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COUNTERFEIT VODKA AND tobacco worth in the region of €27,500 has been seized in an intelligence led operation, by the officers from Revenue’s Customs Service.
The 56 kilograms of illegal tobacco and 20 cases of counterfeit vodka on the M8 near Fermoy last night.
The tobacco and vodka were discovered when Revenue officials and gardaí stopped and searched a large commercial vehicle on the M8 near Fermoy.
The goods were concealed in a large air conditioning unit which was bolted to the floor in the rear of the van.
The goods and the vehicle were seized when tobacco dog Harvey reacted in the rear of the vehicle.
The driver, a male non-Irish national in his 50s, was arrested and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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Wow having lived in Ireland – maybe your too young to remember check points in Ireland getting searched and having machine guns pointed at in during the 70,80,90s crossing the border – I remember it well and yes it was scary oh and there is a wall separating Protestant from Catholics in Belfast still same idea as Palestine
She seems to have forgotten our own history .
Well said
Forgotten her own history or never taught it? I remember the lack of NI history in our secondary school books and I’m only 22 !
Maybe you’re right No.2 sure if it’s not taught to you school sure you’ll never know or learn anything .
Yeah I remember it well as a kid. The big signs saying turn off your car radio & all the watchtowers.
It hasn’t changed up North you still have Catholic/Protestant areas and the only reason there was checkpoints was the smuggling going on, if you suppress and group like the Catholics up North and basically introduce Apartheid you are going to create a situation like what you see in Palestine now, throwing rocks while the Israeli fire back their top range missiles. I’d be really pissed if someone told me to get out of my home.
Reality is she is too young to remember and wasn’t taught, giving out to a young person for not experiencing old issues is a bit condescending for me
But do you not think that if you’re going to write an opinion piece that you would do even a small bit of research first ?
No2..what age is she?
Plus she’s a very well educated girl too so I would have no doubt that she knows all about our past .
She’s a useful idiot numpty who sees this issue on glorious black and white. She doesn’t see the suicide bombers, the stabbers, the vitriolic hate that these “Palestinians” have for Israel and the Jews. She doesn’t see that Israel has a right and a duty to its citizens to protect them from these crazies driven not a a sense of injustice but by religious hatred. The Arabs hate the Jews much more than Israeli ‘s hate Arabs. And there will never be peace in the middle while Muslims carry so much religious hatred.
Yeah, but the Israelis have running water and electricity. So it’s no wonder the Palestinians are angry. How can you not see that? I mean we had refugee camps in Ireland south of the border because of the bigotry of unionists. Gerrymandering, catholic oppression, 2nd class citizenship all occurred in this country, just like Palestine. Do you think the catholics were happy about it?
Yea but in the Republic of Ireland they were barely touched by the Troubles. Yes there was the Dublin Monaghan bombing atrocity, but England suffered more. In the North both sides suffered equally while the South turned its back.
Today, of course, it likes to pretend otherwise.
The shinners are out in force today, only old folk will remember all that. Time to move on FFS
I’ve noticed on here that the comments have become very much pro Israel. Where as 2 years ago they were fairly pro palistine. Also people that are generally left leaning have gone all the way left while right leaning people have done the same. Maybe we are doing what isis want and self combusting . They’re cute hoors them lot
She said ‘Having lived in Dublin my whole life!’ Not Belfast! She hasn’t forgotten anything. Why would she draw comparisons with a conflict with a conflict she had no experience of?? Such a bit of naval gazing
I am 67, lived in Dublin to the age of 21, returned 16 odd years ago and I do not remember checkpoints (other than checking for motor tax, driving under influence of alcohol etc!) either. I have also visited the North both in the 70s, 80s and in the last decade so yes – I am familiar with the checkpoint experience there and with the so called Peace Walls. Between 1971 and 1998 I lived in the UK and in Israel/ Palestine so I am able to comment on this article. First of all all the above comments going on about writer’s memory of her own history. Well, the article I read stated clearly that she lived in Dublin all her life and never experienced checkpoints like those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories – so for a start that is absolutely true. She is writing about Dublin NOT the North so for a start you are all just twisting her words to suit your particular agenda. As for her description of the checkpoints, the harassment, the strip searches – the sheer humiliation and abuse suffered by Palestinians having to travel through on a daily basis is far worse than any experience of checkpoints I encountered in the North. And as for the Peace walls, can any of you prove that 1) these walls did little more than separate the two communities where they happened to be in close proximity to each other? 2) Can you prove that anywhere these walls they built were used in terms of stealing land, separating landowners from their crops and so on as happens all the time in Palestine? I think not. The apartheid wall is precisely that, separating the two communities but in a manner that results in the theft of large sections of Palestinian owned land and preventing those farmers from getting to the crops as necessary, They have to have permits to access their land and, at all times, this access can be denied by any bored Israeli soldiers who just fancies throwing his weight around. In some places family homes are completely cut off from their local community with often the male members of the family, above a certain age banned from accessing their own home. Did the peace walls in the North operate that way? No – because the motivation behind the peace walls was to maintain peace between antagonistic communities whereas the apartheid wall is about control of an occupied people, supporting the illegal implantation of an illegal settlement groups and ultimately to ensure that Israel maintains and increases control the maximum amount of land in the West Bank. So, learn your own histories, respect the words of a girl who cares enough to get off her butt and do something to help those suffering oppression. You should all be ashamed of your small minded, couch generated critique of what was an excellent article.
Why research Belfast to write about gaza?
