|
Post by pieter on Jul 28, 2006 12:26:30 GMT -7
Charles, Thank you for this interesting and informative links. Pieter
|
|
|
Post by pieter on Jul 28, 2006 12:27:43 GMT -7
Charles & Pieter, I think we need to wait & see how this war ends. Carl I think you are right Carl, both the Israeli's and the Arabs may suprise us in one way or another.
|
|
|
Post by pieter on Jul 28, 2006 12:30:03 GMT -7
I don't know if my American friends heared the Israeli minister of defense, but since he is one of the more moderate (Israeli labour) politicians, his statements might indicate that this conflict has a broader base than we think and that the conflict might expand.
|
|
|
Post by pieter on Jul 28, 2006 18:53:33 GMT -7
This evening I watched the Dutch Newsprogram Nova, in which Dutch correspondents were invited who just came back from Northern-Israel and Lebanon. One guy who is an Arab world expert (and was a member of the Dutch Palestine committee, a Pro-Palestinian organisation), came back from Israel, where he and other journalists were invited by the Israeli government, he spoke with Israeli ministers, politicians, old ministers (Olmert, Perez, Peretz and Barak and others), and he said that the Israeli Public relations and information machine was exellent. They have a good communication. A friend from the Embassy told him he was free to believe what he thinks and make his own judgement. He was critical towards the Israeli disproportionate actions. Suprisingly this expert was not attacked by the Israeli lobby or Jewish groups in the Netherlands, who can be (like in the USA) very agressive towards criticasters of Israel. Another journalist (with experiance in Iraq and Afghanistan) travelled the Northern border of Israel, and was on forbidden Israeli military territory, and he interviewed Israeli soldiers, officers and people who lived in the border region. You saw rabbies supporting the soldiers, in their religious duties (laying teffilin, saying prayers) and in a sort of mental support. This journalist said that he found that the Israeli soldiers were very motivated in their job, feeling connected to their civilian brethern and sisters who were under fire, and having a strong bond with their comrades in the army, since they serve three years in the army they form a sort of Brotherhood. There is a strong Brotherhood in the army, and they mourned together over lost soldiers. The soldiers told the Dutch journalists who visited them that they felt a strong support of the Israeli population who send them food and money.
The Dutch correspondent in Lebanon said that it was less safe for journalists in Lebanon, and that everything was under fire there, Hezbollah strongholds, Lebanese army strongholds and camps and army baracks), trucks and fleeing refugees. Strange was his comment that in the beginning of the Israeli attacks the Israeli actions were supported by not only manny Christians, but also Druz, Sunni's and even moderate Shia. And he thought that support came out of a sort of Fatalism, "If we can't disarm and/or defeat Hezbollah, with Allah's support, maybe will manage Israel it". Only when the war spread over Lebanon and the amount of casualties rose, many people cahnged their opinion and became opposed to the Israeli invasion and bombardments.
|
|