Feedback Forum
On Tuesday 13th January 2009 Jonathan wrote:
Yesterday, I went to York Minster to meet a man on a hunger strike. John Bibby is a Gemini and an atheist. He's vowed that for every child that dies in Gaza, he will fast for one hour. His next meal slips ever further away with each piece of bad news. I told him about my own recent visit to the West Bank where I talked to local people. They are not all extremists, any more than all Israelis support their government's policies. Most, like John, feel that while violence is often the question, it is never the answer.

On Wednesday 14th January 2009 Jonathan wrote:
The man using a cathedral as a base for his protest fast... is an atheist. He has no faith in God and doesn't think much of astrology either! John Bibby has a further, even greater doubt. He simply cannot believe there can be any justification for innocent children dying in Gaza. John has decided not to eat again till the killing stops. Will his efforts make any difference? I think so. We often imagine that we cannot influence the wider world but when enough people feel that something is wrong and say as much... it's amazing what can change.

Here follows a selection of your responses - if you have something to add, please get in touch

Hi Jon

I have 2 questions:
1.If violence is not an answer to violence, than what is?
2. And why do you call defense military operation a violence?

Sincerely
Nella

"John Bibby is a Gemini and an atheist. He's vowed that for every child that dies in Gaza, he will fast for one hour. "

John Bibby is well intentioned, but NOT well informed.

I acknowledge the suffering of the residence of Gaza. The facts remain that Hamas places their people's children ( and mothers and fathers and grandparents) in the very line of fire to protect their weapon sites. During the fighting Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas leader, hides out in Damascus just as Arafat and family did in France. Israel has no intention of harm toward ANY children. Can you say the same of the Gaza Hamas tactics?

As an American Jew, I pray for peace and find myself incapable of judging Israel government. As a British Jew Jonathan Cainer, you must have a sense of survival....yes? Imagine Ireland were lobbing bombs over to England, saying they were intent to eradicate the British... would you not defend yourself?

Perhaps the best we can do is send money, or food and medicine, along with our prayers, to the innocent suffering. To highlight with publicity of hunger-strike the one group of children, is to ignore the rest. When in doubt.... Think globally, Work locally.
Debbie

Dear Jonathan,

I would like to comment on the thought for the day about the man who went on a hunger strike for children killed in Gaza. How very commendable, and how very one-sided! Why doesn't this man hunger-strike for Israeli civilians blown to pieces or otherwise killed by terrorists over the years, or those who have been barraged by rockets coming from Hamas? A liberal myself and an Israeli-American, I never cease to be amazed by the limited perspective of many western liberals on the Middle East conflict.

While I abhor violence from any source, I certainly think that an objective person must regard both sides equally, or at the very least acquaint him/herself with facts before springing to the defense of a perceived underdog. In my observation, many people automatically support the Palestinian Arabs just because they do not have a state, and condemn Israel just because it is one. Israel is always expected "to know better". It appears that the absence of an official Palestinian state has never stopped the terrorists from using deadly force to attack Israel and Jewish people. While trying to destroy Israel, they have effectively ruined their own infrastructure and sacrificed the lives of many of their own citizens. But there is little mention of that in the press. There is hardly a doubt in my mind that centuries-old anti-semitism has a part to play in people's attitudes.

I do appreciate your comment that neither all the Gazans are terrorists, nor all Israelis support this war. I do believe that this is true, and that eventually both nations will stop fighting and learn to live together. And I also believe that the world can assist by fostering an unbiased perspective on the issue.

Sincerely,
Lana

Perhaps what would actually bring peace to Gaza is for Hamas to accept the fact that Isreal exists. Then instead of putting all of their effort into trying to murder Isrealis, they could actually put an effort into improving their own peoples' lives. But considering the fact that, for years, they have murdered Isreali schoolchildren in their classrooms, slit their parents throats in their beds, and practiced suicide bombings, I doubt it. There was a cartoon several years ago in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, showing a Hamas fellow saying to two others "why don't we accept that Isreal exists, work to show that God loves us all, and get on with living?". One of the other Hamas fellows in the room says "Kill him".

Katherine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNjggLhQo6w

In response to your thought for the day I wanted to share this thought you may very well appreciate. Hopefully you may even sign their letter.

www.december18th.org

blessings,
Judith

Dear Jon,
I have been a faithful reader of your zodiac forecast for years and it is most often right on.

What isn't right on is your thought for the day today. I am extremely offended by your saying that West Bank people "are not all extremists, any more than all Israelis support their government's policies." This implies that you believe - and that it should be self- evident - that the Israeli government's policies are bad or wrong. I don't think that you should exploit your position as someone people trust and turn to for your forecasts, and so on, to propound your political views. I, for one, do not believe there is anything wrong with policies that defend a country from terrorists, which is what those long calling for the destruction of Israel are.

