Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee in Al-Jazeera (Video in arabic + translation)

The video:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDjJ-reyrc

Translation:

Jazeera Achorwoman: â€œWe return to Avichay Adraee, spokesman for the Israeli Army in Tel Aviv. You wanted to add something and you said that we cut you off and you wanted the right to reply? Go on.â€

Adraee: â€œAs I said previously, and Iâ€™ve been following the Al Jazeera broadcast since this morning and hearing you say that that Israel is using these missiles fired at us by Palestinians as some sort of pretext to launch a military campaign and air raids.

â€œThis military campaign isnâ€™t being done under a pretext. Itâ€™s a response to a barbaric act of war carried out by a terrorist organization that targets Israeli citizens who live in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip.

â€œThere have been hundreds of missiles fired on the heads of our men, women, children, and elderly, even in the last few days

â€œDid anyone really think that we would not defend our citizens? How is it in any way possible that this situation in Gaza and south Israel could continue, where Israel is subjected to these attâ€¦â€

Anchorwoman [interrupting]: â€œWhy is it OK for you to defend yourselves but not OK for the other side to do that? Whereâ€™s the barabism here? One minute, please, what barbarism are you talking about, Avichay? Is there barbarism in launching missiles or in what we see here which is like something from a Hollywood film, a cruelty in which we see dozens of corpses which litter the ground?â€

Adraee: â€œThose corpses are from Hamas members who are shelling us. This barbarism has now become a festival of oration where people give vehement speeches threatening Israel and menacing Israeli citizens in and beyond Ashterot & Ashkelon.

[NOTE: this was broadcast on the 29th â€“ since then, right now as I write, Al Arabiya are reporting 75 children killed so far in this war]

â€œAnd weâ€™ve been sitting here all this time listening to all these threats.

â€œTheyâ€™ve been doing all this all this time instead of providing for the daily needs of the Palestinians. This is the barabarism that Iâ€™m talking about.

â€œFor every Palestinian citizen today it all goes back to one thing and one thing only. Every complaint, every suffering, every tragedy, itâ€™s all caused by one thing and one thing only â€“ the Hamas movement.

â€œAnd Israel has been saying, while all of this has been going on for the last few weeks, that peace requites peace. [i.e. a truce has to come from both sides. One side canâ€™t adhere to a truce while the other side attacks it].

â€œBut a truce while theyâ€™re raining hundreds of missiles down on us? We cannot and will not accept that.

â€œA return to calm after the end of this ceasefire {tahdiâ€™a â€“ which Iâ€™ve translated both as ceasefire and truce} [was the intention], but then Hamas ended that ceasefire.

â€œAnd today they want to return us to the zero point [i.e. destroy us] after raining missiles down on us? This will not happen. Israel will not let this happen. There is no possibility of Israel shirking from its responsibilities [protecting its citizens].

â€œSo the responsibility for all this lies squarely on Hamasâ€™ shoulders.

â€œYou hit me then you cry and youâ€™re the first to complain? Iâ€™ve said all of this previously, this is the Palestinian situation right nowâ€.

Anchorwoman: â€œWhat about during the ceasefire? History shows that during the ceasefire Israel didnâ€™t offer, either for Hamas or Palestinian citizens, anything other than killing them in their dozens.

â€œDoes Israel not yet understand that this way doesnâ€™t accomplish any positive results, this military action which is launched on Gaza?â€

Adraee: â€œThe prime minister, the foreign minister, defense minister, the head of the armed forces â€“ all the representatives say that peace requires peace.

â€œBefore, during and after this truce, and I can only give you this information here â€“ 300 rockets and mortars have been launched at the heads of our children, women and elderly, all during this ceasefire. How is that a ceasefire?â€

Anchorwoman: â€œAre you prepared to end the siege in exchange for a truce?â€

Adraee: â€œIâ€™m not the PM or any official who makes political decisions. I speak to you from my position in the army. Our position is that we are in a continual operation. An operation which can be stopped at any time. But [Hamas] must provide suitable circumstances for this to happen, and they must understand a clear message.

â€œAnd I say to them wherever they are: â€˜Whoever intends to kill you, kill them first [before they can kill you]â€™ This is a famous Arabic proverb.

