Denmark: "We have nothing against the Jews"

Source: Islam in Europe

"Principal Olav Nielsen has become a hot name in Palestinian circles. His remarks to the Fyens Stiftstidende newspaper that he would advise Jewish parents against sending their children to Humleh'aven school were extensively discussed.

"It's caused disquiet among the Palestinians all over Denmark. We are perturbed about such a statement from one who worked with children for many years," says Monzer Dodar. He's a Danish-Palestinian, chairman of the anti-discrimination association IDFAD's branch in Fyn (Funen), was a founder of the 'father's group' and resident group in Odense and works as an educator.

He's also on a committee that the Danish Palestinians created to decide how they should respond to the tragic events in Gaza.

"We have nothing against the Jews. There are also many of them who demonstrated against Israel's policies, but we naturally protest against the state, that commits violence and massacre against Gaza's population. And a statement like this from Olav Nielsen contributes to whipping up emotions and destroying our image in Denmark," says Monzer Dodar.

"It might well be that you in the paper sharpened Olav Nielsen's statements but they paint a very dark image of us. He should have stopped the journalist and said that it's not a problem."

"When children are signed up to school, nobody thinks about whether they are Jewish, Christians or Muslims," says Monzer Dodar.

"It's our duty as citizens and humans in Denmark today to say that the image Olav Nielsen paints doesn't fit. There's no reason for people to be insecure and stressed fearing a ruckus which doesn't exist in reality," adds Monzer Dodar.

He himself works with children every day and is a father to three and he doesn't doubt that children will just be children regardless of their background.

"I know Olav Nielsen and respect his work, and personally I think that he blundered in this issue. But the problem for us is how the common Danes react to such statement," says Monzer Dodar, who is afraid that it will cause baseless fear for a problem which doesn't exist.

"I agree with Olav Nielsen that the situation in Gaza caused violent confrontations among the Palestinians in this country, but it will no way affect a certain group in Denmark," emphasizes Monzer Dodar."

Source: Fyens Stiftstidende (Danish)

Previous articles:
- Odense: Background of the shooting suspect
- Odense: Attack against Israelis
- Odense: Danish-Arab arrested for shooting attack
- Odense: Muslims denounce shooting, Jews call for self-restraint
- Odense: Strained relations between Palestinians and Jews

The anti-Israel hysteria, by Pilar Rahola

"Does Hamas have anything to do with freedom, or rather, doesn't it have everything to do with Islamism of a fascist tendency? Is freedom defended by training children to commit suicide attacks and by enslaving women? Is freedom defended by Iran, which supports Hamas financially? Does freedom belong to the terrorists of Hezbollah?"

"I understand that you want to wipe us off the map, just don't expect us to help you attain that goal. The fact that this old sentiment - the gist of a line uttered by a caustic Golda Meir to the Palestinian leadership - is so relevant these days, gives us a sense of the scope of the tragedy the Holy Land has been suffering through for so many decades.

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In fact, this same idea - the need for continued efforts to curb the intended destruction of Israel - lies behind the dramatic military decision made by the Israeli government, one that has again made it an object of wrath for so many around the world.

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As Prof. Joan B. Culla said recently, there can be multiple reactions to the Israel Defense Forces' military incursion in the Gaza Strip, and some of these are justifiably critical. But, given the fact that hysterical reactions abound, lacking any semblance of calm reflection, and based strictly on Manichaeanism and prejudice, there are some questions that must be asked.
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Ari Shavit wrote recently in Haaretz ("A Just but Tragic War," January 1) that "Operation Cast Lead is a just campaign" and that it is also a "tragic campaign." I disagree with the term "just," because, as Golda Meir also said, "We don't want wars, even when we win." A military incursion that causes dozens of deaths can never be considered just, even if it is aimed at the destruction of the Hamas military machine. But can it be considered inevitable?

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Some intellectuals, including Amos Oz, have already warned that the Gaza incursion will lead to a significant new wave of anti-Israel sentiment. But even the Israeli left has taken a very lukewarm position about the incursion. The decision to attack Hamas was made by an Israeli society suffering from fatigue, fed up of not being able to find a way out, or reason for hope. And fed up, too, of the knowledge that the other side is working tirelessly to destroy it.

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Here they are, then, the questions, directed particularly to those carrying signs proclaiming their hatred of Israel through the streets of our cities - most of them the usual suspects, from the certain ones belonging to the radical left, always ready to raise their fist against Israel, to the various sectors of Islamism. It's curious, in fact, this obscene partnership.

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Those who go into the streets claim to do so in favor of the freedom of Palestine. Well, where have they been all these years, as the fundamentalist phenomena that oppressed the Palestinians were on the rise? Does Hamas have anything to do with freedom, or rather, doesn't it have everything to do with Islamism of a fascist tendency? Is freedom defended by training children to commit suicide attacks and by enslaving women? Is freedom defended by Iran, which supports Hamas financially? Does freedom belong to the terrorists of Hezbollah?

