then what is the Israeli self-interest in taking the bait?

if the elected cabal of Hamas can play their people, cannot also the Israeli people be played by their leadership?

A nation is its people, not its leadership. When you punish the people for the crimes of its leaders you attack the nation and cement their identity as a sufferer of grievances.

Israel can have a right to respond to the problem and be wrong about their response.

If my neighbor kills my wife, is it my justice to kill his children?

(h/t, as always, pow wow)

Whereas, since the most recent terrorist attacks and its military operation that began on December 27, 2008, the Government of Israel has allowed the entry of hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid supplies into the Gaza Strip, in full coordination with donor Arab countries and international aid organizations, including the Red Cross, out of respect for human rights and human life and in an effort to minimize the hardship and suffering of the Palestinian people;

You have got to be kidding me.

Sorry if you misunderstood, I was not trying to shut you up, I just wanted to let you know what you were in for.

As you can see by some of the responses, you are unlikely to engaged on your arguments... and in the end this is a discussion about the blind and inevitable support for Israel on the part of the US Congress, and perhaps more widely, the shameful support of the same by your government in London and mine here in Ottawa.

This fact in itself lends itself to many conspiracy theories, some of them apparently more palatable that those around certain rather unlikely events on September 11, 2001.

"Still, the fact remains that Israelis do hear information on both sides of the issue and there has been a consistent majority for peace. In contrast, Palestinian children are taught to hate the Jews (not just Israelis) and peace is just harder to accomplish when public opinion wants to kill every last Israeli."

You are an expert on the Palestinian education system now too? And on Palestinian public opinion? Wow!

(And I particularly like the sly insinuation that Palestinians do not in fact hear information on both sides... in this day and age about the only people on the planet that do not hear from both sides are the Americans...)

And that "consistent majority for peace" did in fact elect Ariel Sharon, and looks like it's about to elect Bibi again this time around. Odd, that.

"Senator Feingold said, “I stand firmly with the people of Israel and their government as they defend themselves against these outrageous attacks

And that from the man who acquitted himself with such honour as being the only person that voted against the Patriot Act.

To be alive in these times is to become a connoisseur of and savourer of the many different shades that disappointment actually comes in.

The Resolution demands that Hamas take multiple steps towards peaceful resolution but demands that Israel do absolutely nothing. -- Glenn Greenwald

Gee, what irresponsible and egregious demands could they be?

(2) reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket

and mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians; -- Senate Resolution

That's it? That's all?
OMFG how barbaric! How unreasonable! How shocking that anyone demand the right to exist! I can't believe you people are willing to stand by a group dedicated to killing Jews... and sacrifice their own people for PR purposes.

I am under the impression that the one sidedness of Democratic and Republican politicians is the result of their having way too much influence by Israeli and Jewish lobbying. There's a certain amount of promising, you do this for us, and we'll give you so much pay-back.

But I wonder also whether there is just insufficiant recognition that politicians from the United states have a track record for being one sided throughout history.

They almost always voted to steal native American lands and ghetoize the survivors of settler advancement.

They almost always voted to keep slavery going. Even a civil war was not enough to encourage many of them to give people their due.

There's always overwhelming votes for foreign wars of acquisition and revenge for some slight. There's no, lets wait and see what the evidence provides...There's no, let's hear what can be said for the other side.

Actually, we should not be surprised that politicians cannot imagine two sides to any question. At the moment, it seems there is only one party, though with two labels. And that pary understands the world primarily but superficially in terms of us and them.

They think wrongly they will get points for doing what they're doing, for being such slaves.

Option 1: Congress and all of the voices joining us to Israel's hip in the minds of the rest of the world are so utterly clueless that the simple cause-and-effect relationship Juan Cole notes is simply beyond them.

Option 2: Said persons actually understand the cause-and-effect relationship, and for some reason are willing to tolerate, or actually seek to bring about the foreseeable effects of such a policy.

But door #2 would only make sense if, there are significant factions that benefit in some way from massive conflict in the Mideast and terror at home. So that couldn't be it.

Any other options?

Oh, and the J Street thing? Massively disappointing, precisely because their statement is so utterly opaque. So what do we need them for? Milquetoast is already plentiful in Washington.

The incident referenced in the new Turley piece actually occurred in 2004.

Which doesn't make it any less horrific and... you know, I really wear out the word "reprehensible" these days.

It's somewhat like the dodgy video Glenn posted the other day that seemed to stick under some hides like a burr. Raymond Burr, in fact.

That is, it did bother me a bit that it wasn't made clearer by Turley that this is not a new atrocity. Given all the new atrocities that are being reported, it's natural to assume that this is one more demonstration of current sociopathic homicide.

On the other hand, it is relevant to the present insofar as it reveals the same evils that are occurring now in Gaza. Which the Israeli authorities are taking great pains to conceal by forbidding journalists and reporters.