Qalbu Adeyge. Unlike your hateful self, I wish nothing but the best for puntiland. I just get frustrated with them because they continuously shoot themselves in the foot by supporting the wrong and shameless trying to force it down everyone throat. I have no fantasies depicting people in puntiland into prisoners of war, nor do I want to subjugate them, I just wish they would learn that it is OKAY not to agree with your leaders/ former leaders, it is OKAY you don't have to stick up for every loser that happens to be from your clan and you certainly don't have to defend them. As for congratulating them for peaceful transfer of power, they are expected (after 10years) to transfer power safely and successfully, this is the same thing I say for Somaliland, you cannot be proud of something so simple (as transfer or in SL case registration), particularly when one has so much potential. I'll be proud and will congratulate them when they build cities, raise the living standard and invest in their population, or when their people have bigger aspirations that capturing or recapturing or fighting the skinny on the other side. Is pointless being proud at this stage, it means you have no hope and is content with below basic.

Subxanllah

Heheh @ the lies and sound bites, "he was a visionary leader and fair and democratic elections". You'll must be robots to keep repeating this without blinking. Just say we'll get better and do better next time. Stop shooting yourself in the foot by continuing to defend losers like Cadde and Yey. Or is it a case of “Qabili kina kaa weye” and therefore you cannot say anything negative or even balanced regardless of how bad they are.

So they want a bigger share of the pie rather than out of it all as few people here have been telling us. In fact if his numbers are correct, there are more politically active people in Awdal than Burco. The SNM history might not go down so well in Awdal, and probably unfair to make children forcefully take it in school (I don’t see the benefit of this other than make people live in the past) but I doubt anyone can reasonably argue that SNM massacred thousands of people for no apparent reason. What ever mistakes they made, they certainly were not motivated diigyo caab.

What on earth is going on?????? Naxar Nugaaleed Do you realise you have the Somaliland flag as avator?? miis I am missing a big joke? :confused: What did you do with the original Naxar Nugaaleed? P.s. There is something very strange going, This can't be as the result of the latest so called elections. Really people need to have more faith in what they believe in and give their newly formed wobbly states a chance. Are people jumping ship already because of few (ok big they may be) mistakes.

Faheema Wow, so nice to see you, do you have connection now?? Wlc back to earth LOL Hey lily, I need chocolate, Ms DD are you and Bilkiss up for some chocolate drink race late?? Hi to everyone else

Originally posted by NGONGE: ^^ In 1999, my dear, you were still at school. Eavesdropping on the discussions of old ladies waa edab daro. As for Mr ME, he is my new disciple and is already singing the saint NGONGE gospel. You're confused because yarko waa reer Hargeysa. You know what a strange accent those people have. The day "ME" starts singing your tune will be one strange day, I think I would be sad you know! Leave him be! I was in school, but I was always a young-old- lady

Ngonge you must be mad, the BAA TA JAA aad haad iska uu diigisey I knew in 1999!!! Arguing with "ME" is like going in big circles, you think you agree, then he does 180degree turn somewhere and you end up arguing about something else. I think he just likes making people write and write and write somemore. SO Ngonge, just damit write!

^^^LOL

Cynical lady thanks.

^^Amiiin. Nabad why would some online article bother you so much. Puntiland have to make and determin their future like everyone else. Duuco iyo haabar toona waax ciid kaa taar mayaan

A few more articles, a website, a dispora named mouthpiece, then they need to do few anti somaliland demos in Borame and then do a pro somalia outing, wave the blue flag and keep it flying over their town.

War booty means rape in this world and historically always has, I don't know what world you live in. No point back tracking now, online waax kaasta waa laa iskaka haadla. I don't need to threaten you, baal go and say that to someone in real life, and once you are able to type again if you ever can, do report back.

Red sea adiga aay baa nacasnimo kaa muuqaata. Leave him, let him be, I want him to say that to burcaawiiet in real life, then her qac cousin and brother will teach him a good lesson for fantasising about raping prisoners of war. Daaka waa loo seeta dheeryeh, soon they will get brave in real life and slap their own face-- In this case knock down.