â€œIf Hamas thinks or is under the illusion they can continue to rain their missiles down on us, they and their leadership are deluded.

â€œDid they really think we wouldnâ€™t defend our citizens from this? We will pursue these terrorists wherever they are.

â€œSo if they store weapons in a civilian house then we will strike it because otherwise theyâ€™ll use those missiles against us.

â€œThe Palestinian citizens must know this very clearly â€“ Israelâ€™s not doing this under any pretext, Israel is defending the lives of its citizens. So the Palestinians must demand from those who rule them to defend themâ€¦ â€

Anchorwoman [interrupting]: â€œThe numbers are clear and we will read them, Hassan?â€

Anchorman: â€œLeena, these numbers. The Jerusalem Detachment, the military wing of Islamic Jihad before the end of the truce, compiled the results of these Israeli incursions.

â€œThere have been 195 breaches in the Strip that led to 22 martyrs, most of whom were resistance fighters along with 62 injured including nine fishermen and farmers. There were also 38 people imprisoned.

â€œIn the West Bank there were 1260 incursions that martyred 21 resistance fighters and citizens along with 245 injured. Most of them were injured during demonstrations against the separation wall during which the occupying forces imprisoned 1111 â€“ all of this during the six months of what Israel calls a truce.â€

Anchorwoman: â€œThese numbers which include dozens of martyrs along with injured and those taken captive by Israeli troops. So what truce is this? With what logic can you compare the Israeli air raids which have killed hundreds with the Palestinian rockets, which you use as a pretext to launch these raids, which havenâ€™t yet killed one Israeli. Except for today when one person has been killed.â€

Adraee: â€œIn order to clear things up I want to firstly talk about the West Bank, there was no truce there.

â€œThese breaches of the truce which Islamic Jihad have calculated, this isnâ€™t true because there never was a truce in the West Bank.

â€œThe second point is that itâ€™s Islamic Jihad that compiled those statistics youâ€™re using. Surely you must get your information from a neutral source and not from a group which wants to continue launching missiles at us, thatâ€™s the second point.

â€œThe third point is that youâ€™ve mentioned there were 195 breaches in Gaza. Thatâ€™s not correct.

â€œI say to you that 300 rockets were launched on our heads during the truce. You cannot compare thisâ€¦..â€

Anchorwoman: [tries to interrupt]

Adraee: â€œSo what youâ€™re saying is that there were no Israelis injured from [Hamas] rockets? OK, fine, if thatâ€™s what you say.

â€œThen OK, fine, so what youâ€™re saying is these Palestinian rockets are absurd and havenâ€™t injured any Israeli and didnâ€™t kill any Israeli.

â€œOK. Fine. In that case why launch them? So why do they subject themselves to this danger? This isnâ€™t a pretext â€“ this is a response to an attack, an act of war. An attack by terrorist group on us and we will protect the lives of our citizens.

â€œSo if they want to get rid of any [so called] â€˜pretextâ€™ and if this is what they really want, fine, fair enough. Then stop launching missiles at us! So why arenâ€™t they doing this?

â€œIf as you in Jazeera are saying thereâ€™s no use in launching these missiles because they donâ€™t kill any Israelis or injure any of us, OK then in that case stop firing them!

Anchorwoman: â€œWe didnâ€™t say that!â€

Adraee: â€œYouâ€™re not talking about whatâ€™s in the interests [of the Palestinians]. Thereâ€™s been no call for helping whatâ€™s in the interests and welfare of the Palestinians, theyâ€™re just depending on whatâ€™s making things worse for them. OK, fine!

â€œNow, wake up from your delusions! Youâ€™re getting an Israeli response [to these missile attacks]. Start thinking along new lines. Think about the future. What do you want it to be?

â€œDo you want to spill your blood? Do you want a future of cycles of war and violence? Then why donâ€™t you stop these actions which donâ€™t benefit you in any way?â€

Anchorwoman: â€œAvichay Adraee, Israeli Military Spokesman, thank you for your participation hereâ€
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Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee in Al-Jazeera (Video in arabic + translation)

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Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee in Al-Jazeera (Video in arabic + translation)

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