The War Between Israel and Gaza

1. Where is Israel? Locate it on a map:

- Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean sea, between Egypt and Lebanon.

2. Why was Israel created?

- Israel was created after the World War II, in 1948 , to establish a "National Home" for the Jews in Palestine.

3. Where are the Palestinian Territories? Locate on a map:

- TheGaza Strip is in border with Israel and Egypt, and the West Bank is in border with Jordan.

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*Questions*

1. What is happening in Israel and Gaza?

- There´s a fight because Israel wants to get back the Gaza territory, Israel attacked Hamas targets in Gaza, in response of the rocketfires in southern Israel.

2. How many Palestinians have died and how many Israelis?

- Up to January 12, 2009, 900 Palestinians have died and 13 Israelis, which were from the army.

3. What is Hamas?

- The Isalmist group that governs Gaza. (Considered as a terrorist organization).

4. What was the U.S. response to the attacks?

- U.S. is supporting Israel´s attack, because they consider Hamas a terrorist organization that wants to eliminate Israel. Also because this could mean a possible that they would gain enough money to go through the economy recession.

5. What happened when Israel was declared a state in 1948?

- The Arab states declared that if Israel was declared a state, they would invade it. But, the committee decided to name Israel a state, because the U.S. President Harry S. Truman, said that as long as he governed he would recognize it as a state. All the Arab states didn´t recognize Israel as a state with the fear that he would gain the power above all.

6. What did Israel agree to in the Oslo accords?

- To transfer all the powers to the Palestinians, the security is Israel´s responsibility, and that the Declaration of Principles couldn´t prejudge the permanent status. With all of these points specified, Israel agreed to withdraw from the Gaza Trip and the West Bank to leave them their territory.

7. How did Hamas come to power in Gaza?

- Hamas won the Parliamentary election over Fatah and isolating the area they took control over Gaza.

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*The Meaning of an Old Battle*

1. To which "old battle" does the article's headline refer?

- It referrs to the battle they have for the territories since the U.N. established Palestine.

2. What seem to be the hopes underlying Israel's assault on Gaza?

- Delegitimize the group’s leadership in the eyes of the Palestinian people and eliminate its power to prevent a two-state solution.

3. How would a clear Israeli victory affect the region?

- It would make it easier for some countries like Egypt and Jordan, because they could all declare against Iran.

4. How would a clear Israeli victory affect the United States?

- Because it could help U.S. recover from the crisis of the economy recession.

5. Why does Iran have much at stake in the outcome of the current crisis?

- All the countries surrounding would attack Iran because it´s the only other country aside from Israel that would be really affected, because it´s almost the same as Hamas in their way of being so radical.

6. How likely is it that the Israeli assault will be successful?

- If everything remains the way it it, it is more likely to win, but with all the deaths in Gaza, all of the Middle East Divisions, like Lebanon, could prevent Arab countries from supporting Israel.

7. What are some of the divisions in the Middle East that this conflict has highlighted?

- Hezbollah in Lebanon, because he prevented Egypt from blocking the border for Gaza with militars.

8. What happened in Lebanon in 1982? How are the Gaza attacks similar?

- Israel invaded Lebanon to eliminate the threat´s of Yasir Arafhat and accomplishing his goal, it made Mr. Arafat recognize Israel. But, at the same time, he won an enemy as Hezbollah became the terrorist group of Lebanon.

9. In what ways might the attacks on Gaza backfire?

- The political consequences could backfire to Iran in the Middle East, and the ability of President-elect Barak Obama to pursue his stated goals of calming the Middle East through diplomacy, would be tested. Also a two-state treaty could bring peace.

10. Why does Mr. Abbas say he will walk away from the peace talks begun by President Bush in 2007?

- The longer, the assault from Israel continues, he´ll be more and more against it. He said he would walk away from the peace process that President Bush began in Annapolis, in 2007, because U.S. is supporting Israel, instead of doing something to make peace as his treaty says.

11. What lessons has Israel learned from Lebanon?

- To avoid the catastrophe they made in Lebanon in 2006, to squelch cross-border rocket attacks by Hezbollah are not all that different from the ones by Hamas. Also by lowering their expectations and declaring victory just for surviving the assault, as Lebanon did. Israel seems to be better prepared, as for the objective, they haven´t said.

12. In what way is the timing of this renewed battle beneficial?

- It came before the inauguration of the President Barack Obama, on January 20, because he´ll sure end this war.

13. How will the Obama administration be able to capitalize on the situation in Gaza?

- On the cease-fire to renew a permanent settlement. He once thought about supporting Hamas, but that is impossible, because President Bush refused to back up a terrorist organization.

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*Image*

1. What is going on in the photograph?

- A boy is crying in the middle of the war.

2. Who is pictured?

- A boy, about 5 years old.

3. What can you learn about how the main subject in the photo is feeling from his or her facial expression?

- He is really sad and scared. I learned that not only civilians, but also children suffer in wars, maybe they don´t exactly understand what´s going on, but they see all the murdering and they go through the same cruel experiences, such as hunger, thrist, cold, wounds, etc.

4. What might this person be feeling, given what is going on in the photograph?

- He sure is sad because all of the deaths, because of the surroundings. He must be hungry and cold, maybe even hurt. He is also scared because he is lost and alone, he doesn´t understand what´s going on.

5. What might this person want to say to the "opposite side"?

- He might tell them how unfair it is to be punished like that for somethign he doesn´t even understand, he didn´t do anything. He would just tell them how cruel they are and beg them to stop the war and finish so much suffering.