NEW YORK -- In a letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Israeli UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev defended Israel's decision to embark on a military operation in Gaza.
NEW YORK -- In a letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Israeli UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev defended Israel's decision to embark on a military operation in Gaza.
Source: Jerusalem Post, AP
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Israel, she continued, "has exhausted all means and efforts to reach and maintain quiet and to respect the state of calm… Israel's response is aimed solely against the terrorists and their infrastructures in the Gaza Strip. It is not intended against the civilian population. Israel is committed to prevent a humanitarian crisis."
Shalev asserted that "No country would allow continuous rocketing of its civilian population without taking the necessary actions to stop it."
World reaction to Israel's sudden, massive strike against terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip ranged from immediate condemnation and a call to halt all attacks to cautious acknowledgement of Israel's right to defend its citizens.
Some international powers spoke against Hamas's bombardment of communities in southern Israel since the cease-fire ended last week; others wrung their hands over the humanitarian suffering in the Strip.
In a statement released Saturday, Ban called for an immediate halt to all violence in both Gaza and southern Israel.
"While recognizing Israel's security concerns regarding the continued firing of rockets from Gaza, Ban firmly reiterates Israel's obligation to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and condemns excessive use of force leading to the killing and injuring of civilians. He condemns the ongoing rocket attacks by Palestinian militants and is deeply distressed that repeated calls on Hamas for these attacks to end have gone unheeded," the statement continued.
Ban has reiterated his previous calls for humanitarian supplies to be allowed into Gaza to aid the distressed civilian population.
Quartet Representative Tony Blair, speaking Saturday in response to events in Gaza, said: "The terrible events and tragic loss of life in Gaza require, in the immediate term, the introduction of a genuine calm in which the rocket attacks aimed at killing Israeli civilians and the Israeli attacks on Gaza cease so that the suffering of the people, which is severe, can be lifted.
"Then, as I have said many times before, we need to devise a new strategy for Gaza, which brings that territory back under the legitimate rule of the Palestinian Authority in a manner which ends their suffering and fully protects the security of Israel."
President Nicholas Sarkozy of France, who holds the rotating European Union presidency, said he "firmly condemns the irresponsible provocations that have led to this situation, as well as the disproportionate use of force," according to an e-mailed statement.
The EU itself has also urged an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes and Palestinian attacks in and around Gaza and the lifting of Israeli blockades in the area, saying in a statement that the 27-nation bloc "condemns the disproportionate use of force" from both sides. "There is no military solution in Gaza," the EU statement said, urging a lasting truce.
The EU statement also urges the "reopening of all checkpoints and the immediate resumption of fuel and humanitarian aid deliveries."
In Germany, the foreign minister condemned Hamas for abandoning the cease-fire with Israel and urged the group to "immediately and permanently stop the insufferable rocket attacks on Israel."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed concern with the situation in Gaza and called on Palestinian factions to halt rocket attacks on Israel.
"I call on Gazan militants to cease all rocket attacks on Israel immediately. These attacks are designed to cause random destruction and to undermine the prospects of peace talks led by President [Mahmoud] Abbas."
"I understand the Israeli government's sense of obligation to its population," Brown said. "Israel needs to meet its humanitarian obligations, act in a way to further the long-term vision of a two-state solution, and do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties."
Conservative Party leader David Cameron called the violence "horrific," but said that though he understood Israel's right to protect its citizens, both sides must show restraint. "In the end, the only progress will be political progress and a settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That is what's desperately needed," he added.
The Foreign Affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrat Party, Ed Davey, described the Israeli strikes in Gaza as "disproportionate and unacceptable."
The Vatican's spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, told Vatican Radio on Saturday that Israel's offensive would be a "very serious blow" to Hamas but could also cause many innocent victims and damage peace prospects in the Holy Land.
When you actually condemn the actions of the Israeli government in the same manner that you do to Serbians, maybe then we won’t find your words hypocritical and insulting. I’m a moderate who’s deeply ashamed of the behavior of Milosevic, yet your words greatly offend even me on a daily basis.
Why don’t you support the return of those ethnically cleansed from Israel? Why don’t you condemn the machine gunning of children throwing rocks at tanks? For 40 years those people have lived in cardboard shacks. Why don’t you support giving Jerusalem back to the Palestinians? How is that any different than Kosovo? The Israeli government is threatening the stability of the entire planet. Yet you focus your energy condemning the Serbs for actions taken 10-15 years ago.
