Newsblogging: Middle East

[teddywolf]

Finally, a Palestinian protest that has some brain:


By IBRAHIM BARZAK

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinian residents of a northern Gaza town demonstrated Tuesday after Israelis destroyed buildings and farms there in a five-day invasion, but in a rare twist, their wrath was directed at Palestinian militants for firing rockets from their property, not at the Israelis.

[...]

Meanwhile, Israeli troops moved back to the outskirts of Beit Hanoun in northeast Gaza but continued to hold territory inside the Gaza fence, where militants often set up and fire primitive Qassam rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot, less than a half-mile away.

Two hours after the pullback, angry residents of Beit Hanoun, a town of 35,000, took to the streets in a spontaneous demonstration, complaining that the militants had caused Israel to destroy their property. It was a rare outburst; most Palestinian demonstrations are aimed against Israel.

The residents said the Israeli military demolished 15 houses, uprooted thousands of trees and damaged the water and sewage systems.

The demonstrators blocked a main road with trash cans, rocks and burning tires in a show of outrage against the militants. Most of the rockets are launched by members of the violent Islamic Hamas.

"They (the militants) claim they are heroes," said Mohammed Zaaneen, 30, a farmer, as he carried rocks into the street. "They brought us only destruction and made us homeless. They used our farms, our houses and our children ... to hide."

Yanno, I don't really have a problem with Palestinians demonstrating over loss of homes or life - I just prefer it peaceful. And I don't blame them when they get upset at Israel because Israel is the most direct link. But I find the ability to go back one more link... refreshing. Gives me hope.

Comments

There is hope yet

[shmuelisms.livejournal.com]

Maybe the simple "man on the street" Palestinians will finally understand that they too can stop the aggression from there side, from the street up, after all the do admittedly suffer the most. Most of the Palestinians leaders are filthy rich (Arafat is a Billionaire!), and not only due to corruption, so they loose nothing.

A famous Israeli poet giving a lecture abroad, was once asked by an angry Palestinian why in al his many songs, he had never found it worthy to write one about the plight of the Palestinians. He quipped in return, that do to spending so much time reading Palestinian poets writing songs about the suffering Israelis, he never had the time.

There [currently] really is no popular (i.e. from the people) Palestinian "Peace Movement", and that's the greatest problem.