What is Digg?Sponsored by Dragon Age: Origins
See the new YouTube feature trailer for Dragon Age: Origins view!
youtube.com/DragonAge - EA presents BioWare's new dark fantasy epic Dragon Age: Origins. '9/10' from Game Informer.
706 Comments
- ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -45/+345FTV - "I'm going to try and not die live on camera" - Human Rights Worker.
These Palestinian farmers are paid only $5 a day for the work that they do. This is their first attempts to get back onto the land they had to leave during the Israeli offensive (1300 dead - 300 kids). They managed just two hours of work before they were forced to run for their lives last Tuesday. On Thursday (shown on video), they managed just 30 mins. - mojabazlamit, on 02/08/2009, -46/+259I want to know if Mr president (Obama) agree with these actions, These Palestinian farmers killed with our own money and support there is no justice in that. hey america you must take action against Israel now.
- stfucupcake, on 02/08/2009, -42/+204How can America blindly support Israel?
When will this end? - inactive, on 02/08/2009, -30/+183Oh dear lord. The IDF turns off the water, bulldozes the crops, and shoots at harvesters who had TOLD THE IDF THEY WOULD BE THERE.
No wonder some people resist violently. - ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -45/+195What Israel has demonstrated over the the past few months is that their army and government leadership is full of uncivilised animals (I'm not saying Hamas is full of bright people, for all those who going to come here any second now to make accusations of 'terrorist apologists'...).
During the conflict, IDF soldiers - after murdering the occupants of many homes would scrawl on walls things like '1 down - 999,999 Arabs to go'... - ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -51/+183From the International Solidarity Movement:
Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian farmers and internationals in al-Faraheen
Thursday 5th February, 2009
From ISM: http://palsolidarity.org/2009/02/5065
Israeli soldiers again opened fire on Palestinian farmers and international Human Rights Workers (HRWs) on Thursday 5th February, as they attempted to harvest parsley in agricultural land near the Green Line.
Returning to farmland of al-Faraheen village, in the Abassan Jadida area, east of Khan Younis, where soldiers had opened fire on Tuesday 3rd February, farmers and HRWs were able to harvest the parsley crop for only half an hour, before soldiers again began to shoot. A number of shots were fired into the air, before the soldiers started to aim in the direction of the farmers and international accompaniment. Bullets were heard to whiz past, close to people's heads.
The soldiers continued to shoot on the group, despite the fact that many members of the group had their arms in the air and were wearing fluorescent vests to make them highly visible, and identify them as Human Rights Workers; had erected a banner indicating that the farmers and accompaniment were civilians; contact had been made with the Israeli army to advise them that Palestinian civilians and internationals would be working in the area; the various international embassies had been advised of the planned accompaniment; and the internationals were announcing their presence via a megaphone - demanding that the soldiers stop shooting on unarmed civilians.
"We are unarmed civilians! We are farmers and international Human Rights Workers! Stop Shooting!"
With internationals acting as human shields, the farmers - after initially lying down to avoid being shot - attempted to continue harvesting. After a few moments, however, the shooting intensified and farmers decided to leave the area, rather than be killed. Internationals announced on the megaphone that the group was leaving the area - asking that the soldiers halt their fire. Instead, as the group started to leave, the shooting further intensified in rapidity and proximity. Even after the group had taken refuge in a house, approximately 1km from the Green Line, the soldiers continued to shoot at nearby houses that were demolished during the recent Israeli Operation Cast Lead.
This behaviour on the part of the Israeli soldiers was an almost exact repeat of their response to the presence of the farmers and internationals, in the same area of farm-land, two days before. On the Tuesday, however, the group was able to harvest for two hours before soldiers began to shoot. Whilst farmers had hoped to be able to wait-out the shooting, in order to continue harvesting, it quickly became clear that the situation was too dangerous for that to be possible.
The farmers of al-Faraheen are particularly aware of the level of danger they face when entering farm lands that are within 1 km of the Green Line - after watching their friend and colleague, 27 year old Anwar Il Ibrim, from neighbouring Benesela, killed by a bullet to the neck while he was picking parsely in the same area, just one week before.
The owner of the land, Yusuf Abu Shaheen, commented after Tuesday's gun-fire "If you [internationals] hadn't been with us today, the soldiers would have killed us all".
Whilst it has become increasingly dangerous for farmers to enter their lands near the Green Line, especially since the recent Israeli attacks, for farmers like Yusuf, there is an economic imperative to harvest his crops. Yusuf explains that just to plant the crops and keep them watered and fertilised, costs him $2000 each month - money that has already been spent. There is the additional factor of a lack of water that increases the sense of urgency to harvest crops planted in the vicinity of the Green Line. Israeli forces broke the pipes for the area one week before their war on Gaza began. The parsley in the most dangerous areas, with water, could very well have been left for another week or two without harvesting - in the hope that the soldiers might become less aggressive over time. Without water, the plants are becoming increasingly tough, sweet and salty. If they are not harvested soon, they will become worthless.