Carole

Hello Jon,
I read your remarks about the children in Gaza. For how many hours your friend has been fasting for the children of Israel that are being killed by people from Gaza and the west bank? for years? I myself was targeted as a child with coins, colorful pens, little radio transistors all filled with explosives, all places near schools in Tel Aviv. And, second question, when you spoke with Arabs in the west bank, did you speak in Arabic or English? They have very different aspirations in each language. I advise you to look up some of their web sites translated into English by westerners. You will be surprised by the violence there. Actually their main goal is to destroy the Jewish people everywhere on the planet. I am sure that you don't agree with such violence! Before you make up an opinion, it is always good to research the issue from all angles, and then decide. Right now, you have two "violences", one that you like and one that you hate, and it is a little contradictory to your initial statement.

All the best,
Lydia

Dear Jonathan,
Whilst I have a strong admiration and fully understand John Bibby's desire to draw attention to the horror of what is happening in Gazza, I can't help but wonder. if he is not missing one crucial point in his endeavour to fast for one hour for each child who dies in Gaza.

Is not depriving your body of the nourishment it needs also a form of violence? Surely to find solutions we need to be strong in these times.

Best Wishes
Molly

I would like to see some protests around the world when Israeli children are dying, then it may be at least somewhat fair response to the death of Palestinian children, which were put in the harm's way by their own parents and relatives. Otherwise - shame on any one protesting now! It is a bit too late to voice your "peaceful" opinion!!!

Nella

Hi Jon,
I am requesting that this email go to Jon and not be diverted to be answered by one of his assistants.

Jon
I am really chagrined that you are giving Internet time and attention to this fool Bibby. I understand that you are Jewish by birth if not by practice. I hope this resonates with your soul. Where was Bibby when Osher ben Iris, a nine-year old Jewish boy in Sderot, got his leg blown off by a Hamas-lobbed Kassam rocket last year? I say prayers for this boy every day. Where was Bibby when a Jewish mother and her four little girls were murdered by a Pali terrorist in cold blood (shot at close range) on a road in Israel a few years ago? Where was Bibby when Rivkah Holtzberg--do you all in the UK remember as far back as Mumbai, which happened on this past November 27--a Chabad rebbetzin who was murdered in cold blood by Muslim terrorists when she was five months pregnant? How about the eight Yeshiva boys, many of them no more than 15 or 16, who were murdered last March by an Israeli Arab terrorist with ties to Hamas? They were gunned down while praying and studying, their blood was spilled over their texts. Do these Jewish deaths count? Or only the "Palis", from a made-up country, with criminals as the rulers, who teach their children to hate Jews, wear grenades on their bodies, and dedicate themselves to suicide? Never have I seen so many people so blind and ready to believe and swallow lies.

When did your relatives come to England Jon? Maybe it was after the Holocaust. Remember that? It couldn't have been before the 17th c, because all the Jews were kicked out of England in the 13th c and were not admitted back in until the 17th c. BTW, not only were the Jews kicked out, but a number of them were massacred, burnt. That's England for you. Check your verifiable texts.

This man Bibby is a fool because he hasn't a clue as to what is really going on here in Israel and does not even investigate to find out but simply swallows the bs that news sources put in front of him.

His concept of "peace" is like the hippies' concept of "freedom". The endpoint of allowing license, which is what was really going on, rather than "freedom", for many during the "60s, is someone like Charles Manson. His MO was startlingly similar to the Pakistani terrorists who mutilated many of their victims in Mumbai. So, when you have beastly people hurling blood libels and lies at the Jews in the name of "children and "peace"--photos of this in the UK are on youtube, you also have fringe extremists like Bibby starving himself for no good reason. Not to be admired, and of course not imitated.

You on the other hand do not have to sponsor him.
I see that your recent visit to Israel did not teach you much. Too bad. I see you as generally more insightful than you have presented yourself this time.

Brana
Israel

Hopefully this atheist is as distraught about rockets flying into Israel and killing innocent Israelis as he is children in Gaza. When the rockets cease, so will defense of a nation. The ideal is for an entire religion to stop embracing suicide as "matyrdom" and the oxymoron known as "honor killing". Therein lies the problem, plus thousands of years of tribal mentality.

A Texas Reader

Again,
The situation in the middle east is not a cut & dried single issue of "children," and of course, there is no easy answer. Certainly, absolutely, Israel would understand John Bibby's empathy for children. Do you really think children in Gaza are the target? There is too much to mislead observers in his protest that feeds anti semitism and has shades of blood libel. Is that Mr. Bibby's intended outcome? Is it yours Jonathan Cainer? I doubt so. Then please keep your own counsel and comment elsewhere than your website.

