by Jack
UKRAINE – The ongoing crisis in the Ukraine took a turn for the worse hours ago when a Boeing 777 passenger jet was downed with US citizens on board, all 295 passengers died. Exactly how and by whom this downing occurred is not 100% certain, but early reports indicate the breakaway rebels controlling a small portion of the Ukraine used a ground to air missile that was captured from a Ukrainian military base. Coincidentally at the time of the plane’s downing Pres. Obama was already on the telephone with Vladimir Putin on another matter. Obama later mentioned this incident at the start of a scheduled press conference about 30 minutes ago, saying it was believed to be great tragedy and he extended his condolences. He did not elaborate further. His comments were over in about 30 seconds, then he moved on to his planned commentary. (One wonders if he knew how many Americans were aboard?) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/17/malaysia-airlines-passenger-jet-shot-down-over-ukraine/
ISRAEL – And now this just in, Israel has opened fire on the Gaza from the land, sea and air in a massive bombardment causing massive damage. Israeli tanks had been massing on the border with about 10,000 infantry soldiers. Typically such bombardments signal the beginning of an invasion. The White House has not issued any statement, but presumably Israel made the US aware of their plans for Gaza as has been the past practice. http://www.usatoday.com/news/
IRAQ – Meanwhile in Iraq the country looks like it’s pretty much falling apart due to poor leadership. Terrorist fighters have overrun more territory around Baghdad and even when you think it couldn’t get any worse it does. Now the terrorists have just captured 52 US made long range artillery pieces. These cost taxpayers $500,000 each and they were quickly abandoned by the Iraqi soldiers as ISIS forces approached. This was done despite the fact US military advisors (Special Forces) were counseling their commanders. This loss places our US Embassy within artillery range, unless the big guns are taken out first by airstrikes.
Iraqi troops and their militia and volunteer allies were on the verge of declaring victory over Sunni militants holding the strategic town of Tikrit and were about to hoist the Iraqi flag over key government buildings, when, a survivor recalled Wednesday, “the doors of hell opened.” The Iraqi forces had apparently walked into a trap, and some soldiers — and many more of their untrained volunteer supporters — were either killed or badly wounded when the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria sprung it, according to accounts from two soldiers and volunteer leaders reached by telephone afterward.
The debacle in Tikrit on Tuesday offered a vivid illustration of how badly the Iraqi military needs advisers. For weeks, the Americans had implored Iraqi leaders not to fight for the centers of cities, but to establish control of roads and highways, and thus set their own conditions for battle. But the 300 American military and intelligence advisers now in the country are not, as of now, working directly with troops and commanders at the front.
Just two weeks ago we were told by our best military advisors that the Iraqi military defenses were stiffening and the rebel supply-lines for ISIS rebels were stretched too thin, and they were having trouble consolidating their gains. Hardly seems to be the case based on the most recent developments. If Baghdad starts to fall we could have American civilian and military trapped and outnumbered. Hope we’ve learned something since the Benghazi incident. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/07/17/how-us-must-handle-iraq-crisis/ Special report by CNN, How did this all happen, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Gaza, all in flames! http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/world/meast/mideast-region-in-flames/
“Now the terrorists have just captured 52 US made long range artillery pieces.”
Do tell. Gosh, I wonder what other high-tech goodies they got their hands on, and what they will be shot at next.
I gotta say Jack, this sure has some familiar smells to it that remind me of the days when you and I wore the same uniform.
RHT, Iran must be real concerned over the prospects of a rogue Sunni nation as their next door neighbors with heavy weapons….could we be that deviously clever to arm their worst enemy and have total plausible deniability? Nah…
FLASHBACK: Presidents Reagan & Obama Address America on Russians Shooting Down Passenger Airliners:
On September 5th, 1983, then President Ronald Reagan addressed the American public after the Soviets shot down Korean airliner KAL 007.
“My fellow Americans, I’m coming before you tonight about a Korean airline massacre. The attack by the Soviet Union against 269 innocent men, women, and children aboard an unarmed Korean passenger plane. This crime against humanity must never be forgotten.”
