France condemns Israel land offensive in Gaza

[Poll_Blind]

Source: Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) - France condemned Israel's move to send ground forces into the Gaza Strip on Saturday as well as continued Hamas rocket attacks and urged both Israel and the Palestinian group to accept cease-fire proposals.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE5021RQ20090103

---

Other governmental condemnation (among others):

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Protest against Israeli assault on Gaza
Damascus, Syria: Syrian parliament condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza
Athens, Greece: Greece Vehemently Condemns Violence in Gaza
Warsaw, Poland: Poland condemns Gaza violence
Abu Dhabi, UAE: UAE parliament condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza
Helsinki, Finland: Finnish FM condemns Gaza escalation
Madrid, Spain: Spain condemns Israel for Gaza raids
Baghdad, Iraq: Iraq condemns Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

These two agree on anything? Apparently so...
New Delhi, India: Congress condemns Gaza violence
Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan urges world to help stop Israeli aggression

Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches condemns Gaza violence

The list goes on and the ground war has just begun...

PB

[Hope And Change]

1. K & R!

[Sultana]

2. Condemnations won't stop Israel

:(

edit. K&R

[Abq_Sarah]

6. It wouldn't stop me either

If someone were firing rockets into my house, endangering my family.

What of Hamas? Where was the universal condemnation when they were sending rockets and mortars into Israel?

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Abq_Sarah]

8. Whatever

I lived 5 years in the ME and if it taught me one thing that would be the general ignorance of the American population when it comes to the Israel/Palestine issue.

[Roy]

44. But, the veil of ignorance is lifting somewhat...

I see and hear more and more us citizens speaking badly about the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians.

Maybe because they see nearly verbatim justifications of blame the "bombed" for dropping the bombs.

[Poll_Blind]

9. Actually, it doesn't look like you actually visited the links in my OP. IIRC, EVERY...

...single government also condemned Hamas for their rocket attacks.

Did you not bother to read those?

PB

[Abq_Sarah]

10. And what do those governments propose to do

To punish Hamas?

Not a damned thing.

Hamas fires rockets, the world says naughty, naughty!, Israel responds and the outcry is deafening.

There is a double standard when it comes to Israel responding to attacks and it's disingenuous not to acknowledge it.

[marshall]

49. Maybe it will stop Hamas

They gave equal condemnation to the rockets.

[stillcool]

3. the whole world watches..

but then they did with 'shock and awe', and Fallujah as well.

[classysassy]

4. Action not condemnation

why not recall their ambassadors?,and tell Israel to cease and desist.

[Poll_Blind]

5. Cibola, Cibola, bumpity-bumpity-BUMP!

PB

[Hissyspit]

11. France Leads Alarm Over Gaza, Splits With U.S.

Source: AFP

France leads alarm over Gaza, splits with US

36 mins ago

PARIS (AFP) – France spearheaded alarmed reaction from European nations as Israeli tanks and troops pushed into the Gaza Strip, revealing a sharp difference in tone from the official line in Washington. At least 460 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded in an eight-day bombing campaign, according to Gaza medics, as Israeli tanks clashed overnight with Hamas fighters who fired back with mortars and rockets.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the decision to send ground forces into Gaza after a week of air strikes was a "dangerous military escalation", while Britain called for an immediate ceasefire.

The European Union's new Czech presidency said Israel did not have the right to take military actions "which largely affect civilians," though its launching of land operations in the Gaza Strip was no surprise. But the US State Department said any Gaza ceasefire must not allow a return to the status quo.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090104/wl_afp/mideastconflictgazaworld_090104070419

[ashling]

12. There go those crazy French again

:sarcasm:

[subsuelo]

29. Right wing talk radio is going to love this

Crazy French not supporting Israel's terrorism self-defense?? I can't imagine what right wing talk radio will be like after this.

[IsItJustMe]

36. Freedom fries anybody?

[Ghost Dog]

13. Hmmm. That last sentence would refer to this US State Dept. statement:

Situation in Gaza
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
The White House
Washington, DC
January 2, 2009

View Video

SECRETARY RICE: Good morning. I’ve just had a chance to brief the President and to discuss with him the situation in Gaza. Obviously, the United States is very concerned about the situation there and is working very hard with our partners around the world to address it.

I want to begin by noting that Hamas has held the people of Gaza hostage ever since their illegal coup against the forces of President Mahmoud Abbas, the legitimate President of the Palestinian people. The Hamas has used Gaza as a launching pad for rockets against Israeli cities and has contributed deeply to a very bad daily life for the Palestinian people in Gaza, and to a humanitarian situation that we have all been trying to address. But frankly, Hamas has made it very difficult for the people of Gaza to have a reasonable life.

