Why though are some of the Israelis so ecstatic at the violence being meted out?

Because they are scum. Judaism, like all (or at least most) religions, promotes bigotry and hatred towards others.

“One can only speculate as to the differences in response…”

Here’s a speculation – there is no difference in response, but the media, having better access to Israel than to Gaza, focus on the most vocal and nutty Israelis because they make the best stories.

Neuroskeptic: the media focus on the most vocal and nutty Israelis because they make the best stories

I think these quotes are largely representative of wider Israeli opinion. Remember, there will be a general election in Israel on 10th February. Governments don’t normally do things the think will be unpopular in the run-up to an election. Therefore the Israeli government thinks killing Palestinians will be popular. They are pobably right; if they didn’t have a reasonable idea of what public opinion wants, they wouldn’t be the government.

Furthermore, some of these quotes comes from popular publications in the Israeli media.

If people treated what the Daily Mail printed as representative of British public opinion we’d look pretty bad too.

“Why though are some of the Israelis so ecstatic at the violence being meted out?”

Ethnic nationalism + militarism.

Jewish Voice for Peace statement on the Gaza attacks:

December 28, 2008

Jewish Voice for Peace joins millions around the world, including the 1,000 Israelis who protested in the streets of Tel Aviv this weekend, in condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. We call for an immediate end to attacks on all civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli.

Israel’s slow strangulation of Gaza through blockade has caused widespread suffering to the 1.5 million people of Gaza due to lack of food, electricity, water treatment supplies and medical equipment. It is a violation of humanitarian law and has been widely condemned around the world.

In resisting this strangulation, Hamas resumed launching rockets and mortars from Gaza into southern Israel, directly targeting civilians, which is also a war crime. Over the years, these poorly made rockets have been responsible for the deaths of 15 Israelis since 2004.

Every country, Israel included, has the right and obligation to protect its citizens. The recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza shows that diplomatic agreements are the best protection for civilian life.

Moreover, massive Israeli air strikes have proven an indiscriminate and brutal weapon. In just two days, the known death toll is close to 300, and the attacks are continuing. By targeting the infrastructure of a poor and densely populated area, Israel has ensured widespread civilian casualties among this already suffering and vulnerable population.

This massive destruction of Palestinian life will not protect the citizens of Israel. It is illegal and immoral and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. And it threatens to ignite the West Bank and add flames to the other fires burning in the Middle East and beyond for years to come.

The timing of this attack, during the waning days of a US administration that has undertaken a catastrophic policy toward the Middle East and during the run-up to an Israeli election, suggests an opportunistic agenda for short-term political gain at an immense cost in Palestinian lives. In the long run this policy will benefit no-one except those who always profit from war and exploitation. Only a just and lasting peace, achieved through a negotiated agreement, can provide both Palestinians and Israelis the security they want and deserve.

Well they sure don’t sound like “scum”.

Link to original JVP post of statement

You have not the slightest idea what Gazans are saying , you just don`t like the Jews. This sort of quote is often taken out of context from the Arab Peninsular has a very long history of equating revenge with justice. This is true of all the peoples of the region whose origins are ultimately the same and can be found expressed in the muruwwah by the Beduoin poets
“ Bravery in battle , patience in misfortune and persistence in revenge “

To the British with their long history of Common law and latterly the relegation of justice to aside show for rehabilitation a delight in seeing justice done is in poor taste . I often wish it were not .

“Why though are some of the Israelis so ecstatic at the violence being meted out?”
Because when the common psyche is that of persecution through the ages then some people will enjoy the bloodletting of others – particularly when it is ‘the enemy’ as opposed to just an ordinary person just trying to live, pretty much like them.
I think that if you sampled papers here and abroad, particularly America, during/after the invasion of Iraq you would have got similar quotes. The ‘enemy’ are rarely just average citizens.

“I just don’t like the Jews”

No, I just don’t like people who openly celebrate the violent, horrific deaths of others.

The Israelis are behaving exactly like any other people in their situation – they’ve been being attacked and now they’re fighting back, with no regard for the lives of “the enemy”.

See also – every other war since the beginning of time.

It is of course true that Palestinians in the past have openly celebrated attacks such as here: http://www.insidesocal.com/friendlyfire/2008/03/a_dark_day_for_humanity.html

Interesting though are the comments of Mark Regev, currently justifying in the strongest possible terms what’s happened in Gaza:

“‘It is clear that those people celebrating this bloodshed have shown themselves to be not only the enemies of Israel but of all of humanity.’”

@4 Neuroskeptic: If people treated what the Daily Mail printed as representative of British public opinion we’d look pretty bad too.

Well, the Daily Mail is one of be best-selling papers in Britain, so along with the Sun, it’s a reasonable guide to how lots of people do think.

@11: The Israelis are behaving exactly like any other people in their situation

Not true. The british response to terrorism has been a lot more measured. British people don’t openly gloat aboyut killing hundreds.

@6 Alan TRhomas: Well they sure don’t sound like “scum”.

It’s the ones who’re bigoted religious-nationalist extremists who are scum, not the people you quoted.

Palestinians gloat over the death of others? Perish the thought. They are sweet, gentle, kind, magnanimous people. Every one of them, to the last man/woman/child.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KrM0dAFsZ8k&feature=related

Trofim – wow, some Palestinians do bad stuff (I haven’t bothered looking at the YouTube but I presume that’s what it’s about). Do you therefore believe that they’re all endemically evil and that the Israelis should clean house? Be up-front with your views.

Septicisle: your message might be more believable if you didn’t have to take quotes out of context to back it up. A quick glance at Yoei Marcus’s Haaretz article shows that he was referring to Hamas leaders, not innocent civilians.

While I might not agree with those who celebrate when the the likes of Hamas or Mugabe are attacked, I wouldn’t label them as nationalistic scum.

But almost always “killing of Hamas leaders” comes along with several dozen dead Palestinians.