RIGHT; teaching me a lesson which consists of calling me a barbie and saying you are going to rape women as prisoners of war, once you overrun Somaliland. Someone forgot to tell you, that was before 1991 with a Somaliweye army, which was wrongfully misused. It is shame to see people (particularly someone young) with such dreams. Akhaas, you just told us what kind of weak human you are, pirateland would be ashmed of you and your likes. :rolleyes:

^^Naag taa adiguuna haa kaka sii caabadini eh. :cool: It is really my fault, every little boy baa iiso digitey all of a sudden. I think the buu come hither moodey, yaa waax uu qoosli jireh. Originally posted by NGONGE: quote:Originally posted by me: quote: Originally posted by General Duke: ME: As ususal you make no point and keep going around in circles. The principle is very simple. Every clan should run its own affairs. Every clan should run its own land and administer it. We have all seen how the people of PL suffered under the corrupt regime of Cade Muse. Whats coming will be much worse. So yes the people of Maakhir have my personal support and I would encourage them to take their own destiny in the only hands that can be trusted in today's Somalia, their own. You got there in the end, huh? WOw Ngonge, you bloody worked fast!!!

Originally posted by Qalbi-Adeyg: quote:Originally posted by *Ibtisam*: Mr. Qalbi Adege; sorry dear, There is no reason to be caadow to Pirateland, they seem to be their biggest caadow most of the time. ***** **** ***** **** Puntland is stable and has a vibrant economy that is not build on khat. Remember that lil secessionist feline. This was a democratic process, with a transfer of power, something rarely seen in africa. The individual leader's clan or his region is irrelevant, what's important is puntland state and inshallah it's going in the right direction But continue hating. :cool: Originally posted by Qalbi-Adeyg: Africaown Do you feel neglected? The burco ***** is one ***** little girl like all somalilanders. Let me ask you, what is the concern of secessionists on who gets elected in puntland? Do you see me complaining about the clanist enclave you call a country? run by the three *****? Lol, ***** ***** baad taahey, so there really is no point talking to a little boy like, maybe when you grow up and learn how to engage with adults. P.s. Since ALL Somalilanders are so ignorant, why do you bother running around after them on the forum, like a teenage boy in heat. Don't bother answering, use it as self reflection. EmperorEven if no one likes him, on SOL and on land in Puntiland, some good can still come out of him and anyway it is about the people he brings with him rather than just the individual, maybe if he has a strong team... [ January 09, 2009, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar ]

^^^try student corner Rooble. A&T, I think you are stuck on me :rolleyes: Please iga fuuq, I am not any more western than anyone on this forum. Like you I went through a British system of education, SO WHAT? I can still call a spade a spade. Mr. Qalbi Adege; sorry dear, There is no reason to be caadow to Pirateland, they seem to be their biggest caadow most of the time.

Originally posted by Faarax-Brawn: quote:Originally posted by Hunguri: Today, Abdirahman Faroole of Beesha (------) have won the presedintial seat of Puntland. It was obvoisely a vote from 65 Puntland legislators or parlamentirians. The 65 members was an agreement passed and approved by the elders of Beesha (-----) in the conference of Garoowe 1998. (1)Mudug ( belongs to the ruling tribe) (2)Nugaal (Belongs to the rulling tribe) (3)Karkaar (Belongs to the rulling tribe) (4)Bari (Belongs to the rulling tribe) The capital, belongs to the rulling tribe. The out come and tax cuts of the business and civilians, and the entire benefit of the infrustructure goes to the rulling tribe. The speaker, was a card played by the rulling tribe to single out certain candidates to the presidential post, in order to defeat in a ratio of 4 to 1. Those who voted, no matter what financial card played. But, clearly hail to one entity. So, Vote is theirs. In conclusion, that was a wonderfull Sumo wrestling match. And, no regrets of General Ilka Jiir, and the Makhirians. As they left no stone un-turned to bring reall change in Puntland. However, Puntland is heading to the road of distraction and disintegration. Puntland new and former Presidents. (1)Abdillahi Yusuf ( Coussin of Faroole ) (2)Jama Ali Jama ( Cousin of Abdillahi ) (3)Cadde Muuse ( Cousin of Jama Ali Jama) (4)C/Rahmaan Faroole ( Cousin of all of them ) What a one man show movie!!!!!! Let us wait and see! The People of Puntland have spoken. The Elections were fair and free. This is a true nomadic entity,where the cultures of the camel herders still reign supreme. Just like the Geeljires, The bigger,richer and more influential family gets to lead the others. If i were a Puntlander[god forbid ], I would support a member of my clan too. This is NORMAL. So,Hunguri,Che & the rest of the disgruntled cousins, You are not made to be rulers, you are just followers. Please Know YOUR place in[this]society.If you want to rule and be the boss of your people, arrange your very own election and leave this one to the owners. FB, there no election, it was a selection by the elite, the population had nothing to do with it, so they have every right to moan and complain, not that it would do much. Boys get line and three years is nothing and puntiland will still be here, better luck next time.