Deb

Dear Jon,
I hope John Bibby is also starving himself for all the Israeli children who are killed by Palestinians. I hope he cares as much for Israeli civilians who are just trying to live their lives and are constantly the target of terrorist attacks. I hope his campaign is directed at those terrorists who hide behind their children in Gaza and let their children be killed for photo-ops, at the mothers of those children who encourage them to take up arms and celebrate when they are killed and celebrate when Israeli children are killed.

Deborah

Hello Jonathan
I am a very great fan and read your site everyday (sometimes several times a day!).

I'm a Capricorn and Pluto is rumoured to be in my sign. I cannot watch any more news bulletins of the dismal situation in Gaza. If Pluto is the planet of power, what can I, as a Capricorn, do to harness some of that power to help? Up to now, no amount of prayers and throwing my requests out to the universe has stopped this killing. What else can you suggest? I'm surrounded by other Capricorns at work, home, friends etc. What can we all do to help? I'm a mother and grandmother. Why children? They are innocent.

Kind regards
Tina

I would like to offer my support to John Bibby for sacrificing his own health and discomfort on behalf of the children of Gaza - he is doing this as a humanist and if there were more like him there would never be another war anywhere in the world

Liz

Stop being so political Jonathan you are a good astrologer but by publicising John Bibby actions you are "muddying the waters" as to what your site is about. You have done this before with Tibet but in that instance you were talking about a race of people that are totally peace loving. I think I can berate you as I am a Politician myself - I am a local Councillor. Why didn't John Bibby go on hunger strike until the Hamas stopped firing rockets on a daily basis into Israel, is it ok then if Israeli children get killed?. If you are to make your website one to include Politics then at least put a balanced argument and do not publicise that John Bibby wants to stop the "killing of children in Gaza" - publicise him if he wants to go on hunger strike to stop the "killing of children" in Israel and Gaza. Anyway to go on hunger strike, is to show fanaticism and in my opinion is it the fanatic people in the world that are causing conflicts and wars.

Regards
Ruth

Jonathan,
I am a great fan of yours and yet I find myself questioning your values. You did not mention a word about all the rockets that Hamas has lobbed into Israel and there were a lot. So, in my interpretation, you are saying it is all right to kill Israelis but not to touch Palestinians. You should have spoke out in the beginning when this all started, at the first rocket. When we are silent and then speak up the damage is already done. You have an important role. You have many followers like myself. Use your power to help, not hinder or incite anger, to bring awareness of what are the real issues. If you will take the time to revisit the movie "Exodus", you will find that Israel was living under a British mandate. England's history is wrapped up in the Middle East as is Germany's.

Sincerely,
Flora

Dear Jonathan
Is there a website where we can show support for John Bibby's hungry strike.

Thanks
Jose

Jon
Where has world opinion been these past eight years while rockets from Gaza were falling on Israel?
Hamas has brought this disaster on its own people.
Please look at these pictures. What sort of children are they raising? What kind of future do they want?

Joan

What is the physiological price for each and every child raised from an early age to hate, to be proud of and enjoy using deadly weapons, to blow themselves up in order to kill as many innocent civilians as possible......?

What future expects any community which gives such "education" to their children, when the world is our mirror..... ?

What is the price the nations of the world are now paying and will, even more, have to pay in the future for condoning a culture of hate and death?

At least the children solders of African never ending wars are taken away from their families towards the middle or the end of their childhood......and then brainwashed, forced to use weapons and to kill. They have not started life that way and given the opportunity may have a better chance to live normal lives. However, the children bellow are brought up to hate and potentially kill from their earliest age and by their own parents.

Dialog, agreement, win-win negotiations, conflict resolution can easily become totally alien concepts to whole communities, in perpetuity.

את זה הם מראים כל הזמן

These are the images they show :

ואת זה הם **_לא_** מראים , בטח שכחו..._צריך לעזור להם להפיץ בעולם

These are the images they don't show

Please help to show these pictures to the world.....

המידע הכלול בהודעת דוא"ל זו הנו חסוי וסודי. המידע מיועד לשימושו של הנמען בלבד. אם קורא הודעה זו אינו הנמען, הננו מביאים לידיעתו כי כל הפצה, העברה או העתקה של תכתובת זו אסורה בהחלט. אם תכתובת זו הגיעה אליך בטעות, הנך מתבקש ליידע אותנו בהקדם בדוא"ל, ולמחוק את ההודעה מהמחשב שלך. תודה.