The workers, who are employed by Yusuf to harvest the crops, also put themselves in mortal danger every time they enter the lands close to the Green Line. Like most in the Gaza Strip, they too are compelled by economic concerns to risk their lives for the meager sum of 20 shekels ($5)/day. With an unemployment rate of 40%, and almost two-thirds (900 000) of Gaza's residents reliant on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the levels of poverty existing in Gaza mean that, for many families, money earned by sons and farmers risking their lives near the Green Line, might be the only money they have.
Anwar's mother explains that her son hadn't worked in the al-Faraheen area for 6 months - not since a large-scale Israeli incursion into the area in May 2008, and the following Israeli military aggression, made agricultural work in the area extremely dangerous. Anwar, the only son in the family, felt compelled to try to earn whatever he could to support the family - in particular to buy medicine for his ailing and paralysed father.
The ability of farmers to earn money from these lands is not only being threatened by the daily shooting from the Israeli army, however, but also by the inability to irrigate the crops. On Tuesday, Yusuf took the opportunity to remove expensive connecting valves from the irrigation pipes. On Thursday, an elderly farmer was pulling up all of the irrigation pipes themselves - now useless as it is impossible to get water to the area. This crop the farmers have spent two days trying to harvest seems likely to be the last that will be planted there for some time.
Such actions - shooting at farmers trying to work their lands; and destroying irrigation systems - are part of the wider, systematic economic oppression of Palestinians. Along with sanctions and a siege that prevents Palestinians from importing and exporting goods; and denies freedom of movement to work in other countries, Israeli military forces also attempt to prevent Palestinians from deriving income from other methods, such as fishing and farming - through extreme levels of military force. Indeed, throughout the 23-day war on Gaza, the Israeli military, along with demolishing approximately 10,000 homes, and damaging many thousands more to the extent to which they are uninhabitable, intentionally killed hundreds of thousands of livestock, and bulldozed thousands of dunums of agricultural land.
In order to stand in solidarity with farmers in their struggle against this economic oppression, international HRWs will continue to accompany farmers to dangerous lands - challenging Israeli military imposition of "closed military zones" in areas that they claim to no longer occupy.
Filmed in Abassan on 3rd and 5th February, 2009
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/650164221/49624530899df ...
Filmed in Abassan on 5th February, 2009
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/650362411/0ad97c932e875 ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXecLyureE
Photos taken in Abassan on 5th February, 2009
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/650440585/c81627c1d551e ... - redcolumbine, on 02/08/2009, -41/+160This is not an aberration. Nobody's breaking ranks here. This is ethnic cleansing in accordance with the policies and purpose of the IDF.
- amy31415, on 02/08/2009, -30/+141Absolutely outrageous. What does Israel have to say about this?
I didn't see Hamas hiding behind parsley, firing at them. Plus, isn't there an alleged cease-fire going on? How many times has Israel broken it so far? - Robjayne, on 02/08/2009, -32/+138Target practice, Zionist style.
- Erich100, on 02/08/2009, -33/+129If Obama does not show leadership among his crew of thugs such as Rahm Emanuel, this will continue. Obama must lay down the law and reel in these mad dogs.
- CoolHandLuke70, on 02/08/2009, -25/+119What lovely people!! Killing animals at the zoo, shooting kids, killing journalists, testing new weapons out on Gazans, destroying Palestinian orchards and farmland, and now shooting at farmers tending to their land!! What winners!
- justsenditasap, on 02/08/2009, -32/+114Israeli leaders stand on piles of dead Palestinian bodies and the rubble of demolished Palestinian homes, scanning the horizon for that elusive peace.
- richmomz, on 02/09/2009, -8/+89There are some people on digg that will bury ANY anti-Israeli statement, regardless of whether its true or unbiased.
- ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -12/+87Obama called for a ceasefire, but if he really meant it (remember, watch what these politicians DO not what they say! - their words are mulled over by professionals in public relations - i.e propaganda so that they can appear to be doing the right thing even when they are not).
If Obama really meant it, he would have cancelled all foreign aid for Israel and banned arms trading with Israel. They have Hamas listed as terrorist organisation and rightfully so. But if Obama really wanted to ensure there is no slaughter of innocent people again, then he would have listed the Israel Defence Forces as a terrorist organisation and called for the prosecution of the Israeli leadership for war crimes - war crimes of dis- proportionality, targeting civilians, using banned weapons and more...
