Not wishing to sound insensitive, but aren't there holocaust survivors all over Israel? I imagine it would be quite tricky to fire one at Israel and have it land far away from where some of them live.

As far as reasons go two spring immediately to mind. One is a simple opportunity to take pot shots at the hated enemy. Another is to provoke Israel into taking action that the people firing the missiles would find useful. Do we know who fired them?

There are always reasons for everything, Taos.

Perhaps you guys should note this thread
http://webdiplomacy.net/forum.php?viewthread=1043209#1043209
I noted the rocket firing there

Octavious, some of the rockets that they fire aren't even aimed at specific settlements. They just shoot them and know they'll land in some populated area and in general they have quite a bit of room for error.

They do have a room for error, but when they aim somewhere they usually reach their targets. That of course depends on the rocket type and the shooters efficiency. The guys from Lebanon use military type weapons which are relatively precise. And just like any other military organisation they have their bank of targets. In general those in Israel who underestimate them are either not too well informed or just inexperienced. When I entered Lebanon during the war at 2006 I was pretty cocky. Not a mistake I'll ever do again.

Fair enough.

Whether they survived the holocaust or not people deserve to live in peace.
I would hope that people who had survived such genocide would vote for a govt that would not want to invade it's neighbours, take away their lands, claim them as their own, deny poor defenceless people basic human rights, bulldoze their houses, build a big wall in their country then claim that everything to one side of it was actually theirs when the United Nations disagree.
Do people in Israel give a damn about the UN or international law or is just something to be ignored and flouted?

Maybe they did vote for a different government, same as i did. But democracy ...you know...
They are not the majority and slowly vanishing.
I didn't mean to open a discussion about Israel / arab conflict again, this topic is already saturated in this site.
It was just my broken heart going out for this poor old people.
Imagine your grandmother crying alone in the middle of the night scared to death,you get the idea.

@Nigee why are you so anti-Israel? Really, i try to understand,every time you post you just trow some super unbased facts some fiction i don't know where you pick from imagined events( some are true) .
I am not attacking you, i just want to know.
Do you have any special interests in spreading hate against Israel? Any specific reason? I for example, try to be newtral as possible, not forgetting that there is always another side to the coin. Yes i am Israeli and i tend to be with my people but i know we make mistakes and not always act as the good guys.
Please try to be reasonable and enlight me .

I think part of the issue is that Israel's strategy pretty much equals the North Korean one except Israel has the US on their side to make things more messy.

Note I'm not talking politics but strategies. Or politics from a strategic point of view.

North korean? What is the common strategy? I don't see it.
You mean israel= north korean? Palestinians = north korean?

@Steephie ... that is the most ridiculous thing I've probably ever heard on this topic. North Korea has no strategy. They are the original trolls, that's all they are.

@Taos ... Nigee has never even listened to the opposite side of the discussion. Don't bother trying. Let him rant and rage.

^
What bo_sox said...except North Korea's sadly a troll with nukes... :/

And I WILL say that everyone's always so up in arms when Israel launches a tactical strike against terror agents and there's collateral damage (because those cowards like to hide in populated areas) but somehow that outrage all seems to dissipate when it comes back to the fact that Israel is and constantly lives under the threat of rocket strikes like this...

Oh well, the Israelis are better armed than the Palestinians...

Guess that makes them big evil nasty Goliaths and the Palestinians pure Davids...

I'm sure glad things are so simple as that!

(We won't even get into how a "pure David" is a laughable contradiction in terms given what that particular Biblical character does in later portions in the book...though from a literary standpoint I'll at least say he's a compelling character, almost a forerunner to King Arthur and King Lear and those types who are good at work but not so good at home...but I digress.)

I hope people outside this country look at the US in the same unfounded biased way that they do Israel. It's only fair, right?

Same idea as double-sided reverse racism.