Compare the former president’s strong response to the current president’s line about the Malaysian airliner MH17 reportedly shot down by the Russians, believed to have killed 280 passengers and 15 crew:
“It is wonderful to be back in Delaware. Before I begin, obviously the world is watching reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border. It looks like it may be a terrible tragedy. Right now we’re working to determine whether there were American citizens on board. That is our first priority.”
President Obama then returned to his prepared statement on pitching more shovel-ready jobs to Americans. The contrast couldn’t be anymore clear.”
Video..
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/07/158125-flashback-compare-president-reagan-obama-addresses-russians-shooting-passenger-airliners/
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who died in this attack. I can’t begin to imagine how senseless it all must seem in the midst of their grief.
If there is hope in the ME it’s with Netanyahu, a man with the kind of strength and conviction that’s required in situations like this. Krauthammer reminds us of the “Moral Clarity” that is also required.
It’s hard to imagine being surrounded by so many that lack moral clarity and wish to wipe you from the face of the earth.
I can’t talk about Iraq…how carelessly the egos toss away the good work of our men…and women…who serve.
It’s a sad day all around.
How about I let Gen. James Amos do the talking…he has the authority to speak:
It’s breaking the hearts of their supporters too, General.
Peggy, Korean Airliner KAL 007 was shot down on September 1, 1983.
According to your link, Ronald Reagan did not give his speech about the incident until September 5, 1983–four days later.
The Malysian plane was shot down yesterday.
Don’t you think it would be fair to give Obama the same four days you allowed Reagan before taking a firmer stand? Do you see how you’re holding Reagan and Obama to two entirely different standards?
The difference I see is Reagan’s speech is based on facts gathered during those four days and not a 38 second off the cuff remark just before he panders for more DNC support.
Reagan’s Sec. of State George Shultz did a briefing press conference on the first day to inform the people, which is a far cry from having a Kerry aide tack a statement on to the end of a long list of other foreign policy issues in a press room filled with only reporters.
Also, there is the appearance of inappropriate behavior by a world leader during a major international crises. Obama spoke during his never ending fund raising appearances giving the plane being shot down as no big deal requiring less attention then his fund raising. Reagan understood the importance of the Korean plane and cancelled his vacation at his home in Calif. and flew back to DC.
“Secretary of State George P. Shultz held a press conference about the incident at 10:45 on 1 September, during which he divulged some details of intercepted Soviet communications and denounced the actions of the Soviet Union.[83]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007
The Korean Air Flight vs. The Malaysian Air Flight:
“Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on the four days after the event. That is being fair to President Obama. But there is more worth considering.
President Reagan may have spoken four days after the event, but what he did on the day of the event is striking compared to Barack Obama. Reagan was in California on vacation with various private events scheduled.
“Ronald and Nancy Reagan had gone out to their ranch on August 26th and had intended to stay at least through September 4th. Instead, when he found out, he cancelled all his events and headed back to the White House on the morning of September 2nd. He suspended all campaign and other activity and instead sat in N.S.C. meetings where he decided to rally the world to ban Aeroflot flights and get reparations for victims. In fact, according to his daily calendar, he arrived at the White House at 5:43pm, was in the Oval Office by 5:46pm, and in the Situation Room at 6pm.
More striking, on the day of the attack, once our intelligence confirmed the Soviets had shot down the plane, U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz held a press conference and revealed a great deal of intelligence and intercepts to show conclusively what happened to the plane. We made sure the world knew as quickly as we knew so that the Soviets could not dare attempt a global propaganda campaign. The South Koreans had claimed the Soviets just forced the plane to land. They kept that up for more than five hours. But once the facts were known, we were forceful, thorough, and damning in exposing what had happened.
Reagan sat in N.S.C. meetings the evening of September 2nd and committed the national will to getting our allies on board a plan that included banning Aeroflot flights and demanding reparations.
Reagan sat in N.S.C. meetings the evening of September 2nd and committed the national will to getting our allies on board a plan that included banning Aeroflot flights and demanding reparations.
While this was all going on, the situation in Lebanon and Israel had destabilized and Reagan was juggling meetings on the KA007 situation and the Middle East situation.
