Middle East thread continued

[Eli]

A bad day. 3 civilians killed in Nazareth from a direct Katyusha hit, and probably at least 3 more soldiers killed in a Hizballah ambush during an incursion to Lebanon.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Eli
A bad day.

QFT

Originally posted by the BBC
At least 49 civilians are killed in the latest Israeli air strikes in the south and east of Lebanon.

[Drake Tungsten]

3 civilians killed in Nazareth

Hezbollah has gone too far now. No one ****s with Jesus' hometown...

[Proteus_MST]

Probably, yes.

We should assemble our knights and start the sixth Crusade.

[Barnabas]

Protestants shouldnt be allowed to participate in the new crusade.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
Protestants shouldnt be allowed to participate in the new crusade.

Well, Bush already used the word crusade, and he's an evangelical. So is he in or out?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by notyoueither
This 'incident' is bringing the need to support the government of Lebanon to the forefront.

By blowing the country to Hell?

Because of this 'showing that support is needed' the current government may not exist after any time soon.

[lord of the mark]

for winston, who asked for a point of contact for help to Israel.

Shalomdc.org has links on how to provide humanitarian help to Israelis displaced by rocket fire, etc.



"What Is Happening in the Field

Dispatch from:

Deborah Riemer
Jewish Agency Regional Director
Federation and Community Relations

I am currently in Israel after the CCD mission and wanted to give you the latest update from the field regarding the Jewish Agency's Global initiative with our partners to Move the Children of the North to Safety .

The Jewish Agency took the lead in meeting this crisis immediately over the weekend - and has begun moving thousands of children from the North out of the Absorption Centers - which are our top priority and responsibility - as well as moving children who are in the northern region towns being bombarded by Hezbollah missiles out.

On the first day of the initiative- Sunday -we moved over 200 kids out of the Absorption Centers into our Youth Villages in Hadassah Neurim and Ben Yakir. There we are giving them a safe haven and trying to reduce anxiety in a summer camp experience. All the funds that we are looking to raise at this point from our partners including the Israeli society and the business sector here is going towards providing these kids with 3 weeks of summer camp. T

Today we are utilizing 9 other sites in the center of the country including Youth Villages and Wingate Institute near Netanya. We expect in the next two days to move over 2,000 children into the center of the country to safety and camp. The first million dollars that the UJC committed will cover approximately one week of summer camp for these kids.

Because of the massive PR campaign on Israeli TV and newspapers regarding the Jewish Agency's global efforts to move kids out of the north and into summer camps- Our Global Center for Aliyah- which is a toll free number both in Israel and abroad and is being staffed 24/6 received today 800 calls from parents in the North who want to get their kids out of danger zones and into Jewish Agency summer camps.

Though the situation is volatile, the Jewish Agency's global focus is solely on getting kids to saftey and giving them a 3 week summer camp experience that will hopefully take us thru the crisis.

There may be, in the course of the unfolding events, a need to direct funds in other ways- but currently- we are focused solely on bringing the kids from the North to safety and into a 3 week summer camp experience.

Please know that our website www.jewishagency.org will continue to supply updates and a special site for marketing directors that can be used in your local media and bulletins.

I will be in Israel until next week. But will certainly keep you updated. Let me know how else I can be of service.


Debbie"

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Spiffor: it's possible that Iran intended the attack and whatever response occured to distract the G8, even if they didn't predict the scale of Israel's response.

Truth the young jedi speaks.

[Winston]

Thanks.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Winston
Thanks.

I presume the Jewish community in Denmark has its own drive, but I couldnt find anything site in English representing the whole Danish Jewish community.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Sandman


Why are you not 'pessimistic'? The country is choked with refugees and it will take months or years to repair the damage to the infrastructure. The country has recieved no international support, and Hezbollah is doubtless still receiving help from Syria.

At last the international community is focused on the parts of UNSC 1559 that were never implemented, relating to Hezbollah. The damage to the airport and bridges can be made good quickly with international help - the damage to the Hezbollahs infrastructure, its missiles, launchers, bases, etc will hopefully take longer to be replaced.

[Winston]

I'll have to look into it myself, as it turns out I cannot make a donation on the site you suggested, being a resident of Denmark.

I just thought it'd suit my need for a reputable organization to 'hook up' on one that you would support, but I will find a way of doing it here at home.

Thanks again for the effort lotm.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Winston
I'll have to look into it myself, as it turns out I cannot make a donation on the site you suggested, being a resident of Denmark.

I just thought it'd suit my need for a reputable organization to 'hook up' on one that you would support, but I will find a way of doing it here at home.

Thanks again for the effort lotm.

I found this on the (reputable) WZO website

"The Danish Zionist Federation in Israel for Friendship Tour
October 30, 2003 - November 6, 2003
A mixed Danish / Jewish group spend an intensive and exciting week in Israel on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the rescue of the Danish Jews.


The Zionist Federation of Denmark together with the Friendship League of Denmark joined forces to bring a group of Jews and Christians to Israel for an intensive and exciting week of touring and activities to mark the 60th anniversary of the rescue of the Danish Jews"

So you might try the Danish variations on "Zionist Federation of Denmark". I dont know what the "Friendship League of Denmark" is.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Eli
Afhghanistan appeared very suddenly on the American radar. There was a point in trying to convince them to get rid of AQ because it was never done before, at least earnestly.

Israel is already fighting with Hizballah for a good two decades, constantly demanding from the Lebanese government to dismantle it and constantly issuing threats to Syria. Israel sits on the international border for six years, during which 3 of it's soldiers were kidnapped and killed, at least 6 civilians were killed in one major attack and a few more soldiers and civilians were killed in sporadic fighting. After every such incident, there was quite a bit of "sabre-rattling, demands, diplomacy, etc".
In those six years, Israel's retaliation was always very contained and included mainly artillery fire on the combat zones and all those incidents ended within a few hours.

The current response is not an out of the blue attack. It is a wise decision to finally (try to) solve the Hizballah problem by force, instead of wasting another six years on "sabre-rattling, demands and diplomacy".