* ^^^ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG**** deep breath 1, 2, 3, Poker Why don't you call both, and while you are at it, please add Iraq and afgan as well, and also, it would be nice if after that you can send $100 to each person you speak. It would be better for you and Inshallah Allah will reward you. ***There is a poll on the Metro website asking the following question "Should Gordon Brown unambiguously condemn Israel for the asault on Gaza?" The yes vote is currently only 21% whilst the no vote is 79%. Please click here and vote yes and forward to your contacts Some may ask what good this will achieve but we know what impact PR can have on general public opinion and the Metro will publish results in tomorrow's paper. A significant yes vote can help influence peoples opinions in the right direction i.e. in our case to the "yes" vote.

^^^ North, why do you think so how by freezing your feet off or get cuts is going to "HElp" you feel Palestines pain :rolleyes: It is a symbolic action :rolleyes: P.s. There is a poll on the Metro website asking the following question "Should Gordon Brown unambiguously condemn Israel for the asault on Gaza?" The yes vote is currently only 21% whilst the no vote is 79%. Please click here and vote yes and forward to your contacts Some may ask what good this will achieve but we know what impact PR can have on general public opinion and the Metro will publish results in tomorrow's paper. A significant yes vote can help influence peoples opinions in the right direction i.e. in our case to the "yes" vote.

North are you asking for dreams in an ideal world or realistic solutions. See I have a lot of ideals, close or even fruther down the line than Iran's so called wipe off, you can never trust them to adhere to any peace plan, they could not do it during the prophets time, and they certainly not going to do it now when they have the upper hand in power. P.s. There is a poll on the Metro website asking the following question "Should Gordon Brown unambiguously condemn Israel for the asault on Gaza?" The yes vote is currently only 21% whilst the no vote is 79%. Please click here and vote yes and forward to your contacts Some may ask what good this will achieve but we know what impact PR can have on general public opinion and the Metro will publish results in tomorrow's paper. A significant yes vote can help influence peoples opinions in the right direction i.e. in our case to the "yes" vote.

Allahu Akbar, Now we need a nutter in Syria with a Rocket in his Garden to set it off and creat the illusion that there is a fraction there too. Drag there fat Arab leaders into the war, kicking and screaming. I would not be suprised if it is not a just an angry individual who happened to have access to a rocket.

Val, Here is a chocolate shake and cake to you and your time here *Ka chin* Many more years