Thank you Mary, a voice of reason and decent human compassion at last. The other comments on this topic seem to be wilfully attempting to distract from the basic truth that the Palestinians are powerfully oppressed by the Israelis. It seems it is too much to expect of people here to look back only a little further in Irish history to a time when the Irish in Ireland were ruthlessly crushed by the likes of Cromwell and others. Black and Tans anyone? Dear me, the lack of understanding and compassion is truly depressing.
And what about the Christian Palestinians?
Why should anyone’s religious status have any bearing in the question of compassion and human decency? I’m not interested in the religious affiliation of the victims of brutality, just their status as victims. Any people who are oppressed and crushed by another more powerful people are worthy of sympathy. Doesn’t matter what creed they profess. Or what Sky Fairy they worship, as some commentators here might put it. I was raised Christian by random chance of birth, but am now of no religion at all. That does not mean I have lost all values or consideration for other human beings. I feel sorry for anyone forced to endure hardship or cruelty, no matter who they are or what their background or culture is.
Beautifully stated Mary, I was shaking my head reading the complete BS being posted until I read with relief your wise words, some serious know-nothing idiots here who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a keypad.
The photos attached to this article are graphic and sickening. It is almost impossible to believe that human beings are capable of such evil and callousness as that being perpetrated daily upon the civilians in Palestine.
Palestinian children burning to death by Israel’s white phosphorous;
The above are small Palestinian children burning to death, following the phosphor explosives bombardment by Jewish soldiers on their school.
Marg Murphy et al…
Have a good long look at what you are defending.
Son of Israeli General Exposes Israel’s Lies.
She said “living in Dublin”. Knowing about something and experiencing it are not the same thing. I’m 56 years old, so of course remember checkpoints and searches up North. But, living in Dublin, I have had no experience of them in my daily life. This is a well-drawn article, with the common love of the land beautifully expressed. It conveys a strong sense of the pain carved into the daily life of the Palestinian people. It took courage to visit with this project. Well done her.
your looking good for 56 Paula
I was thinking the same, and I’m just about old enough to remember flying to Britain and being searched there too.
At least to my knowledge, nobody ever referred to the Belfast peace line as an “apartheid wall” though ..
Do the Journal not have a “preview” button before they publish an article? The 1st picture is sideways, FFS. Takes 10 seconds to check this stuff.
Ride me sideways was another one.
The only thing holy about Palestine are the bomb craters. Whatever it was Katie expected to find there is far removed from the times when Christ was around.
Yeah, no dudes nailed to crosses there any more. Or being fed to lions.
The Israelis are making themselves one of the most hated nations on earth which is shameful to their own ancestors who underwent such horrors. And the world looks on.
Well said. I blame only the USA backed and selected leaders of Israel! The ordinary Jews are like us and don’t have much control over it!
A politically biased article which makes no mention of the lack of freedoms perpetrated by the Palestinian govt. Hence if you are gay you would be more likely to flee to the ‘bad people’ in Tel Aviv for you safety than live with your own.
Yeah..muslims are conditioned to hate,fear and blame the jews..well,except the muslims that are happy enough to live in israel.
True…it would be instructive for unconditional jew haters to look up the outcome for the defeated fatah party members…palestinian “democracy”…unlike israeli democracy,is a kind of all or nothing affair..after an incumbent looses his seat,hamas bust a cap in his ass.now,that seems to work for them and only a cultural imperialist would slag them off for that but one can understand why the israelis are resistant to hamas.
Palestine is a country of contradictions. We read in the bible about the Roman occupation of Palas
Having lived in Dublin she is not used to check points and searches…im sure she’s not used to homemade rockets being fired into residential areas or kids being sent with knives to stab police and civilians or suicide bombers getting on public buses.
If you are going to report then are you not supposed to be impartial and report on both sides?
The Internet is acting up today – In biblical times Palestine was occupied by Romans, then there were Christian Crusaders, Salidins army, Byzantine turks, British and now Israel. Why would Katie feel intimidated in Palestine, when the locals see it as perfectly normal given the history of the place.
” Why would Katie feel intimidated in Palestine, when the locals see it as perfectly normal given the history of the place.”
And we had the British ruling us for 800 years. I suppose if it went on in history we should accept it and invite the UK back in to control us. Because that makes perfect sense.
Britain ruling Ireland for 800 years, because it suited themselves rather than the French or Spanish. We speak the English language and have contributed to colonising other Engish speaking countries. So I don’t see anything particularly wrong with that, but wait a minute didn’t we sign up to join the EU and give away our sovereignty for fifty pieces of silver.
At least with Btitain we were given the chance to leave the empire, but I don’t see anyway for us to leave the EU even if we wanted to.
Well, Britain was given the option of a referendum. Pity that Britain didn’t give Ireland the choice of a referendum before its hand was forced by the 1916 Rising.
Home Rule was already on the cards long before 1916 and would have been enacted sooner if it wasn’t for the outbreak of WW1. All that the 1916 Rising did was to force Britain’s hand to react against a violent uprising in Dublin. But it wasn’t until the general election in 1918 when it became the nations demand through the ballot box which led to a marked change of attitudes in this country. The 1916 rising was opportunistic and a show of defiance at a time when conscription into the army was being talked about. Conscription was introduced in England during 1916, but Ireland provided enough volunteers into the army without the need for conscription thanks to Redmond.
I understand your views George, but spare a thought for the tens of thousands of Irish who died during WW1 and particularly at the Somme during 1916. Some people say that they died unnecessarily and that it wasn’t their war, but try telling that to their families. Why should we just forget about it….