Neither Reagan nor his staff said the downed jetliner “may be” a tragedy, nor did they go out for burgers, fries, or fundraisers. They stayed in the White House, cancelled outside events, examined intelligence, met with allies, consulted with Congress, and then Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on September 5, 1983. When he returned to campaign activity on September 9th, he did it by closed circuit TV instead of traveling for the event. Interestingly enough, he also called for a day of mourning to be scheduled for September 11, 1983.”
http://www.redstate.com/2014/07/18/the-korean-air-flight-vs-the-malaysian-air-flight/
You want Obama to have four days Chris, you’ve got it, but he’s already blown his chance at a first impression of dealing with a crisis. You can’t unring a bell.
I hope he does step up and lead instead of waiting to hear what’s going on from news reports. If he does actually lead I’ll give him credit. If he continues to do nothing and blame others for his failures I will not support him.
OK so it would be good to look at the whole history of commercial airliner jets shot down.. and yes the USA paid Billions to correct it’s mistake….
One listed here is a domestic problem.. TWA flight 800
we know that was a military mistake as we all have military friends…
Siberian Airlines Flight SB 1812
October 4, 2001
78 Dead
Shot down by Ukraine
Iran Air Flight 655
July 3, 1988
290 Dead
Shot down by the United States
The government in Tehran didn’t see the shooting as an accident, and the incident caused political ramifications that resonate to this day.
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
September 1, 1983
269 Dead
Shot down by the Soviet Union
Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870
June 27, 1980
80 Dead
Shot down by an unidentified warplane
Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114
February 21, 1973
108 Dead
Shot down by Israel
Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727
A few hours after a Ukrainian jet was shot down why was this commercial jet flying in that airspace? Also the intercepted transmission which one of those 2 planes was it referring to?
Black Boxes sent to Russia?
USA Paid Billions in restitution for our mistake….
All countries of the above plane disasters denied their involvement at first… Russia denying is the norm if they are guilty
That is a whole conversation in itself…. But maybe one should stop protecting Putie just to bash Obama.
Reagan was no hero and his policies are still destroying us…
Israel/Gaza….. Funny the USA is indirectly involved there as well as Ukraine
That report you got was speculation, media was reporting the ground invasion showing pictures of armed vehicles in daylight…. yes that was equipment moving towards the border…Israel had announced they were going to invade… but no invasion was happening…YET!
I watched from inside Gaza City cams and livestreams… It was dark when it was confirmed there was an actual large scale invasion…. also there is a psychological media false info war …..
I knew by a source inside gaza when something was confirmed…
Look both sides have wronged but Israel is out of control
Hamas used the tunnels….. they have been a prob for awhile and the Palestinians could not even use them for real purposes
Israel killed several civilians from the air they plummeted with no regard… I watched and listened as the Gaza Sources spread the word….
palastein said Hamas does not represent them… Both sides wrong but why is it ok for citizens to be killed by any army to make their job easier?
How can we not condemn the Israelis sitting on the hill partying watching Gaza get Bombed?
Mistakes happen….. Israel has committed war crimes as we did in Iraq unacceptable
NBC pulling that reporter was because he actually reported an Israeli mistake a little truth… he was told to leave and banned fr reporting….. NBC is no better than the rest of the bought out media… look at how wrong that is… we are lied to… Our media must be pro Israel at all costs no matter what is true…
Shame on NBC but they are the new Fox in the making donor paid news
Anybody seen Sheldon addelson or rabbi Pinto lately?.. bet their donations to political campaigns will pick up soon
Turn off the TV and learn what is really going on…
Stop the lies and let’s deal with reality as the world leaders run amuck
“…At least 335 Palestinians have been killed, and a further 2,390 others injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Several new massacres were committed by Israel, including those against the Abu Dagga and Bakr families. Seven fatalities from which five are children. Four children alone, brothers and cousins from Bakr family, aged 9 to 11, were hit by a warship shelling on Gaza beach while playing football. Heartbreaking. My humanity is hanging by a thread, especially after I hear such news.
Don’t people in Gaza deserve to have human rights? How about the children? Written by Omar in Gaza” and submitted by Dewey.
RESPONSE BY JACK: Once again the class dunce falls for something designed purely to gain sympathy for terrorists waging war against Israel. These terrorists are bombing Israel indiscriminately. They target schools, synagogues, restaurants, buses, and anywhere where people gather, but nowhere in that rambling letter was there any mention of that!
