Non-Violent Palestinian Resistance

[Tom Paine]

The following article describes the scenario:

The Israelis have called off a planned air attack on a house in Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield.

Mohammedweil Baroud said he was warned by Israeli forces to leave his home. He instead ran to a mosque and summoned neighbours to help defend the house.
[...]
But on this occasion, the presence of so many people has made it impossible for the Israelis to carry though their planned air strike.

Hundreds of relatives and neighbours gathered at the house, where about 50 people reportedly climbed onto the roof. Others stood in the street chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans.

The Israeli military may have to factor in more such Palestinian protests in future when it targets the homes of suspected militants from the air, our correspondent adds.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed to Reuters news agency that the raid had been called off because of the Palestinian action.

"The attack plan was cancelled because of the people there," he said. "We differentiate between innocent people and terrorists."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6162494.stm
And from Al Jazeera English:

The Israeli army was forced to cancel a planned air strike on the home of a Palestinian fighter in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield around the building, an Israeli spokesman and witness said.

Hundreds of people surrounded the home of Weil Baroud, a commander of the Popular Resistance Committees in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, after he was told by the Israeli army late on Saturday that the building was going to be bombed. He was given 30 minutes to leave.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that the raid had been called off because of the protest.

"The attack plan was cancelled because of the people there. We differentiate between innocent people and terrorists," he said.

Palestinian sources called the protest the first of its kind to have in effect prevented an air strike by the Israeli army.

Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reported that it was the first time such an act has been seen in the Gaza Strip by residents.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...87EECD8842.htm

We hear a lot about violent resistance movements; such movements never prove successful in the long run, they end up destroying themselves. Here we have the Palestinians turning to the far more effective nonviolent methods; if this trend continues and violence is slowly renounced, what will happen in the Middle East conflict? Will it change anything?

[Sétanta]

If the Palestinians learn to protest this way and not give the trigger happy Israelis a single excuse to blow them up, they will get their own nation.

[MasterAdnin]

Good job Palestinians.

Salaam,
Adnan

[Syron]

Erm, yeh. Using non-violent methods to protect violent people. In any civilised country that would still be considered accessory to murder.........

The way for the Palestinians to show they deserve a nation of their own is to reject the ****ing nutters that are keeping them locked in a cycle of misery in the first place.


Also this little event seems to shows how stupid the claims the IDF targets civilians are.

[RusskiSoldat]

Ironically, non violent protests like this are promoting the violent people that they protect and by extension the acts of violence towards Israel, followed by acts of retribution.
These protests are part of the cycle of violence, not a break from it.

[The White Knight]

We hear a lot about violent resistance movements; such movements never prove successful in the long run, they end up destroying themselves. Here we have the Palestinians turning to the far more effective nonviolent methods; if this trend continues and violence is slowly renounced, what will happen in the Middle East conflict? Will it change anything?

Absolutely so, I think. A recognized Palestinian state living together in peace with the Israeli's will absolutely help to stabilize the region in many aspects: politically, economically ...

It would be ideal if non-violent protests would not only be used to prevent violence from the other side, but also in response to violence from the other side (rather than a violent reaction, which will cause another violent reaction, which on its turn would cause another violent reaction, ... as seems to be the case now, and it can go on infinitely).

[RusskiSoldat]

Absolutely so, I think. A recognized Palestinian state living together in peace with the Israeli's will absolutely help to stabilize the region in many aspects: politically, economically ...

Now just get the Arabs to recognize the authority of that state, and you're set.
Considering the past 58 years, I'd say you have a hard task ahead of you.

[Denny Crane!]

If there was peace in Palestine and Israel the rest of the middle east would lose their propaganda machine.

This is great stuff, if non violent protest takes off then Israel and Palestinian violence might settle down and some sort of peace process can begin.

Peter

[Big War Bird]

Palestinians already have their own state, they just keep effing it up.

I would have dropped two bombs

[Aristophanes]

I think the reason non-violent resistance is so rare from Palestinians is the fact that legitimate grievances are equally rare.

[dr0p]

Only a guy who sees terror acts as legitimate such as yourself can see a bunch of Palestinians who most of them are members of a terror organization protecting a armed terrorist with blood on his hands as a peaceful "resistance"...

[Crimson Scythe]

I think the Palestinians both helped their cause AND shot it in the foot with this 'human shield' tactic. While they did demonstrate a capability for non-violence, which is applaudable, they also showed their claims of the IDF targetting civilians to be false. By surrounding a more or less legitimate military target (from the IDF's point of view in any case) with civilians, the Palestinians seem to have demonstrated a disturbing mentality: that they are willing to throw lives away in order to merely embarass a foe. Something about that just doesn't sit right with me.

[Rush Limbaugh]

The Israelis have called off a planned air attack on a house in Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield.

Wait a minute. I thought the Israelis targeted civilians. Do you think this would stop a homocide bomber from completing his mission? It would just make it better. It seems the Israelis arent the murdering bastards many here make them out to be.

[Manji]

They are actually saints, (though non-canonical because of their jewish religion), it's those evil Muslims you have to worry about, what will they think up next, peaceful rallies?! Evil, I tell you!
/sarcasm

[Rush Limbaugh]

it's those evil Muslims you have to worry about, what will they think up next, peaceful rallies?! Evil, I tell you!

Maybe if they used these tactics insteaof homicide bombings they never would have been on this position and had their so called state long ago. It seems they can only get together to protect terrorists. That doesnt say much about them. Israel on the otherhand shows restraint.

[Bwaho]

hmm, so what about the jewish terrorist groups (a.k.a zionist terrorist)?

[gigagaia]

Maybe if they used these tactics insteaof homicide bombings they never would have been on this position and had their so called state long ago. It seems they can only get together to protect terrorists. That doesnt say much about them.

Homicide, by definition, is when one man kills another. Thus, as bigfootfred has already asserted, by definition any bombing which results in a death is a homicide bombing, intentional or no.

If you are serious about the usage of the word Homicide bombings, and you are also serious about how it is an illegitimate means of securing political position, you are also, by definition, against all war and means of violence.

Israel on the otherhand shows restraint.

Indeed. Restraint from?

[DefenderofFreedom]

Peaceful... hmm... did they have anyone to shoot at though? It's kinda hard to shoot at a plane that's flying overhead.

[bigfootedfred]

Maybe if they used these tactics insteaof homicide bombings

Ok...i just need to stop you there..

Homicide bombings?
Do you mean suicide bombings? (i assume thats what you mean from this comment)

homocide bomber from completing his mission

Homicide bombing would mean - A bomb that causes death.
So...every single group or nation that has ever used bombs, has practiced homicide bombing since the creation of the bomb...

For the sake of my sanity, please stick to suicide bombing...ok...

[sephodwyrm]

Indeed. Restraint from?

Restraint from offering a viable long term solution.
What they're doing may look good on paper for another decade or so, but I cannot say that they can keep this up for 100 years.