Chris, Home Rule had been ‘on the cards’ from the mid-1860s. Discussion of every Home Rule Bill had been rejected. WW1 prompted the British House of Commons to suspend discussion of the Bill. There is little point in arguing that the Bill was on the cusp of being passed, the treatment of previous presentations of similar Bills would suggest that the suspended Bill would also have been rejected. The success of the election of Nationalist MPs in 1918 was hugely influenced by the Rising of 1916 and a change in public opinion which occurred as a result of the subsequent murder of the Fathers of the Rising by the British. With regard to those who fought in the Great War, well many would say it was a wholly unnecessary war among feuding Royal Families of Europe. Britain could have resisted the urge to join-in, thereby removing the necessity for so many Irish lives being lost!
And when did Britain ever resist the urge to join in when it’s friends and neighbours are being threatened. The reason why Britain joined WW1 was to save Belgium and France from being invaded by the Kaisers army. If France had capitulated then the greater the likelihood of an invasion on English soil.
It is generally agreed by most modern historians that Britain’s entry in the war only served to prolong it and add to the millions who perished. Hardly a legacy to boast about.
The statistics of 49 children killed since October last year is shocking,and that’s in so called peace time. No matter what your feelings are about the region or where your allegiance lys, you surly cannot justify that
Domas…its shockingly similar to the activities of abubaker shekau and his boko haram freedom fighters in northern nigeria…they too exploit large numbers of children for homicide missions,though boko prefer homicide vests to blades.
What’s your point exactly? That if some lunatic Muslims are crazy enough to kill kids, then it’s OK for some Israeli soldiers to? Cos that’s what you said.
The kids killed are sent by democratically elected hamas to stab jews. Tell the full story. Jews and arabs both have claim to this land. But jewish tribes lived there long before any muslims. There will never be peace because both people claim this land to be home. Sad state of affairs.
She told the story, how about you stop adding fiction
There has been tons of Palestinian children stabbing jews in Israel. Maybe tell both stories before assuming ones fake
If someone wants to come onto a very good opinion piece and make the claim that palestinian kids are being forced to stab Jews by hamas then yes of course I’m going to call it fiction. If you want to tell the other side of the story then come along with some proof
No they are not being forced many want to be martyrs kill Jews and go to heaven That is why there is fence around Gaza and the west bank
Jinn Her and he ilk only want you to think that the Jews blocked the roads for the craic as the same shooting “children” there are dozens of videos of them “children” stabbing Jewish men, women and children. Iran is happily donating $7,000 to the family of them “martyrs” should produce another bunch of knife wealding terrorists! “Thy have an attachment to the land” well! the Jews have a 3000 year old attachment as well!
Still 0 evidence of these hilarious claims. Where is the UN report? Where are the amnesty campaigns against it? Why haven’t doctors without borders seen this? Surely 1 human rights group can confirm your claims about hamas?
Hamas dispatching children and teenagers to hack jews to death…it begs the question..does hamas “radicalise” the jew hackers? Note – an american citizen was hacked to death only days ago.
Kevin there is wrong and right on both sides. But no one can deny that the odds are massively in Israel ‘s favour. They have the power to (and the right) to protect themselves with a lot less casualties. They have chosen the route of extermination. Ham as I’m sure would also like to exterminate Israel by the way. But Israel are capable of actually doing it and they ARE doing it. If hamas had the capabilities to do they would aswell. That’s why us on the outside need to stop picking sides in a war that has nothing to do with us and instead use our powers to help those most in need no matter what side they come from
No2…your naivete is showing…
Your lack of evidence is showing…
Some uncomfortable truths for you here Fechter.
Son of Israeli General Exposes Israel’s Lies.
Domas, “They [Israel] have chosen the route of extermination”?
Then they, Israel, are doing a shocking bad job of it. In 2000 the population of the West Bank was 2m people. Last year it was 2.7m.
The population of Gaza in 2000 was 1.1m, in 2014 it was 1.8m.
Extermination my ass!
And a boring story to go with it.
I guess boring to people who don’t question anything in life. Best just to switch off and watch fair city. God how depressing.
Aoife, are you suggesting that everything in life is interesting? I want what she’s drinking!
Well if this topic doesn’t interest you then I question your empathy towards the human race
George. I’m sure that if it was something that had a personal impact on his life he’d not be so critical of it. We have a young girl who’s taken the bull by the horns and gone out and travelled and educated herself on the reality of life there and for that she’s ridiculed. Tell me how you found your time in a third world country, was it interesting.
There’s a huge difference between ‘topic’ and delivery of a well produced piece of text. With regard to the latter, the writer has failed miserably.
Well you go to south Sudan or whatever and come back and write a riveting article on it and we’ll wait and see what the response is. It’s easy so snipe from an armchair isn’t it. Personally I feel the article is good and I’m glad she took the effort to do. Well done young lady.
@Aoife
Rather presumptuous of you to assert and, even more so, to enquire how I spent my time in third world countries. I have been fortunate, in that, I have travelled extensively and continue to do so, but I don’t have any desire or need to share those experiences with strangers. Perhaps, you may answer my question, do you find everything in the world interesting?
Maybe George, no one would pay you to share your experiences in the written word. Judging by your comments it would be very moany.
And how would you describe your comment, John? Hardly uplifting! Sniping, perhaps?
I give credit to her for going out and trying to help these poor people .
Sniping at you mate. See what you are doing is flowering your language in a vain attempt to make yourself sound more intelligent. This gives you the feeling you are winning the debate. Add self congratulatory statements like, ” I have travelled extensively and continue to do so” to really hammer home what a great guy you are, qualifying to yourself the asking of the nonsense question “do you find everything in the world interesting?”
