Report: 4 killed in Jerusalem terror attack

[Scurrilous]

Four people reported killed in gun battle with terrorist fleeing scene of attack in Kiryat Moshe quarter; one infiltrator killed, said to have been wearing bomb belt

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3515985,00.html

<snip>

"Two terrorists infiltrated a rabbinical seminary at the entrance of Jerusalem and opened fire after nightfall Thursday, police said. At least four people have been reported killed, the ZAKA emergency response service said.

Ambulances raced to the scene from around the city and paramedics confirmed that several more people have been wounded.

The seminary is the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in the Kiryat Moshe quarter of Jerusalem.

One of the terrorists was apparently gunned down and police spokesman Shmuel Ben Ruby said he had apparently been wearing a belt wired with explosives.

Reports indicate police are currently in pursuit of the second terrorist."

[Vegasaurus]

1. And let's all sing Kumbaya, the Palestinians want peace! nt

[Behind the Aegis]

4. ...

"In Gaza City, residents went out into the streets and fired rifles in celebration in the air after hearing news of the attack on the seminary."

[Vegasaurus]

6. Nothing better than the thought of dead Israelis!

Shoot some rifles in celebration, pass out sweets and lower prices!

Good times are had by all who celebrate death!

[subsuelo]

10. hey it's easy to understand

Don't bomb Gazans and there will be no response.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Is it really that simplistic?

So, in summary, killing innocent Palestinians is bad, but killing innocent Israelis is "understandable" because killing innocent Palestinians is bad?

[subsuelo]

12. That is how it comes across isnt it?

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Yes, it does.

[subsuelo]

15. you prove the point I've been arguing for awhile now

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Actually, you do.

You just don't seem to understand it because you conflate non-similar situations.

[subsuelo]

17. Sorry you don't like to hear it, but

Killing innocent Israelis and killing innocent Gazans are both inexcusable to me.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. HOLY SHIT!

You mean we agree on something?! Will wonders never cease?

[Vegasaurus]

20. Agreed there

[subsuelo]

30. To repeat another post

And to be clear on where I stand: I don't excuse these horrible crimes today. But I also do not excuse the horrible crimes we saw over the past week, committed by Israel's war machine.

Now, are you going to stand with me on that?

You know, being for human rights for all -- not just one group over another -- really is not that difficult a position to take.

[LeftishBrit]

22. I certainly agree there!!!

[hifalutin]

26. What do you think

Israel's response will be?

[henank]

2. Updated: 6 killed besides the terrorists. n/t

[Vegasaurus]

7. I think it is up to seven, according to the NYT nt

[oberliner]

8. Palestinian gunmen kill 8 in Jerusalem Jewish school

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire in a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem on Thursday, killing at least eight people and wounding 20, the Israeli emergency service Zaka said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080306/ts_nm/palestinians_israel_violence_dc_5

[Swede]

3. Tit,now wait for tat.

This is not gonna be pretty.

[muryan]

5. how dare jews try to stop rockets from being fired into their country

its a giant zionist masonic plot to take over all the arabs of the world under the bush empire.

Or..........there are extremists on both sides and this is a terrible thing that should be denounced, not legitimized

[subsuelo]

13. Or, you could say: How dare Palestinians try to defend themselves

The excuses are endless, take your pick.

[Vegasaurus]

19. So, that's defense, huh? nt

[oberliner]

21. How can shooting students at a Jewish school be classified as "defense"?

I don't see how one can make that argument.

[LeftishBrit]

23. Is killing seminary students 'defence'???????

[hifalutin]

25. How can anyone

excuse the killing of these students?

Legitimate targets are one thing, but this......

[subsuelo]

31. I asked the same question this past week over and over

When Gazans were being slaughtered. As a Haaretz reporter gave an eyewitness report from Gaza, that Israeli forces were targeting civilians. I asked the same question:

How can anyone excuse this? Yet, that is what we have seen this past week.

Oh, but NOW it's a problem. When it's Israelis dying, NOW the excuses are a problem.

Oh, ok. No hypocrisy there.

[hifalutin]

32. I'm sorry but I don't see any hypocrisy there

according to pelsar the Israelis try to avoid the killing of civilians, this was a deliberate act against civilians, religious students no less.

Whose God would condone this?

[subsuelo]

33. according to Pelsar?

lol

oh. ok.

I guess we should ignore the Haaretz field reporter who reported from Gaza that Israeli forces were targeting civilians, and even ignoring areas where rockets were coming from.

[subsuelo]

27. No, it isn't.

My point was to reflect on inexcusable military actions by Israeli forces that are justified as "defense".

[subsuelo]

9. Another attack that is easy to understand.

Stop bombing Gazans, building on Palestinian land, collectively punishing Palestinians, and generally showing reckless disregard for civilians, and there would be NO RESPONSE.


