Reader Comments: Mideast Conflict, Israeli Profiles

For each location Kevin Sites covers, the Hot Zone team selects some of the more interesting, thoughtful or provocative reader comments to feature here. The comments are presented as originally posted and have not been edited to correct grammatical or spelling errors. 

For each location Kevin Sites covers, the Hot Zone team selects some of the more interesting, thoughtful or provocative reader comments to feature here. The comments are presented as originally posted and have not been edited to correct grammatical or spelling errors. 

Cheating Death, Feb. 8

This article is a blessing in disguise as it shows that no matter what side of the conflict one may be on, there are still men and women who believe human life is sacred. This doctor and his medical staff (as I'm sure the Palestinian medical staff do) in a sense risk their lives to save others. I hope to read the follow up about the "other side" as well. Thank you.
Posted by dapd102@sbcglobal.net on Sun, Feb 12, 2006 10:03 PM ET

If isreal respected the lives of jews it would withdraw from the occupied territories and enter into a peace agreement that includes financial rewards for the palis. Life is precious and fifty years of conflict and hostility must be stopped. I would love to take my kids to isreal when it is safe to do so.
Posted by dssproducts on Tue, Feb 7, 2006 11:52 PM ET

I am surprised to see so many people say we don't hear the Israeli side enough or that they don't think Israelis get a fair portrayal. In U.S. media, the Israeli side is the ONLY side we get, and the portrayal is never in favor of the Palestinians.
Posted by justalex11 on Tue, Feb 14, 2006 3:33 PM ET

Why do you people always show the Israeli side to be the Innocent. I am sure that story is makes you feel bad , but what about those thousands of palestinians Women and kids that are getting killed by Jews daily... Does that make you feel any better. The occupation must end to save lives on both sides unitl then we just have to count more bodies here and there , and i am very sure that it is always the palestinians who pay the higher Price for their freedom.
Posted by kharazin@sbcglobal.net on Sun, Feb 19, 2006 2:57 PM ET


Skin Deep, Feb. 9

I have to say, watch this girl, she has been thru a hell, and she will make a hell of a politician!
Posted by rebuiltus on Fri, Feb 10, 2006 12:30 AM ET

two wrong's don't make a right. suicide bombing and occupation are both evil. the only solution is a 2 state resolution. with each side reserving the right to defend themselves when attacked on pre-1967 borderds.
Posted by ahwal@sbcglobal.net on Fri, Feb 10, 2006 1:59 AM ET

To say "this person reached a point where strapping explosives to themselves and dying became a rational thought" implies that the bomber reached an individual conclusion after long struggle to become a suicide bomber. Not necessarily so at all! In a place and time when youngsters are being told night and day that the most glorious thing they can do is to become a suicide bomber, all that is needed one moment of decision, or just needing to prove something to somebody. If you need an out, it becomes a course of least resistance - after all, it's glorious! Everybody will know your name! After all, lots of skilled young men, trained pilots, were persuaded to commit suicide as kamikazes in WWII. Did they "reach a point of rage" or did they just make the supreme sacrifice that their nation told them was their duty?
Posted by ncarroll on Fri, Feb 10, 2006 3:27 AM ET

I was touched by Kinneret's comment about her mother...."who gave her life twice." Being a mother of identical twins whom are four, I see them and often ponder the idea of how I would not think twice about sacrificing my own life or well-being for theirs.....Kinneret's experience shows that a mother's love is priceless. Your mother's action and example of unselfishness should inspire and encourage all.
Posted by tc2beach@verizon.net on Fri, Feb 10, 2006 7:44 AM ET


'Who Will Write the History?', Feb. 13

Kevin man, it seems like your really buckeling under this arab preassure to demonize

Israel. I'm a fan of your humanist spin but this is beyond. These two film-makers have an obviouse vandeta agians an admitedly conservative country and society that probably have made it difficult at times for them to be at peace with themselves and live comfortably with the lifestyle that is natural for them. This film (and their stance politicaly for that matter) is a rather bald-faced lashing out at that nation and society, thus rendering it the views of but a minimal portion of Jews around the world. I could write you an essay delegitamizing the claims of the film and its creators but I think you will have already identified to what I have objected too. Instead I will apeal to you to do the same kind of self evaluation stories with Palestinian subjects, if for nothing else, to see simply if they are capable of such emotional reolization!
Posted by charleyelazar on Mon, Feb 13, 2006 7:44 PM ET