George’s comments lack substance and are poorly written.
John, thankfully, I’m not your mate! From your uninformed ranting and a bizarre sense of deluded self, I very much doubt that out paths would ever cross.
And Eamonn Young is a woefully poor and seismically inadequate excuse for an agent provocateur.
I use “mate” in the most condescending of terms. I simply mirrored the language you used to use against you. The irony is that you think it is “ranting and a bizarre sense of deluded self” when actually it is pretty similar to what you wrote yourself. You call me out for sniping, when it was your sniping that made me comment. I mean, “Perhaps, you may answer my question, do you find everything in the world interesting?”. Lazy in the extreme.
I expect George that you’ll soon add words like, “et al”, “ad infinitum”, “de jure” and some other things that make you sound classy. I bet you own a copy of Classical Music’s Greatest Hits.
John, you sound angry. Have I made you angry? This is clearly causing you stress. It’s Sunday, I want you to have a relaxing day and not get so uptight about someone who made a comment on the Journal. It’s not worth it. Really, your opinion means nothing to me. Now, I want you to chill out and enjoy the rest of the day! Ciao
Nah mate, I simply enjoy calling out buffoonary. Nice try with the anger thing though, from the rebuttal handbook 101. If you want to try and make people feel stupid by asking them inane questions like “Perhaps, you may answer my question, do you find everything in the world interesting?” then you should expect to be called out on it. I sense your not able for this so enjoy your Sunday. And maybe think before you want to make yourself feel better than other people next time you comment.
Give over George, you wrecked orher threads with your ranting and now you are doing it again. With your acclaimed experience of travel we expect to be educated and not abused. If God gave you a brain then use it tactfully……
Chris, you clearly belong to the camp where you’re ‘with me or agin me’. Sorry that I couldn’t agree with your warped analysis in another news item that Ireland should stand proud of its contributions that made it part of the great British Empire…albeit, that Ireland was a colony of said Empire..but, hey don’t permit such small details detract from one’s myopic views. I make no apology for acceding to the notion that Irishmen and Irishwomen should be permitted to govern themselves. It’s a truism that many real British people are embarrassed by their Empire lost.
And it is here that George and I come together as one. We fought for fightings sake, but now we unite to call out Chris Kirk on he’s delusional rantings. Chris Kirk has some very ill-informed facts, I get the sense that rather than know truth he would rather cherrypick to suit ideology. For instance below he states, “I read somewhere that it was probably the KGB who killed PLO leader Yasser Arrafat judging from the nuclear makeup of the chemicals which poisoned him”. This is the Fox equivalent to “some people say”. I read somewhere that there was once some kids who went into their wardrobe and found a land ruled by a lion. Doesn’t make it true though.
George, there really is no point on the one hand apologising and then following up in the next sentence with an ill informed insult. All we want here is some informed or interesting points of view, without personal insults from people who haven’t ever the good manners to show who they really are.
John ‘fighting for fighting sake’ and ‘lions in wardrobes’ whats all that about.
Chris, you really need to stop being such a big girl’s blouse. People comment on this site, it’s the nature of the site. Not everyone will agree with you or vice-versa. You don’t need to take people’s commentary so personally, it’s just banter. You’re beginning to sound like a wounded puppy! Can I give you a little word of advice, if you don’t like my commentary then stop responding to my posts. It’s actually that simple! Slán.
Is it the nature of this site to be bad mannered and hide behind a make up name…
Chris, you’ve been quite ill-mannered yourself in suggesting that others are ranting and ruining threads when they are simply giving their opinion. You must allow others to express themselves without constant nanny chastisement!
Riveting Aoife, it certainly was not. Good, by any standard of writing, let alone journalism, it most certainly was not. Maybe to people whose usual fare consists of Fifty Shades and the Twilight Saga it might have held some charm..
Completely biased article as usual from hourbal
I bet you’re very proud of using the word “hourbal”. What’s next in your cannon, libtard? So pedestrian.
Sorry john my righteous leftie friend it meant to say ‘journal’ don’t know what “hourbal” is . Knickers untwisted I hope
Very one sided article that fails to address the blight the Hamas leadership has caused upon their own people. Fact remains: If Palestinians laid down their weapons, there would be no conflict. If Israel laid down its weapons, there would be no Israel.
Eh they are struggling to not be bulldozed into the sea by mighty USA backed Israel!
Struggling to get the nuclear weapons to incinerate Israel off the face of the earth more like it.
Oh dear! That is an astronomical unit away from the truth! If they even thought about a scenario I’d find it hard not to blame them. Before their land was take from them….
‘their land’?
Yes their land. Post WW2 when the British kicked off the natives to place down Jewish settlers the lines were drawn, the lines where then redrawn after the war with egypt and such which led to new boundaries being drawn. These have since been breached as west bank and gaza shrinks daily to israeli settlers. The palestinian people will eventually cease to exist if israel keeps this tactic going and they will forever be remembered as the people who eradicated their neighbours, something which could be easily compared to the actions of hilt er which led to the Jews re settling in israel/Palestine in the first place
Where do you think Gaza gets all its food and electricity not from Egypt Not very efficient bulldozing
Historically there has been a strong connection between the Palestinians and the Nazis.
Anyone engaged in the extermination of Jews is a welcome friend of Arab nationalism.
