500,000 Israelis living in bomb shelters

[oberliner]

From the AP:

500,000 Israelis living in bomb shelters
By KATHY GANNON, Associated Press Writer

TYRE, Lebanon - Hezbollah launched a new kind of rocket Friday that made the deepest strike into Israel yet, rattling Israelis as their warplanes and artillery targeted guerrillas in attacks on apartment buildings and roads.

Lebanese officials said about 12 civilians died in the day's fighting; Israel said it killed 26 militants, raising to about 230 the total number killed in the campaign.

Hezbollah's launching of the new weapon unnerved Israelis, 500,000 of whom are already living in northern shelters because of rocket bombardments. The rocket firing was also likely to escalate a conflict now in its 18th day, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heading back to the Middle East this weekend to make a second attempt to resolve the crisis.

The guerrillas said they used the Khaibar-1 — named after the site of a historic battle between Islam's Prophet Muhammad and Jewish tribes in the Arabian peninsula — to strike the Israeli town of Afula.

article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060729/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel;_ylt=AgBP9a4hKXn8uLM5xBFkcqGs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[Wonk]

1. 500,000 Lebanese living wherever the can, if they can

displaced from their homes by Israeli shelling.




Do you really want to play a numbers game?

[MADem]

3. A bit confrontational, that remark

I didn't see any "compare and contrast" in the OP, just the straight story.

You're the one who is bringing up the comparisons.

War sucks. For anyone and everyone involved.

[nashville_brook]

6. that's such a good point

the bombs hitting lebanon are hitting flesh... not concrete. civilians... not military targets.

it's sad that israel is taking to bomb shelters... but... gee... if they'd just act like reasonable global citizens they could emerge. emerge from their shelters. emerge from isolation. emerge and merge with a modern world -- with our modern expectations of commity.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[adriennui]

13. israel is the modern world.

it's living in a 13th century neighborhood.

[Solo_in_MD]

15. Apt Comparission

Hezboollah also enforced Sharia in areas it controlled.

[treestar]

18. Wonder why the Arabs don't have that kind of shelter in their

countries.

OTOH, if Israel is modern and they are 13th century, why is Israel so afraid they will be "driven into the sea" by these 13th century persons. Then why is it not OK to hold Israel to a higher standard?

[adriennui]

29. these persons in the 13th century didn't give a damn about who they murder

superstitious BS being adapted to 21st century murder. thank you madrassas.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. If ISRAEL would just act like a reasonable global citizen???

:rofl::rofl::rofl: OMG. That's is such a ridiculous thing to say. Hezbollah is living in the modern world? Good grief.

[bryant69]

21. That doesn't make a lot of sense.

There's no indication taht the Muslim world is ready to accept Israel as a part of their community. Rather there's every indication taht much of the Muslim World, and specifically Hezbollah, Syria and Iran want to see israel destroyed.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[laura888]

23. If Israel were less aggressive...

...in its military tactics and occupation, others might consider them better neighbors.

The term "community" holds.

[bryant69]

24. Or alternatively, they could eliminate Israel altogether

Either way, problem solved!

[laura888]

25. Okay, in this universe...

...the rule is:

"We will wipe you out before you wipe us out."

There is no room for peace with this mindset. Look to live in perpetual war - unless you wipe out the Arabs.

[bryant69]

26. Holding one side responsible, while exonerating the other

as many around here do (on both sides), basically means that you've picked your side.

Bryant

[laura888]

27. Nope. Your post indicated that your mindset is based on...

...the idea that Israel's surrounding neighbors want to destroy it.

I guess this is the crux of the matter.

My take is that Israel's neighbors want what everyone does: the right to life, liberty and happiness.

It seems that Israel does not agree, and helps create a repressive existence for them, including encroachment on their land.

The outcome for Israel is unhappy neighbors.

[bryant69]

28. That's a completely dishonest way of stating the problem.

But ok, whatever.

Bryant

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Divernan]

31. I knew a Christian Palestinian family - with some very bright kids

They were born and raised in Nazareth. They had to leave the country to get graduate level educations because of the MINUTELY small "quota" of non-Jewish Israelis allowed at those levels. One of these native, non-Jewish Israelis was a fellow grad student of mine - really a brilliant man who completed his Ph.D., has a tenured full professorship at an American University and is a leader in his field. His sister became a medical doctor. By the way, he has a happy marriage of 30 years duration to an American Jewish woman, also a friend of mine. One of the many examples he described of the prejudice against native Palestinians, i.e., people born in Israel, was that the Palestinian kids had were repeatedly flunked by the driving test guys when trying to get their licenses. We're talking 4, 5 or more times. There happened to be a native Israeli grad student in the program too. Etan was a huge man, proud of his military service, who never missed a chance to harass and insult the Palestinian student - and didn't care who saw him do it. And my Palestinian friend was truly afraid of him.