Who doesn’t understand the terrorists of this world, be they Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISSIS, Taliban, and 100s of offshoots and mostly fundamentalist Muslim, don’t care a wit if the people they kill are men, women or children? How could any thinking human being lend their support to such monsters?
Back to the fighting in Gaza. The Palestinians in Hamas started it. It began a long time back when Palestinians raised their children to become rabid Jews haters. They worked tirelessly and methodically to always characterize Jews as ugly beasts that eat children and do the work of Satan. Their children never had a chance, they grew up like their parents and passed along the hate.
Today we see preschool children in Palestine that are taught to sing songs about how evil and vile the Jews are. They are exposed to cartoon shows depicting the slaughter of monstrous Jews. Why? Because they are their mortal enemy and they will not be satisfied until every Jew is slaughtered, this is why the Palestinians embraced the Nazi’s during WWII. They still believe Hitler was right – they want all Jews exterminated.
The Hamas suicide bombers are hailed as hero’s because they board public buses filled with Jews and set off powerful bombs laced with nails just do the most damage possible or they walk I into crowded Tel Aviv coffee shops filled with Jews and tourists and explode their shrapnel bombs. Some hero’s. And for years these despicable killers, these ruthless blood thirsty terrorists have been launching rocket propelled bombs at anything Jewish and they often do it from crowded apartment house or children’s playgrounds for better cover. They do not value human life, but if they can show an Israeli response to a bomb attack with their bloodied children, they are proud to do so. It makes for great PR for simpletons like Dewey the American who unwittingly becomes a tool to be exploited by terrorist propaganda.
In the early years the unsophisticated rockets Palestinians launched from inside Gaza started out with limited range and poor guidance control, but over time they have become more accurate with much longer range. They now reach any city in Israel and naturally the threat to life and property has been greatly increased.
After much provocation, Israel hit back, they really had no choice! Of course every Israeli knows that any attack against the terrorists in Gaza will be portrayed as unprovoked and against innocent civilians. This is why Israel only attacks when it’s a last resort, when all other means have failed, but you won’t hear the mainstream media lauding their restraint or condemning the Palestinians for continually hitting first.
Time after time Hamas rockets rained down on Israel and they (Israel) sent warning after warning…which was quickly turned into “Israel threatens innocent Palestinians” by our leftwing media.
Then when people were dying in these unabated attacks and the deadly rockets were reaching far into Israel unleashed a very limited bombing attack by air, land and sea. The Israelis actually warned the civilians in targeted areas to get out, and some heeded the warnings, and some didn’t. The Hamas terrorists told their own people, stay put, using them like human shields. Then they continued hitting Israel with rockets. Finally Israeli ground forces were forced to enter Gaza and go head to head with the Hamas fighters. Only then did they discover the stores of rockets and weapons in underground bunkers and invasion tunnels, thirteen so far, that allowed terrorists to slip into Israel undetected and plant destructive devices.
It makes me sick that liberals in America are stupid enough buy into poisoned rhetoric coming from Hamas and they actually believe they are the victims!? And lets all remember that Israel only invaded the Gaza after Hamas rejected a cease fire and kept sending rockets in Jewish communities. They forced the fight. Hamas started this war and the Israelis will finish it, but it’s given the hate promoted among the Palestinians for anything Jewish its only a matter of time until the next war begins…Hamas does not seek peace with Israel, they want Jews exterminated! How can anyone negotiate with people like that?
Dewey had sent in a long tear-jerk kind of story from an alleged innocent civilian living in the Gaza and I blocked most of it because it was laced with half-truths and mostly because the source could not be verified, but it had all the typical earmarking’s of terrorist rhetoric. I will not have our blog used to promote terrorism or in any way encourage sympathy for terrorists. Dewey why don’t you post that crap on your own blog and leave us alone? -Jack
PS The deaths of 3000 innocents on 9/11 has convinced me who the enemy of humanity is.