Gaza had a power station until 2015 when israel bombed it, they never gave a reason for bombing it but now they complain the prisoners of the west bank and gaza aren’t self sufficient. When one gets told what to eat, what to drink, where to work, how to get there and all the while these lads across a border are stealing your land it’s a bit hard to have a stable living.
@no/to ….glad you used the term “RE SETTLE” the land, almost everywhere in that area, you dig up a spud and you will find JEWISH artefacts, not Muslim.
No2…why/how has israels population soared to its current 8-9 million souls? Its a big question with a huge answer…ill understand if you are absent from the journal for a while and NEVER address criticism toward israel or jews again……
True Sam…unpalatable but true.
“Historically there has been a strong connection between the Palestinians and the Nazis”
You are so full of bluster. The Nazi’s no longer exist in that form.
Historically Italy had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Japan had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Bulgaria had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Hungary had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Vichy France had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Romania had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Historically Thailand had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
See your logic? It’s not logic at all.
Historically SF/IRA had a strong connection with the Nazi’s.
Since october daily stabbing attacks on jews. Alot of them carried out by these brainwashed kids…some as young as 13. Hamas sends these kids to do this.
Katie hasn’t seen any of them.
She’s too busy digging the garden.
Now that comment was funny !
Give proof or stop giving spin
No2…do you seriously expect people here to undertake your education? Google and/or wikipedia should suffice…display some self reliance please..
You don’t need to be brainwashed when the evidence of your anger is all around you. Also could you provide some evidence and statistics to back up your comment?
Biased trash. If this was submitted as a university assignment it would be placed in the bin.
This piece of writing has the finesse of a twelve-year old getting ready for pass-English in second year. The experience has been wasted on somebody who cannot write. Pity. I was hoping for insight. Insipid drivvel was what I got.
She wasn’t looking for quality, she knew go Palestine, write bias article and il get loads of interest and can call myself credible!
Son of Israeli General Exposes Israel’s Lies.
Palestinian is a made up word. Israel was called Palestine for two thousand years. ‘Palestinian’ sounds ancient but is really a modern invention. Before the Israelis won the land in the 1967 war, Gaza was owned by Egypt, the West Bank was owned by Jordan, and there were no ‘Palestinians.
On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here’s what he said:
“The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct “Palestinian people” to oppose Zionism.
For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan. “
Ex-Muslim Jihad Terrorist Walid Shoebat once said,
“One day during the 1960’s I went to bed a Jordanian Muslim, and when I woke up the next morning, I was informed that I was now a Palestinian Muslim, and that I was no longer a Jordanian Muslim.”
Palestinian flag.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/ethnolinguisticrealms/images/5/57/Filastin.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140921163545
Spot the difference?
That’s right.
There isn’t any.
What’s your point? Ukraine only came into being in 1991. Before modern Germany was Prussia. Wroclaw in Poland used to be Breslau in Germany. And on and on.
By that logic the name of any Nation (people) is made up! The rep. Of Ireland was “made up” by a pack of ungrateful revolutionaries by your reasoning. By the way “Israel” illegally invaded and occupied PALESTINE in the 60s slaughter (helped with US weapons and might). Palestine is still occupied today and the slaughter continues!
This is relevant how?
Well said!
‘US arms’
Remember.
The PLO was a KGB construct.
In 1964 the first PLO Council, consisting of 422 Palestinian representatives handpicked by the KGB, approved the Palestinian National Charter—a document that had been drafted in Moscow.
Based on the principle of “socialist division of labor,” the Romanian espionage service (DIE) was responsible for providing the PLO with logistical support. Arms were supplied by the KGB and the East German Stasi. Everything else came from Bucharest. Even the PLO uniforms and the PLO stationery were manufactured in Romania free of charge, as a “comradely help.” During those years, two Romanian cargo planes filled with goodies for the PLO landed in Beirut every week, and were unloaded by Arafat’s men.
The Israeli/Palestine conflict has its roots in the Cold War.
All one has to do is look at the countries who support Hamas to realize that the intent is not a peaceful solution on their part.
Two million Arabs live in Israel at peace I would guess they don’t want to move to Egypt or Syria or Gaza some slaughter US gives much more military aid to Egypt and Jordan than they give to Israel
“The PLO was a KGB construct.”
What’s your point? Are you that naive that you believe different groups around the world did not receive aid from government agencies? Was Pinnochet not propped up by the CIA? Did Ireland not receive weapons from Germany in 1916? I think you’re being willfully obtuse to confuse matters.
Well put Sam, you make some interesting points….
I read somewhere that it was probably the KGB who killed PLO leader Yasser Arrafat judging from the nuclear makeup of the chemicals which poisoned him. He came closest to sealing a UN deal for Palestine which could have settled old arguments concerning the West Bank territory.
Very true dot…people dont give israel credit/recognition for their independence and determination to survive…one example – their willingness to design and build their own MBT because nothing else was ideal.google merkava.
I’m reminded of the British army sign at border checkpoints here during the troubles and I’m greatly paraphrasing…Don’t blame us for the delays, blame the terrorists who caused this’. Both sides have to stop the blame game as they both have genuine reasons for the present impasse albeit Israel is the dominant regional force backed by the might of the USA. It wasn’t until the British government took decisive moves that things changed here and similarly the USA may need to do the same with Israel but there is the added complication of a zealous and fiercely independent state with a huge and nuclear armed military and who has a very powerful block in the usa who supports the Israeli cause.
I think people are selective in their knowledge of history..jews have known only murder,pogroms,oppression,suspicion,hatred,marginalisation,genocide,threat – and i wont even mention the 3rd reich – the state of israel was attacked by the combined forces of syria,egypt,jordan and though outnumbered 10-1…the rest is,as they say – history.google is everyones friend..even myopic artists.
