Your comment that HAMAS is not an army but a “militant organization”

Not what I said. I said Hamas is not a NATION (not “an army”). If Hamas was a nation then it could be expected to have the ability to control its borders, have a professional prison system, army, legislature, etc. But the fact is that Israel doesn’t recognize Hamas as a nation, ruler of the PA, or at all. Not only that, Israel takes every opportunity even to murder Hamas traffic control police in its war against the movement. So why would I be pissed at Hamas for not allowing the Red Cross to visit Shalit when Israel doesn’t even permit Hamas to function in a the same way that Israel itself does as a nation w. respected borders and national institutions (including a prison system)? BTW, Israel has bombed the Gaza prisons so Hamas couldn’t hold Shalit there even if wanted to do so.

If Israel did accord that status to Hamas, I’d have more of a problem w. Hamas not observing the legal niceties of having the Red Cross visit prisoners. Any time you’d like to advocate that Israel accord Hamas such recognition then I’ll change my own tune on the Red Cross visit issue.

And when you decry the U.S.-Israel-Fatah sponsored putative putsch that would have toppled Hamas from control of the PA, then I’ll decry Hamas’ alleged putsch in Gaza. A deal?

But your questions are entirely disingenuous since you hardly care whether or not the Red Cross visits Shalit. You’re far more interested in impeaching Hamas than in freeing Shalit.

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Since I live in Israel and you don’t , I don’t think you have any grounds for making such a comment. I have people very close to me serving in the IDF at this very moment.
Your comment that HAMAS is not an army but a “militant organization” flies in the face of your own claims that HAMAS was “legally elected” as the governing power in the Palestinian Authority and you also recognize the legality of their armed putsch in Gaza (a “pre-emptive coup” as you put it) so that makes the officially responsible for Shalit. And certainly morally so. Now, you claim that Israel would stop the Red-Cross visits if they wanted to, even though they do allow them. Thus, you won’t even give Israel credit for doing something that you would demand from them anyway. So why don’t you demand HAMAS do the same?

You didn’t answer my question about why HAMAS does not allow any visits of the Red Cross to Gilad Shalit

Because your question is peripheral while my question about Olmert’s refusal to negotiate in good faith to free him is central. As for the question, this isn’t a nation that is holding Shalit as Israel holds Palestinian prisoners. This is a militant force. If it wishes to continue holding Shalit all the niceties of international protocol will likely lead to Israel discovering his hiding place. I’m not defending Hamas’ actions. But your questions are entirely disingenuous since you hardly care whether or not the Red Cross visits Shalit. You’re far more interested in impeaching Hamas than in freeing Shalit.

BTW, if Israel felt there was any danger that it’s imprisonment of Palestinian prisoners would be endangered by Red Cross visits, it would immediately disallow them. You know this is true.

I never said that Hamas is law-abiding. It abides by the law about as much as Israel does.

You didn’t answer my question about why HAMAS does not allow any visits of the Red Cross to Gilad Shalit, all you did is throw the question back at Olmert. You are telling us at length here why Israel is an immoral state and HAMAS is a peace-loving, law-abiding organization that opposes terrorism. So if that is true WHY DON’T THEY ALLOW SOMEONE TO VISIT GILAD SHALIT. Please don’t say that I am repeating myself, which I know you don’t like. I simply want an answer. Immoral Israel allows visits to their Palestinian prisoners, and since HAMAS is more moral they should do so also. Why haven’t they?

you all certainly have a perspective on HAMAS that is certainly different than those of us Israel have

Well, Bar K. you have a little problem since a number of the commenters in this thread are actually Israelis like you & don’t agree with yr Likudist perspective on Hamas. Speaking of democratic: Hamas actually fought an election & won. So, yes, it is democratic. You seem to have overlooked that fact or do facts not matter to you?

Do you believe that Hamas, while its militants are being targeted by Israeli missiles, should be able to & expected to prevent all militants from firing rockets? Do you think that every border police force in the world can prevent every act of violence from being perpetrated fr. within it’s borders?

Why have the refused to have anyone like the Red Cross make contact with Gilad Shalit?

Speaking of sweethearts, I have a far more fundamental question: can you tell me why Ehud Olmert refused to free Gilad Shalit when he had the golden opportunity w. only the number of detainees (350 as opposed to 450) separating them? If Ehud Olmert was a true humanitarian, wouldn’t he have gone the extra mile to free an IDF soldier imprisoned for 3 yrs.??

Hamas is good for no one especially to the ordinary Arab Gazans. There is enough testimony by Gazan themselves to this effect.

Actually, those “ordinary Gazans” seem to disagree with you as a plurality supports Hamas. Now, isn’t that damn inconvenient for you? Unless you’d like to substitute yr own judgment for theirs. Better yet, why don’t you move there & really get yr anti Hamas crusade going. Then you can really see how receptive the “natives” are to your swill.

if they supports terrorism, barbarism and suicide/homicide culture they should be evaporated from this planet just like the Nazis were or any other evil on this planet.

I always say about the Islamophobic wingnuts, they make it so easy to ban them by propounding this garbage. Read my comment rules, my man. You’ve just violated a whole slew of them.

BTW, we don’t promote Nonie Darwish or any other anti-Muslim sites here. L’hitraot, brother.

Also for all of you in this site, do read this:
No Arab land is occupied by Israel

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Indeed delve into Nonie Darwish’s site and read her books,
Shalom, Salamat and avec le paix