I. http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/world-must-push-israel-for-gaza-ceasefire-abbas-114080300709_1.html
World must push Israel for Gaza ceasefire: Abbas * IANS | Ramallah * *August 3, 2014* Last Updated at 22:02 IST Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas <http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Mahmoud+Abbas>Sunday called upon the international community to pressure Israel <http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Israel>to accept the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire in the Gaza <http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Gaza>Strip despite Israel's refusal to participate in any truce efforts with the Hamas group. Abbas urged the UN, the United States, the European Union, Russia and China to exert pressure on Israel and end its war on the Gaza Strip that killed and wounded thousands, Xinhua reported citing a statement published in the Palestine News Agency WAFA. "By rejecting the ceasefire, Israel will be fully responsible for the serious consequences of continuing its war on the Gaza Strip," Abbas said. "Over the past 27 days, Israel kills 17 Palestinians every single hour and kills one Palestinian child every one hour," the Palestinian president said in the statement, adding "The Palestinian factions accepted the 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire and Israel should accept it". Israel has been carrying out a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip since July 8, killing 1,766 people and wounding 9,500. II/III. http://www.timesofisrael.com/world-powers-renew-calls-for-gaza-ceasefire/ World powers renew calls for Gaza ceasefire UN chief slams Israeli shelling near UNRWA school as 'moral outrage and a criminal act,' says 'madness must stop' By Raphael Ahren <http://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/raphael-ahren/> and AFP <http://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/afp/> August 3, 2014, 7:08 pm Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) holds a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri, whose government is hosting a Palestinian delegation for ceasefire talks snubbed by Israel, on August 3, 2014 in the capital Cairo. (photo credit: AFP/ MOHAMED EL-SHAHED) Israel came under harsh criticism from the UN, EU and several capitals around the world Sunday, as fighting in Gaza persisted with no ceasefire on the horizon. "The attack is yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly requires protection by both parties of Palestinian civilians, UN staff and UN premises, among other civilian facilities," he said in a statement. "This madness must stop." "United Nations shelters must be safe zones, not combat zones. The Israel Defense Forces have been repeatedly informed of the location of these sites. This attack, along with other breaches of international law, must be swiftly investigated and those responsible held accountable. It is a moral outrage and a criminal act." Ban further stated that he is "profoundly dismayed over the appalling escalation of violence and loss of hundreds of Palestinian civilian life since the breach of the humanitarian ceasefire" on Friday. "The resurgence in fighting has only exacerbated the man-made humanitarian and health crisis wreaking havoc in Gaza," Ban said. The European Union called for an immediate end to the "intolerable violence" in Gaza, but condemned the rocket fire on Israel and reiterated the state's right to defend itself - as long as its response maintains "proportionality." "Gaza has been suffering from intolerable violence for more than three weeks already," read a joint statement issued on Sunday by the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. "We deplore the terrible loss of lives, including innocent women and children. Many have been injured, property and livelihoods have been destroyed. This needs to stop immediately." At the same time, the EU strongly condemned the continued rocket fire at Israel, the statement continued. "It constitutes an unacceptable threat to its citizens. Israel has the right to live in peace in its recognized borders. Legitimate defense needs to maintain proportionality. We have all seen these cycles in the past and we know that there are limits regarding what military operations can achieve...The bloodshed needs to stop." The EU is ready to "support actively negotiations, confidence building measures, reconstruction and reconciliation efforts," the statement read. "No more lives should be wasted. Palestinian and Israeli leaders need to exercise courage by putting an end to this senseless violence. They also need to exercise courage and wisdom to move beyond these cycles of violence and advance towards arrangements that will ensure peaceful and dignified coexistence, based on mutual respect." Israel on Saturday said it would begin to pull troops out of Gaza, but said the continuation of the operation would depend on completing its objectives and Hamas ending rocket fire on Israel. An agreed-to 72-hour ceasefire was aborted shortly after it began Friday after Hamas gunmen attacked and killed a group of Israeli soldiers operating to destroy a tunnel near Rafah in the southern Strip. On Sunday, Palestinian factions and Western envoys met in Cairo to discuss a ceasefire, though Israel did not send any officials. