Walking in the West Bank - 17 Nov 07

[chukchee]

I think that Israelis have turned into extremists. I dont know if Israelis are all jews or not, but it seems that jews are the force behind Isreal. It seems that Jews want to hide from the world, they want to isolate themselves onto some "land" and live there. The problem is that it is going to fail in the end. No one can isolate themselves from others. Jews and Israel are in a horrible plight. They can and probably will never achieve what they want to achieve. I think it is selfish.

[4aaaaa4]

In 1945-1948, the US+UK Military-Industrial Complex, fearing loss of business due to the end of WWII, amassed its war left-over material in Palestine, transported, armed, trained, and unleashed the East-European followers of a Nazi-style fanatic sect (Zionists) on the natives to conduct barbaric ethnic cleansing and slaughter. Apartheid Israel, the last remaining colonial outpost of US arms industry will soon join its ideaological cohort, Apartheid South Africa, in the trash bin of history.

[NYSalsaholic]

stupid western journalist. the soldiers are protecting civilians in Israel. If there was no suicide bombings there would be no soldiers

[AmaoNoBolso]

i dont understand

Israel losted a lottttttt a respect

they lost mine

[KinStrategy]

This is a biased 2 and a half minutes of video. Would you take a stroll on the border of two nations or states? Same with walking between the West Bank and what's left of the thin coastal area of Israel. Al Jazeera is the Arabic-English version of Fox News. They don't do anything but cancel each other out. There's no balance at all.

[nigelparry]

The West Bank is not a "border". It's where the majority of Palestinians live. The area you see here---Ramallah---is Raja Shehadeh's town. What you're asking is "Would you take a stroll on the hills around your town?" Well d'oh. Or do you expect the Palestinians to cower like rats in their urban areas and never walk in the green areas? This is not Israeli land you are looking at. It is occupied Palestinian territory. Those settlements pointed out are illegal under the Geneva Conventions.

[KinStrategy]

Well, I didn't say that the West Bank is a border. I said, "walking between the West Bank and Israel's thin coastal area." I think it's wrong to pressure Palestinians into small, urban areas. The borders must be well defined. It would be better, and more economically and environmentally friendly of the Israelis to live in compact and simple, yet clean cities, and leave the borders well defined. Also, Israel should set an example in preserving its natural land, but that's another thing.

[KinStrategy]

YouTube has problems. I just wrote up 500 characters or reply. Anyway, the West Bank is not a border. Please re-read my original comment. It is wrong of the settlements to press on the Palestinians like this. Also, clean city living is better than spread out suburbs/rural towns. Finally, Israel should set an environmental example with land preservation and a political example by taking the active lead in advancement for peace. Imagine if the Middle East became the next European Union!

[historicrecord]

Jacky Rowland - it's not simply a stroll in the country. You are in a conflict zone where a low intensity war is being waged by both sides - so don't appear too surprised by the level of security. Jews don't take strolls in around 20 arab countries because they've all been expelled.

[Mrpastry909]

Jewish settlements? First off, it's not Jewish. It's Israeli. There is a difference between Jews and Israelis. And of course soldiers are there because people could be smuggling bombs or weapons to kill innocent people. This news is so biased it's sick. And no, I don't watch Fox or CNN.

[RealityCheck9807]

ok you are right about one thing jews and israelis are different people mix that up beacause u have to be a jew to become a citizan of israel and what my family killed hert tramitized thats worse than bombs and u wouldnt hve to wory bout that if they werent there

[dmkorn1]

No true, about the same percentage of Israeli citizens are Jewish as American citizens are Christian. Other prominent religious in Israel are Islam and Druzis. Small populations of Bahai and Christians exist as well.

[sufastorm]

What facts are you referring to? You state none. Attack my argument and maybe we can come to some understanding. Name calling is not the best way to win friends and influence people.

[fearnotfear]

Impossible to get out. Same old same old Zionist world.

[msgg81]

remove the isreali troops from Palestine and the us troops from the middle east ... it would be a wonderful place to savor its beauty

[hajqbvii]

I believe this scene between the soldiers and hikers were played out in a war movie....the soldiers wore Nazi uniforms though!

When did it become public land? And where can Palestinians seek justice over land disputes since israel ignores UN mandates?

[bmodest]

this isn't a 2-sided conflict. those soldiers are their illegally. Palestinians have a right to shoot and kill them to force them out of their land. the ARMED settlers also can be justifiably killed for illegally occupying land by force. the unarmed ones, if the means are available, can be deported without compensation since their land was taken illegally.

[geoffreyphilip]

Good one Israel.

[sufastorm]

Why should it be surprising that soldiers would want confirmation of your identity in a war zone? This is not petty bureaucratic silliness or 'harassment' as the somewhat less than biased news reporter would have it. As for attachment to land, I thought this was the 21st century!

[crazycatfguy]

The occupation is illegal according to both the UN and treaties signed between the countries. Producing identity to an illegal occupying force is quite different from a war zone. It is an illegal war zone.

[sufastorm]

The occupation is not illegal in and of its self.

If we are to take the position that the conduct of Israel is subject to international law as pertains to occupation then the most relevant is the 4th Geneva Convention. There is prohibition against degrading treatment of protected persons. I do not believe restricted movement for the purposes of security is one of them.

Not sure what treaty Israel signed agreeing occupation of the West Bank was illegal.

[crazycatfguy]

Try reading the UN resolutions against Israel. That should keep you busy for a while and you will learn something.

[hajqbvii]

There's that word "Security" again!

[hazardasd]

The UN passed a resolution declaring the Israeli occupations illegal.

[hazardasd]

West Bank and Gaza are not War Zones. THe Israeli occupation was deemed illegal by the UN.

So the soldiers have no right to be there.

[dmkorn1]

Um, Gama is most certainly a war zone, over a thousand people were just killed there. About four thousand people were killed in the west bank after October 2000, and likely more would have been without the border fence that separate the two populations.

[JusticeFish82]

Oh my God I can't believe we're not hearing about this in the west. Great heroism such as this should be headline all over the world taking precedence over all the other trivial news we typically see on tv. I hope that this isn't the last we see in the media of this Gandhi-like figure as this mans great tale and triumph over adversity should be adapted into a movie for all to see.

[scooter952]

well said!

[brick4sale]

I can count on one hand the stories I have heard from the main networks about the Palestinian struggle.