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Those who protest in the streets also say they do so out of solidarity. Well, solidarity with whom? With Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, who has been less critical of the incursion than any European carrying a sign? With the Palestinians who do not agree with having the financial aid sent to their people being used to build armies and prepare bomb attacks? Do they wonder what happens to these funds? Does solidarity with the Palestinians mean defending terrorism and excusing Hamas' aggressions? Is peace defended by boosting Palestinian leaders who do not believe in it?

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It is true that the intolerant left lives better by being anti-Israel. And it is also true that, in the face of complex realities, the vociferous masses prefer the simplicity of the "good" and the "bad." But, beyond prejudice, facts are stubborn. Israel withdrew from Gaza, leaving intact the economic structures it had created. Hamas destroyed them all, and took advantage of the withdrawal to prepare an army of destruction. And hundreds of missiles later, it continues its preparations. The silence of this left, which is so loud today, has been very significant. What is happening in Gaza is tragic. But it did not start with the Israeli incursion. And to put all the blame on Israel is comfortable and simple, but useless. Because the main enemy of the Palestinian people comes from within."

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Source: Haaretz

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Pilar Rahola is a Spanish-Catalan journalist. She writes a regular column for the Barcelona paper La Vanguardia, where this article originally appeared in Spanish.

- Cross-eyed Europe. The Protocols of the Sages of Information, by Pilar Rahola (2003)

- Apology of evil, by Pilar Rahola

Israel is (always) wrong, stupid !, by Claude Moniquet

"No one is asking how Hamas was able to bring into Gaza "under absolute blockade" some tens of thousands of rockets and missiles or the components serving to manufacture them, arms, munitions, mines, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft cannons, but… no food or medicine for the population."

"If you put aside the United States, the Czech Presidency of the European Union - which expressed the view on Saturday, January 3 that the Israeli operation was "defensive" and not "offensive" – as well as several politicians and media who are isolated and not in tune with the rest, Israel has been again, for the past dozen days or so, subjected to rapid fire criticisms, each more virulent than the others.

"Aggression", "a disproportionate response" leading (obviously) to a humanitarian crisis, and "massacre", are the words and the ideas that come up most often in print and in the mouths of commentators. Some will even go further and categorise as "cynical" or proofs of "mental cruelty" the warnings sent out (via flyers, the radio and even by telephone) to the inhabitants of buildings targeted for bombardment and enjoining their evacuation. It is perfectly clear that no one will make the effort to note that the Israeli Army is, without doubt, the only one in the world to operate in this manner. Just as no one will dwell too long on the fact that dozens of Palestinians from Gaza - including women and children who were victims of the bombardments - are presently being cared for in the hospital of Ashkelon, in … Israel.

No, it is easier to condemn Israel. Surely, it is customary, almost a Pavlovian reflex. Is Israel building a wall to defend itself against a wave of attacks that have caused hundreds of deaths since the start of this century ? It’s a crime. Is Israel practicing the "targeted elimination" of terrorists ? That’s assassination. Has Israel launched a massive offensive to force reason upon an organisation devoted to its destruction which has launched from its territory thousands of rockets and missiles since the evacuation of the Gaza Strip in 2005 ? That’s still worse !

This cheap sentimentalism would have it that Israel, a strong State, is always wrong and the Palestinians, a small and oppressed people, is right about everything. Such a position is very practical, since it avoids asking a lot of questions and having to deal with unpleasant realities. The good souls who have been marching in Europe for several days now under the flags of Hamas don't make an effort to read, for example, a document in which that organisation sets down in black and white that "Jihad [is] its path and death on God’s route is the most distinguished of their hopes" (article 8). The European diplomats who hasten to the bedside of this same terrorist organisation will certainly not read this passionate document in which the following is also stipulated: "The initiatives, the supposed peace solutions and the international conferences urged to settle the Palestinian question go against the profession of faith of the Islamic Resistance Movement" (article 13).

No one is asking how Hamas was able to bring into Gaza "under absolute blockade" some tens of thousands of rockets and missiles or the components serving to manufacture them, arms, munitions, mines, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft cannons, but… no food or medicine for the population.

No one is asking what other State would have waited two and a half years and thousands of rockets before responding? France? Great Britain? Algeria? Russia?

No one is asking what has become of the 2,000 to 3,000 Palestinian Christians of the Gaza Strip. They are not interesting, since they have been trying to flee from the terror for months now - not the terror of Israel, alas, but that of the green fascists. They even dynamited the only Christian bookstore of the city before assassinating its owner (how about that? no demonstration on that occasion…).