Jack, you raise some good points but your analysis is very one-sided and paints Palestinians with a broad brush. I have no sympathy for Hamas. They do spread a lot of anti-semitic propaganda, but they do not represent the views of all Palestinians. When you say “Palestinians raised their children to become rabid Jews haters” you are guilty of overgeneralizations and stereotyping. I know you do not believe all Palestinians do this, but your continued use of the word “they” sets up an us vs. them mentality and unintentionally characterizes all Palestinians as an evil Other, just as those Palestinians that teach their children to hate Jews do.
You’re right that Israel does a lot more than Palestine to reduce civilian casualties. The problem is that Israel is very, very bad at this. About as bad as Palestine is at causing Israeli civilian casualties. Most rockets never even make it past the Iron Dome, and the Palestinian civilian casualty rate is much, MUCH higher than the Israeli civilian casualty rate. That is unacceptable.
There’s also the fact that Israel is an occupying power (and you’re wrong that they only started invading after being attacked). Israel has taken more and more land from Palestine over the years. The nation has bulldozed homes and erected fences and cut off routes in a way that makes it very hard for many Palestinians to even get to work.
NONE of this justifies Hamas’ behavior or their despicable anti-semitism, but it does provide some context. Israel is not an innocent victim here. Both sides have committed great evils.
Peggy, Chris Wallace of FOX News isn’t convinced by the Reagan/Obama comparison:
WALLACE: I know there’s like an immediate reaction, that you want to say he should have run back to Washington and gone back to the Situation Room. I know that a lot of folks at Fox here are saying that. As somebody who covered the White House and saw for six years Ronald Reagan in various situations, sometimes the best thing presidents can do is nothing, to continue on. If he had gone back to Washington and gone to the situation room — first of all, there’s not much he can do, we’re not in control of the situation. And it would have dialed it up.
[…]
WALLACE: I was covering Ronald Reagan at that time. He was in Santa Barbara at his ranch when that happened, and quite frankly he didn’t want to leave. And his advisers realized how terrible this looked, and eventually persuaded him he had to fly back to Washington and had to give this speech to the nation, but it did take him four days.
Patheos, as usual, offers an empathetic Christian perspective on the violence in the Middle East:
“For me, it seems like the problem in the midst of the whole crisis is one, very small group of terrorists called Hamas. This group refuses to have peace until they reclaim the entire land of Palestine. Those who join Hamas do so very understandably- many members of the terror group were likely the very people whose homes were bulldozed when Israel was granted land by the United Nations. Entire families and communities were destroyed and forced to relocate so that Israeli citizens could take possession of the land. This must have seemed to be a grand injustice to the Palestinians who witnessed it. In fact, it was a grand injustice. Decades later, these angry men are joining this terror organization that has no goal other than to destroy Israel and regain their families land. They plan on doing this violently, through terrorism and war. They refuse to be diplomatic and insist on violence, death, and destruction.
But what is important to realize is that Hamas does not represent Palestinians.Most Palestinians do not associate with the group or the ideology of the terror group. And while it is true that Hamas has a horrific practice of using innocent civilians as shields from the IDF’s attacks, this does not justify Israel’s careless bombing and raids that are leaving hundreds of men, women, and children dead. Innocent peace seeking Palestinians are dying at the hands of the state of Israel. If this continues to occur, the cycle of resentment, hatred, and violence will also continue. As young boys see their families gunned down by the IDF, they will feel pain and rage and will likely end up joining groups like Hamas in the future, subsequently continuing this conflict.
It’s also important to understand that the IDF does not represent all Israeli citizens. There are a large number of Israelis who oppose the oppressive actions of their government and military and regularly pursue alternative ways to combat Hamas while protecting and dignifying Palestinian men and women. The unjust and senseless violence that many western evangelicals shrug off as Israel’s only option is condemned by a majority of Israeli citizens and seen as horrific and inhumane. The IDF is not an “anointed”, blessed, or righteous institution. Though it is a necessary one, and though Israel does have a right to protect and defend itself, the IDF has proven time and time again that they are not concerned with protecting the lives of the innocent Palestinians who are being used shields by Hamas and targets by the IDF.
There is evil on both sides. There is fear on both sides. There is injustice on both sides. The only ones who are in the right are those innocent Palestinians and Israeli citizens who are desperately seeking and praying for peace, but instead, become victims of horrendous violence. In times like these, I cannot help but be reminded of the words of Jesus concerning conflicts like these:
You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?