We are working toward a cease-fire that would not allow a reestablishment of the status quo ante where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza. It is obvious that that cease-fire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a cease-fire that is durable and sustainable. I might note that it was Hamas that rejected the Egyptian and Arab calls for an extension of the tahadiya that Egypt had negotiated. But I have been in constant contact with the key Arab states. I have talked with our European colleagues, and we are talking constantly with the Israeli Government to find a solution to Gaza that will be a sustainable one for the people of Gaza, for the people of Israel and for the people of the Palestinian territories of the Middle East more broadly.

The President has also been in touch with the major leaders of the Arab States and with the Israelis. And we’re going to continue our work toward a cease-fire that will not allow a return to the status quo ante and that will be durable. Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Dr. Rice, do you plan to go to the Mideast to broker…?

SECRETARY RICE: I have no plans at this point. Thank you.


Released on January 2, 2009

/. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009/01/113558.htm

[Baby Snooks]

21. Illegal coup?

I thought they had elections. You can sure tell that AIPAC has been spreading the money around the past eight years.

The real illegal coup was in 2000. In this country.

[chimpymustgo]

24. Good catch, and good point. Money spread through the halls of Congress and media.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Condi, Go back to playing your piano, you idiot

[Swede Atlanta]

26. Typical Bush AWOL

She has no plans to visit the Middle East.

I certainly hope she isn't drawing a salary right now from the U.S. Treasury. I would think that would come under her general job description as Secretary of State, the top U.S. diplomat. But being AWOL is part and parcel of the Bush doctrine and to be expected.

Not that I think she or the outgoing administration have done much if any good in the region in the last 8 years or could here she should at least be trying. And that should be more than a few phone calls between her visits to designer clothing stores.

We should all recall that Clinton was engaged in heated efforts with Israel and Arafat in the waning days of his second administration in an effort to get a peace deal. It ultimately fell through but at least he was trying.

Bush and company have just given up. Actually a 'do no harm' policy might be the best for us going forward but then they shouldn't be collecting a paycheck.

[subsuelo]

30. The Bush regime has partners left around the world?

where? :shrug:

[FunkyLeprechaun]

14. Good

There'll be coming EU countries who will condemn this war. I'm hoping for Britain being next, as the newspapers here have condemned Israel's actions in this crisis.

I hope this pressures the US in changing its position on the war.

[Grinchie]

15. Israel has turned into another Sour Ally, just like Somoza, Noriega, Saddam

The Shaw of Iran, Ferdinand Marcos, and the hundreds of other little Napoleans that the U.S. has propped up over the years.

And the ones I mention here are in my short lifetime alone! How many others have there been?

It's shameful.

[lumpy]

48. Great point.

If the US would confine their geo/political 'interests' to the US, we would be in a better position to refrain from taking sides.

[NYVet]

16. The status quo being that Hamas continues firing rockets into Israel?

If that is what the State Department is calling the status quo, then I agree with that statement.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ellisonz]

19. *ribbit* *ribbit*

[byeya]

20. Economic relations

I am hoping that the EU will suspend all importing of Israeli goods until the state of Israeli
exits Gaza and makes reparations.

[chimpymustgo]

25. That's a great idea. The rest of the world must act. Since the US is apparently a puppet of Israel

perhaps other countries will show sanity and humanity toward Palestine.

[remember2000forever]

33. Israel Is A Puppet of the US! No?

Check out the aircraft that they use!

[Andrushka]

22. "alarm"?

Why would any government be "alarmed" any more at what the rogue Israeli state perpetrates on its neighbors or those from whom it has stolen land?

"Alarm" signifies raised eyebrows to me. This latest abhorrence should be condemned with the loudest of protests at the highest levels (hey, one can dream).

[WriteDown]

46. If only someone would come up with some sort of....

two state solution...oh wait...:eyes:

[LeftishBrit]

23. The British and other Europaean governments are also calling for a ceasefire

I support this call. Too much escalation and killing on both sides.

[radfringe]

28. freedom fries again?

repub spew in ...5...4...3...2..1

[Baby Snooks]

31. Stirring the pot...

Hamas should have gone to the UN when Israel violated the terms of the cease fire in November. Instead, Syria stirred the pot. And so when Hamas responded, the US stirred the pot. Too many are stirring the pot.