You do realise the reason for Israels war with those countries was over the Suez Canal? And was backed by France and Britain? Israel was the pretext for “peace keeping” in order to retain control of the waterway. Everything is about money and power and nothing else. Religion is the excuse.
John…how many wars were there?
My point is it is about strategic aims of super powers, in the search for wealth, power and influence. To think it is about religion is to not understand political economy and geo-political maneuvering. These countries are the victims of a greater global power struggle, and the public buy it hook, line and sinker that is about religion. It is about control. Islam vs The West, Communism vs Capitalism, black vs white, all simple narratives to keep people fighting. It’s all big business.
John..im not so naive to believe its simply about religion…i wanted to draw attention to the centuries of perspective and the formation of todays israelis mindset…
Peter, part of the solving process is to park the past. A truth and reconciliation process can follow. This is not about the past it’s about the future and the next generation…our children…what’s the point in it all if we can’t pass on a more peaceful future to our children?
Winston…one must understand why israel is the way it is…google masada,babi yar,pogrom,einsatzgruppen,shoah,yad vashem….we need to learn from our past.
John, as my memory serves the 1967 ‘six day’ Israel War began when the country was atacked by it’s neighbours including Egypt, Syria and Jordon and it is since this time that they have controlled strategic locations like Gaza and the Golan Heights. The Suez Canal has been controlled by Egypt since before the 1956 conflict when Britain and France provoked a rising to regain earlier control of the strategic waterway. To the best of my knowledge Isreal have never tried to capture the Suez for their own strategic gains and have a joint peace agreement since 1967.
Beautiful article sad and touching. If Jesus were to return again today to the land of his ministry I believe he would be asking himself was not one word of his teaching listened to ever over the centuries by his Father’s chosen people! I know the people He would go to! #Palestine
If Jesus (a Jew) was alive today, he wouldn’t survive 10 minutes in Palestine.
If jesus was alive today he wouldn’t have allowed Jews and palestinians to be so confrontational to each other. Remember jesus was said to have crossed the religious and race divide in favour of peace and love, something those following Judaism and Islam could learn a thing or two from when it comes to west bank and gaza
Jesus claimed divinity not compatible with Islam or Judaism Both Palestinians and Jews would reject him
Andrea,if you took your head out of your backside,you would know there are 500k Jews living in Palestine today.
Read the bible, I’ve reluctantly done so and jesus worked and helped muslims, Jews and pagans alike. Jesus saw human beings not dividing beliefs. I’m not religious but jesus would have been Palestine ghandi if alive today
There were no Muslims back then. Islam didn’t exist until the 7th century.
I think you missed the point Jesus came to the Jews only when Jews rejected him and after the resurrection did Christianity open to the gentiles His ministry was to the Jewish people
No 2 ff etc. your ignorance is colossal
Suggest you re-read it, along with some history – Jesus died about 600 years before there was such a thing as Islam!
Free Palestine, end Israeli oppression apartheid and land theft.
Most of the land the Jews have they bought from the Palestinians When the Palestinians had the land it was a desert Jews have made the desert bloom and have made room in Israel for 2 million Arabs Israel is only the size of Munster Should be left in peace Miss O’Kelly choose to only see one side of the conflict
No such place as Palestine. …unless you’re talking about the pave with the stabbers and terrorists who attack Israel
Thank you Katie for highlighting the plight of the farmers in Palestine. How their daily lives are disrupted and dictated to by checkpoints and water shortages. How they have been cut off from their own land by the occupier that is Israel. As regards to Katie not remembering our history I am from Dublin and I am not going to try and claim that I was affected in the South by checkpoints and borders. I would not disrespect the people in the North of the country by claiming that we in the south had the same experience as they did.
Well to be fair to Northern loyalists they did not send suicide bombers to Dublin or attach people with knives on a regular basis in Dublin
You clown, the biggest loss of life in the history of the Troubles was in the Dublin/monaghan bombings
Eloquent and brave. Thank you Katie for highlighting atrocities relevant to the universal human experience. Hate does not have to breed hate, we can turn to those oppressed and offer hope too.
The reason for the wall in west bank is to stop suicide bombers killing Jews on their way to the 72 virgins Before it was built one suicide bomb a week in Jerusalem Like any country Israel has a right to defend itself
A beautifully written and important piece from Katie, sharing her experiences and highlighting some of the many challenges facing the Palestinian people on a daily basis. Thank you for sharing
Please it’s Sunday it’s boring enough
I yawn at this comment
Never read such opinionated and unrealistic crap! Go back to journalism school!
Thank you Katie for this well written and honest account of day to day life for Palestinians. Rare to see accounts coming through our media outlets. I’m only used to seeing Israeli propaganda with a string of gulible puppets endorsing it.
You’re delusional
Well done Katie Great article great cause .Ignore all the negative ignorant remarks posted by anonymous cowards. Israeli citizens have been let down shamefully by successive governments and a brutal IDF.I will look to your play in May
The people of the middle east need to moveaway from the extremist on both sides of the devide if they are to achieve any kind of peace.
If it weren’t for the Israelis the Palestinians would probably not even have a water supply, considering the sad state of affairs in other Arab countries. The Palestinians only seem to be interested in inciting against and murdering Jews, not looking for peace. Since Israel took over the West Bank it has been willing to withdraw in exchange for peace. Unfortunately the PLO has only ever been interested in destroying Israel, not in developing its own state and looking after its own people.