In a rare moment of honesty, the New York Times divulged the real motive behind the bombardment and invasion of Gaza. In Ethan Bronner's article, "Israel Weighs Goal: Ending Hamas Rule, Rocket fire, or Both", Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon said, "We need to reach a situation in which we do not allow Hamas to govern. That is the most important thing. If the war ends in a draw, as expected, and Israel refrains from reoccupying Gaza, Hamas will gain diplomatic recognition...No matter what you call it, Hamas will obtain legitimacy.” According to the Times: "In addition, any truce would probably include an increase in commercial traffic from Israel and Egypt into Gaza, which is Hamas’s central demand: to end the economic boycott and border closing it has been facing. To build up the Gaza economy under Hamas, Israeli leaders say, would be to build up Hamas. Yet withholding the commerce would continue to leave 1.5 million Gazans living in despair." (Israel Weighs Goal: Ending Hamas Rule, Rocket fire, or Both; Ethan Bronner) If Israel wants to prevent Hamas from "obtaining legitimacy," than the real objective of the invasion is to either severely undermine or topple the regime. All the talk about the qassam rockets and the so-called "Hamas infrastructure", (the new phrase that is supposed to indicate a threat to Israeli security) is merely a diversion. What really worries Israel is the prospect that Obama will "sit down with his enemies"--as he promised during the presidential campaign--and conduct talks with Hamas. That would put the ball in Israel's court and force them to make concessions. But Israel does not want to make concessions. They would rather start a war and change the facts on the ground so they can head-off any attempt by Obama to restart peace process. Just days ago, Obama advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, said in a televised interview, that the last eight years proves that resolving the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is critical to US interests in the region. He added that the recent fighting shows that the two parties cannot achieve peace without US involvement. Brzezinski's comments suggest that, at the very least, the Obama camp is considering low-level (secret?) talks with Hamas representatives. Every day that Hamas abstains from violence; its legitimacy as a political party grows and the prospect of direct negotiations becomes more likely. This is Israel's worst nightmare, not because Hamas constitutes a real threat to Israeli security, but because Israel wants to install its own puppet regime and unilaterally impose its own terms for a final settlement. Neither Ehud Olmert or any of the candidates for prime minister have any intention of getting bogged down in another 8 years of fruitless banter like Oslo where plans for settlement expansion had to be concealed behind an elaborate public relations smokescreen. No way. The Israeli leadership would rather skip the pretense altogether and pursue their territorial aims openly as they have under Bush. And the goal is the same as always; to integrate the occupied territories into Greater Israel and leave the Palestinians trapped in bantustans. Negotiations just make that harder. Ariel Sharon's senior advisor, Dov Weisglass, clarified Israel's position three years ago when he admitted, "The disengagement [from Gaza] is actually formaldehyde. It supplies the amount of formaldehyde that is necessary so that there will not be a political process with the Palestinians... this whole package that is called the Palestinian state has been removed from our agenda indefinitely." "Formaldehyde"; that says it all. The point of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was to silence critics and to make it appear as though the Palestinians had achieved some type of statehood. It was a complete sham. Sharon believed that disengagement would stop foreign leaders from badgering him to sit down with the Palestinians and work out a mutually-acceptable agreement. He never expected that elections would throw a wrench in his plans and raise the credibility of Hamas to the extent that it has today. In the last two years, Hamas hasn' t launched one suicide mission in Israel, which shows that it has abandoned the armed struggle and can be trusted to negotiate on its people's behalf. That scares Israel, which is why they initiated hostilities. Now, they need to seal the deal by either removing Hamas before Obama is sworn in or face pressure from the new administration for dialogue. Meanwhile, Israeli troop movements indicate that a plan may be in place to divide Gaza into three parts, thus making it impossible for Hamas to rule. The UK Guardian confirms that the invasion was really about regime change not rockets or Hamas infrastructure. According to the Guardian: "A couple of days into the assault on Gaza, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, said it would continue for 'as long as it takes to dismantle Hamas completely'. Infuriated Israeli officials in Jerusalem warned her that such statements could set back the diplomatic offensive. Dan Gillerman, Israel's ambassador to the UN until a few months ago, was brought in by the Foreign Ministry to help lead the diplomatic and PR campaign. He said