I did my part to apologize to the Bosniak people by doing humanitarian work in Bosnia with them. Why don’t you go to Palestine and work on behalf of your own people to heal a wound that might just destroy the world as we know it?
Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself, but what kind of real threat do the Palestinians pose at this point? They killed 2 Israeli’s to the 350 Palestinians killed.
At least in Bosnia, Croatia and Albania the number of Serbs killed matched their per capita population. Unlike the completely one sided slaughter your people engage in.
(Matthew, 30 December 2008 07:54)
Roberto says..."as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora"
...and why do you think that always lecturing and preaching to anyone is acceptable and promotes peace and understanding?
My maternal grandmother was one of the few survivors of her family living in Croatia during WWII. Most of her immediate family members were burned alive after being hoarded into a Serbian Orthodox Church. They were murdered, burned alive, just because of their religion and ethnicity. Sound familiar Roberto?
My brother-in-law is of Croatian descent and yet, none of my family members believes that this was done in his name. We do not lecture him, preach to him nor hold him accountable, he is not responsible for the henious actions of others. What the Ustache did during WWII was not done in his name.
Your chronic finger-pointing, ranting, lecturing, preaching and promoting of collective guilt does not foster forgiveness, reconciliation or peace, Roberto.
(Roger7, 29 December 2008 15:17)
I think that it is the WIERDest thing, not to mention un-professional, to continually publish individual attacks and challenges against me and my character, not to mention postings from people goading me on("where's mr. human--rights roberto now"??) and then when i respond i am censored?! does someone there think that i, of all people, am so easily intimidated, me who is always preaching to others about standing up for human rights, and not being bullied by the haters? standing up for real democracy? it is utterly bizarre, not to mention highly un-ethical.
yesterday night i wrote my comment about the middle east situation -- how much it pains me, how we (jews, palestinians, etc) are all cousins, all related, not to mention all HUMAN. i am not israeli, nor am i directly responsible for israeli policies, of which i have zero control... but what is done in my name i must take some responsibility for, as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora. we cannot remain blind and deaf to these things, much less should we be adding fuel to the flames as happens, every day! on these pages.
in the middle east, as everywhere else but perhaps with greater and desperate need and intensity, people need to wage PEACE instead of war -- to negotiate (yes, even with your "enemy") -- and to Give Peace a Chance." That wasn't just a hip, cool song from my generation, it had great depth and resonance, and is now ignored at our own collective peril.
Shalom = Peace
roberto (called Reuven in Hebrew)
frisco
usa
(roberto, 28 December 2008 20:17)
I think that it is the WIERDest thing, not to mention un-professional, to continually publish individual attacks and challenges against me and my character, not to mention postings from people goading me on("where's mr. human--rights roberto now"??) and then when i respond i am censored?! does someone there think that i, of all people, am so easily intimidated, me who is always preaching to others about standing up for human rights, and not being bullied by the haters? standing up for real democracy? it is utterly bizarre, not to mention highly un-ethical.
yesterday night i wrote my comment about the middle east situation -- how much it pains me, how we (jews, palestinians, etc) are all cousins, all related, not to mention all HUMAN. i am not israeli, nor am i directly responsible for israeli policies, of which i have zero control... but what is done in my name i must take some responsibility for, as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora. we cannot remain blind and deaf to these things, much less should we be adding fuel to the flames as happens, every day! on these pages.
in the middle east, as everywhere else but perhaps with greater and desperate need and intensity, people need to wage PEACE instead of war -- to negotiate (yes, even with your "enemy") -- and to Give Peace a Chance." That wasn't just a hip, cool song from my generation, it had great depth and resonance, and is now ignored at our own collective peril.
Shalom = Peace
roberto (called Reuven in Hebrew)
frisco
usa
(roberto, 28 December 2008 20:17)
Roberto says..."as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora"
...and why do you think that always lecturing and preaching to anyone is acceptable and promotes peace and understanding?
My maternal grandmother was one of the few survivors of her family living in Croatia during WWII. Most of her immediate family members were burned alive after being hoarded into a Serbian Orthodox Church. They were murdered, burned alive, just because of their religion and ethnicity. Sound familiar Roberto?
My brother-in-law is of Croatian descent and yet, none of my family members believes that this was done in his name. We do not lecture him, preach to him nor hold him accountable, he is not responsible for the henious actions of others. What the Ustache did during WWII was not done in his name.
Your chronic finger-pointing, ranting, lecturing, preaching and promoting of collective guilt does not foster forgiveness, reconciliation or peace, Roberto.