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Egypt, called on Israel and Hamas to stop fighting and urged the Jewish state to lift its blockade of Gaza. Wang made his comments at a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri. "Both sides, the Israeli and the Palestinian, should immediately and comprehensively cease fire, including airstrikes, ground operations and rocket fire to save the people and peace in the region," said Wang, whose comments were translated into Arabic. Palestinian terrorists have fired over 2,500 rockets from Gaza into Israel since the start of Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in which the IDF aimed to bring an eventual end to the rocket fire as well as destroy a network of tunnels, dug by Hamas under the border and into Israel, that have been used to launch terror attacks inside Israeli territory. Several soldiers have been killed in the past few weeks after being ambushed by terrorists who emerged from the tunnels. Gazan health officials put the death toll there at over 1,800, though Israel contends many of those killed were combatants. "All actions that involve excessive use of force and that lead to civilian casualties are unacceptable," Wang declared. Wang also said Israel "should lift its blockade on Gaza, release Palestinian prisoners (but) at the same time Israel's security concerns must be considered." China will provide $ 1.5 million in urgent humanitarian aid to war-battered Gaza, he added. Wang said Beijing backs Cairo's ceasefire proposal and efforts undertaken by other countries to end the fighting in Gaza. Beijing wanted both Israel and Hamas to "abort the use of force and work on reaching a solution that leads to mutual security through responsible negotiations and suitable mechanisms." Shoukri said Cairo was trying to reach a solution which "addresses the roots of the conflict, through establishing a state for the Palestinian people." A Palestinian delegation of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Palestinian Authority was in Cairo for talks, although Israel said it will not send anyone to the negotiations. Cairo, the traditional broker in conflicts between Israel and Hamas, invited Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to thrash out a durable truce in Gaza based on an Egyptian ceasefire proposal. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also on Sunday demanded an unconditional ceasefire to resolve the "intolerable" situation in Gaza, adding that the British public was "deeply disturbed" by what it was seeing. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond leaves number 10, Downing Street in central London on July 29, 2014. (photo credit: AFP/Leon Neal) Hammond, who took over from William Hague last month, told the Sunday Telegraph that the killing had to stop, having already said he was "gravely concerned" by the number of civilian casualties from Israel's military operation in Gaza. "The British public has a strong sense that the situation of the civilian population in Gaza is intolerable and must be addressed --- and we agree with them," he told the newspaper. "It's a broad swath of British public opinion that feels deeply disturbed by what it is seeing on its television screens," he added. The former defense minister acknowledged the concerns of both Hamas and Israel, but insisted that they could not be allowed to stand in the way of a humanitarian ceasefire. "We have to get the killing to stop," he told the paper. An Israeli army spokesman on Sunday told AFP that it had begun withdrawing some ground troops from the Gaza Strip and redeploying others, but operations against Hamas would continue. The office of British Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday accused opposition Labor Party leader Ed Miliband of "playing politics" after he criticized Cameron's "silence" over Israel's actions. French President Francois Hollande (C-L) and his German counterpart Joachim Gauck (C-R) attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the WWI Hartmannswillerkopf National Monument, northeastern France, on August 3, 2014. (photo credit: AFP/FRED DUFOUR) French President Francois Hollande also called for an immediate end to the fighting as he took part in an event on Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. "France and Germany, beyond their suffering and bereavements, had the courage to make up," Hollande said at Hartmannswillerkopf during an ceremony that was also attended by his German counterpart Joachim Gauck. "It was the best way to honor the dead and provide a guarantee of peace to the living," he added in a speech where he also remembered the conflicts still raging around the world, including the confrontation between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. "All efforts must be made to impose, today more than ever, a ceasefire in Gaza and end the suffering of civilian populations," he said. *imes of Israel staff contributed to this report.