No one is asking why the entourage of Mahmud Abbas put the blame for the conflict on Hamas and not on "the Zionist entity." It would be annoying in fact to recall, for example, that the terrorists of Hamas assassinated more than a hundred supporters of the elected President and members of Fatah when they took power in Gaza (how about that : there was no petition. When dozens of Palestinians were "executed" by their "brothers", that did not interest anyone. Strange, isn’t it ?)

No one is asking how a movement that spreads reports on women ready "to blow themselves up among the swine and monkeys" (broadcast on al-Aqsa, on December 30) and which encourages children to become martyrs can have the nerve to express indignation over their deaths. And no one makes us say what what we do not say: the death of a Palestinian child from Israeli bombs is a cause for suffering, but the real guilty party is Hamas, not Israel …

But all these questions (and plenty more) are in vain, uninteresting and rather stupid in the end. They in fact risk leading us to think that Hamas is a totalitarian and terrorist organisation which should be fought. And that is something we would absolutely not want to consider, right ? That is not the essential point. The essential fact is that Israel is wrong. When will you finally understand that ? Sleep on, you brave folk. The world is simple and the media create your dreams for you."

Source: ESISC (in pdf)

Belgian politician hints at bringing Israel’s leaders before international courts

"A Belgian politician said Israel’s government will have to account for what is happening in Gaza, hinting that it should one day be brought before international courts.

Speaking on RTL television, Elio Di Rupo, president of the French-speaking Belgian Socialist party, said Wednesday that even when you understand the Israeli desire to defend itself or to destroy Hamas, "nothing can justify the killing of civilians, women, children."

"When I see these images of civilian deaths, of children, I have tears in my eyes. It is unacceptable. I cannot understand why such a suffering," he said.

"The Israeli people has the right to leave in peace and security, the same for the Palestinian people," he added.

He said the Israeli government took advantage of the US presidential transition and of the EU measured attitude to act. (...)"

Source: EJP
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This is a translation of Mr. Di Rupo's words (extracts) :

Killing in cold blood

"What the Israeli government is doing in cold blood - killing innocent people, killing women and children - is totally unacceptable and I think that what happened in some parts of the world, I mean some people were dragged before international courts, should happen to those men and women who are responsible for what is being done [in Gaza]. There is nothing that can justify killing civilians. Nothing can justify killing children, women ... people like you and me. (...) I believe that one day or another they will be brought to justice. "

(...)

Jewish population - remorseless

"I must tell you that I have more than sympathy for the Jewish population, I feel a form of love for them. But I also wish that the Palestinians live in prosperity and peace. And this cold blooded and remorseless attitude, while witnessing schools being destroyed and all those deaths, is unacceptable. It is totally unacceptable. "

Sources :
- RTL (video in French: Elio Di Rupo sur Gaza : Trainer certains devant les tribunaux internationaux)
- Parti socialiste belge: traîner le gouvernement israélien devant les tribunaux internationaux
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See also :
NGO "Lawfare": The Exploitation of Courts in the Arab-Israeli Conflict (NGO Monitor monograph)
Belgium: Ariel Sharon and the Limits of Universal Jurisdiction (the case against Ariel Sharon in Belgium for his alleged responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila massacres, page 24)

European Commissioner Louis Michel: "Israel is ridiculing international humanitarian law"

"Even if it is true that Hamas is a terrorist organization..." .

"An EU official denounced the Israeli operation in Gaza as "unacceptable" and said "Israel is ridiculing international humanitarian law" which obliges states to protect the civilians.

EU Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Louis Michel, said in an interview published Wednesday in the Belgian daily newspaper La Dernière Heure: "One must continue to put a maximal pressure to stop the operations and secure the access to humanitarian aid. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. No more drinking water, no more electricity, hospitals in very bad shape."

"I am indignant when I see that there is little notice of the side damages suffered by one and a half million people who live in a tiny strip of land," Michel added.

"More than 100 civilians have been killed," he said.

While expressing a positive view on French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s action in the region, Michel denounced US President George Bush’s declarations "who is doing nothing to create a climate of appeasement propitious to peace." "Even if it is true that Hamas is a terrorist organization," he added.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has announced an extra 3 million euros (4.2 million dollars) of emergency aid to the Gaza Strip.

Last week, Michel said that "blocking access to people who are suffering and dying is also a breach of humanitarian law.""

Source: EJP
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Louis Michel's son, Charles Michel, who is the Belgian Minister for Cooperation, declared at a press conference in Ramallah on 4 March 2008 that he was "shocked" by Israel's conduct : "Israel's reaction is excessive and disproportionate. It is against international humanitarian law."