that the diplomatic and political groundwork has been under way for months. "This was something that was planned long ahead," he said. "I was recruited by the foreign minister to coordinate Israel's efforts and I have never seen all parts of a very complex machinery - whether it is the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the prime minister's office, the police or the army - work in such co-ordination, being effective in sending out the message." In briefings in Jerusalem and London, Brussels and New York, the same core messages were repeated: that Israel had no choice but to attack in response to the barrage of Hamas rockets; that the coming attack would be on "the infrastructure of terror" in Gaza and the targets principally Hamas fighters; that civilians would die, but it was because Hamas hides its fighters and weapons factories among ordinary people. Hand in hand went a strategy to remove the issue of occupation from discussion." (UK Guardian, "Why Israel went to war in Gaza") The invasion was mapped out months ago, right down to the bullet points that were passed out to friends in the media. Nothing was left to chance. That said, the public relations campaign was on full display over the weekend when Israeli ground troops and armored divisions swept into Gaza unopposed. CNN had a coterie of ardent Zionists on hand to justify the invasion in a carefully scripted analysis of developments. Retired Brigadier Gen. David Grange accompanied the blatantly pro-Israel Wolf Blitzer saying that the IDF had been "lured" into Gaza by Hamas so that Hamas could execute its plan for "urban warfare". Utter nonsense. Grange implied that the subsequent slaughter of civilians was the work of Hamas, not Israel. Even by CNN's abysmal standards, this is new low. The media has worked in concert with the IDF throughout, spinning a rationale from whole cloth and cheerleading from every available soapbox. But recent polls show that the public has remained skeptical. Anti-Israel protests have sprung up in capitals across the world, and support for Israel is at its nadir. . Many people are simply shocked to see the most advanced, technological weaponry in the world being used in densely populated areas where collateral damage is bound to be heavy. It just makes Israel look like a bully while the media looks like an enabler. So far, the war has been a public relations catastrophe. Over 500 Palestinians have been killed and 2,400 wounded in a debacle of Biblical proportions. Every day, new photographs circulate on the internet showing the carnage produced by the steady bombardment. On Monday, the IDF killed two more Palestinian families, in two separate incidents. The mother, father and eight children were killed when their house was bombed by an American made F-16 early Monday morning. Another family in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, was butchered when their home was struck by a shell from an Israeli ship off the coast. The civilian toll continues to balloon with no end in sight. Here's how one Gaza resident summed up the bombing in an interview with an AP journalist: "The Israeli forces attack everywhere. They have gone crazy. The Gaza Strip is just going to die ... it's going to die. We were sleeping. Suddenly we heard a bomb. We woke up and we didn't know where to go. We couldn't see through the dust. We called to each other. We thought our house had been hit, not the street. What can I say? You saw it with your own eyes. What is our guilt? Are we terrorists? I don't carry a gun, neither does my girl. What does Israel want? There's no medicine. No drinks, no water, no gas. We are suffering from hunger. They attack us. Can it be worse than this?" All of Gaza has been traumatized. The "invasion"--which is a word none of the Israeli-centric media dares to use--(Israel "entered" Gaza) is the equivalent of rampaging through a concentration camp. (similar to the massacre at Sabra and Shatilla) Still, newspapers, like the New York Times, provide cover for the attack by referring to Hamas "bases" within Gaza. In truth, there are no bases nor military installations of any kind. It's just more lies. They have no army, no navy, and no air force. The only threat that Gaza poses to Israel is its people's unshakable commitment to end the occupation. On CNN, Alan Dershowitz and other prominent Zionists defend the invasion in their most polished, lawyerly prose, but the public remains unconvinced. What observers are seeing on the internet is the broken bodies of children pulled from the rubble of their homes and the terrifying explosions in a city that languishes in complete darkness. Nothing Dershowitz says can match the imagery splattered minute by minute on the screen. Israel has bombed mosques, ambulances, bridges, tunnels, even a terrorist girls dormitory. Since when is a girl's dormitory part of "Hamas infrastructure"? Five sisters and their mother were blow apart as they sat peacefully in their own living room. Does Dershowitz really believe he can elicit sympathy for the perpetrators of these crimes? American support for Israel is being tested; and that support is quickly eroding. War is a blunt instrument for achieving one's political objectives, and the costs can be enormous for winner and loser alike. If