise the word "Arab" which the writer inadvertently neglected to do in the first paragraph. Now my response.

Dear Anonymous,

I think you have pretty much written the post you ask of me. I do have a few comments of my own.

if you were even-handed, you'd write a post outlining how Hamas is using civilians as human shields and how they are preventing civilians from seeking medical aid across the border, how Hamas goes to schools/ hospitals/ mosques/ homes and deliberately fires missiles from there at Israelis to provoke a response which they hope will kill Arab women and children

It is wrong to use human beings, especially civilians, as human shields. Certainly, if Hamas is doing these things, they should be condemned for it. I have never supported Hamas; there is a fine line between freedom fighting and terrorism and, in my opinion, Hamas has crossed way over that line. I champion the civilians of Gaza, especially my sisters and their children. I have never supported Hamas.


you would also highlight that Israel doesn't control the border with Egypt and the Egyptian Arabs are the ones preventing any flow of aid or goods through its border,

After this was pointed out to me after an earlier post, I have always been careful to include both Israel and Egypt when I write about the closed borders of Gaza. If it helps, I will state in clear terms here that Egypt is contributing to the misery of their fellow Arabs and they are dead-on wrong for keeping their border closed.

you would also condemn anyone at the rallies which you attend you say all Jews should die or that Jewish children should be killed, or that Hitler didn't do a good job, etc...

My health problems preclude my attending rallies, unfortunately, however, I do loudly and forcefully - and publicly - condemn racial, ethnic, religious slurs, wherever and whenever I hear them. In fact, I often embarass my companions by my unwillingness to keep my mouth shut. People who know me at all don't make such comments when I'm within earshot.

I never read about your outrage towards Hamas who deliberately creates a humanitarian crisis that results in more death and destruction, yet you continue to harp on the Israelis who go out of their way to warn civilians of attack, treat civilians in their hospitals, provide aid through their borders, etc... Why is it that you never dedicate space to the real architects of the hardships which face people in Gaza today?? Hamas and the Egyptians. Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel and Egypt doesn't allow any goods through its border with Gaza.

My outrage is at what is happening to the civilians of Gaza, whoever is the cause. I have not heard of Israel treating Gazan in their hospitals - although I have heard of Gazan women die in childbirth at checkpoint because they weren't let through to get to a hospital. I have not heard of Israel supplying humanitarian aid to the Gazans in recent days. I would love to have you supply me with links so I can read about this. I do not wish to waste my time condemning anyone, but if it makes you happy, I am outraged that anyone, including Hamas, would fire rockets at civilians. And again, I roundly condemn Egypt for not opening its border with Gaza.

If you were even handed wouldn't you arrange a protest against Egypt, since you attended one against Israel... Isn't Egypt to blame for this situation or even Iran which is supplying the weapons which Hamas is using?


As I said, I am unable to attend demonstrations. The most I can do is to give my opinion here. EGYPT IS WRONG TO CLOSE THEIR BORDER WITH GAZA, THUS KEEPING THE CIVILIANS OF GAZA IN WHAT AMOUNTS TO A PRISON. EGYPT SHOULD ACT IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR FELLOW ARABS IN GAZA. OK? I have heard that Egypt keeps the border closed at the insistence of their trading buddy, Israel. Is there any truth in that? As for Iran, I have no use for the government of that country which so much discriminates against women, among their other wrong-doings.



Also, why not show solidarity with the Jews of Israel who are only protecting themselves from genocide? As a Sikh aren't you concerned about how the Jews are surviving the last 50 years in the middle east after being attacked time and time again.


The Israelis have survived the last 50 years because the United States of America has supplied Israel with virtually unlimited weapons, as well as continuously vetoing anything that is not proIsrael in the UN Security Couincil. Certainly, the Arab countries need to accept Israel as a fact of life. Israel is there. Guys, get used to it.

But Israel has gone too far. There is a Jewish saying, "It is always better to be the oppressed than to be the oppresser." Surely you cannot hold that Israel - as well as Egypt - has not, for whatever reason, subjected the civilian population of Gaza to great hardship since they elected Hamas as their government.

If what I said here doesn't satisfy you, I will make the same offer to you that I have made to others. I would love to publish a guest post - unedited by me - where you express your views. All I ask is to keep it clean and legal..No religious or racial slurs. No profane language. You seem to be a person of intelligence and class who would not use such language anyway. Please do not advocate anything that would get me in trouble with the law in my current country of residence, the United States of America. That would be edited out. Also please include pictures of Israeli children killed by Hamas rocket fire. I have not been able to find any - and I have looked.

As a Sikh, I must always stand up for the weak who cannot defend themselves. The people of Israel have proven that they are capable of self-defense. The civilians of Gaza have no defence except world opinion.

I will say once again that I am championing the women and children and other civilians of Gaza. I really do not care, right now, who is to blame. We are all responsible to put an end to this.