Video: Ron Paul laments Israel’s “preemptive” war - HotAir

[Lucille]

Video: Ron Paul laments Israel’s “preemptive” war (http://hotair.com/archives/2009/01/05/video-ron-paul-laments-israels-preemptive-war/)


Not so much moral equivalence as moral indifference: In almost seven minutes, he can’t muster so much as a pro forma condemnation of Hamas. Just what you’d expect from a guy who once asserted in the same breath that (a) he wouldn’t act to stop Iranian nukes and (b) Iran presents no threat to its neighbors. You’ll find that same logic at work here as he rues the spread of “preemptive war” — evidently 3,000 rockets fired into Israel don’t count as a first strike — before reminding America that Middle Eastern warfare is a bloody fact of life. In other words, this might not have happened if Bush hadn’t mainstreamed preemption by invading Iraq. Even though it’s been happening for centuries.

He doesn’t touch on proportionality but it’s clear enough where he stands given his passing reference to thousands of Qassams as “a few small missiles.” The one point I haven’t seen anyone raise on this subject is that the ethic of proportionality tacitly guarantees Hamas’s survival, which in turn guarantees that a two-state solution is impossible. Realistically, there’s no circumstance in which a months-long campaign to destroy the group would be a “proportional” response; the only one that would qualify is if Hamas somehow raised an army to invade and conquer Israel. So long as they’re incapable of doing that, useful idiots like this will criticize Israel for overreacting. And if they ever are capable of doing it, rest assured, they’ll give them moral cover then, too. Proportionality operates in only one direction.

Other bits and pieces to watch for: Ron Paul, who voted for the war in Afghanistan, whining about escalation in Afghanistan, plus his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it defense of Iran intervening on the side of Hamas given the fact of U.S. aid to Israel. Exit question one: He says the Palestinians are living in a sort of “concentration camp.” Whom, pray tell, does he imagine is playing the role of the SS in this analogy? Exit question two: Tangentially related, is it really true as Bill Kristol says that a heavy blow to Hamas in Gaza will be “a real setback for Iran”? Granted, it’ll make the Sunni states in the neighborhood a bit bolder in standing up to them, but how is it going to stop the nuclear program?

I'm not touching this one, and I really wish Paul had done the same.

I am sick to death of both sides, who willingly enslave themselves to never-ending war.

[torchbearer]

Video: Ron Paul laments Israel’s “preemptive” war (http://hotair.com/archives/2009/01/05/video-ron-paul-laments-israels-preemptive-war/)



I'm not touching this one, and I really wish Paul had done the same.

I am sick to death of both sides, who willingly enslave themselves to never-ending war.

The question the author doesn't answer is... if he thinks Hamas is such a threat, why isn't he over there fighting them?

[Zolah]

That's really not worth linking to, it shouldn't get any traffic, seems to be just a general gathering for chickenhawks and neo-cons. The article, so to speak, is just some biased rambling by someone who didn't like hearing a different perspective. I can't honestly lend any credibility to anyone who still thinks Iran is trying to obtain nuclear weapons to destroy Israel.

[paulitics]

"the guy is an Anti-American nutjob, he is not anti-War, he is Anti-American.

And there is a reason why, Murray Rothbard(his idol) was the same way. Both Useful Idiots of the Far-Left who influence them greatly on these issues"

[dannno]

Video: Ron Paul laments Israel’s “preemptive” war (http://hotair.com/archives/2009/01/05/video-ron-paul-laments-israels-preemptive-war/)



I'm not touching this one, and I really wish Paul had done the same.

I am sick to death of both sides, who willingly enslave themselves to never-ending war.

The Palestinians are essentially locked in CONCENTRATION CAMPS. Would you have blamed Jews for firing rockets at Germans during WWII from inside the ghettos and concentration camps had they been locked in rather than imprisoned with guards? Then why blame the Palestinians? Ron Paul was being very realistic in his speech on Gaza. I recommend a 2nd listen.