Let’s be honest, Israelis are a much more civilised people – the level of Jew-hatred and indoctrination of children in Palestine is breathtaking and utterly shameless. ‘Jew Hatred’ is endemic in all Muslim societies. A pathological illness that they must treat.: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/5377.htm. If Palestinians invested as much effort into building their society as they do in inciting against the Jews, they would have had peace and prosperity by now.
The Palestinians were quite content with their country before it was given to another people. The had loads of water and some fairly innovative farming practices. Business was booming in the cities and towns of Palestine. Muslim, Christian and Jew got on well for centuries before Britain decided to carve up the area.
The indoctrination of Jewish children in their schools and homes. leading them to believe that non-Jews are inferior is a huge part of the problem.
It wasn’t given to another people – the Jews returned to their ancestral home. I don’t know why you’re focusing on Christians – Israel is the only safe place for Christians in the Middle East where they are free to practice their religion openly without fear. Look at the stats about the decline of Christians in the Middle East: http://www.raymondibrahim.com/category/muslim-persecution-of-christians/. Moreover, the whole region was populated by Christians before Muslim warriors came and conquered the region, forcibly converting Christians or making their lives insufferable by imposing all kinds of legal restrictions on them.
Your characterisation of Jews, Muslims and Christians living in harmony in an Islamic state is laughable. Non-Muslims were oppressed in all sorts of ways as they were treated as non-citizens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhimmi
Palestinians lived a very primitive tribal existence before the arrival of Western technology that the Jews took with them and applied to the land of Palestine.
Hey, Ms O’Kelly, maybe you should encourage your Palestinian friends to denounce all terrorism, whether in deed, word, or publication. Then there would be no need for those checkpoints, walls and other indignities. But they are what are reducing the number and severity of terrorist attacks by Palestinians against Israeli Jews. While you’re at it, urge them to make peace with Israel and thereby obtain a state of their own.
As for your assertion that moving a tree to the “centre of a roundabout outside an Israeli settlement” embodies “symbolic hatred”, well that’s simply deranged. Big time.
It is the Israelis who refuse to make peace with the Palestinians.
Theft of land, denial of human rights, arrest of innocent children, abusing children, extra judicial murder of Palestinians, daily beatings etc etc etc but yet you think it is the Palestinians fault.
You could have been a bit harsher on the filth that is known as Israel.
This article by Katie is just pure HAMAS propaganda If they or Hezbeloah had Israel’s military forces for a week they would drive all the Jews into the sea
Proper order
She doesnt mention bumping into any of the 1700 millionaires one regular journal poster claims lives in the territory.
Patrick J O’CONNOR lives in Canada. It’s 5:40am there now so when he gets up he’ll be along to inform us all about the 1,700 millionaires. Not sure if he’s married, he spends a lot of time on The Journal.
Thanks john…i didnt want to wrongly quote someone..
I’m reminded of the old adage “good fences make good neighbours” and that certainly is the case for Israel and the lands controlled by the Arabs, when you see the almost daily attacks on innocent Israeli citizens in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv etc.
What a load of leftie nonsense. …reporting from a corrupt cesspit that treats is own as bad as any bad Israeli
Girl spends time in war zone and is surprised to find checkpoints. Shocking.
Fair play to Katie. I’ve also witnessed what is happening in Pakestine. In the WB you have different roads for Jewish settlers and other roads for non Jews, they even have different coloured reg plates! Whatever about within Israel, there is an apartheid system in the occupied West Bank. This occupation iis enabled by the power of the pro-Israel lobby in the US
There are no separate roads. At the height of the terror wave of 2002-2003, road 443 (The 2nd most important road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem) was closed for residents of the Palestinian Authority due to many incidents of shooting on Israeli motorists. This was the only road that was closed. But today all the roads are open to everyone.
As for car license plates. There are no separate license plates for Jews. That is a nasty lie. 17% of the residents of Israel are Muslim Arabs. They use the same license plates as all other Israelis. Palestinians citizens who are residents of Jerusalem also use Israeli license plates. Residents of the Palestinian Authority (full Autonomy) on the other hand, have their own Palestinian license plates.
More things I forgot to mention:
J&S are divided according to the Oslo agreements to Israeli administrated parts (Area C), and Palestinian administrated parts (Areas A,B).
Jews are forbidden from driving on roads in Area A.
According to Palestinian law, there is a capital punishment for selling a land to a Jew (whether it’s an Israeli Jew or American Jew). Palestinians who sold lands to Jews were tortured and executed in the past by the Palestinian security forces.
Beautifully written article, heartfelt and positive.
The people of the middle east need to move away from the extremist on both sides of the devide if they are to achieve any kind of peace.
It is astonishing to see so many Israeli fans in complete denial of the atrocious conditions Palestinians have to live under in the occupied territories. Every aspect of their lives is controlled by Israel and her 500,000 illegal settlers.
People talk about Hamas, Hamas controls the Gaza strip and were set up and armed by Israel as a foil to Arafat and the Palestinian authority who are supposed to be in charge in the West Bank.
What about the Palestinian Christians who suffer every bit as much as their Muslim neighbours. They have had their lands and businesses taken from them , their homes and schools demolished and their families intimidates and attacked by the IDF and the settler militias. Many of those Christian Palestinian families are called “the living stones” because they can trace their families back to the time of Jesus and before.
The tired old slogans that are trotted out by hasbarists here have long been discredited. E.g only the Jewish immigrants “made the desert bloom”. The land in Palestine was fertile, productive and well looked after by it’s owners for centuries before the Russians, and Europeans came and were give free land , taken from the Palestinians, to settle on.
