http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Journalists-threatened-by-Hamas-for-reporting-use-of-human-shields-369619

Just gonna leave that there...

"Not that this is going to happen thanks to things like Israeli hasbara and popular sentiment behind them. The IDF have a twitter account, Hamas doesn't."

And you're telling me that Hamas can afford thousands of rockets and millions of dollars worth of concrete for underground tunnels, but can't afford to maintain a Twitter account--something even the pro-Russian separatists have--and find a way to get their message out?

Internet restrictions or no...if there's one thing Internet uses are very, very, VERY good at figuring out, it's how to get around Internet restrictions.

You're telling me this isn't even worth a try, or that it's simply too much work for them...and even if it didn't work, at least it'd look good, more good PR, "hey, look at what we're saying vs. what the IDF is saying."

"And you're ignoring that non-violent protests have been tried in the past and haven't worked."

So? If we're going on the basis of "hasn't worked before," um...Hamas has now had 3 wars in 8 years, so we can put that in the "hasn't worked before" column, too, along with all other militant efforts in the last 67 years.

At least this "hasn't worked before" option doesn't result in thousands of Palestinians dying in a war...and given that this is the age of social media, maybe it'd have a better chance? Just look at the Arab Spring--again, regardless of how well the people who came AFTER that were, the fact remains that Twitter and Facebook were major elements of that movement, if for no other reason than it added even more momentum and media coverage, and gave additional means of communication as well.

And again--both violence and non-violence have "been tried before," Chairman...but as this option 1. Might work better with social media and 2. Doesn't result in Gaza getting blasted, Israel getting tunneled into, and thousands dying, that would seem to be the better option after 3 straight wars lost...

And yes, I know what they're called, I was saying more of the equivalent to a preacher like the ones I mentioned in terms of status rather than the actual religious title.

Most of the violence has been carried out by Israel. It's not even close to being proportional; Israel is countering violence with vastly escalated violence. If anyone should take the first step toward non-violence it should be the party that has the furthest to go.

Hamas would escalate if they could, for the same reasons that Israel has escalated, but they lack the means.

Anyway, nobody is going to do what they "should" do... it's a conflict.

I honestly don't think a twitter account is going to help Hamas or Gaza that much. I must be crazy or something.

Duh, Sheng-Ji, Israelis are allowed to respond to low level rocket fire with the utter annihilation of Gaza, but Palestinians are supposed to respond to the destruction of Gaza with tweets and facebook posts.

Didn't you know these were the rules?

Rules? Who said those were the rules?

I merely suggested that after 3 failed wars,t hey MIGHT want to try an option that DOESN'T end with them losing and seeing thousands killed in a war that they'll just perpetuate and lose each and every time.

Buuuuuut I guess you like seeing dead Palestinian kids more than you want to actually try something new, so hey--you go ahead and back that murderous terrorist organization.

The more deaths for you, the better, right?

That's what Stalin would do!

...Oh...wait...that IS what Stalin would do. He loved death.

Right. Carry on.

Because it's the Palestinians fault that Israelis kill them. And if only they made tweets it'd all be better, but yet you make no reciprocal obligation on Israelis to engage in non-violence.

Right, carry on. Stalin, North Korea, blah blah blah.

It takes real fucking audacity for you to sit here and use Palestinian kids to make a point when you've been sitting here defending their murder by Israel for weeks now.

It's Hamas' fault that they tunnel into Israel and fire rockets, both of which violate national sovereignty and start a war they know they can't win and can only result in thousands of dead Palestinians.

So, yes, it is their fault.

And as Israel is being accused of a disproportionate response...well, it's a RESPONSE.

Stop rocketing and tunneling into Israel, and that'd take care of Israel firing back.

And it takes real fucking audacity to lecture anyone on "defending murder" when you defend, quite literally, some of the biggest mass murders of the last century. Repeatedly. With pride. And have no problem with Jews and other undesirables you could care less about being targeted and being murdered, so long as it fits with your political picture, which is one filled with tyrants and terrorists.

And Conquest and Death.

Why don't you demand Israelis engage in non-violence? Instead you put on the burden on the people Israel is occupying.

Israel tore up the 2012 truce with their rampage through the West Bank. Israel is continuing the siege and embargo on Gaza. Israel is continuing the occupation. But all you do is blame Palestinians.

It's not a 'response'. It's 100% aggression. Israel is occupying another country. That's not a 'response'. Israel tore up the 2012 agreement and started the war. That's not a 'response'. Low level rocket fire was the response. As usual you have everything backwards because only Jews matter to you.

How is tunnelling a violation of national sovereignty? How do you expect an embargo'd population to get basic supplies? It's the *embargo* that is a violation of national sovereignty. It's the *occupation* that's a violation of national sovereignty. It's the prevention of food from getting into Gaza that is a violation of national sovereignty.