Is Israeli killings of civilians sleeping in their beds self-defense?
924624
no they been doing it for years, its a war crime.
114934
If somebody breaks in your house and you defend yourself by a knife, you're not a terrorist, that's just self defense. And in general, Palestinians are not terroist, avoid tabloids , discrimnation, and porpagandic medias, it makes us (Americans) look ignorant.
512979
it depends. if you are in the midst of being raped and fighting your attacker and kill him then, it would probably be considered self defense.\n\nif you are raped, and go after your attacker at a later date, that would most likely be looked upon as murder, since there was time in between which gives potential to premeditation, as opposed to fighting for your life.
258511
Hypothetically speaking ... yes they do.\n\nThe Jews used the remorse over the Holocaust as justification for their genocide against the palestinians and the making of Israel. Without it, they're not victims, just killers.
821157
Israel is increasingly turning into a burden on itself, on its guardians, as well as on its countless victims.\nScores of innocent people have lost their lives. Villages have been levelled, and bridges, hospitals, roads, airports, fuel storage facilities and even milk factories have been destroyed. \nYears of regeneration effort are reduced to rubble. Pressure from the Americans and their British and German allies is such that no mention is made of a ceasefire in the statement issued. Israel is given leave to impose its agenda on Lebanon at gunpoint. After all, Ehud Olmert had said it: there can be no talk of a ceasefire, since "Israel needs more time". \n\nThis unconditional support for Israel as it invades, occupies, demolishes, maims and massacres puts the entire Western moral and political order to the test. \nWhile evangelising about democracy and reform, the US and increasingly Europe continue to give Israel open leave punish the Palestinian people collectively for their electoral choice, through air raids, ground incursions, siege and starvation. \n\nIn its latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 200 civilians dead, many of whom are children, the Israeli military has abducted the Palestinian deputy prime minister, along with two cabinet ministers and 56 parliamentarians. On July 1 Israeli warplanes attacked the headquarters of the recently elected Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh. \nWhile preaching freedom to the people of the region, the US and many Western countries do not hesitate to provide political cover for the illegal seizure and occupation of Arab land in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. \n\nAnd while filling the air with demands for the release of two captured Israeli soldiers, it turns a blind eye to the 10,000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians languishing in Israeli jails, about 4,000 of whom are detained administratively without charge or trial.\n  \nNo wonder that most have lost faith in the American-led rhetoric of democracy, human rights and reform.\n \nMuch of the region’s troubles issue from this increasing convergence between American and Israeli policy in the Middle East. The similarity between the two strategies concocted in Tel Aviv and Washington is such that it has become increasingly difficult to tell which is which. \n\nBreaking what has been a taboo for decades, Professors John Mearsheimer and Steve Walt concluded in their article "The Israeli Lobby" that American foreign policy is more representative of Israeli than American national interests. The US Middle East policy is contrary to the long-term strategic interests of the United States. \nThe alliance between the US and Israel is not something new. Since the end of the 1950s, preserving Israel's security was passed from the British to the US. \n\nEver since, American national interests have been seen as wedded to those of the state of Israel. However, what is new is that Israel has moved from a proxy at the service of British/American interest in the strategic Middle East to a definer of American policy itself. \nIt has become customary for consecutive British and American administrations to provide full support for Israel in its invasions, incursions and wars. With Bush and Blair, however, the usual frigid calls for restraint have vanished, making way for assertions of Israel’s right to defend itself and combat terrorism. This is as though Israel were a wretched occupied country, not the world’s fourth-largest military force and the region’s sole nuclear power. It has repeatedly invaded its neighbours’ lands, colonising the Egyptian Sinai desert, Lebanon, the Syrian Golan Heights and the Palestinian territories. \n\nIts massive military arsenal has been used to impose and expand illegal settlement, pursue collective punishment of the local populations and terrorise its neighbours through raids, kidnappings, assassinations, massacres, violations of air space and territ
1162595
No, it can't.\n"Israelis" has done a lot of guiltiest in the "Palestinian" land, including murdering, destroying houses, running out people of their lands, torturing, etc.\nYou know, Israel is only country round the world that "torturing" is legal in their damn laws.\nIf US doesn't support them some independent countries will punish them as well...!\n\nAlso, someone mentioned 6-days war. US was supporting Israel at the time completely, including weapons, satellite maps for destroying Egyptian and Syria Air bases, spying against those Arab coutries during the war and after that, etc.
801092
Yes,they will some day...And let's hope that they are going to wake up before it's not too late...\nI think that after the war in Lebanon people have started to realize that Israel is not exactly the victim there...and have started to see Israel's real face...\nBut unfortunately as long as Israel has US full support there is not much we can do about it...