Israel manages to incite Hamas to the point where they deploy suicide bombers to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem then, perhaps, attitudes will shift in Israel's favor. It is impossible to predict. But, clearly, retaliation with suicide missions would be the worst possible strategy for Hamas at this point. Israel has lost the moral high-ground, but one suicide bomber can change all that in a flash. Besides, the bombings alienate the people who sympathize with the Palestinian cause and make it harder for them to be openly supportive. The only people who benefit from suicide missions are the right-wing fanatics within the Israeli political establishment. Every Israeli civilian that's killed just strengthens the Likudniks and their ilk. ENDING THE CEASEFIRE: Who's to blame? The media has made a big issue of the fact that Hamas ended its ceasefire with Israel just days before the bombardment of Gaza. But as Johann Hari points out in his article "The True Story Behind this War Is Not The One Israel Is Telling" Hamas offered to maintain the ceasefire if Israel agreed to lift the blockade. According to Hari: "The core of the situation has been starkly laid out by Ephraim Halevy, the former head of Mossad. He says that while Hamas militants – like much of the Israeli right-wing – dream of driving their opponents away, "they have recognized this ideological goal is not attainable and will not be in the foreseeable future." Instead, "they are ready and willing to see the establishment of a Palestinian state in the temporary borders of 1967." They are aware that this means they "will have to adopt a path that could lead them far from their original goals" – and towards a long-term peace based on compromise.....Halevy explains: "Israel, for reasons of its own, did not want to turn the ceasefire into the start of a diplomatic process with Hamas." Why would Israel act this way? The Israeli government wants peace, but only one imposed on its own terms, based on the acceptance of defeat by the Palestinians. It means the Israelis can keep the slabs of the West Bank on "their" side of the wall. It means they keep the largest settlements and control the water supply. And it means a divided Palestine, with responsibility for Gaza hived off to Egypt, and the broken-up West Bank standing alone. Negotiations threaten this vision: they would require Israel to give up more than it wants to. But an imposed peace will be no peace at all: it will not stop the rockets or the rage. For real safety, Israel will have to talk to the people it is blockading and bombing today, and compromise with them. (Johann Hari, "The True Story Behind this War Is Not The One Israel Is Telling") Hari's article further confirms our basic thesis that the aggression in Gaza has nothing to do with terrorism, security, or Hamas infrastructure. In fact, Hamas appears to be ready to settle for much less than they originally hoped for. In this particular case, all they wanted was a promise from Israel to end the blockade, but Israel refused. Collective punishment of Palestinians has become a habit, like smoking or taking drugs. Israel can do what it wants. If it decides to cut off the food and medicine to 1.5 million people or bomb them into oblivion; no one can stop them. The UN and Washington just roll over and play dead. Why should they negotiate; they can do whatever they want. The world is their apple. ISMAIL HANIYEH: "We do not wish to throw the Jews into the sea". "Oh...who will stop the windmills in my head? Who will remove the knives from my heart? Who will kill my poor children...? In order that they do not...grow up in the red furnished apartments..." ("Ending" by Amal Dunqul; translated by Angry Arab News Service) On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed the offices of a man who has helped to save the lives of more Jews than anyone in the Knesset. That man is Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh has supported the ban on suicide missions which has lasted for more than two years despite the blockade of food, medicine, fuel, and electrical power to the Gaza Strip and despite the daily bombings, incursions, arrests, assassinations and countless other humiliations associated with occupation. Hundreds of Israeli civilians are alive today because Haniyeh and his Hams colleagues abandoned the armed struggle and entered politics. On Friday, Israeli spokeswoman, Major Avital Leibovich, announced that "Hamas leaders were also marked men. We have defined legitimate targets as any Hamas-affiliated target." That means that Haniyeh is now on Israel's hit list. In a February 2006 interview with the Washington Post, Haniyeh dispelled many of the lies circulating in the western media about Hamas. He said that he wanted to see an end the "vicious cycle of violence" and vehemently denied the claim that "Hamas is committed to destroying Israel". He said, "We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody....We are not war seekers nor are we war initiators. We are not lovers of blood. We are oppressed people with rights." Wa Post: "Would Hamas recognize Israel if it were to withdraw to the '67 borders?" Haniyeh: "If Israel withdraws to the '67 borders, then we will establish peace in stages... We will establish a situation