"No Christmas - Now more than ever before the people of Palestine need a massive injection of commonsense and leaders that will actually look after THEIR interests and well being."
You mean, "come out with your hands up - for you the future is refugee coloured (and you all now what that means to Israelis) - those of you who survive, of course.'
The wannabe soldier's answer to everything
Stick to closing time at The Dog and Duck, leave it to late enough in the night and you just might persuade somebody.
Your blustering bullshit doesn't work with sober people
'Bout turn; quick maaaarch!
Jim Carroll

Irish Times, Monday 28th July
THE CRISIS IN GAZA
Sir, - It is not enough to' ex¬press horror at so many innocent lives having been lost during the latest round of violence in Gaza and Israel. We must in¬stead ask how we can break the cycle that leads to this slaughter.
The people of Gaza live in what is often referred to as "the world's largest open air prison". Almost two million people live in an area 40km long and 10km wide, 80 per cent of whom are classified by the United Nations as refugees. Eight out of every 10 residents of Gaza are reliant on the international community for support.
In the West Bank, the Israeli military is in control of 60 per cent of the land. There are now more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living in over 200 settlements. In order to facilitate these settlements, land is confiscated from Palestinians. Ac¬cording to the UN, in 2013 alone, 1,513 Palestinians, including 731 children, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were affected by the demolition of homes and other structures.
The occupation of the West Bank has created a discriminatory regime with two populations living separately in the same territory under two different systems of law. While settlers enjoy all the rights of Israeli citizens, Palestinians are subject to military law.
Despite these flagrant breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law, the Israeli government refuses to comprehend Palestinian grievances. Prime minister Netanyahu speaks of "quiet for quiet". We support his desire for peace and security for Israeli citizens, but we also recognise that it is neither realistic nor acceptable to plan a future based on peace for Israelis and the daily reality of blockades, military law and occupation for Palestinians.
We are witnessing the third major Israeli military offensive in Gaza in six years. The current unjust status quo has sadly led to rocket attacks into Israel and cyclical military action on Gaza. Both sides claim to be responding to the other's aggression. Without a structural change to the relationship be¬tween Israel and the Palestinians, it is inevitable that this cycle will continue.
The Irish Government, along with its European partners, must play an active role in breaking this cycle. Until we are prepared to do more than issue empty words of condemnation, the cycle of violence will continue.
We call on the Government to affirm its commitment to a long-term political solution based on a full adherence to international human rights and humanitarian law by both Palestinians and Israelis. In recently issued advice to Irish citizens and businesses, the Government noted: "Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible".
Recognising this, we call on the Government to ban all trade with illegal Israeli settlements, thus reducing the economic incentive for Israel to continue to confiscate land from Palestinians in the West Bank.
Working towards a long-term political solution based on peace and justice is the only way to ensure the security of Palestinians and Israelis.
It is a fallacy to think that cyclical military invasions of Gaza will- bring security to Israel. This policy will only lead to more violence and death on both sides.
Yours, etc,
EAMONN MEEHAN, executive director, Trocaire,
ROSAMOND BENNETT, chief executive officer, Christian Aid Ireland,
DR. SEAN HEALY, director, Social Justice Ireland,
DAVID BEGG, general secretary, Irish Council of Trade Unions,
JACK O'CONNOR, general president, SIPTU,
DR MAUREEN O'CONNOR, School of English, University College Cork,
PROF KATHLEEN LYNCH, School of Social Justice, University College Dublin,
PROF LUKE GIBBONS, Department of English, NUIMaynooth,
DR EITHNE O'CONNELL, School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University, DR DES McGUINNESS, School of Communications,DCU,
DR ANNE MULHALL, School of English, Drama & Film, University College Dublin,
DR IAIN ATACK, International Peace Studies, Trinity College Dublin,
DR BILL McSWEENEY, International Peace Studies Programme, Trinity College Dublin,
PROF DAVID LANDY, Department of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin,
DIARMUID O'BRIEN, deputy principal. Ballyfermot College of Further Education,
DR PETER COLLINS, Department of History, St Mary's University College Belfast
DR MARTIN J POWER, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick,
DR BILL DORRIS, School of Communications, Dublin City University,
DR EMER Ni-BHRADAIGB • Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dublin City University      
MARIE CRAWLEY, chairperson, Sadaka-The Ireland Palestine Alliance