Israel Drew First Blood Against Hamas (VIDEO)

The current offensive began eight days after a six-month truce between Israel and the militants expired. Most media sources report that the Israeli's are responding to the attacks and at some point that becomes true, but the bloodshed taking place right now was provoked by Israel, not Hamas.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Western media sources are reporting that the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip is a response to Palestinian militants firing some 300 rockets and mortars at Israeli targets over the past week. A closer examination of facts however, reveals that the initial incident that shattered the fragile truce was not the work of Palestinians.

Israel brands Hamas as a "terrorist group" and that assessment is probably accurate, but that conclusion has been reached while Israel itself stands in major violation of the world's nuclear treaties.

As it turns out, Israel has had deadly nukes pointed at its enemies for years, all the while parading and pretending to be a non-nuclear entity.

The former president made the statement during an appearance in Wales, BBC News reported. Carter said, "The U.S. has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons; the Soviet Union (sic) has about the same; Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more."

The "status" of Israel as a supposedly defenseless nobody in the world of nukes, was always an angle in painting the picture of a Jewish state that required massive support from the American taxpayer.

The current offensive began eight days after a six-month truce between Israel and the militants expired. Most media sources report that the Israeli's are "responding" to the attacks and at some point that becomes true, but the bloodshed taking place right now was provoked by Israel, not Hamas.

Among other sources, today's Oregonian reported that, "A truce between Israel and Hamas, which took effect in June, began unraveling in early November after an Israeli cross border raid in Gaza."

That is the part conveniently being left out of the story most sources are conveying.

The Council on Foreign Relations reports that Hamas grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious and political organization founded in Egypt with branches throughout the Arab world. Beginning in the late 1960s, Hamas's founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, preached and did charitable work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both of which were occupied by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.

In addition to its military wing, the so-called Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas devotes much of its estimated $70-million annual budget to an extensive social services network.

That network funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. "Approximately 90 percent of its work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities," writes the Israeli scholar Reuven Paz.

In the recent Israeli attacks over the weekend, at least 296 Palestinians were killed and more than 900 were wounded. This is Israel's largest attack on the Gaza Strip since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

As Saturday morning progressed, 80 Israeli fighter-bombers and attack helicopters carried out the first wave of raids.

More than 100 bombs were dropped on 150 Hamas targets. Headless bodies of uniformed Hamas security officers were reportedly laying in the streets.

The attacks have spurred anti-Israeli protests in numerous cities. Some political analysts speculate that the military action could backfire on the Jewish state, as images of their own destruction continue to appear Online on television and in print.

This video titled Israel massive genocide in gaza, Killings hundreds of innocent people was posted by YouTube user SUSMEOUT:

This is a Fox News interview with the Israeli Foreign Minister Interview about Gaza Operations Against Hamas:

This video, Israel demolishes Hamas compounds, over 200 dead, is an AP report:

This is another video by YouTube user SUSMEOUT titled Israel launches missile attacks on Gaza KILLING INNOCENT Civilians:

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor.
Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 in Afghanistan with Oregon troops. Tim recently returned from Iraq where he covered the war there while embedded with an Oregon Guard aviation unit. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators.
You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Kate January 7, 2009 8:02 am (Pacific time)

I for one must thank Tim for an article which FINALLY suggests that there may be another side to this conflict. The US supports Israel unconditionally and to its own detriment - and WHY? They are a THEOCRACY, not a democracy...can we please stop kidding ourselves? "Friendship" is a two-way street, is it not? Has Israel ever done anything but come to the US with its hand out? More money, more arms, etc? How do we benefit from it? By being associated with a country who is now hated the world over, for "responding" to people who have had enough of living in refugee camps because Israel wasn't content with its original borders! THANK YOU TIM for presenting another side. Truth, like friendship, is never one-sided.

edgar January 6, 2009 11:12 am (Pacific time)

well everything has been goin on forever so let them do what they want.

sicken's me January 3, 2009 12:50 pm (Pacific time)

I can't believe people fight over a piece of land. I can't believe people can't accept each others differences. The ones who suffer are the innocent(children). May God Bless these two groups.

jmp1977 December 31, 2008 7:33 am (Pacific time)

You can't blame Isreal b/c Hamas has bad aim. I wish all you liberals would be dropped off on the front lines.