[Lucille]

He had this one up earlier:

"NYT: Why Israel acted now: To avoid an Obama veto (http://hotair.com/headlines/?p=27421)"


Many Middle East experts believe that Israel timed its move against Hamas, which began with airstrikes on Dec. 26, 25 days before Mr. Bush leaves office, with the expectation of such backing in Washington. Israeli officials could not be certain that President-elect Barack Obama, despite past statements of sympathy for Israel’s right of self-defense, would match the Bush administration’s unconditional endorsement.

Israel should not have to have our approval, or permission, to do anything. It's none of our damned business. That's why I think Paul made a mistake saying anything, and all it did was erase all the progress he's made with the GOP base recently.

You want to be neutral? Then be neutral, and don't make a video claiming to be neutral and then take a position for or against either side.

[Lucille]

The Palestinians are essentially locked in CONCENTRATION CAMPS. Would you have blamed Jews for firing rockets at Germans during WWII from inside the ghettos and concentration camps had they been locked in rather than imprisoned with guards? Then why blame the Palestinians? Ron Paul was being very realistic in his speech on Gaza. I recommend a 2nd listen.

They're chopping off childrens' hands in Africa. There are horrors going on all over the planet.

[Lucille]

"the guy is an Anti-American nutjob, he is not anti-War, he is Anti-American.

And there is a reason why, Murray Rothbard(his idol) was the same way. Both Useful Idiots of the Far-Left who influence them greatly on these issues"

Because to them, Israel = America.

The madness of entangling alliances.

[torchbearer]

They're chopping off childrens' hands in Africa. There are horrors going on all over the planet.

And?

[dannno]

They're chopping off childrens' hands in Africa. There are horrors going on all over the planet.

So what the hell does that have to do with supporting Israel??

[dannno]

He had this one up earlier:

"NYT: Why Israel acted now: To avoid an Obama veto (http://hotair.com/headlines/?p=27421)"



Israel should not have to have our approval, or permission, to do anything. It's none of our damned business. That's why I think Paul made a mistake saying anything, and all it did was erase all the progress he's made with the GOP base recently.

You want to be neutral? Then be neutral, and don't make a video claiming to be neutral and then take a position for or against either side.

He didn't take a side, he said that supporting Israel is morally reprehensible and he is absolutely spot on. He didn't say we should support the Palestinians and give them weapons.

[Lucille]

So what the hell does that have to do with supporting Israel??

I didn't say anything about supporting Israel.

I'm saying we should stay out of it.

[dannno]

Lucille, you have to look at this situation in context. You have to face reality. You have to face the reality that we are supporting Israel, and that part of the argument to end support of Israel is the fact that they are committing genocide against their enemy and locking them up in Concentration Camps.

All day long we hear about Hamas launching rockets into Israel, but we never hear why they are doing it. And as soon as somebody says why, they get attacked and told, "no, the Palestinians aren't treated poorly by Israel, they have made it clear they want Israel wiped off the map." The leap in logic is absolutely defying.

Ron Paul wants to stay out of it, but that doesn't mean he can't go around telling everybody the truth about what is happening.

[Zolah]

You want to be neutral? Then be neutral, and don't make a video claiming to be neutral and then take a position for or against either side.

To be neutral, we would need to end our support of Israel - this is why Ron Paul is talking about why we shouldn't support Israel.

[devil21]

I read some of the comments. I didn't see a single one that actually refuted Paul's view with anything factual. A bunch of Hotair indeed. Even funnier is the comment section is called "Blowback". It amazes me that these same people still wonder why the GOP got killed in the election.

[MRoCkEd]

Just a question: Why did Ron call it preemptive? Isn't it true that Israel was attacked (even if it was "a few missiles")?

I'm not taking sides, I just want to know

[devil21]

Just a question: Why did Ron call it preemptive? Isn't it true that Israel was attacked (even if it was "a few missiles")?

