It should be entertaining to hear what my (liberal pacifist) mother makes of it all. Luckily, my days of being sent to my room or being silenced with one look are long over. But I did note, that the young sales clerk’s eyes were bugging out a little, when I took Culture & Carnage from her hands and passed it off to my silver haired mother.
Don’t ask me why I am always the last to know, but I was still thrilled to see that Hanson as a new book out - A War like No Other and I am busying emerging myself in Peloponnesian War.
No matter how I try, I just can’t seem to shake myself of the habit of rooting for the Spartans rather than the Athenians (and yes, I do know how the war turns out). Its hard for me to go rah-rah over ancient Athens when their culture was so rampantly misogynistic.
At least, if I was an ancient Spartan woman, I would be educated and fit, I could own my own property or business, wear short skirts, take multiple husbands/lovers and travel outside of my home - unveiled and unescorted by a male household member. Furthermore, I would not have to bother picking up after husbands/lovers until they left the barrack life at around 40 summers (providing they actually survived). All I have to do in return is have children – piece of cake. Why would any sane woman root for the Athenians? It’s like rooting for the burqa to make a huge comeback.
Anyway, the book is far more interesting and considerably faster paced that the so-called IDF incursion into the Gaza Strip which I gave only the most minimal glance this morning, but having said that, no one can accuse the Palestinians of being idle according to this Ha’aretzreport:
A large contingent of Israel Defense Forces infantry and armor units moved into the ruins of former settlements in northern Gaza late Wednesday and early Thursday, after Qassam rockets fired from the area hit the southern coastal city of Ashkelon for the second time in two days.
"The purpose of this operation is to remove the threat of Palestinian rockets on Israeli towns and communities and to provide Israeli citizens with peace and tranquility as they sit in their homes and go about their daily lives. Israel also continues ongoing efforts to bring about the safe and expedient release of our soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit and efforts will go on unabated," David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's Office, said Thursday.
Army spokesman Captain Jacob Dallal said the operation was a "limited incursion [in northern Gaza] ... to ensure the release of our abducted soldier and to stop the rocket fire into Israel."
Before daybreak, IDF troops and around 15 tanks entered the sites of the former settlements of Nissanit, Dugit and Elei Sinai. As ground forces edged forward, artillery and Israel Air Force aircraft struck targets in the area, aiming at bases and groups of militants.
"Our presence there doesn't mean that we intend to remain in the Gaza Strip. We simply want to prevent firing at our towns," Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio on Thursday.
Though, if the security of cities and towns in pre-1967 Israel is to be a paramount concern; how can the IDF afford to leave the Gaza Strip? If anything, the disengagement from the Gaza Strip has brought greater insecurity to Israel and to those Palestinians who want nothing more than to feed their families and see their children educated and prosper.
In other news, the kidnappers of Israeli Corporal Shalit have eased their demands for his safe release after Israel let the latest ultimatum lapse on Monday night reports the Jerusalem Post.
The PA-funded daily Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda daily reported Thursday morning that kidnappers of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit have relaxed their demand on Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Hamas, according to the paper, was now demanding the release of 100 woman prisoners, and 30 prisoners who have already served sentences of 20 years.
On Monday, Shalit's captors issued an ultimatum threatening unspecified consequences if Israel failed to release all minors and women currently imprisoned for security reasons. The government refused to negotiate, calling the kidnappers' demands "extortion."
An initial report regarding Hamas's softening of its stance was released Wednesday evening, but as of Thursday morning officials in the defense and security establishments had yet to respond. The full details of Wednesday's offer have not been disclosed, but Palestinian sources said that the kidnappers would consider releasing Shalit at a time they would determine if Israel would agree to a plan for the gradual release of prisoners, Army Radio reported.
The proposal comes after Justice Minister Haim Ramon announced that Israel had confirmed "absolutely" that Shalit is still alive and being held captive by Hamas, and promised that Israel would exact a "high price" from anyone responsible for terror attacks. Earlier Wednesday, a security establishment official announced that IDF operations in the southern Gaza Strip have prevented Shalit from being smuggled out of the area.
Meanwhile Ynet News reports that two Palestinian members of Islamic Jihad were killed from an explosion in their Gaza Strip home and Palestinian sources are referring to the incident as a "work related accident":
Two Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in an explosion in a house in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City, Palestinian eyewitnesses said. The explosion ripped through the house of the Dahdouh family whose sons are members of the Islamic Jihad. Two family members were killed in an Israeli air strike. The IDF has denied involvement while Palestinian sources said the explosion was caused by a work accident. Three people were critically injured in the explosion. The sources added the two brothers were probably preparing an explosive device which prematurely detonated.Is everything in this conflict beyond parody now?
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