Daniel December 31, 2008 12:47 am (Pacific time)

Sam and Sol Hamas was becoming very unpopular with there people , now they have everyones support . The nightly broadcast of young victims is a world wide PR disaster for Israel, eroding western support and inflaming the Arab world . The IDF broke the truce months ago by killing off hamas leadership via drone . Hamas responded with rockets . If even one of the 1000s of rockets targeted Israelis leadership the retaliation would have been immediate . Most of the 3000 rockets hit the poor largely arab areas of Israel killing on one till this week . The IDF bombing of university students and civil police does little to stop the rockets and brings pent in anger to a boil ! The arab countries that are friendly to Israel are experiencing internal unrest and may become less friendly . Violence is not the way of peace , altho it may help you win an election . Tim thanks for the report .

jmp1977 December 30, 2008 4:52 pm (Pacific time)

Tim, you really worry me dude.

Robert December 29, 2008 1:56 pm (Pacific time)

Hamas must be destroyed in order for peace to exist. Normal Palestinians want peace but are afraid to demand it from Hamas. You can't deal with a bully in the schoolyard. Even schoolkids know you must defeat the bully to have peace.

Sol Menashe December 29, 2008 10:46 am (Pacific time)

It is foolish to fire rockets into a more powerful country during a ceasefire no less! My Jewish brothers and sisters have a right to defend themselves and I believe that the proverbial straw hit the back of Israel some time ago. We know that Iran has been providing funding, equipment, training and a well-financed propaganda program designed to elicit misguided emotion against all Jews in general and Israel in particular. It is true that the attack on the USS Liberty was unwarranted, but it was an accident. As many of you know LBJ called back carrier jets to stop the attack, so he knew that Israel was simply protecting herself from a possible enemy spy ship. To this day I still feel that the Liberty was at least 75% to blame for this unfortunate incident. It happened long ago, so maybe it's time to move on and embrace our commonalities. Currently we have the leader of Iran calling Israel a "rotting corpse", well we will see how that turns out. President-elect Obama is on the side of Israel, as are his his staff. Iran, Hamas and the whole group of these terrorists have created this situation, the time has come to put an end to their war on the Jews. Ina few years this will all be a bad memory, and peace will be prevalent all throughout the middle east.

Sam December 29, 2008 9:49 am (Pacific time)

I am saddened by your negative coverage of Israel. Very one sided and fails to address that Israel MUST aggresively defnd itself from attacks no matter if the missles being fired at them "fall harmlessly to the ground" which has been said. Shame on you! Should Israel not take out Hamas positions? If Hamas purposely places installations in civilian areas which it does, can you not explan this in your coverage? Do you ever ask the question why Hamas does this on purpose. It is great PR for them...lob a few missles, get Israel to respond and have the world "hate" Israel for defending its' right to survive.

research December 29, 2008 9:12 am (Pacific time)

Israel admits Funding Hamas: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178andnid=16447 Also look into the truth about the "USS Liberty". A website called "whatreallyhappened.com" has much info also.

Speechless December 29, 2008 8:18 am (Pacific time)

This is a very poor story. If you are going to bunk what every other media outlet is saying about Hamas provoking the current conflict then you better do a MUCH better job of laying out the "facts." The sad truth of the matter is that neither side is justified in what they are doing and neither side will achieve their goals through violent means. Period.

Dan December 29, 2008 7:44 am (Pacific time)

Although I used to think like you but then I woke up to reality. I am afraid once again that you and your readership are delusional in thinking the Arabs ever want peace. To win a war you win it - this proportionate arguement is lame and has gotten Israel nowhere. No country int he world has shown more restraint than Israel has.

Vic December 29, 2008 7:34 am (Pacific time)

Gaza is Israel's version of the Warsaw Ghetto. Starve and humiliate a captive population then when they strike back (or you fire a few rockets into the desert to make it look like they did), use that as an excuse to kill them.Then the media portrays the slaughter as a defensive action. Blame the victim.

just me December 29, 2008 2:11 am (Pacific time)

I'm surprised that Israel waited that long to attack the stronghold of Hamas. Israel was getting hit by missals every single day. Israel has the right to defend itself. And a word for you Sad, why do you feel sorry for Hamas? They are a terrorist group and they are out to destroy Israel. You want to talk about hate, start with Hamas and all the other radical groups who want to destroy Israel.

Fearful December 28, 2008 11:43 pm (Pacific time)

Maybe the US should stop providing Israel weapons and training!!!

Sad December 28, 2008 7:49 pm (Pacific time)

Will Israel ever grow up? The only weapon the people of Palestine can respond with is ROCKS. Israel is a mean, bully of a neighbor with unlimited weaponry but no conscience. Enough bloodshed. Enough hate.
Where are the sanctions to punish Israel for this murderous behavior?

Fearful December 28, 2008 5:50 pm (Pacific time)

I am afraid that Israel is going to suffer from its actions. Hamas does not have the same level of weaponry. I am afraid (really!) Iran and Syria will support them if Israel continues...

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