Nahariya resident Andre Zilensky who, with the air raid sirens blaring on Tuesday afternoon, raced toward a bomb shelter with milk for his four-year-old daughter. He never arrived, killed in sight of his wife and others who watched from the shelter's doorway, by a Katyusha rocket strike.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Dublin should twin with Beirut as sign of solidarity
Cllr Eric Byrne wants Dublin to twin with Beirut as a sign of solidarity. Really what is this going to achieve. Should Dublin twin with Haifa as well. How about Baidoa. Better thing to do is join up with MacDara's protest march. However don't forget the other side.
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9 comments:
a pretty pointless gesture and even if we did do it I'm sure the people of Beiruit wouldn't really care; they have far more to be worried about.
How about we simply continue with diplomatic efforts at a national and EU level; Israel aren't going to listen anyway but there's more chance of it having some impact somewhere.
I agree that we should remember the deaths on both sides and nobody is suggesting otherwise. however it should be remembered one of the bombing parties is a soverign state and the other is not. the death toll in lebanon is rising every day and at least one third of them are children. the protest is calling for the bombing to stop regardless of which party is bombing. As I have mentioned before if britian had used these tactics do defeat the IRA the world would have been in outrage and they would have interviened a lot quicker.
Join the protest and show your support for all the civilians.
I don't think the situation in Northern Ireland is remotely simliar. England could never have bombed Belfast, for one thing it's a mixed population city, right? They'd be bombing their own supporters too.
I do wonder though. Suppose the IRA were to start launching rockets at England. What do you suppose England would do? Again, I don't think it's the same kind of situation, different in many respects, but I just wonder.
Its not that unsimilar i dont think, Britain controlled all of ireland before retreating to a now hotly contested patch in the corner of the country where the two communities live in isolation of each other (granted, not in nearly as extreme as sense as the middle east). If the IRA, being an irish group, having or having had political representation in the republic of ireland and supporters all over the country, had fired rockets (or planted bombs...) into england, they could theoretically have replied with an attack on DUBLIN which is not to any major degree a mixed population city.
The thing is they would not do this because it would acheive nothing only further violence and a push of public support towards extremists.
England are not THAT stupid. Isreal aren't either - they simply dont care do they?
Michael, the comparison holds more if
-Sinn Fein were in government, as Hizbollah are
-They fully supported the IRAs actions
after two weeks of British bombing and continued IRA bombing of Britain it would be inconcievable that Sinn Fein would still be in governement holding two ministries...this is the case with Hizbollah
Lebennon have huge questions to answer from laying down with Hizbollah and they havent even got up to answer them - this doesnt give Israel a Carte Blanche but the context is very important
Just as a matter of interest, people rightfully criticise Isreal for its pretty merciless use of its considerable fire-power, and the humanitarian outcome it produces.
However, if those who attack Israel had equal fire power, who would be the most vicious? Is hizbollah (sp?) simply constrained by means, rather than having any moral high ground? After all, it too is pretty merciless in using the firepower it has at its disposal. Likewise, does Isreal come in for greater censure simply because it is militarily able to inflict more damage than its opponents, and is a sovereign state?
If all things were equal militarily, is one better than the other?
isrealiMom I would say that if the IRA started up again on Monday. On Wednesday the British army would be back on the streets of Belfast. Do don't need to bomb as they would have control of the land
Following from the mention of IRA bombing, I've just coincidentally written this piece:
http://elblogador.blogspot.com/2006/07/bloody-friday-on-this-day-in-1972-ira.html
Anonymous..
See the irish times letters section today, particularly David Norris's.
Sinn Fein have 5 TD's in the Dail, and during the IRA's bombing campaign in the 70's the irish government could easily have been seen as sympathetic.
Sinn Fein have not only held onto power in the north dispite the bank raid, john mccarthy killing etc but have actually increased their support. Extremist actions push support to all extremes, that is why this war works for israel (90% support) and works for Hezbollah (were losing support for their miliant aspect)
Also whether or not Sinn Fein support the IRA now is dubious, whether they did back in the 70's is a little easier to figure out.
el matador it is true that it is quite possible that given more power there are elements in the middle east that would be much worse than Isreal are now, you could equally ask that if the situation was reversed would ireland have opressed england for '800 years'. The thing is we are all the same at the end of the day, just different circumstances (see sufjan stevens - john wayne gacy jr..). But 'with great power comes great responsibility'
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