* III. https://archive.today/RPf3M When *Genocide* is *Permissible* August 1, 2014, 5:36 pm Yochanan Gordon <https://archive.today/o/RPf3M/http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/yochanan-gordon/> Yochanan's father founded the Five Towns Jewish Times. Much of Yochana's inspiration in the field of writing stems from his ... [More] <https://archive.today/o/RPf3M/http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/when-genocide-is-permissible/> Judging by the numbers of casualties on both sides in this almost one-month old war one would be led to the conclusion that Israel has resorted to disproportionate means in fighting a far less- capable enemy. That is as far as what meets the eye. But, it's now obvious that the US and the UN are completely out of touch with the nature of this foe and are therefore not qualified to dictate or enforce the rules of this war - because when it comes to terror there is much more than meets the eye. I wasn't aware of this, but it seems that the nature of warfare has undergone a major shift over the years. Where wars were usually waged to defeat the opposing side, today it seems - and judging by the number of foul calls it would indicate - that today's wars are fought to a draw. I mean, whoever heard of a timeout in war? An NBA Basketball game allows six timeouts for each team during the course of a game, but last I checked this is a war! We are at war with an enemy whose charter calls for the annihilation of our people. Nothing, then, can be considered disproportionate when we are fighting for our very right to live. The sad reality is that Israel gets it, but its hands are being tied by world leaders who over the past six years have insisted they are such good friends with the Jewish state, that they know more regarding its interests than even they do. But there's going to have to come a time where Israel feels threatened enough where it has no other choice but to defy international warnings - because this is life or death. Most of the reports coming from Gazan officials and leaders since the start of this operation have been either largely exaggerated or patently false. The truth is, it's not their fault, falsehood and deceit is part of the very fabric of who they are and that will never change. Still however, despite their propensity to lie, when your enemy tells you that they are bent on your destruction you believe them. Similarly, when Khaled Meshal declares that no physical damage to Gaza will dampen their morale or weaken their resolve - they have to be believed. Our sage Gedalia the son of Achikam was given intelligence that Yishmael Ben Nesanyah was plotting to kill him. However, in his piety or rather naiveté Gedalia dismissed the report as a random act of gossip and paid no attention to it. To this day, the day following Rosh Hashana is commemorated as a fast day in the memory of Gedalia who was killed in cold blood on the second day of Rosh Hashana during the meal. They say the definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over. History is there to teach us lessons and the lesson here is that when your enemy swears to destroy you - you take him seriously. Hamas has stated forthrightly that it idealizes death as much as Israel celebrates life. What other way then is there to deal with an enemy of this nature other than obliterate them completely? News anchors such as those from CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera have not missed an opportunity to point out the majority of innocent civilians who have lost their lives as a result of this war. But anyone who lives with rocket launchers installed or terror tunnels burrowed in or around the vicinity of their home cannot be considered an innocent civilian. If you'll counter, that Hamas has been seen abusing civilians who have attempted to leave their homes in response to Israeli warnings to leave - well then, your beginning to come to terms with the nature of this enemy which should automatically cause the rules of standard warfare to be suspended. Everyone agrees that Israel has the right to defend itself as well as the right to exercise that right. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has declared it, Obama and Kerry have clearly stated that no one could be expected to sit idle as thousands of rockets rain down on the heads of its citizens, placing them in clear and present danger. It seems then that the only point of contention is regarding the measure of punishment meted out in this situation. I will conclude with a question for all the humanitarians out there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clearly stated at the outset of this incursion that his objective is to restore a sustainable quiet for the citizens of Israel. We have already established that it is the responsibility of every government to ensure the safety and security of its people. If political leaders and military experts determine that the only way to achieve its goal of sustaining quiet is through *genocide* is it then *permissible* to achieve those responsible goals? -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. 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