"Do you have any special interests in spreading hate against Israel? Any specific reason? I for example, try to be newtral as possible"
taos - not another person being really objective, what makes you think you're being so objective? ..... perception is projection.
Do I have special interests in spreading hate against Israel,..... no but even if I did I could never do such a good job as the Israeli army do, they have special techniques.
I look at the occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel in a similar way as I do the Irish problem, and I hope that Northern Ireland is finally returned to the Irish but that the people in Northern Ireland have the right to self-determination, but being governed by the British parliament would end completely, that will happen soon I believe.
After years of conflict and bloodshed it took brave men and women to forgive and move on, I respect politicians on all sides for what was achieved in the Good Friday Agreement, it wasn't easy but I think they got it right, lots of people didn't think it would work at the time, history has proved them wrong, there are still tensions and fighting and a religious divide, but this will occur with religion, it breeds hatred.
Is it not time for the Israeli people to stop voting ultra right wing people into the Knesset, however you probably don't see these people as right wing, you probably think they are normal.
I'm well aware their are extreme right-wing views on both sides but the thing that I find offensive is the flouting of international law and the hypocrisy other countries show towards Israel. We only need one UN resolution to give an attack on Iraq legitimacy (which of course was bullshit), how many outstanding UN resolutions are against Israel now and nothing is done, I am ashamed that the laws are not being upheld and the occupation is allowed to continue.
Bottom line is if Israel ends the occupation of Palestinian lands I would have no problem, I would be proud that Israel had finally found some brave people willing to stand up for what is right and just/ It won't end the hatred or the fighting, that is a cultural and religious issue, but it would give the Israeli parliament international legitimacy. All the time you have spineless politicians like Netanyahu and Obama who talk tough but do nothing no progress will be made, in saying that it could be so much worse, I know some people probably find that hard to believe.
Israel has to give back Palestinian land, and not blow up or bulldoze all the housing on their way out.

So the palestinians don't have their own government? Who is ABu mazen? What lands are being occupied? I can't go to east Jerusalem but they can come west. It doesn't look fair.i can't buy a house in jenin but they can buy one in beer sheba.
I vote every time for 'meretz' going so politically left that our Parliament is full of Palestinians,we don't have jews in the Palestinian government.
i lost so many friends to this conflict and i still forgive and try to move on.
Me and my friends received an education that maybe you@ Nigee won't understand, i will give my life just to save another and they still want to see me dead.

Why did you lose friends taos, ask yourself that question. Who is to blame here.
Nobody cares about you or your friends, you are just a number, just a pawn in this game.
Give back the occupied land to the Palestinians (a few swaps here and there are practical but leave that to the politicians) and go live a happy life.
Try not to use inflammatory language of propaganda when discussing the issue as it just undermines what you say and makes it look like propaganda.
Who wants to see you dead?Do they really? Think of what those people have lost, maybe their loss is even greater than yours?
I have no doubt the younger Israelis will eventually use that education to solve this issue, maybe you have to wait for the old Zionists to die out first.

Who is to blame? You are just a number?
Souls and lifes are just numbers? Countless tears are just a game?
I blame the one who pulled the trigger! The one who triggered the bomb!
I blame the mother that gave her sone hate instead of love, ignorance instead of education, despair instead of hope.
I blame you Nigee! Who doesn't care about facts, who deliberately spread hate, ignorant people read what you write in the internet and believe it, wanting to be good and right just as you do, certain you know the truth and you will change the world.

taos - when you find out who is really to blame you're half-way to resolving the issue, blaming me mate will move you no further forward sadly.
Your govt have been making bad choices, you suffer the consequences. If I was your govt I wouldn't make those bad choices.
First thing I would do is to ban conscription and stop brain-washing the kids of Israel.
Secondly I would tell the world I was willing to give up occupied land in return for a bigger peace settlement
Thirdly I would apologize for the human rights abuses inflicted on innocent Palestinians by the Israeli army.
That's a good start but I wouldn't stop there because I've got more balls than the whole of the Knesset put together ..... when you see fascistic tendencies it needs to be confronted, even when it comes from the most surprising of places such as Israeli politicians, you would think they would know better.

I blame everyone who doesn't save another when having the chance!
I blame capitalism and communism.
I blame the entire humanity for not trying harder to be better.
I blame my self every day for not being at right place in the right moment.
Politicians do their thing but we are the people, and we have the power to change.
I blame insensitive people like you nigee, who don't do nothing but talk.
And above all, i blame religions and fanatics.