Matthew 5:43-46″
Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/revangelical/2014/07/18/hamas-the-idf-peace-in-the-middle-east.html#ixzz37wYQDPsC
NY Jewish Times:
Our readers should know that Israel has treat thousands of Arabs from other countries who are injured by war.
Our readers should know that Israel takes great pains to avoid harming innocent civilians. Israel announces the locations it intends to bomb, it fires warning duds on the rooftops of buildings so anyone inside can get out before it sends the missile to destroy a bomb making cite.
Our readers should know that Israeli citizens have six seconds to get to a bomb shelter when Palestinians terrorists send their rockets.
Palestinians who live in Israel are treated as equal citizens…they send their kids to schools, they serve in the Knesset and they work and own businesses.
Our readers should know that Israeli’s too have been uprooted from their homes and moved. It was part of peace agreements in which Israel made all of the concessions…the deal fell apart because the opposition leaders would not definitively recognize that Israel has the right to exist.
“Our readers should know that Israel takes great pains to avoid harming innocent civilians.”
Yeah, I said that already. The death toll proves that Israel is pretty bad at this, though.
“Our readers should know that Israeli citizens have six seconds to get to a bomb shelter when Palestinians terrorists send their rockets.”
You mean the rockets that almost never make it past the Iron Dome?
A good take away the Palestinian people have reminded us of is ELECTIONS have CONSEQUENCES….
We need to get the foreign money out of our elections as we really do not know who is buying our politicians aka Citizens United
The USA can now be taken without ever firing a shot it is for sale … No one can argue against that
Politicians dial for dollars just to stay in office all day long … it’s all they do!
As far as Gaza….
They elected Hamas…. not all people support them and in fact a large group has said Hamas does not represent them.
The amount of violence in GAZA is a Massacre… not a military operation and all politics aside we must cry out to the UN.
There are multiple pictures and livestreams in Gaza.
There is a whole army of Israeli college students paid just like the trolls here to post propaganda…
Yet some how we are seeing some truth. We are inside Gaza with the innocent people, we hear the constant drones overhead and see the conflict off in the distance while closeup pictures are relayed to us on twitter as it happens….
People fleeing are being targeted… the number of civilians , women and children is not proportional to militants… This is beyond belief…
They are not all human shields… most are not…
It also has to be taken into consideration that in the past Israel has used Gaza for arms testing and their arms trade goes up by about 2 billion after every test of new arms… in GAZA
Propaganda has ran our lives…. before…
Now…Livestreams and twitter have opened the world of truth to us and the rest of the world
To sit here and pretend we know better is not OK, It is not our conflict… we must stand up and stop this!
To those who were worried we would not hide any wrong doing by Israel because Obama was in office… you can rest now….
I do believe Israel had a right to react… but this is out of control and corrupt!
WE must demand the massacre stop immediately – the only right thing to do….
All USA media news right now is a smoke screen when you see the real story live in front of you…
I commend the Brits for standing up to the BBC, Americans need to stand up to FOX, CNN, MSNBC and the rest of them
What is sadder yet is Putin’s RT prints just enough truth to suck you in but is an anti American station using the Tea Party hate to gather his American right
Putin is no Hero and why does the Tea Party not take back all their praise…. is That who they are?
Again WE must demand the massacre stop immediately – the only right thing to do…. This is not a war….. it is a massacre and violating international law on many fronts
They must reach a peaceful solution …. our opinion does not have a say, not our conflict, but we sure like to stir up the middle east for profit!
And the readers should know that after Israel throws a warning bomb, they kill people fleeing…
In Tel Aviv many of the good people of Israel protested to stop the massacre….. Not all of Israel supports this because it is out of control massacre!
America turn off the TV and watch it in real time… we have to gather our own news and sort out propaganda as TV is just Citizens United moneybags
And don’t get me wrong: Nothing makes Hamas happier than lots of dead Palestinians. Hamas is intentionally using Palestinian citizens as human shields in order to gain sympathy and feed negative opinion of Israel. It’s just that Israel is playing right into their hands.