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Civilian populations enable terrorists

Reader comment on item: Have Israelis Finally Learned the Strategic Value of Territory?

Submitted by Michael (United States), Jan 5, 2009 at 12:18

Just as it was the civilian population that enthusiastically gave legitimacy, authority, and power to Adolf Hitler and kept him in power to the bitter end so it is the civilian population of 1.5 million that gave Hamas legitimacy, authority, and power. At any time those 1.5 million Gazans can overwhelm the 20 thousand Hamas terrorists and put and end to their suffering and live in peace with Israel.

Until they do, the Gazan civilian population is responsible for their own tragedy and fate, not the Israelis. Just as in the American Civil war it was the civilian population of the South that prolonged the senseless killing of hundreds of thousands. General Sherman broke the defiant spirit of the Southern civilian population by his march through Georgia devistating their land and property. Humiliating the civilian population pursuaded them that their cause was too unbearable, too painful to continue. Peace quickly followed.

Civilian populations are responsible for the leaders and the government they elect and permit to stay in power. Individuals aside, civilian populations are responsible for the carnage they enable against themselves and others;they are not innocent. The Israelies should take a lesson from General Sherman and General Grant and make life intolerable in Gaza until the will to terror is crushed. The Arab countries surrounding Israel should welcome their Arab brethren into their own country releaving the dense getto that is Gaza and give them a future and full citizenship. The present and the future of Palistinians is one of their own making. Choose death and suffering by supporting terrorist leaders or run the mafioso thugs out of their territories and live in peace with their Israeli neighbors, who are arguably the most humane in the world.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (40) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Could Mr Pipes or anyone help me understand why [623 words]Marcella, USJan 7, 2009 15:38147331
stop the misunderstanding on muslims attitude especially on martyrdorm [228 words]maiyangJan 9, 2009 00:45147331
ARAB EMIGRATION [135 words]CaroleJan 24, 2009 13:18147331
Whose land for peace? [757 words]Halley FaustJan 7, 2009 14:28147322
Media, the Craven Enemy of Humanity -- Ignores Legal Definition of "Disproportionate" and Uses the Sound Bite to Disinform -- Dore Gold Clarifies [205 words]Sofa SogoodJan 6, 2009 07:50147117
No No out-of-context givebacks! [87 words]MelMJan 5, 2009 23:50147089
Israel, That Special Country [241 words]JayJan 5, 2009 20:20147070
Mazel Tov but.. has Ehud Olmert learnt from the mistakes of 2006? [292 words]ShishirJan 5, 2009 13:50147025
Civilian populations enable terrorists [288 words]MichaelJan 5, 2009 12:18147020
The Withdraw for the Sinai was a terrible mistake ( and when many unsolvable problems began ) [69 words]James BurkeJan 5, 2009 10:51146996
Have Israelis Finally Learned that giving up their land which the LORD God has given them is not theirs but Gods! [155 words]VigilantJan 5, 2009 10:30146990
Prove to me that religion is true [74 words]Badr HariJan 9, 2009 15:33146990
Massacre of Israelis [104 words]CaroleJan 24, 2009 12:57146990
Israel should not give up one acre of land...Ever! [91 words]Ames TiedemanJan 5, 2009 09:17146977
i hope israel is not giving up any land [28 words]thomasMar 3, 2010 19:28146977
The Morality of War [173 words]Ralph C Whaley MDJan 5, 2009 08:17146968
Territory [18 words]PhillipJan 5, 2009 07:33146965
Self-defense [168 words]Jolly JackJan 5, 2009 05:31146955
Hamas Out? PA In [325 words]Prof. Paul EidelbergJan 5, 2009 03:11146945
Media, the Craven Enemy of Humanity -- Ignores Definition of "Disproportionate" and Uses the Sound Bite to Disinform -- Dore Gold Clarifies [206 words]Sofa SogoodJan 5, 2009 02:47146942
Disproportionality of Israeli Response ? [349 words]Stephen HughesJan 4, 2009 15:41146884
Disproportionality -- Nonsense [39 words]Romesh ChanderJan 5, 2009 01:45146884
What is a proper proportion in warfare? [75 words]Seamus MacNemiJan 5, 2009 16:59146884
Maximum terror/minimum damage has its advantages (for Hamas) [131 words]MelMJan 5, 2009 17:37146884
Fresh Thinking is Needed [822 words]Steve BermanJan 4, 2009 10:28146863
I wish, but it misses the point: RELIGION [990 words]der AlleswisserJan 4, 2009 20:19146863
If Egypt were to possess Gaza... [48 words]Matthew C. MasottiJan 3, 2009 16:29146765
Egypt does not want any part of Gaza [112 words]Romesh ChanderJan 5, 2009 01:41146765
It's not just about territory [134 words]Fred SchlomkaJan 3, 2009 10:38146744
Have Israelis Finally Learned the Strategic Value of Territory? [2739 words]Tess McNamara B.A. Women's Studies, B.A Family Studies, Student of Islam....(Australia)Jan 3, 2009 04:38146716
Magnanimous Speech. [195 words]SvetlanachkahJan 4, 2009 14:34146716
Bravo Tess! You survived the liberal, academic community, [15 words]Kerry L. WinnJan 5, 2009 08:46146716
All good points except [38 words]ShishirJan 5, 2009 13:37146716
Palestinian People Must Feel the Pain [142 words]John HarrisJan 2, 2009 22:02146698
flaws in the argument [91 words]yuval BrandstetterJan 4, 2009 13:02146698
A brilliant observation Mr. Harris and so true [122 words]Seamus MacNemiJan 6, 2009 09:20146698
Mr. Pipes: I asked you years ago to not use the misnomer. "War on Terror " as there is no such thing. [77 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Steve BorkowskiJan 2, 2009 16:32146671
Land for Peace policy [114 words]Jon PurizhanskyJan 2, 2009 11:54146656
What about Sinai [61 words]WayneJan 2, 2009 04:14146637
No Wayne [35 words]Kerry L. WinnJan 5, 2009 08:50146637

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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