(Roger7, 29 December 2008 15:17)
When you actually condemn the actions of the Israeli government in the same manner that you do to Serbians, maybe then we won’t find your words hypocritical and insulting. I’m a moderate who’s deeply ashamed of the behavior of Milosevic, yet your words greatly offend even me on a daily basis.
Why don’t you support the return of those ethnically cleansed from Israel? Why don’t you condemn the machine gunning of children throwing rocks at tanks? For 40 years those people have lived in cardboard shacks. Why don’t you support giving Jerusalem back to the Palestinians? How is that any different than Kosovo? The Israeli government is threatening the stability of the entire planet. Yet you focus your energy condemning the Serbs for actions taken 10-15 years ago.
I did my part to apologize to the Bosniak people by doing humanitarian work in Bosnia with them. Why don’t you go to Palestine and work on behalf of your own people to heal a wound that might just destroy the world as we know it?
Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself, but what kind of real threat do the Palestinians pose at this point? They killed 2 Israeli’s to the 350 Palestinians killed.
At least in Bosnia, Croatia and Albania the number of Serbs killed matched their per capita population. Unlike the completely one sided slaughter your people engage in.
(Matthew, 30 December 2008 07:54)
I think that it is the WIERDest thing, not to mention un-professional, to continually publish individual attacks and challenges against me and my character, not to mention postings from people goading me on("where's mr. human--rights roberto now"??) and then when i respond i am censored?! does someone there think that i, of all people, am so easily intimidated, me who is always preaching to others about standing up for human rights, and not being bullied by the haters? standing up for real democracy? it is utterly bizarre, not to mention highly un-ethical.
yesterday night i wrote my comment about the middle east situation -- how much it pains me, how we (jews, palestinians, etc) are all cousins, all related, not to mention all HUMAN. i am not israeli, nor am i directly responsible for israeli policies, of which i have zero control... but what is done in my name i must take some responsibility for, as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora. we cannot remain blind and deaf to these things, much less should we be adding fuel to the flames as happens, every day! on these pages.
in the middle east, as everywhere else but perhaps with greater and desperate need and intensity, people need to wage PEACE instead of war -- to negotiate (yes, even with your "enemy") -- and to Give Peace a Chance." That wasn't just a hip, cool song from my generation, it had great depth and resonance, and is now ignored at our own collective peril.
Shalom = Peace
roberto (called Reuven in Hebrew)
frisco
usa
(roberto, 28 December 2008 20:17)
When you actually condemn the actions of the Israeli government in the same manner that you do to Serbians, maybe then we won’t find your words hypocritical and insulting. I’m a moderate who’s deeply ashamed of the behavior of Milosevic, yet your words greatly offend even me on a daily basis.
Why don’t you support the return of those ethnically cleansed from Israel? Why don’t you condemn the machine gunning of children throwing rocks at tanks? For 40 years those people have lived in cardboard shacks. Why don’t you support giving Jerusalem back to the Palestinians? How is that any different than Kosovo? The Israeli government is threatening the stability of the entire planet. Yet you focus your energy condemning the Serbs for actions taken 10-15 years ago.
I did my part to apologize to the Bosniak people by doing humanitarian work in Bosnia with them. Why don’t you go to Palestine and work on behalf of your own people to heal a wound that might just destroy the world as we know it?
Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself, but what kind of real threat do the Palestinians pose at this point? They killed 2 Israeli’s to the 350 Palestinians killed.
At least in Bosnia, Croatia and Albania the number of Serbs killed matched their per capita population. Unlike the completely one sided slaughter your people engage in.
(Matthew, 30 December 2008 07:54)
Roberto says..."as i am always lecturing people in the balkans, particuarly serb people and their diaspora"
...and why do you think that always lecturing and preaching to anyone is acceptable and promotes peace and understanding?
My maternal grandmother was one of the few survivors of her family living in Croatia during WWII. Most of her immediate family members were burned alive after being hoarded into a Serbian Orthodox Church. They were murdered, burned alive, just because of their religion and ethnicity. Sound familiar Roberto?
My brother-in-law is of Croatian descent and yet, none of my family members believes that this was done in his name. We do not lecture him, preach to him nor hold him accountable, he is not responsible for the henious actions of others. What the Ustache did during WWII was not done in his name.
Your chronic finger-pointing, ranting, lecturing, preaching and promoting of collective guilt does not foster forgiveness, reconciliation or peace, Roberto.
(Roger7, 29 December 2008 15:17)