So I obviously disagree with your incredibly prejudiced statement that Palestinians want to grow up to murder Israelis and Israelis want to grow up to be doctors. Have you ever had a friend who was Palestinian? Arab? Muslim? (I have, as well as American Jewish friends.) I don't think so, or you would not post as you do.

[PA Democrat]

33. Such broad brush statements are disgusting.

[maalak]

32. what would you base that on?

"My take is that Israel's neighbors want what everyone does: the right to life, liberty and happiness."

there are volumes and volumes of material from preaching & glorifying the destruction of Israel...

[laura888]

22. Excellent post. Thank you! n/t

[adriennui]

12. why is everything qualified?

anti-israel obsession is getting the best of certain DUers. watch for an implosion.

[Tulum_Moon]

2. I do not see the end

So they better get used to it. I see no end in sight.

[smacky44]

8. That's just it, they are not used to it. They will be at each others

throats before long.

[rman]

4. The 500,000 displaced Lebanese wouldn't be safe in bunkers

Does Hezbollah have bunker busters? I don't think so.

[smacky44]

9. Good point.

[ohno]

5. Hmm

This "500,000" figure seems very suspect. Are there really 500,000 people, or is this a kind of "wash" story to change focus? I'm curious.

[Mass]

20. Why is it suspect?\nt

[Warren Stupidity]

10. And yet the facts are clear.

Washington Post, which last week was publishing specific numbers on Civilian vs Military casualties in Lebanon, now simply states "437 total, mostly civilians". Israel casualties from the same source are "52 total, 19 civilians".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/mideastattacks/israelmap.html

"The two-week death toll passed 400 Monday, and about half of those killed in the Israeli strikes were children, Sami Haddad, Lebanon's economy minister, said in Beirut. The violence has displaced at least 600,000 Lebanese, and the government estimates at least $1 billion in damage to the country's infrastructure. "
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/15107628.htm

"At least 445 Lebanese have been killed in the fighting that broke out July 12 after Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid. Most casualties have been civilians, and some estimates range as high as 600 dead.

Thirty-three Israeli soldiers have died in fighting, and Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel have killed 19 civilians, the Israeli army said. The army said Israeli troops have killed about 200 Hezbollah guerrillas, but Hezbollah has reported only 35 losses. "
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/28/world/main1844229.shtml

[malaise]

17. How many Israelis have no access

to food, water, electricity and medical care?

[Divernan]

11. Yourlink goes todifferent article:Israeli planes pound targets in Lebanon

That article makes no mention of Israelis living in bomb shelters, but does include a lot of detail on the range of the new rockets being used, and numbers of casualties on both sides, and the views of both governments on the "legitimacy" of their actions. It's worth a read. So please post the link to the headline you quote, but leave the other link up because it's a pretty balanced report of what's going on - both stories by the same reporter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Israeli planes pound targets in Lebanon By KATHY GANNON, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago



TYRE, Lebanon - Israeli planes targeted bridges in southern and eastern Lebanon in new airstrikes Saturday, destroying one in a resort area on the Syrian border, as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was returning to the region to try to broker peace.

Thirty-three Israeli soldiers have died in fighting, and Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel have killed 19 civilians, the Israeli army said. The army said Israeli troops have killed about 200 Hezbollah guerrillas, but Hezbollah has reported only 35 losses.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah on Friday signaled that it intends to escalate the battle, announcing that it used a new type of rocket to strike the northern Israeli town of Afula, about 30 miles from the border. The rocket, a Khaibar-1, was named after the site of a famed battle between Islam's prophet Muhammad and Jewish tribes in the Arabian peninsula, the group said. Israel said the Khaibar-1 rockets were renamed Iranian-made Fajr-5s. They have four times the power and range of Katyusha rockets, making them able to hit Tel Aviv's northern outskirts.

With medicine, food and shelter still only trickling to the war zone in the south, the U.N. humanitarian chief called for a three-day truce to allow help to get in and thousands of civilians trapped in the fighting to get out — a call that got no response.

[oberliner]

14. weird - that link had that headline when posted - here's another link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060729/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel_557

500,000 Israelis living in bomb shelters By KATHY GANNON, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jul 29, 3:22 AM ET

TYRE, Lebanon - Hezbollah launched a new kind of rocket Friday that made the deepest strike into Israel yet, rattling Israelis as their warplanes and artillery targeted guerrillas in attacks on apartment buildings and roads.

Lebanese officials said about 12 civilians died in the day's fighting; Israel said it killed 26 militants, raising to about 230 the total number killed in the campaign.

Hezbollah's launching of the new weapon unnerved Israelis, 500,000 of whom are already living in northern shelters because of rocket bombardments. The rocket firing was also likely to escalate a conflict now in its 18th day, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heading back to the Middle East this weekend to make a second attempt to resolve the crisis.

Same article/headline also here:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2250708&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0

[Mass]

19. Thank you for posting this and reminding us there are human beings

on both sides of the border.

Sad to see there are a few people in this thread totally missing the point.

[bigtree]

34. point is

there just aren't enough shelters in Lebanon to hold their citizens safe from Israel's bombs.