The Newsvine Ten Question Palestinian Poll

Hamas claims that they aren't responsible for the rocket fire.

There are sources claiming that Israel had this planned six months back.

Could well be a false-flag sort of thing. Or it could be provacateurs. Don't know for sure. Don't think most other people do, either, on either side of the issue. Intellectual honesty has been sorely lacking in the debate.

Robert:

Only voted for a couple or three of your questions. I'll comment on this one:

Should Israel stay in Gaza until the Hamas is completely driven out of power?

I voted No because Israel should hollow out Hamas, then let Fatah finish the job. Whether that is by ballot or bullet is up to the Palestinians.

Hamas definitely has to go. I think Israel is sending Hamas a very strong message right now. I'm in agreement with Jack on the Fatah issue. I don't necessarily trust Fatah, but they're a darn sight better than Hamas, that's for sure!

I would support a separate Palestinian state, so long as the Palestinian government will recognize Israel and will NO LONGER attempt to destroy Israel. That crap just has to stop. If the installed government will recognize Israel's right to exist, and if it will strictly punish any of its citizens who conspire and/or attempt to blow Israelis to smithereens, I think there could be a workable situation on the table.

Now we just have to wait and see if hell is going to freeze over or if the Christian armageddon is upon us. ::shakes head and chuckles softly:: What a world... What a world.

It's not up to Israel to "create" a Palestinian state.  Here's something to ponder: Arafat was always threatening - for lack of a better word - to declare a Palestinian state, and never did.  I have said it before, while the "land for peace" rubric is usually used only in terms of Israel giving up land for peace; it actually goes both ways, since Israel & the Palestinians have overlapping (to say the least!) claims. Once the Palestinians declare a state - let's assume a more-or-less pre '67 war borders - they will have  both staked an relinquished a claim in taking less than 100% of what lies between Jordan & the Mediterranean; this is  exactl ywhat no Palestinian leadership can or will do.

Hamas is getting weaponry from someone, right? They are being funded somehow.  Who is funding and suppling rockets to Hamas? Isn't it vitally important to know the source of these arms? If we know who is funding and supplying this military effort we'll know who is behind the efforts to create conflict in the region. If it is Iran and/or Syria, which a good number of experts agree on, then there is obviously a more serious matter involved here than just working out a peace agreement with Hamas.

Iran is a major influence in the region. It is suspected they are close to developing nuclear weapons. They presently have capability of long range missiles; something which Israel considers a serious threat to their existance. This Palestinian/Israeli issue is bigger than what appears on the surface. It could blow up (literally) into a major Middle East war if not handled diplomatically. The US can help but will need the cooperation of other powers such as Russia (which is not very likely) and perhaps China who many respect as a growing superpower, militarily and economically. Pressure needs to be put on Iran and Syria to stop funding terrorism.

I believe there is hope for peaceful existance, but it will be very challenging, especially for the Obama administration. I know they will want to get this issue resolved before it becomes a full blown war in the region. An Israeli-Iranian war would benefit no one and could lead to mass destruction in the Mid East. One thing for certain, time isn't going a favourable factor. It is running out. The patience of the Israeli govrnment has run out as evidenced by the actions in the Gaza strip. I don't know how far they will go to ensure rockets no longer attack innocent civilians in Israel. I'm not sure we want to see where this could lead if diplomatic intervention isn't taken very soon.

If there is to be peace, one of the two side will have to be obliterated, and even at that, it only took 19 people to stir the US into two wars... There is no 'real' or ethical solution to this problem. You don't solve 2000+ years of strife with a pen or a sword.

I tend to think the only solution will be when Armageddon occurs.

I guess the people of Gaza are learning a painful lesson in democracy.

According to recent reports from before the Gaza invasion, a majority of Palestinians actually SUPPORTED the idea of a peaceful solution with Israel.

They either should have actually gone to the ballot box, or if  they did vote, cast their ballot differently.

The only thing to go should be the Jewish entity in occupied Palestine and mercifully they should take their epic (the Hebrew Bible) with them.

Ethnic cleansing, daily humiliations and deprivations are a thousand time more terroristic than stone throwers.

Israel is going to have to do something to undue the mess they have created.

They have caused mass suffering and committed mass murder.

Israel has gotten away with stealing land setting up an apartheid system and murder.

For years they could get away with it because they had the blind support of the US and Europe, however this is changing. People here and in Europe are seeing through the Israeli lies and as more documentation come out of the war crimes being done, the support of Israel will erode.  Even Condi Rice who is no friend of Islam has condemned the stealing of more land to make room for more settlers.

Israel will have to begin to change their polices of human rights abuses if they want any cooperation, and will have to start in Gaza.

"Don't care. Think most Palestinians are terrorists"

This would have been my choice without the second part.

"No. He will leave it mostly to Israel."

Also the second part of this one seems misleading to me. He wont do anything, because he needs the pro-israel lobbies. And he'll be putting extra effort into countering peoples fears about the ethnicity of his name.

Take a look at the statistics on this site.  It is is a breakdown by an Israeli Peace Organizaton of casuaties in this conflict since 2000.   The Palestinian children killed to Israeli children is the opposite of what has been reported in the American Press.  I'd encourage all of us to take Robert Blevins' guidelines to heart and look at the numbers.   Demonizing one side or the other has just worked wonders in terms of turning this conflict into a perpetual murder machine.   Maybe it's time to take a different direction, starting with our own preconceptions. 

http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/Casualties.asp

Let the people decide, the common, everyday folk, and I believe that peace will be the path of choice.  Leave it to the region's leaders, and as witnessed here, the situation gets messier and harder to manage.

