What it's like to be a human shield
Palestinian Media Watch provides a translation from the 'official' 'Palestinian' daily al-Hayat al-Jadida in which a Gaza family whose farm was taken over by Hamas for shooting rockets at Israel describes their experience.The following are excerpts from the article from the official Palestinian Authority daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida:But note that they still refer to Hamas as the 'resistance' and not as terrorists."The Abd Rabbo family kept quiet while Hamas fighters turned their farm in the Gaza strip into a fortress. Right now they are waiting for the aid promised by the [Hamas] movement after Israel bombed the farm and turned it into ruins...[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 27, 2009]
The hill on which the Abd Rabbo family lives overlooks the Israeli town Sderot, a fact that turned it into an ideal military position for the Palestinian fighters, from which they have launched hundreds of rockets into southern Israel during the last few years. Several of the Abd Rabbo family members described how the fighters dug tunnels under their houses, stored arms in the fields and launched rockets from the yard of their farm during the nights.
The Abd Rabbo family members emphasize that they are not [Hamas] activists and that they are still loyal to the Fatah movement, but that they were unable to prevent the armed squads from entering their neighborhood at night. One family member, Hadi (age 22) said: "You can't say anything to the resistance [fighters], or they will accuse you of collaborating [with Israel] and shoot you in the legs."
Today at the World Economic Conference in Davos, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asked the Hopenchange administration to reclassify Hamas and Hezbullah as the 'resistance' and not as terrorists.
"President Obama must redefine terror and terrorist organizations in the Middle East, and based on this new definition, a new American policy must be deployed in the Middle East," Erdogan told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.Is Erdogan terrified of Hamas and Hezbullah like that 'Palestinian' family in Gaza? Does he genuinely believe that they are not terrorists, at least until they hit his country? Or is he not the honest broker he purports to be? And will Obama take the bait from Erdogan? I sure hope not.
The Turkish leader appeared to be referring to the US position toward Hamas and Hizbullah, which the United States considers terrorist organizations.
...
Before the beginning of Operation Cast Lead on December 27 attack, Erdogan said Turkey had been deeply involved in mediating between Israel and Syria and was awaiting a response from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when the bombs started falling in the Palestinian territory.
"I saw this as a lack of respect for us and also a shadow cast over peace," Erdogan said.
Please note also that Erdogan is playing the same games of 'honor' and 'respect' that are played throughout the Arab world, even though he purports to be a bridge to the West.
Maybe a more self-deprecating bridge is needed.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:24 PM
1 Comments:
So much for Turkish progress. Kemal Ataturk hoped to build a modern and progressive country in which Islam was a secondary affiliation but Taycep Erdogan is undoing it all.
The "good terrorists" of Fatah still do not understand neither the end nor the means are justified. They will never understand until they do why Hamas is hunting them to extinction. A civilization that is in love with death has no future.
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