Obama made no move to get aid delivered to Gaza, despite pretty much every other civilised country joining in with aid deliveries to help the poor Gazans. Even Iran sent a massive shipment of aid - only to be forced back by the Israeli navy - they could have at least searched the cargo first.
It was actually brave and courageous politicians like Cynthia McKinney who joined up with other activists to send aid to Gaza - but unfortunately the Israeli navy rammed their tiny boat and forced them back. - GrandmaSheila, on 02/08/2009, -30/+102How many people do they have to butcher before they are seen for what they are?
- vbullinger, on 02/09/2009, -21/+92I don't get this. What's the outrage all about? They're just stupid Palestinians who will be terrorists one day, right?
/sarcasm
Besides, Mossad shot a rocket... err... I mean, Hamas shot a rocket that one time. All Palestinians have to die now. - eShinn, on 02/09/2009, -12/+81I'm just curious. Who are the nut-jobs who would digg you down?!? I'm seeing +61/-9. I mean honestly.
- heystoopid, on 02/08/2009, -26/+81And yet the evil blockade on all emergency international relief entering the strip still continues unabated , and the apologists continue to spew spurious gray fallacy false middle ground propaganda as well too.
So who be more evil , or as one ex IAF pilot says of his fellow countrymen in an interview ;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&am ...
Some evils never change in any century be it Germany in 1943 or Israel since 1948 . - normlsparky, on 02/09/2009, -21/+72Israel's self defense argument is wearing a bit thin. How is it that the IDF considers unarmed farmers and 13 year old girls a threat?
- beautifulady, on 02/08/2009, -14/+65I beg to differ, Hamas is not a terrorist organization. They are a resistance movement, the only one strong enough to keep the possibility of change in front of the world. Please, do not continue with passing on the phony propaganda against Hamas. The whole "terrorist organization" thing is Israel's invention, to attempt to cut off financial and popular support to the only resistance movement with even a glimmer of hope of defeating the occupation. Besides, Hamas supplies the people of Gaza with its only human service agencies and they are its legally elected government.
Obama declared himself last spring at the AIPAC annual shindig that he is a loyal lapdog of Israel. Do not expect anything from him or his administration. His best buddy and chief of staff is the son of an Irgun officer, for one thing, and Hillary Clinton's pro-Zionist record speaks for itself.
Obama could change the whole situation overnight, but he will not. - ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -28/+77The pro-Israelis are here with their ridiculous allegations...
- requestfor, on 02/09/2009, -28/+76What a bunch of ***** cowards. Shooting at unarmed farmers. I have no sympathy for israel and the US needs to stop supporting this terrorist state. They want to point fingers at hamas, why does the finger pointing stop there.
- clvngodess, on 02/08/2009, -11/+56America blindly supports this crap because it is fed crap through its media and believes it via the church of nationalism. For generations mainstream americans have been lead to believe that their country is righteous and right, from the time they are indoctrinated to the church of nationalism in kindergarten right on into adulthood in the voting booth. Imagine the first time you discovered that Santa wasn't perhaps real (I'm still dealing with this one myself... okay, I jest. But we need some levity during these times.). Imagine the deception when it was Mommy and Daddy and not the guy in the furry suit with eight tiny reindeer.
Or worse, imagine what it's like to think that everything you taught to believe, just might be, or actually is, wrong.
Denial sets in. Or a complete refusal to believe that there just might be another way.
This is how the blind lead the blind. It is in this comfort that misery finds company. - Bronnster, on 02/08/2009, -19/+64...and nothing will be done about it...
- ciaran036, on 02/09/2009, -5/+48conostrov yes you're a nutjob.
a) They obviously don't speak Hebrew.
b) The scenario was expected. The reason the Human Rights Workers are there is to accompany the farmers in the hope of being able to harvest parsley without being murdered - a farmer in the same field was murdered last week by IDF soldiers.
c) The IDF are too far away to be seen. In the video, attempts are made to zoom in but the camera operator can't get close enough.
d) wtf are you talking about...
e) Experienced operators - balls to that the camera is all over the place.
I shouldn't have bothered replying to such a ridiculous comment but you insisted... - wisam, on 02/09/2009, -22/+64I really salute those Human Rights workers for what they're doing. But ...
HER .... SHOUTING .... IS .... ANNOYING - uriman, on 02/08/2009, -26/+65US Taxpayer's money put to good use. /sarcasm
- ciaran036, on 02/09/2009, -12/+49Those carrying megaphones are Human Rights Workers, who have offered to accompany these farmers to avoid being shot at by the IDF.