With all do respect Mr. Blevin, I noticed that one of the answer options of your "poll" was "I don't care, all Palestinians are terrorists". Yet you want your readers to stay within the Newsvine "Code of Honor".

How about rephrasing that answer option into: "I don't care, the Israel is a terrorist state and always has been"

IS THAT WITHIN THE CODE OF HONOR FOR YOU or will you do a GUIDO now ???

Just stop the occupation and the harassment, give them their land and let them have a dignified life. Once they have work, food and education there will be peace. Let them be free

There is a simple solution to peace between Israel/Palestine and it is an easy process to start.

As soon as this current violence subsides, the Israelis should offer up a compensation fund for the Palestinian refugees in exchange for giving up the "right of return".  They should offer up some amount - say $5 billion as a starting point to the negotiations.

The number will end up being higher and perhaps Europe and America could contribute in the name of peace.  However, once someone steps up and negotiates this settlement on the side of the Palestinians (and it gets the seal of approval from the UN and perhaps a few key Arab countries), then anyone that says that Israel does not have a right to exist will be marginalized.  This will have the effect of taking the air out of the extremist side.

The offer itself is enough as it will force Palestinians to debate and decide, very publicly, between taking money in exchange for peace OR committing to driving the Jews out of Israel. 

If they won't take a settlement - which is a better offer than refugees from other countries would get, especially after 60 years - then it will turn world opinion against the Palestinians.

If they do take a settlement then it will prove that there are agreements to be reached and there is an actual chance of a long term peace.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that within 2 years of a settlement with the refugees, Israel would have a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority and the Golan Heights will belong once again to Syria.

"Hamas definitely has to go. I think Israel is sending Hamas a very strong message right now. I would support a separate Palestinian state, so long as the Palestinian government will recognize Israel and will NO LONGER attempt to destroy Israel. That crap just has to stop. If the installed government will recognize Israel's right to exist, and if it will strictly punish any of its citizens who conspire and/or attempt to blow Israelis to smithereens, I think there could be a workable situation on the table."--Mystic Chick

I wholeheartedly agree with every word.

"They don't just WANT land, Maria! Hamas wants Israel's total destruction! Hamas wants to kill all the Jews in Israel."  -Mystic Chick

This is a truth that is overlooked or purposely ignored by most, for example jdoyle who posted @ 17.3, and never even once mentioned Hamas' terrorist aim to destroy Israel.

"I really don't understand how someone could harbor such ill-will towards all followers of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It truly boggles the mind."   -Mystic Chick

Isn't it ironic?  People who harbor such ill-will toward the religious, think themselves to be infinitely superior to them because of their hatred for them.  Satanic really.

"Now we just have to wait and see if hell is going to freeze over or if the Christian armageddon is upon us"  --Mystic Chick

Aw, Mystic now you almost sound like one of them.  Also, it isn't the Christian Armageddon, but the Jewish Armageddon.  It takes place in Israel.  It's mentioned in the Old Testament to the Jews.  In Daniel and Zechariah and other Old Testament prophets.  True Christians won't even be a part of it.

Love, NBMNP!

Israel stands as a beacon of liberty in a sea of hatred.

ISRAEL WILL PREVAIL!

Palestine is like Kwanza. No such thing.

Why the Palestinians?

The Palestinian people have been imprisoned since the internationally questionable Israeli actions decades ago. An entire generation of Palestinians has grown up without a nation, without an identity, and without freedom (or some reasonable equivalent).

Why the Fighting?

With regards to the recent violence in Gaza, to accuse the imprisoned Palestinians of ’starting it all’ is blatantly unfair, because such a viewpoint can only be maintained if the generation-scale imprisonment is ignored. Although there are few parallels to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, any time and any place that millions of people are deprived of the right to govern themselves, the right to travel, the right to basic necessities, the rights to safety and the right to dignity, they will struggle. Dare to contain such a group of people inside a giant concrete fence against the ocean and they will resort to actions no one would normally consider defensible or appropriate. Thus the vicious cycle of violent resistance and violent retribution begins.

What to Do?

Until the root issue, the right to self-governance for the Palestinians, is addressed, this cycle will continue. As prisons are usually unsafe, so shall be Gaza and the West Bank whilst the concrete walls still stand. Therefore, with regards to ‘who started it all’, the roles of captor and prisoner must be examined. This consideration will ultimately provide a safe, secure, peaceful situation for all peoples in the region.

The UN created Israel, the UN can create Palestine.

Give palistinians the west bank, give Egypt the Gaza strip and  be done.

I'm the first to admit all this makes my head spin, but am I to understand that there is proof that Syria and/or Iran is supplying Hamas?  With Israel backed by the US, this sounds like a warm up between Iran and the US.  I strongly agree that Hamas seems to have no interest in peace and also seem to be using their own people to hide amongst, knowing the bloodshed they are causing them.  If they ( Hamas ) are so sure that what they are doing is right, why not take their war away from the densely populated areas of Gaza, and take on Israel at the border.  Because they know they would loose man to man.? So they hide in among women and children and cry foul when a bullet meant for them hits the teenager they are hiding behind.

Anyway, that sounded like a rant, and I'll repeat I have no real knowlege of the history between these two embattled neighbours or a clue how to make everyone involved happy. It just SEEMS Hamas will never recognise Israel's right to exist, let alone give them any peace.

The answer is quite simple. Give Palestine back to the Palestinians. Let the Jews who spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year controlling our media and politicians take their money and put it to better use - they could buy enough land to make a country the same size as what they occupy now - but they would have earned it and bought it without bloodshed.  Let them buy it from a willing seller.  Honestly, for a change.