Passover massacre

[NewsGuy]

24 dead Israelis, and more than 160 wounded, many in critical condition, which is sure to increase the number of the dead within the next few days.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the massacre, as their suicide bomber walked into a hotel in the Israeli city of Netanyah, entered a crowded dining room where Jews were celebrating the Passover Seder (main festive meal), and blew himself up.

My 2-cent Analysis:

1. From the photos of the damaged premises, it looks like a very large quantity of high-powered explosives. My guess is that there was al Qeda or Iranian expertise involved in assembling the bomb and planning the massacre.

2. I also have been noticing how the Muslim community worldwide has been asking lately for special consideration for sensitivity to their religious beliefs. Of course, the Muslim terrorists themselves specifically plan massacres of the Jews on every Jewish holiday.

3. Israel is, once again, at a crossroads when it must conduct a massive military campaign and deal a devastating blow to the Palestinians to have any credibility or power of deterrence left.

4. President Bush today condemned in the strongest of terms... blah blah blah... Zinni's mission will continue. This is not good. Business as usual means that there is no deterrence for terrorism and that Jewish blood is cheap.

5. For the first time (so far as I remember) even Shimon Peres stated that Arafat and the PA were directly responsible. However, he is urging Arafat to do more ot stop terrorism. This means that Peres still doesn't understand that Arafat needs to go, because it is Arafat who is actively sponsoring and directing the terrorism. Sounds to me like this latest massacre is still not enough to convince Peres that Israel is at war.

6. The Arabs and other Israel-haters are already engaged in shifting the blame to Israel for daring to set the condition of stopping terrorism on Arafat, before allowing the mass murderer to travel freely as a world leader.

7. Powell has announced that it is time for Arafat to go on TV and tell his people in Arabic to stop terrorism. This also shows that the US is seeing it as business as usual and envisions Arafat as remaining in power, i.e., the US will put enormous pressure on the Sharon government not to eradicate terrorism at its source.

* * *

As the story unfolds, I'll add to this thread. In the meantime, all are invited to chime in with their own analysis and updates. There is also a new thread started by ibordsky here, about whether Israel has reached the turning point.

[NewsGuy]

Updated figures show 19 dead, 160 wounded, 46 in critical condition.

[Ezra]

I'm not sure what the Israeli PM is waiting for to either occupy the Palestinian territories once again and flush these terrorists out or at least completely surround Gaza and West bank with electrified fences and throw out all non-Israeli Arabs from Israel.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

[L@mplighterM]

The only thing that I'm certain of is that everything is uncertain.

[Flame]

You're right NewsGuy... Bush... blah blah blah.... Powell... blah blah blah.... Cheney.... blah blah blah... arafat... occupation occupation occupation... Sharon... cease fire cease fire cease fire....

I think the problem is when they tell arafat he has to do more about the terrorism, they aren't being specific... in his eyes... occupation is terrorism and he is giving his 100% on that.

I don't have children... but I know that most parents would have put there foot down after the third... stop that right now... and if it continued, no parent would give the brat the prize they have been demanding.

I think all of us Jews ( 50ish and under) can see exactly how hitler got away with what he did... the non-Jewish world seems to be a mix of apathy... which is fine by me... for them to "care" would be just as demeaning... but the resentment is what concerns me... and the sympathy they have for the arabs... is most disturbing. 911 seems to have faded like a block-buster movie.

I wouldn't mind seeing one of "their" nukes go off in Dearborn by mistake... on the job accident. The problem is too many people are making billions with oil and everyone else is too scared to stand up to the arab bastards. They have the entire world held hostage with politically correct behavior... but the Jew hate lives on, as it always has.

I highly doubt that any everyday citizen arab in the arabworld (other than in Israel) even know or have met a Jew or an American.

[Ezra]

Congratulations Mr. Fair - the Muslim... Your "brave" muslim "martyrs" were able to do it again...

[ibrodsky]

Where is the worldwide indignation over the Passover Massacre?

Of course, most Western gov'ts issue their perfunctory condemnations of the attack. But you would think that if any of these governments had any decency, they would at least start to publicly question support for the Palestinian cause.

You would think the US would say that if the PA doesn't do something to fight Palestinian terrorists, then the US must conclude the PA is part of the problem, and break off relations.

Unfortunately, I am left to conclude that anti-semitism is still very much a force in shaping gov't policies, particularly in Europe and the US State Dept.

[JustSad]

Originally posted by ibrodsky
Where is the worldwide indignation over the Passover Massacre?

Of course, most Western gov'ts issue their perfunctory condemnations of the attack. But you would think that if any of these governments had any decency, they would at least start to publicly question support for the Palestinian cause.

You would think the US would say that if the PA doesn't do something to fight Palestinian terrorists, then the US must conclude the PA is part of the problem, and break off relations.

Unfortunately, I am left to conclude that anti-semitism is still very much a force in shaping gov't policies, particularly in Europe and the US State Dept.

You are quite right Ibrodsky and Flame too.
Israel has every right to kill as many people as it want in retaliation to the kills made by Hamas. And the Europeans are anti-semitic anyway. So if Sharon nukes the Palestinians and the rest of the Middle East, maybe the USA can nuke Europe. Problem solved, Flame.

[JustSad]

Nuking the or otherwise killing the entire Palestinian population is probabaly the only way Israel can win this war. After that it can go on being the moral capital of the world.

[Shuki]

Originally posted by JustSad
Nuking the or otherwise killing the entire Palestinian population is probabaly the only way Israel can win this war. After that it can go on being the moral capital of the world.

Your sarcasm is without merit. There is no doubt that there are two sides to every story. Israel is not without blame here.

But, I do not see Arafat and his cronies reviewing their actions. There is no investigation of misdoing. When the IDF screws up, there is a real investigation.

Since the government does not control the media, a free press does its job. It can criticize the gov't without fear of reprisal.

Are Palestinian civilians being killed. Yes, and it is a tragedy. But, you do not see the government of Israel promoting the death of these civilians.

Israelis are blowing themselves up in supermarkets or cafes. They are not sneaking into Palestinian schools to kill their children.

Once I believed that peace might be possible, now I am no longer sure.

[L@mplighterM]

Nuking the or otherwise killing the entire Palestinian population is probabaly the only way Israel can win this war. After that it can go on being the moral capital of the world.

That’s great advice but I think it’s to close to the rest of the Israeli population (settlers, etc.). So instead they should kill everyone (that shows resistance) that is in violation of the UN Resolutions and the director of central intelligence, Mr. (George) Tenets plan.

Further Arabs like you wouldn’t even recognize morality if it was staring you in the face.