- Joshper85, on 02/09/2009, -37/+70Israel is out of control.
Israel = Nazi's of the 21st century - Uthman, on 02/08/2009, -7/+40well said, mate.
well said - ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -8/+41Good practice is to count the bullets of its soldiers when they return. When bullets are missing and people are dead then questions are asked. Not sure about how the IDF operate though. I can only assume that they don't give a ***** about who does what.
- Gareth321, on 02/09/2009, -9/+41As rich says, it's quite scary. There are dedicated pro Zion movements that regularly trawl Digg, reddit and other forums and bloggs to 'spin' the view favourable towards Isreal. These people actively believe Palestinians are akin to dogs and that Jews are superior to every other race.
- Waiting2awake, on 02/08/2009, -10/+41Yonoz - How come all these "warning" shots keep getting lodged in peoples bodies?
- Waiting2awake, on 02/09/2009, -7/+38The chosen people for ya....
- normlsparky, on 02/09/2009, -6/+36All in self defense, of course.
- inactive, on 02/08/2009, -6/+36@tzvika613
Assuming that your comments here on digg are reflections of your thoughts, then, yes we do know what you believe. Even if your comments are lies, they show a direction of thought that you are trying to convey.
Don't tell us that we don't know that you are an apologist, when that is what you do with every comment that you write.
Synthesizing your comments I come to the conclusion that you are an Israeli-firster who will never criticise Israel or admit that Israel is responsible for any of the ills in the Mid East, even when they kill 400 children in three weeks. - ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -1/+30I knew this but never knew how I put this into words - looks like you've got it spot on - "church of nationalism" is absolutely right.
- GovernmentSp00k, on 02/09/2009, -3/+32Hamas - they were inside the cows..
- amy31415, on 02/08/2009, -9/+37Beautifullady, I agree with you in sentiment that they are sort-of freedom fighters, but in practice, Hamas has acted as a definite terrorist organization. Fatah members have lost their heads, among other abuses. They have also attacked progressive schools. But, they are also the only ones fighting for the Palestinian people, and I believe that's why they were elected. Desperate times. . .
That said, the IDF uses many techniques they accuse Hamas of, such as using human shields, attacking civilians and using white phosphorous. The main difference is that Israel is occupying and oppressing Palestinians, they are the powerful, attacking the weak. They can never be "right" until they treat the Palestinians equally stop stealing their land, and terrorizing them. Their actions only promote more extremism as situations grow more desperate for them.
By the way tzvika613 is an apologist and likely just another extremist himself. Many Israelis who scream "terrorist!" (Or, in Tzipi's case "tewwowist!") are either the children of Israeli terrorists, or are extremists themselves who believe in terroristic measures to get their way. - ciaran036, on 02/09/2009, -6/+33That's some nutcase conspiracy theory you've got there.
- Waiting2awake, on 02/08/2009, -8/+35There is a certain bit of irony on who forgot that "never again" slogan....
- ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -8/+33Yonoz, if you had considered my other comments you would have read that a unarmed Palestinian farmer was shot in the neck last week whilst trying to harvest Parsley in Gaza. There's one incident particular. I could list many, many more - and I think the death tolls speak for themselves - 300 dead kids in three weeks.
- ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -4/+29It was reported last November that some Palestinian families had resorted to rummaging through landfill sites to find food.
- nzhamstar, on 02/09/2009, -6/+31Israel are the terrorists. Funded by the united states.
Israel is a false state, its land stolen from the original owners by the big oil companies. Separated into 2 palestinian states (1 jewish/1 arab - think apartheid/racial segregation) (approved by the UN) then 1 year later claiming independence.
UN originally planned it, but then israel expanded their borders after a war with palestine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel - normlsparky, on 02/09/2009, -9/+34Yeah, it's common for the "Hamas farmers" to wear florescent green vests, notify IDF forces of their intentions in advance and announce that they are human rights monitors over a megaphone.
You may want to work on your comprehension skills. - GazaHELP, on 02/09/2009, -16/+40Shooting at farmers in this manner must be condemned, investigated, stopped with appropriate action against the offending Israeli soldiers/terrorists.
- AgeofMastery, on 02/09/2009, -5/+29Turn away ships trying to bring food to Gaza, shoot the farmers when they try to tend their fields...Sounds like they're trying to starve them.
- novenator, on 02/09/2009, -2/+26Try again, it's important.
- Waiting2awake, on 02/09/2009, -17/+40Should be interesting if this hits FP...
- ciaran036, on 02/08/2009, -8/+30Why yonoz are you in the IDF yourself or are you an "armchair warrior" too?
-
Show 51 - 100 of 727 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is