"For the record, this is not genocide, and no rational person can justifiably call Israel's actions of self-defense genocide against any people," said Sam Sokolove, executive director of the Jewish Federation of New Mexico.Imagine having anywhere between 20 and 100 rockets randomly hitting different parts of the city. Imagine that despite a declared cease fire, these rockets continue to maim and kill your friends and family. Imagine always having to wonder whether or not your next trip to your local pizza parlor or ride on a bus will end in a fiery death. How long would it take for you to demand that your government do something?
Webster's New World Dictionary defines genocide as the "systematic killing of a whole people or nation."
Asked Monday whether he believes Israel's actions are, in fact, genocide, Benton referred to the United Nations' definition. A 1948 U.N. convention said genocide involves trying to destroy all or part of a national group and can include "causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group."
Israel has the right and the duty to protect its citizens. It's unfortunate that the Palestinians in Gaza chose Hamas to run their government, but choose they did. Hamas is responsible for the firing of rockets into Israel. The Palestinians in Gaza are responsible for turning their government, their future, and their lives over to Hamas.
While Israel is by all accounts making every attempt to minimize civilian casualties, there has never been a war where the innocent didn't die alongside the combatants - a fact that Palestinians living in Gaza should have remembered before they put a terrorist organization in charge of their government.
Benton said he didn't want to discuss his "genocide" comment further.It's no surprise that Councilor Benton doesn't want to discuss his foray into international politics. His loose tongue reveals a profound lack of understanding of not only what genocide really is, but of how terrorists use the media to claim victim status. In World War II, Germans taught the world what genocide was. Hamas uses the media and "useful idiots" like Benton to confer victim status that they do not deserve. In both cases, the real victims have been Jews and Israelis - who continue to pay on a daily basis with their lives.
"I regret it," he said. "I'll leave it at that."-ABQ Journal (Subscription)
"My response is we have freedom of speech," [Rabbi Arthur Flicker of Congregation B'nai Israel] said. "He can say whatever he wants, and we have freedom of the ballot, so we can vote him out of there."Amen.
3 comments:
Benton just lost my vote, forever
For starters you have to understand the Arab way of thinking when it come to a cease-fire with people they are fighting against. I've been to that part of the world and did some research. It's a time-out and not a cease all hostilities move. They'll build up thier stocks of weapons, rockets and people and then break the cease-fire and start it again, and yes in the mean time they'll test the waters; like in 2006 when Hezbolah was doing the same thing with Israel and they had enough and turned the IDF, (Israeli Defense Force) loose in Southern Lebanon to clear the area near the border; in this case with Hams by firing rockets into Israel from Gaza. Israel wanted peace with both of these terrorist groups and all they got was nightmares. Israel didn't start this fight, but they sure as hell sure gonna finish it! I truely regret the loose of life, but when you intentionally store arms and bombs in schools, mosques and homes you get what you ask for! It's a tactic they also use so when the IDF bombs or shells those targets they want public and international sympathy, and they get it. They hold human life very cheap and they call them Martyrs when collateral damage occurs which it always will . . .
Put it this way, if Mexico had a drug cartel, (Which they do) which was raiding towns near our border and shooting our towns up and hurting out citizens, (Which thet do) and trying to gain a foothold in this country to run thier drugs too, (Which thet are trying)do you think the U. S. government is going to tolleratre it??? I'll let you answer that as an american . . . So far we have! It's on the horizon and coming real soon because Mexico is on the verge of collapse and Civil War!
babies, children, women are being killed in hospitals, in ambulances, in schools...with the help of our tax money... shame... Israel government just intensified the genocide it has been doing for decades in Gaza. This time before the eyes of the whole world, but, some are blind.
I support Benton.
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