of stability and calm which will bring safety for our people. Wa Post: "Do you recognize Israel's right to exist?" Haniyeh: "The answer is to let Israel say it will recognize a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, release the prisoners and recognize the rights of the refugees to return to Israel. Hamas will have a position if this occurs." Wa Post: "Will you recognize Israel?" Haniyeh: "If Israel declares that it will give the Palestinian people a state and give them back all their rights, then we are ready to recognize them." Haniyeh's answers are straightforward and rational. He asked for nothing that isn't already required under existing United Nations resolutions; a return to the 1967 borders, basic human rights, and settlement of the final status issues. An agreement could be facilitated tomorrow if Israel was willing to conform to international law. Instead, Israel has chosen to invade Gaza. For 60 years it has employed the same failed strategy. Haniyeh again: "Israel's unilateral movements of the past year will not lead to peace. These acts -- the temporary withdrawal of forces from Gaza, the walling off of the West Bank -- are not strides toward resolution but empty, symbolic acts that fail to address the underlying conflict. Israel's nearly complete control over the lives of Palestinians is never in doubt, as confirmed by the humanitarian and economic suffering of the Palestinians since the January elections." "We want what Americans enjoy -- democratic rights, economic sovereignty and justice. We thought our pride in conducting the fairest elections in the Arab world might resonate with the United States and its citizens. Instead, our new government was met from the very beginning by acts of explicit, declared sabotage by the White House. Now this aggression continues against 3.9 million civilians living in the world's largest prison camps. America's complacency in the face of these war crimes is, as usual, embedded in the coded rhetorical green light: "Israel has a right to defend itself." Haniyeh's efforts for reconciliation are doomed. Israel will not bargain or compromise. The Israeli state is driven by an ideology which requires continuous expansion and subjugation. There's nothing Haniyeh can do to change that. The answer to the present crisis lies within Zionism itself, the philosophical underpinning of Jewish nationalism. In his recent article, "Israel's Righteous Fury and its Victims in Gaza", Ilan Pappe, the chair in the Department of History at the University of Exeter, explains Zionism in terms of its effect on Israeli policy vis a vis the invasion of Gaza: "There are no boundaries to the hypocrisy that a righteous fury produces. The discourse of the generals and the politicians is moving erratically between self-compliments of the humanity the army displays in its "surgical" operations on the one hand, and the need to destroy Gaza for once and for all, in a humane way of course, on the other. This righteous fury is a constant phenomenon in the Israeli, and before that Zionist, dispossession of Palestine. Every act whether it was ethnic cleansing, occupation, massacre or destruction was always portrayed as morally just and as a pure act of self-defense reluctantly perpetrated by Israel in its war against the worst kind of human beings. In his excellent volume The Returns of Zionism: Myths, Politics and Scholarship in Israel, Gabi Piterberg explores the ideological origins and historical progression of this righteous fury. Today in Israel, from Left to Right, from Likud to Kadima, from the academia to the media, one can hear this righteous fury of a state that is more busy than any other state in the world in destroying and dispossessing an indigenous population. It is crucial to explore the ideological origins of this attitude and derive the necessary political conclusions form its prevalence. This righteous fury shields the society and politicians in Israel from any external rebuke or criticism. But far worse, it is translated always into destructive policies against the Palestinians. With no internal mechanism of criticism and no external pressure, every Palestinian becomes a potential target of this fury. Given the firepower of the Jewish state it can inevitably only end in more massive killings, massacres and ethnic cleansing. The self-righteousness is a powerful act of self-denial and justification. It explains why the Israeli Jewish society would not be moved by words of wisdom, logical persuasion or diplomatic dialogue. And if one does not want to endorse violence as the means of opposing it, there is only one way forward: challenging head-on this righteousness as an evil ideology meant to cover human atrocities. Another name for this ideology is Zionism and an international rebuke for Zionism, not just for particular Israeli policies, is the only way of countering this self-righteousness." ("Israel's Righteous Fury and its Victims in Gaza", Ilan Pappe) It wouldn't make a bit of difference if Hamas surrendered tomorrow and handed-over all its weapons to Israel, because the problem isn't Hamas; it's Zionism, the deeply-flawed ideology which leads to bombing children in their homes while clinging to victim-hood. Ideas have consequences. Gaza proves it. Informationclearinghouse