I'm not taking sides, I just want to know

Depends on how far back you go in history to determine what the first "attack" was. But I think he means that Israel isn't making any attempts to encourage peace (by improving the Palestinians lives, which is why they launch the bottle rockets) so just launching such a large and deadly offensive is a pre-emptive strike. IOW, Israel isn't doing anything to help the situation before pulling out the guns.

[angelatc]

This is exactly why I post notices here when HotAir and Malkin have their registrations open.

It would be nice to have legions emerge right about now.

[Anti Federalist]

This is exactly why I post notices here when HotAir and Malkin have their registrations open.

It would be nice to have legions emerge right about now.

Just the fact that they have to dig internet moats around their putrid little sites is telling enough to me.

They do not want to know what people really think.

[Hamer]

wHY ARE WE GIVING LINKS TO HOTAIR? Ignore their site. Have any of us not realized that these sites put stories like this out just so we hugely increase their web page hits; nothing more.

[Danke]

Just a question: Why did Ron call it preemptive? Isn't it true that Israel was attacked (even if it was "a few missiles")?

I'm not taking sides, I just want to know

Depends, I guess.




Saturday, November 29, 2008

Israeli troops wound three during Gaza incursion
By Agence France Presse (AFP)



GAZA CITY: Three Palestinians were wounded when Israeli troops backed by tanks invaded the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, medics and witnesses said.

"The three wounded were evacuated," said Muawiya Hassanein, who heads the emergency services in Gaza.

He said no one was killed in the operation. Witnesses earlier spoke of two deaths while the Israeli Army said one Palestinian appeared to have been killed.

The Israeli Army confirmed it conducted an operation along the border and said there had been an exchange of fire with militants near the city of Khan Yunis.

"A unit conducting a routine patrol along the border fence" spotted armed men who were setting explosives by the fence, a military spokeswoman said.

A small resistance group, the Popular Resistance Committees, said one of its fighters escaped an Israeli strike during the invasion.

Israel began a crippling blockade of the impoverished coastal territory after Hamas won parliamentary elections deemed free and fair by international observers in 2006. The Jewish state further tightened the noose after Hamas ousted the rival Fatah movement in what many have described as an Israeli- and US-backed offensive by Fatah aimed at driving the Islamists from the enclave.

An Egyptian-mediated truce that went into effect on June 19 had virtually stopped violence in and around the Gaza Strip. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel was to ease its siege of the territory but never complied with its pledge.

Various UN and EU officials have decried the blockade as "collective punishment of a civilian population," an act illegal under international law that the Fourth Geneva Convention defines as a war crime.

Despite Israel not lifting its blockade, the cease-fire succeeded in bringing calm until November 4. On that day, the Jewish state shattered the agreement by invading Gaza with tanks and troops in an offensive that killed seven Hamas members. The raid prompted Gazan fighters to resume rocket fire into southern Israel.

Also on Friday, an official said that Egypt plans to reopen the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip for three days from Saturday to allow Palestinians to leave the blockaded territory for the Muslim hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca.

"Egypt has announced the reopening of the Rafah border for three days from Saturday ... to allow the passage of some 3,000 Palestinian pilgrims who hold visas for Saudi Arabia," the official said on Friday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Rafah would be opened only for Palestinian pilgrims leaving the Hamas-run Gaza Strip en route to Saudi Arabia.

But Egyptian authorities also said the crossing was opening on Friday exceptionally to allow 120 sick Palestinians from Gaza to be hospitalized in Egypt.

Earlier this week baton-wielding Egyptian riot police clashed with hundreds of students at Cairo University who were protesting against the blockade and demanding the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

Many Egyptians are strongly against their government's compliance in the siege of the Gaza Strip.

The annual hajj - which starts next week - is one of the five pillars of Islam that devout Muslims must undertake at least once during their lifetime. - AFP, with The Daily Star


Copyright (c) 2008 The Daily Star