As a person with a Jewish father and Muslim mother who was born in the U.S. but visited Israel/Palestine several times, all I can say is, the hate that the governments builds about the other side is blinding the truth of the matter. Palestinian children are taught to hate Jews, as are Jews about Palestinians. There is minimal contact between the two, all there is is separation. When the truth of the matter is that Jews want Palestians to have their own country and Palestinians do not support Hamas' stance of destroying Israel. Hamas won because of Fatahs corruption and more importantly because of Hamas' humanitarian programs that help thousands of hungry Palestinians. Jews and Palestinian Muslims do not really hate each other as much as it is perceived to us.
Posted by itsakram on Tue, Feb 14, 2006 4:51 AM ET

It's sad to read some of these posts by people who are so oblivious to reality. As if Palestinians have had nothing better to do than "pretend" to be victims, just to "hang out" in refugee camps for the last almost 60 years. Just to blow up Israelis, because they have nothing better to do. It is time for Israelis to accept responsibilityfor their actions. Of course there is no Palestinian former capital! When the Turks were forced out of the Middle East, the French and the British took over, most Arab nations then had to accpet that they were not legita mate until the west annointed them worthy!
Posted by priestfan_13 on Tue, Feb 14, 2006 5:14 AM ET

'We Have to at Least Be Witnesses', Feb. 15

I do no think that an arbitrary comment like under the picture of the two israelies sitting in front of the beach with the umbrella shows objectivity in the reporting at all. It is souch an ubsurd comment to make just because he got lucky enough to find to jews on the beach trying to protect themselves from the sun.
Posted by stewartlitvack on Wed, Feb 15, 2006 8:23 PM ET

Thanks Kevin for such an awesome story. It feels good to know that there are some Jewish people living in Israel that realize what their army is doing to the palestinians and not just look at the palestinians as just a bunch of terrorists.
Posted by wailmakhoul on Wed, Feb 15, 2006 9:14 PM ET

Whether one feels Kevin's statements are rifgth or wrong is not the point. His work is to bring OUR attention to the situation. It is NOT what he says, or feels specifically. It is that he has catalyzed our own thoughts on something that is very humanly important and should not be ignmored by most of the world. I personally would not have thought of Israel or Palestine today without having read this article.
Posted by r2excels on Wed, Feb 15, 2006 9:32 PM ET

I say this as a main-stream Israeli- I don't give a crap about the Palestinians. I don't want to drive them into the sea, I don't want massacre them, I don't want to send troops there to police them, frankly, I'd rather let them do their so that I can go about with what really matters to me: living a happy, content life and providing for my family. I don't have any ill-will towards them or support suicide bombings against them, I simply would hope that they would stop endorsing terrorism and consder diplomacy, so that those of us in the real world, who have more important things to do with our lives than march in the street everyday brandisihng guns and shout "Death to America! Death to Israel!", can have the freedom and peace-of-mind to live as we please.
Posted by boogsmiles2 on Thu, Feb 16, 2006 12:52 AM ET

Mr. Sites, many readers in this forum, as you can tell, are divided on your objectivity on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It would seem to me, that in such a charged situation, that the most prudent thing to do would be to interview moderates on both sides. For the Israelis, that would consist of interview Jews who aren't self-hating, but who also are supportive of peace measures. For the Palestinian side, your best bet would be to walk into Jenin refugee camp, as a foreign journalist, and interview the first maked Hamas gunman that you see. After all, it is Hamas, the terrorist organization, that was elected into power by the Palestinians, so fittingly, it would be most appropriate to interview someone who represents the violent and murderous views of the Palestinian centre.
Posted by meccanization632 on Fri, Feb 17, 2006 3:31 AM ET

Kevin, you've been doing a pretty good job eliciting lots of self-criticism from the Israelis. I'm now waiting to hear some critical self-examination from the Palestinian side. You really do have an obligation to report on subjects such as the radicalist brainwashing of Palestinian youth into becoming suicide bombers, the inexcusable degree of blatant anti-semitism in Palestinian schools, the failure of Palestinian leadership to prepare their people for compromise, etc...
Posted by wmikale on Fri, Feb 17, 2006 12:43 PM ET

ALSO ON YAHOO!