Hamas militants vow vengeance for death

If the world wasn't scary enough to begin with, it is going to be a frightening place for a while longer.

Though Israel and Palestine have been fighting since what seems like the beginning of time, recent events have made their threats stronger.

A member of the militant Palestinian group Hamas was killed Sunday during an Israeli air strike in Gaza City when his car was destroyed by a missile. Hamas supported Saddam Hussein's rule of Iraq.

Monday morning the residential area of Sderot was targeted when two militants were killed with eight others injured. Israel targets areas in Gaza City regularly, aiming for metal workshops and militants in the effort to destroy weapons producers.

The United States has been Israel's ally, sending it money each year since 1982. Israel puts this sum in with all other money and does not have to account for its spending, which differs from other countries that receive United States aid. Each year they have been receiving around $2 billion. Recently it has been a little less, but the U.S. is sending more military support instead.

The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act bans the U.S. from helping any country that consistently has a pattern of human rights violations. In addition, Israel has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to allow inspection of its weapons facilities. Yet the U.S. continues to send them money.

For weapons manufacturers who sell to Israel, it is important that the country has money to pay for these expensive death toys. Around 80 percent of the weapons found in Arab countries come from U.S. manufacturers, according to an article published in Left Turn Magazine. The U.S. allied itself with Israel, and since, U.S. interest in the oil-filled region has been backed by this country. Israel is helping U.S. imperialism in a way, with dictators in other countries, for example, Mobutu Sese Seko in the Congo, to control the region.

B'tselem, an Israeli human rights group, estimates that there have been more than 250 civilians killed by Israel since September 2000, both innocent and targeted. There have been countless deaths on both sides over the years. When former President Clinton attempted peace in the Middle East, he got so far as to have the leaders of both Israel and Palestine agree to work for peace. Unfortunately they cannot control all independent militant groups in their country and despite their peace pleas the groups vowed to continue the bloodshed.

The fact that the media mostly covers both sides of the conflict and both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli views are presented is a step forward. There is still a long way to go but Washington is stirring from its sleep and noticing that things aren't right in the land of U.S. supported Israel.

Both sides of this conflict have had high death tolls and suffering for everyone involved. The scariest part of this story is that Hamas has vowed revenge for the Sunday killing of one of its group, to teach Israel "a painful lesson."