Comments on: Why Does Hamas Fire Rockets? (and other questions) http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/ "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:43:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Frank http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-852 Frank Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:43:10 +0000 http://revolutionaryact.org/?p=508#comment-852 Even though I am for armed revolution, I question Hamas launching rockets into Israel. My perception is like a midget taking on a giant before taking a self defense course. It’s a ludicrous albeit knee jerk response to an aggressor. If Israel does not have to pay infiltrators to launch the rocket attacks, the results are the same. In a past rally against Greyhound Bus Lines, I witnessed someone break out of the demonstration, and took a big rock and broke a window on a Greyhound bus. Everyone else around me seemed as puzzled as I was. No one was clapping for him or cheering his act. My immediate reaction was that he was an agent provocateur hired by Greyhound, or part of the police. I cannot be sure, that those firing rockets into Israel are getting paid by Israel, but that they are helping Israel have a pretext to retaliate, of that I have no doubt. One solution is for those of us in the USA, to realize that the US and Israel are joint partners in crime. That the US Government should be exposed for its role in rejecting the Goldstone Report, for using its Corp of Engineers to help build an underground barrier to help bolster the siege of Gaza., and for backing Israel in general. Without US backing,, Zionism would not exist, the siege would end. So the more Americans, become aware of what really is happening in Gaza, the more pressure can be put at the source, the US Government. The pressure could take the form of solidarity strikes, Unions refusing to load cargo bound for Israel, pressuring or exposing US companies doing business with Israel and combating the Zionist misinformation about the Palestinian struggle. But until we have a world revolutionary party capable of leading all this, I doubt much will happen. Even though I am for armed revolution, I question Hamas launching rockets into Israel. My perception is like a midget taking on a giant before taking a self defense course. It’s a ludicrous albeit knee jerk response to an aggressor. If Israel does not have to pay infiltrators to launch the rocket attacks, the results are the same. In a past rally against Greyhound Bus Lines, I witnessed someone break out of the demonstration, and took a big rock and broke a window on a Greyhound bus. Everyone else around me seemed as puzzled as I was. No one was clapping for him or cheering his act. My immediate reaction was that he was an agent provocateur hired by Greyhound, or part of the police.
I cannot be sure, that those firing rockets into Israel are getting paid by Israel, but that they are helping Israel have a pretext to retaliate, of that I have no doubt.
One solution is for those of us in the USA, to realize that the US and Israel are joint partners in crime. That the US Government should be exposed for its role in rejecting the Goldstone Report, for using its Corp of Engineers to help build an underground barrier to help bolster the siege of Gaza., and for backing Israel in general. Without US backing,, Zionism would not exist, the siege would end. So the more Americans, become aware of what really is happening in Gaza, the more pressure can be put at the source, the US Government. The pressure could take the form of solidarity strikes, Unions refusing to load cargo bound for Israel, pressuring or exposing US companies doing business with Israel and combating the Zionist misinformation about the Palestinian struggle.
But until we have a world revolutionary party capable of leading all this, I doubt much will happen.

]]> By: Kate http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-761 Kate Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:12:40 +0000 http://revolutionaryact.org/?p=508#comment-761 Once again, just hazarding a guess here, I'm thinking that maybe the point if you're Hamas isn't to win the battle, but to stay in power. A full scale military victory isn't possible. They know they're not going to wipe Israel off the map. They don't have the means to take on Israel, let alone the US. But I also think that Hamas knows why they came to power. They came to power because there is a lot of anger and frustration in Palestine. Without getting into a discussion about all the reasons the Palestinians might wish to do harm to and seek retribution from Israel, I think we can safely say that there are some unresolved issues that many people in Palestine feel can only be resolved through violence. Therefore, I don't believe that any leader who renounced violence against Israel would be seen as legitimate. Elections were held. Violence prevailed. I think that should tell us something about the mood on the streets in Gaza. Returning to the question of the rockets, I actually think they're kind of a win-win for Hamas. Either Israel ignores them and Hamas gets to maintain their stature without suffering any real losses, or Israel overreacts like they have this time and Hamas gets to stir up anti-Israeli sentiment around the world. I'm quite certain that the past few weeks have been a tremendous recruiting tool for Hamas. Given what's happening in the Gaza strip, do you really think the Palestinians are just going to turn around and decide to forgive and forget? Once again, just hazarding a guess here, I’m thinking that maybe the point if you’re Hamas isn’t to win the battle, but to stay in power. A full scale military victory isn’t possible. They know they’re not going to wipe Israel off the map. They don’t have the means to take on Israel, let alone the US. But I also think that Hamas knows why they came to power.