Edited to add: I don't actually endorse this view - I posted it to reflect on the justifications posted here that were in response to the recent massacre/wrongful-deaths/genocide/excessive-force/collateral-damage that happened in Gaza (take your pick as to the descriptive term(s) you like).

[LeftishBrit]

24. Actually I oppose violence on all sides, and support a serious push for peace

However, the victims here were so obviously civilian targets, that I don't see how ANY sort of defence excuse can be offered - whatever one's viewpoint on I/P issues in general.

[hifalutin]

28. The joyous celebrations

taking place by the Palestinians on the streets is reprehensible.

And yet they still expect the Israelis to feed them?

This type of behaviour is eating away at my sympathy.

[subsuelo]

29. Israel has also attacked obvious civilian targets

There have been numerous situations where no sort of defense excuse can be at all acceptable, yet that is what we hear constantly.

Ultimately, my point is to say this: No more excuses. I don't excuse these horrible crimes today, but I also don't excuse the horrible crimes we saw over the past week, committed by Israel. How many people are standing with me on saying that? It's a small number, LeftishBrit. I appreciate your comments.

[Phx_Dem]

34. An assault on the heart of Zionism

Rarely have terrorists chosen their target with so much malicious care as in Thursday night's attack on Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav Yeshiva.

In striking the flagship institution of the religious Zionist movement, a Jerusalem landmark whose history is linked with the founding and fulfillment of the Jewish national home in the Land of Israel, the gunman aimed his weapon at the heart of the Zionist enterprise.

If the goal was to outrage the general public and to inflame that particular segment of it most skeptical of the possibility of Israel one day coming to terms with its most immediate Arab neighbors, then the bullets struck home with deadly and accurate force.

Beyond that, as the first terrorist attack on this scale in nearly two years - since a Tel Aviv suicide bomber killed nine in April 2006 - the impact of this incident will be profound.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1204546423468

[henank]

41. The terrorist worked at the yeshiva as a driver

Ynet

So it wasn't a coincidence that he chose the yeshiva, nor was it a "deliberate attack at the heart of Zionism". It was purely opportunism. He knew the place, knew the layout, and knew that in the main yeshiva building there would be some armed ex-servicemen or active service soldiers, whereas in the high school building there were only unarmed schoolboys.

East Jerusalem residents said Friday that the terrorist who killed eight students at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem on Thursday had worked as a driver at the seminary.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the gunman was from Jabel Mukaber, a neighborhood in east Jerusalem, where Palestinian residents hold Israeli ID cards that give them freedom of movement in Israel. The man worked as a driver, Rosenfeld said, but would not provide further details.

[Phx_Dem]

44. That is in dispute right now

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/142897

[Phx_Dem]

35. More info

snip

The 'Galilee Freedom Brigades' – an Israeli-Arab group - has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in Israel in the past.

Initial estimates indicate the gunman was a resident of East Jerusalem and likely possessed the blue ID card given to Israeli citizens.

Witnesses said the gunman entered a dining hall where about 80 people were gathered and opened fire.

snip

Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben Ruby said the slain gunman was wearing a vest that at first appeared to be an explosives vest turned out to be a belt holding extra ammunition.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3515985,00.html

[hifalutin]

36. An act of terror

06/03/2008 21:40 BRUSSELS, March 6 (AFP)

US' Rice condemns Jerusalem attack as 'act of terror'
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice condemned Thursday's attack on a religious school in predominantly Jewish west Jerusalem as an "act of terror and depravity."

"The United States condemns tonight's act of terror and depravity," Rice said in Brussels.

"This barbarous act has no place among civilized peoples and shocks the conscience of all peace loving nations," she said, adding: "There is no cause that could ever justify this action."

http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?

Sorry, I don't know how to post a link.

[oberliner]

37. Statement from Obama on the attack

The United States must strongly support Israel's right and capability to defend itself. Today, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, and with the Israeli people who defeat these terrorists every single day that they go about their daily lives

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/961705.html

[subsuelo]

38. Could have been Obama or any other American politician saying that

I believe he read directly out of The Official U.S. Politician's Handbook, chapter 4, which is titled: "How to respond to any issue regarding Israel"

[hifalutin]

39. Don't you think

this attack should be condemned by Obama, or anyone else for that matter?

[subsuelo]

43. Oh, yes definitely so.

The words come out empty though, when all they say is the same thing every time no matter the event or situation.

[oberliner]

40. Or maybe he geniunely believes what he is saying?

I don't think it's fair to accuse Obama of reading out of some kind of "politician's handbook."

Obama has spoken at length about his personal experiences in Israel and has recently included detailed remarks while on the campaign trail on his perceptions about the conflict.

[Vegasaurus]

42. You and Tom are going to have trouble finding someone to vote for

since every candidate supports Israel, and condemns the murder of innocent civilians by terrorists.