This is what had prompted Israel's "excessive and disproportionate" reaction, according to Charles Michel:

- During January 2008, 241 rockets and 136 mortar bombs were fired from Gaza at Sderot and the western Negev. (more details here)
- In February 2008, 257 rockets and 228 mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at the western Negev. (more details here)
- In March 2008, 196 rockets and 103 mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at the western Negev. From March 1-6, 300 Israelis were wounded by rocket fire. (More details here)
- April 2008: Two civilian employees were killed in a terror attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal (9 April). Four IDF soldiers were killed in clashes with terrorists in Gaza (9 and 16 April). Palestinian terrorists attack crossings which supply them with food, fuel and medicines. (More details here)

Why Israel had to carry out such an operation?, by Dimitri Dombret

Source: European Friends of Israel

"To better understand the ongoing situation in the Middle-east, a brief historical overview is necessary.

Since 2001 more than 7000 rockets and mortar shells deliberately targeting civilians have been fired onto Israeli cities neighboring the Gaza strip. This permanent threat to the Israeli population has tremendously changed the lives of thousands of citizens and caused the deaths of dozens while more than 1,000 were wounded.

In September 2005, Israel withdrew completely from the Gaza strip and dismantled all of its settlements.

In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections. Rule over Gaza passed to the Islamist organization government led by Ismael Haniyeh.

June 25, 2006, Gilad Shalit was abducted by the Hamas from Israeli soil – An act of aggression and provocation from Hamas to which Israel refrained from responding.

In June 2007, Hamas during a bloody putsch took control of the Gaza Strip, brutally killing dozens of Fatah members while chasing out the rest.

In June 2008, a 6 month truce negotiated by Egypt was expected to lead to calm, both for the inhabitants of the Negev and for the population of Gaza. This truce was not respected as many rockets and missiles were fired into Israel from Gaza.

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Hamas has exploited the six-month ceasefire to smuggle an enormous amounts of weapons through tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, including Iranian manufactured Grad-type rockets that have a range of up to 40 km. This kind of rocket has hit for the first time a school in Beersheba on December 31. There were no casualties since the school had been evacuated the day before.
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After the Israeli withdrawal, the Hamas – with total control over Gaza – could have improved the daily life of the Gaza’s citizens by concentrating its energy on the economic development of the region and ceasing its cross-border attacks. Such a step from the Islamic movement would certainly have convinced the Israeli government and the entire world community that it was capable to change. Then, it’s more likely that the Israeli authorities would have been willing to make a similar withdrawal from the West bank where most of the Palestinians reside which would subsequently lead to the constitution of a Palestinian State.
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Israel has tried, unsuccessfully, to send many signals to the Hamas in order it stops its attacks. Israel could more or less get along with a low amount of short range rockets, the constant increase of field of rockets finally left no choice but to intervene against the Hamas. Israel, as every Nation, has the duty to protect its citizens.
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It must be clear that not a single responsible Member State would sit back in silence and do nothing as its citizens and territory came under constant attack. They would not lay idle as the alarms in Sderot, Ashkelon, Beersheba and tomorrow possibly Tel-Aviv? - blare "Colour Red, Colour Red", giving Israeli civilians less than 15 seconds to protect themselves before the rocket slams into their lives, their homes, hospitals, kindergartens, schools, and playgrounds.
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After 6 months of truce, Hamas decided unilaterally to break it and was not only willing to cease attacks. Instead, it mocked Israel’s inability to counter attacks, explaining that the Jewish State was paralyzed by its domestic politics. Hamas thought that Israel’s will to renew the truce was an acknowledgement of weakness that allowed it to continue firing and acquiring longer range rockets.
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The decision to launch Operation 'Cast Lead' was not easy for the Israeli authorities but they managed to carry out an operation that could obviously no longer be postponed.

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Yet, Israel has declared that it does not intend to reoccupy Gaza but only to make sure that all the military capacities of Hamas will be dismantled. The aim is to make the operation as short as possible. Unfortunately, Israel cannot allow pressures to freeze its operation as long as Hamas’ aggressions have not been eradicated. Israel cannot allow a return to the previous status quo ante or, worse, a victory for Hamas. This would be a catastrophic scenario which would weaken not only Israel in the long term but would certainly put the Middle-East into an era of unprecedented chaos, strengthening the conviction of Islamist extremists – including Iran – that Israel can be defeated.
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As Karel Schwarzenberg, the EU presidency’s Foreign Affairs Minister stated few days ago: "Let us realize one thing: Hamas increased steeply the number of rockets fired at Israel since the ceasefire ended on Dec. 19. That is not acceptable any more".

It is Israel’s interest; it is Palestinian’s interest and the world’s interest to make sure that Hamas – which is on the European terrorist organizations’ black list – will be neutralized."

To read more :

Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Civilian casualties in Operation Cast Lead

(last updated 5 January)

Different values: Israeli soldier and Hamas/Hezbollah 'soldier'

Source: Der Terrorist blog