They came to power because there is a lot of anger and frustration in Palestine. Without getting into a discussion about all the reasons the Palestinians might wish to do harm to and seek retribution from Israel, I think we can safely say that there are some unresolved issues that many people in Palestine feel can only be resolved through violence. Therefore, I don’t believe that any leader who renounced violence against Israel would be seen as legitimate. Elections were held. Violence prevailed. I think that should tell us something about the mood on the streets in Gaza.
Returning to the question of the rockets, I actually think they’re kind of a win-win for Hamas. Either Israel ignores them and Hamas gets to maintain their stature without suffering any real losses, or Israel overreacts like they have this time and Hamas gets to stir up anti-Israeli sentiment around the world. I’m quite certain that the past few weeks have been a tremendous recruiting tool for Hamas. Given what’s happening in the Gaza strip, do you really think the Palestinians are just going to turn around and decide to forgive and forget?

]]> By: Slash http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-758 Slash Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:07:57 +0000 http://revolutionaryact.org/?p=508#comment-758 I agree that the rocket attacks are ineffective and erroding the moral high ground of Palestinians, but I think Hamas fires them because they can't think of anything better or more effective to do. Palestinians have staged peaceful protests and acts of civil disobedience and they have garnered a lot of international support but it really hasn't gotten them anywhere. Maybe they need to sustain it for a longer period of time or to be better at making their vocies heard. The current conflict differs from previous ones in which acts of non-violent disobedience were effective in that in many of those instances (India with Ghandi and the US south with MLK) those societies could not function without the participation of the oppressed population. Israel has long been working on seperating itself from the Palestinian population and aren't nearly as reliant on them for cheap labor as they once were. One last reason why Hamas might be using such a clearly ineffective and morally dubious approach is that they can still say to the Palestinian people at least we are doing something. I think their popularity among the Palestinian people is bolstered by their ability to contrast their approach to the PLO's peace process and ultimatly the attacks may be aimed at shoring up their internal support. I agree that the rocket attacks are ineffective and erroding the moral high ground of Palestinians, but I think Hamas fires them because they can’t think of anything better or more effective to do. Palestinians have staged peaceful protests and acts of civil disobedience and they have garnered a lot of international support but it really hasn’t gotten them anywhere. Maybe they need to sustain it for a longer period of time or to be better at making their vocies heard. The current conflict differs from previous ones in which acts of non-violent disobedience were effective in that in many of those instances (India with Ghandi and the US south with MLK) those societies could not function without the participation of the oppressed population. Israel has long been working on seperating itself from the Palestinian population and aren’t nearly as reliant on them for cheap labor as they once were. One last reason why Hamas might be using such a clearly ineffective and morally dubious approach is that they can still say to the Palestinian people at least we are doing something. I think their popularity among the Palestinian people is bolstered by their ability to contrast their approach to the PLO’s peace process and ultimatly the attacks may be aimed at shoring up their internal support.

]]> By: Dan http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-756 Dan Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:23:40 +0000 http://revolutionaryact.org/?p=508#comment-756 Kate, Hmmmm, that's a very good point. The problem is that the rockets are both providing an excuse and inciting the grossly disproportionate response. I can see that being the motivation, but I wonder why they can't see it isn't effective? Kate,
Hmmmm, that’s a very good point. The problem is that the rockets are both providing an excuse and inciting the grossly disproportionate response. I can see that being the motivation, but I wonder why they can’t see it isn’t effective?

]]> By: Kate http://revolutionaryact.org/2009/01/why-does-hamas-fire-rockets-and-other-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-744 Kate Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:41:16 +0000 http://revolutionaryact.org/?p=508#comment-744 Ok... I'll take a shot at that question. I've been in Iraq, I've had mortars ineffectually fired at me... day in and day out... they never killed anyone... they would occasionally hit something... but even that was rare. I'd say they do it because when someone is constantly firing at you, even if they don't hurt you, it puts you on edge... makes you feel paranoid and under siege at all times. It wears you down mentally and emotionally. Maybe you don't get hurt, but maybe you know someone who almost got hurt... maybe they still have nightmares about it. I don't think the rockets are really about hurting people, I think they're about wearing down the enemy's will to engage in a prolonged battle. Ok… I’ll take a shot at that question. I’ve been in Iraq, I’ve had mortars ineffectually fired at me… day in and day out… they never killed anyone… they would occasionally hit something… but even that was rare. I’d say they do it because when someone is constantly firing at you, even if they don’t hurt you, it puts you on edge… makes you feel paranoid and under siege at all times. It wears you down mentally and emotionally. Maybe you don’t get hurt, but maybe you know someone who almost got hurt… maybe they still have nightmares about it. I don’t think the rockets are really about hurting people, I think they’re about wearing down the enemy’s will to engage in a prolonged battle.

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