Another false hood is that the immigrants bought the land. In very few cases yes but the majority was taken and cleansed of the original owner. (read The ethnic cleansing of Palestine)
I applaud the author who has seen the conditions those unfortunate victims of Israeli greed and US colonialism live under. I doubt many of her detractors here would have the guts or compassion to take the trip she did.
1. Palestinian Christians have to flee their native towns because of attacks and intolerance on the part of Islamist groups, as is the case all over the Middle East where Christians are a persecuted minority.
2. Israel did indeed make the desert bloom. For example, the place where Tel Aviv now is was previously an uninhabited wasteland before the Jews arrived. Moreover, Palestine was a very sparsely populated area when Jews started to arrive at the start of 20th century, as it was a distant province in the Ottoman Empire. Mark Twain and others document this in travel journals at the end of 19th century. Jews applied the technology, agricultural techniques, and other skills to the land, enabling them to create a highly productive modern nation-state that outshines any other state in the region in terms of GDP, life expectancy, development, etc.
3. It was the Jews who built most of the educational facilities for Christians in the West Bank.
This article basically admits that Christians are being persecuted by Muslims, although it euphemistically calls this ‘internal tension’. Ha! Would they also say that the Yazidis and Christians being raped and slaughtered is ‘internal tension’ within the Islamic State. That article is like something form Waterford Whispers.
There is also “internal tension” between the different Jewish sects, it happens to humans.
Israel Persecutes Christians – 60 Minutes
You need to educate yourself about Israel/ Palestine. Bethlehem isn’t in Israel – it’s in the West Bank which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Israel has had to build a wall to protect itself from terrorism emanating from the West Bank. This has inconvenienced some Palestinian Christians whose homes are close to the wall or who now have a longer journey to travel to Israel. But these Christians do not necessarily hold this policy against Israel, as it was necessary to build the wall to protect innocent Israeli civilians from terror.
Again, by focusing on Christians in the Middle East you are showing your ignorance of the situation – there is a genocide being carried out by Islamic fundamentalists against Christians in Islamic societies all over the Middle East. Why do you ignore this and seek to find fault in Israel, which is the only safe haven in the Mideast for Christians, as the documentary you referred to demonstrates.
Sam Barkley how much do you get paid to spout your pro Israeli filthy rants ? Is it 2 Palestinian children’s lives per line . Go on gis a hint !
Sure, everyone who doesn’t vehemently agree with one sided propaganda like this article is automatically paid to object to it.
The level of paranoia displayed here is bizzare.
Israel shouldn’t exist.
Palestine doesn’t exist.
What a one sided and emotionally manipulated piece. The wall is there to prevent the large minority from blowing themselves amongst the largest group of Jews they can find.
war is hell
It’s not war, it’s an occupation.
All the pro Israel comments here reek of what you can read on Western media. Most of the so called ‘stabbings’ that the IDF used as an excuse to murder Palestinians were never proven. It was also never proven that Hamas use Palestinians as body shields and it actually turned out the IDF used Palestinian children as shields. More Israeli propeganda that the media in the west loves to spread. It just takes a bit of researching online to find out the truth. Haarez, the first Israeli newspaper is a great place to start. Funny how they are completely critical of the Israeli government yet people half way round the world think they know better…
This isnt a war against two even sides. One has a huge army with state of the art technology. The other has stones.
Israel steals the Palestinians lands, moves in Jewish settlers who are given impunity – while a Palestinian will get 20 years for throwing a stone, a settler can basically kill at will and cry defense – something Israel is a master at at this stage. Just enough food is allowed into Gaza to keep them alive while water is completely controlled by the Israeli government. Israel has one of the highest rate of child abuses in its prisons, and Palestian kids of all ages are detained without reasoning. Palestinians lands are been stolen and destroyed by Israel burning their crops and spreading poison on the olive trees.
Who cares who was there first – a people are been killed and their lives, homes and families destroyed because they are Palestinian.
This is apartheid. According to a recent poll even Israeli’s believe its apartheid.
Basically I could go on all day but the Amnesty report is pretty detailed:
But yet its all the Palestinians fault for fighting back against the brutal occupation.
Oh seriously, pull the other one.
I’m no fan of Netanyahu or the blood-and-soil settlers (and neither are many Israelis as it happens) but your pretence that HAMAS aren’t willing to abuse, exploit or endanger the very people they profess to ‘defend’ is really quite sad in its naïvety.
Since you’re quoting Amnesty on Israel, try looking up their report on the type of shenanigans HAMAS gets up to in Gaza (it’s titled ‘Strangling Necks’: abductions, torture and summary killings of Palestinians by HAMAS forces during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conflict)
How dare she compare the 1916 Rising to an Intifada. The word Intifada has been tainted by the actions of the Palestinians. Their Intifada involved blowing up bused, restaurants and pubs. We did not target civilians in this manner. We did not attempt to target civilians.
The holy family ? Who the feck are they?
Sounds to me a bit like the joke about the man who went to his doctor and told him he’d ‘broke his arm in three places, while on holiday’. The doctor looked at him and told him to ‘not go back there’, Ha!
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Boo hoo hoo! If the Palestinians accepted Israel’s right to exist and stopped the terror and the hatred they wouldn’t have to put up with these defensive measures from Israel.
WTF has NI got to do with an article on Palestine? She’s probably no idea about Stalin purges either, and that’s just as irrelevant. What idiot thinks you have to know about one to write about your experiences in another?
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