242705
Well let me tell u why palestinians are attacked:\nThey are attacked because there are 2 kinds of leaders;\nFirst:heartless buisness men thirsty for oil \nSecond:leaders dying to keep their chairs and keep control of the power they have which makes them slaves for buisness men \n\nThat is the whole problem.\n\nLets not question the "Holy" holocaust otherwise we'd be racists-unlike others who attack other beliefs saying it's their "democratic right of free press."\n \nI bet if anyone could say that there is a religion that allows the killing of innocent people;even judaism.\n\nI am with you that what U believe happened in the what so called "holocaust" is unhuman but do u call what happened in Sabra and Shatila human?,or the killing of PEACE activists(if u remember Rachel Corrie) and many other massacres that i can't mention because i don't know from where to start.\n\nThe religious people are doing what ever they want to do,motivated by their dream of the promised land,they are fast asleep in their dream that they don't realize that they are just a puppet in the goverment's hand;TRUE judaism never called for the killing of innocent souls.\n\nWhat is happening today is only because religion  became like dough in the hands of politics and buisnessmen;If u return to the roots of the problem "The Faisal-Weizmann Agreement" would summarize what i want to say....\n" In the event, Weizmann and Faisal established an informal agreement under which Faisal would support dense Jewish settlement in Palestine while the Zionist movement would assist in the development of the vast Arab nation that Faisal hoped to establish."[wikipedia].
901734
Probably the powerlessness.  the Palestinians for example can't fight the Israeli soldiers because they will die.  They would get killed if they tried to kill Israeli civilians too since many of them were in the military at some point.  Because they are so weak, they think they have no other way to defeat others than by blowing themselves up.  And they have people who manipulate them into thinking that they will be rewarded in Heaven.  Those murderers are also often admired in those communities.
1066159
let me see if I got this right \nthey can torture and behead and kill any and all civilians attack churches basically no rules\nwe can't do nothing.if you shoot and hit a civilian you get tried for murder,if they run out of bullets we can't fight till they get some is this right.\nwell Souter feels the government has the right to take your home  now he say you should die when him and his buddy's wants you too
1155064
When you go to invade a country and kill a local soldier trying to kill you (defending his country - is job) would you call what you do self-defense?  If you kill a civilian trying to do the same (you are his enemy) would not that be murdering people?  \nIf Bush sent Americans to any country for invasion (his hobby) did they go of their own accord or is it compulsory?  I mean if  they joined the army for financial reasons or bright-career-factor knowing that they will be killing people who did not come to their door to kill them, then they are murderers.\nI agree with you, no thing is called self-defense if you go to a place trying to take charge and kill resistance.  Bush could have killed Saddam if he REALLY wanted to free Iraq of this devil, but he chose to destroy the whole country instead.
482955
of course they have the right to self defence.\nIf they get attacked they should react with total force. I am sick of countries like Israel bombing and killing innocent civilians and pretending its self defence.\nThe whole Iraq war was a favour to Israel.\nThese people have to realise that one day they may lose a war and the way they behave at the moment will incite terrible retribution which will make the Holocaust seem like a picnic. I genuinely hope this does not happen but their policies at the moment are just not sustainable. There are plenty of decent Jewish people in the world, its time for them to be heard and reign in their murderous government.\nThe 'Peace Now' movement is their only hope.\nAlso dont kid yourself that Iran wont be able to build a nuke if we bomb them. China and Russia are close friends of theirs and have nukes aplenty.
80779
The USA doesn't support Israel in killing of palestians.  However, it does recognize that Israel is under constant terrorist attacks from Hamas, Hezzbalah and other terrorist organizations and Israel has a right to defend itself.  As part of defense, Israel targets known terrorists or those that are harboring terrorists.  Except for the countries that are aiding the terrorists (Syria, Lebanon, Iran, etc) no country has a problem with targeted assassinations.
1120948
Have I seen what Israel has done with Palestinians?  Yep- shown unbelievable restraint considering the provocation!  Considering the suicide bombers, the daily rocket attacks, the continued attempts to infiltrate terrorists into Israel- the Palestinians are exceptionally lucky that Israel hasn't behaved the way other countries have in the past and walked in- flattening everything and evryone in its path to get rid of the threat to its people!\n\nOn top of that- it is now coming out that it may have been from an explosive device on the beach-rather than from an artillery shell- in otherwise a hidden terrorist weapon exploding accidently!  And that is more than feasible since during Israel's occupation of Gaza a lot of weaponry and explosives was smuggled into Gaza via the sea.\n\nThe only animals here arre the sick terrorists that use civilians areas from which to stage their attacks- and thus putting civilians at risk when Israel defends itself- the only sick animals are the terrorists that use civilians as shields- and then capitalise on the deaths they have caused- using them to glorify their sick, demented aims!
908751
Sharon is (was) a war criminal. Modern terrorism (blowing up innocent people to get what you want) was invented by the Israelis. In 1946, while Palestine was being administered by Great Britain, Menachem Begin authorized the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing around 100 people, including many British soldiers who were staying there.\n\nIt is true that many in the Middle East want the destruction of Israel. However, it is equally true that Israel wants to kill every Palestinian on the planet. Israel cares only about itself and is certainly no friend of the United States. \n\nInterestingly, the only country on earth that stood to benefit from the US invasion of Iraq is Israel. Political instability in the region is to there advantage – not that they need an advantage, since Israel can simultaneously defeat the combined militaries of every country in the region. Israel is no victim and is as responsible as anyone for the continuing problems in the region.
614767
because it would make israel look like the aggressor...its better to be perceived as the victim, you can get away with more and have a better chance to gain international support for any retaliations.
518950
Israel's attacked all the time. I think they're referring to an invasion. The (U.S.) military's subordinate to the government. Soldiers at war don't have the luxury of idealism. They're fighting for their own, and their buddie's survival.\n  An army of soldiers who pick and choose their battles is a mob, not an army. It's the "elected" government that makes those decisions. Do we REALLY want our military to determine our foreign policy?