Keep the faith man, the solution may be a lot closer than you think but you've got to want it.
You've got to believe that if you show respect to your fellow neighbours across the wall that good things will happen ...... you have to believe in humanity, Palestinians are not your enemy.
Israel has been used as a little outpost for years to keep a close eye on those crazy A-rabs.
I'm not insensitive Tiger, I just don't fear the inevitable truth, that Israel have to give back the occupied territories. That may be a tough pill to swallow for you but not for me. I have a clear way forward for Israel and I don't even get paid for that, the people that do get paid to negotiate a peace should be ashamed of themselves.
One day you'll wake up and smell the capafrappacino, your political leaders want one thing from Palestine, it's not peace it's land. Until you accept this and are willing to give this land back you remain part of the problem, not part of the solution and it doesn't matter who you vote for.

@ Nigee i invite you to come to Israel, i can show you things that will blow your mind and change your point of view.
I invite you to feel this land with your feet, adopt this air into your blood, to share your heart with this people, play with our children, to learn ways of life you never knew, to do with your hands the small things that make the difference.
Help this people you say you care about them so much!
Build with them, teach their children.
See IDF doing those things every day, be one of us if you dare!

What I mean is that I think both North Korea and Israel could concede. I'm not saying they should, but they could. Instead they both cross moral ground to fight and die. Sure, it makes sense from their point of view, but if they just get out of Israel they can have some peace there and when there's peace everyone can visit their holy city again. I know you all think that's some rubbish arguing but just saying what and why without really arguing it and I'm not really going to I think.

@STEEPHIE! DO YOU SMOKE DRUGS? What are you talking about?
You are totally out of reality

taos - stop ignoring the reality, you are occupying Palestinian land and you shouldn't need a UN resolution or 10 to realize this. Get off their land, then let's talk about a way forward.

@ Nigeee no one is ocupying Palestinian land, they have an autonomy and they don't do nothing but kill each other and us!
They can declare independence any day and Israelis will be more then glad to help and clap our hands to that. We don't need their land, there are no recourse s or nothing of interest to us there, and sure we don't need it demographic.
Really, they want us out, from the jordan to the sea! Yes, some Israelis are racists, fascist, stupid fanatic, but they are the minority. Many people think like me and the majority are moderate, peace is our greatest goal.

taos - how can things move forward when the self-proclaimed left-wingers in Israel don't understand or accept you are not only occupying Palestinian land but you're building new communities on it ....... you are fooling no-one, it's like the whole world is more intelligent than you because we know the facts.
If you don't know this you must be completely brain-washed, why not check out all of the UN resolutions against Israel if you don't believe me.

You really believe you're not occupying Palestinian land taos?

there are many unlawful settlements being built all over palestinian land, and there is no denying it, and what we (israel) need to do is to put a complete stop to things like this which are immoral, and are used against us in debates. The problem is we have lost our moral superiority - this is not to say the palestinians have moral superiority either, but it used to be us by ourselves fighting the whole arab world, fighting for our survival against a much stronger enemy. Although we are still fighting for our survival, we are not only now stronger, but we are also terrorising others. Israel should be a beacon of morality to the world, and an exemplar of how to treat others, instead we are no better (and no worse) than the rest of mankind (i.e. pretty bad at times).

Yes. I really believe we are not ocupying Palestinian land.
in the year 1996 i was a pacifist soldier in the I. D. F ,tired of fighting and broken of my lost friends i just wanted to get out of the army and leave Israel to never return, the law in Israel forces to do 3 years of service and there are not many ways to get out. I was decided to quit and didn't care how ill do it. That's how i started to rebel and negate orders, braking every possible law and got to jail,the plan was to be the worst soldier ever until they will throw me out(i didn't say it was brilliant) . After i finished my time in jail i was called to meet a high commander of our army who wanted to know what happened to me and how i became so rebel from being such a good soldier before, i explained my points, shared my pain.he said so : ask me what ever you want to do in the army, any place you want to serve and i will make it possible.
And my answer was : i want to help people, to save lifes, not take them or see more death. I want to be the solution not the problem.
and that's how i got to Jenin as an operations sargent, my duty was to gather information from the sorrounding and prevent any small problems of getting bigger,cooperate with the new Palestinian police force and coordinate mutual muvments inside what was than A zone. My office was adjacent to the Palestinian ofgice living the door open so we can visit each other all the time and sit drink cooffie together, solve problems or prevent them.
newtrality was the key and if Israelis soldier/citizens acted bad towards Palestinian we passed the information to the relevant authority to make sure they get punish