The United Nations is going to have to change its charter and allow the General Assembly the right to override the veto of the Security Council if the world is going to survive although what it should do is dissolve the Security Council and replace it with a council that is elected by the General Assembly. The problem with the United Nations is really the problem with the United States. That was made quite clear when the United States insisted that only signatories could be held accountable by the International Court of Justice and then refused to become a signatory. That really was the beginning of the end of the United Nations. It died, again, when the United States used its veto to block a resolution calling for a cease-fire. We are no longer the protector. We are the predator. We belong at Nuremberg. The Bush administration made sure there would be no Nuremberg.

The world still demands a Nuremberg.

[remember2000forever]

32. The Post Is "France Leads Alarm"

If only the US had the same compassion, and passion that the French have always had. France is always "kicked around" for speaking it's (not always popular) collective mind.

[Swede Atlanta]

34. Political Control

The reason why France and to a lesser extent other European countries are not afraid to speak with clarity and conscience is the lack of effective control over the political elite by Israelphiles. The U.S. legislative and executive branches are effectively controlled by interests sympathetic to Israel at all costs. That control is exercised by the political contribution pipeline as well as a strong and effective lobbying and promotion machine.

Israelphiles, both Jews and Gentiles (especially hard core evangelical Christians that want to do everything to bring on "the Rapture"), are engaged politically both in terms of their time and money. They rightfully support candidates that support their cause and are not afraid to attack those that do not hold similar views of unqualified support of Israel.

Similarly Israel-philes are well organized in terms of PACs and other organizations dedicated to unquestioning support of the Jewish state. They use these organizations effectively to challenge any questioning of Israel even to use the so-called race card, anti-semitism.

They have effective voices in the media. I do not agree they control the media but have effective voices there.

For these reasons American foreign policy has largely been pro-Israel and anti-Arab/Palestinian.

During the cold war this support was couched largely in terms of Israel's novelty of being the only democracy in the Middle East that served as a balance to Soviet proxies in Syria and Egypt.

With the end of the cold war, this policy gained a new angle with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. It was most timely given that the Soviet Union was collapsing at the end of the 1980s. It has ridden well on the shoulders of the 9-11 attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and of course the nemesis Iran.

The U.S. will never bargain fairly until this foreign policy paradigm is up-ended. That can't happen until effective control of our government no longer lies in the hands of those who support Israel at all costs. I am not opposed to having the government be a strong supporter of Israel but this can't be a blank check and unqualified. Both Israel and the Palestinians must be held to account for their actions.

[remember2000forever]

35. Well Said And A Good Explanation, but.......

I've always believed perhaps something is in the French water? They, as a people, always go against the norm if they even whiff a hint of suppression. Bravo!

[IndianaGreen]

37. Saturday, January 10. National March on Washington. LET GAZA LIVE!

LET GAZA LIVE!
Stop the U.S./Israeli War
Against the Palestinian People

National March on Washington
Saturday, January 10
Assemble at the White House (north side) at 1:00 PM

Sponsoring organizations: ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, Free Palestine Alliance, American Muslim Task Force, National Council of Arab Americans, Al-Awda - International Palestine Right to Return Coalition, and hundreds of others

Flyer for the DC demonstration (click on the link to view a PDF that you can print and reproduce)

There will be coinciding West Coast demonstrations in San Francisco (11 am at Civic Center) , Los Angeles (12 noon at Westwood Federal Building), San Diego (details TBA) and elsewhere.

Calendar of Emergency Demonstrations Taking Place This Week

Statements from the Free Palestine Alliance

The Free Palestine Alliance, a member group of the ANSWER Coalition National Steering Committee, has been writing daily statements about the Gaza Strip Massacre. These are important statements of political orientation from the Palestinian-American community. Click here to read the statements issued by the Free Palestine Alliance.

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
http://www.answercoalition.org/

[fla nocount]

38. Thanks IG,

I can't make it but if not for you I wouldn't have known about it either. You and your efforts are appreciated.

[IndianaGreen]

40. We are having a local demonstration, not sponsored by ANSWER

but by other groups. It is being organized by text messaging.

[Doctor_J]

39. Looks like WW III will be us & Israel vs. everyone else

Sure glad Smirk spent 8 years making enemies.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Doctor_J]

42. Works for me. But then DC would have to try to conduct business

without all of that AIPAC money This would be like you trying to shave without your thumbs.

[IndianaGreen]

43. Money manager Bernie Madoff put a big hole in the pockets of AIPAC's backers

We voted for change, not more of the same!

[Scurrilous]

45. K & R

:thumbsup:

[harun]

47. France is on the right side of this issue. So is most of the rest of the world

[BelgianMadCow]

50. Thanks a lot for the summary. The world watches in horror.

recommended