Peace? What peace?

So, ummm, when high school students in Canada and the U.S. sign up for extracurricular activities, they usually go out for basketball/football/soccer/etc tryouts, cheerleading squads, glee club, and the like.

And even if they're not doing anything "constructive" with their time, they're likely just goofing around at the mall or skipping class to go somewhere or do something they find more interesting.

(Not that we here at Heebonics advocate skipping class. At all. DON'T DO THAT. Really. None of us ever did. Much.)

But what are high schoolers in Gaza encouraged to do with their spare time? Learn chess, perhaps? Wrong. Develop skills in the fine art of sculpture or painting? Nope. Wanna guess? Well, I'll tell you:

THEY STUDY HOW TO CONDUCT AGGRESSIVE MILITARY JIHAD AGAINST ISRAEL. 

Graduates of Gaza's military training Futuwwa, or “Youth” program, display their peace-making prowess in a recent ceremony. The elective program is offered in all of Gaza's high schools. Isn't that nice?

 
A Jan. 24 report in The Washington Post reaffirms what many Israeli diplomats, citizens and embattled peaceniks have come to realize after many years of frustrating peace efforts with the Palestinians of Hamas-ruled Gaza: There won't be peace. At least, not while Gazan children are being encouraged to incorporate hate and the destruction of Jews into their lifestyles and moral fibre.

"More than 3,000 Palestinian teenagers on Thursday graduated from the ruling Hamas militant group’s first high school military training program in the Gaza Strip, displaying mock weapons, crawling commando-style on the ground and taking up fighting positions for thousands of cheering supporters.

Hamas officials said the Futuwwa, or “Youth,” program is aimed at fostering a new generation of leaders in the struggle against Israel.

“We teach the youth to honor the national flag and anthem, to strengthen their affinity with the homeland and Jerusalem, the spirit of resistance and the principles of steadfastness,” said Abu Hozifa, a 29-year-old national security officer who teaches in the program. “We also prepare them in terms of faith and physical fitness to serve as resistance fighters if they want to be in the future.”
The program is a weekly elective that is offered in all Gaza high schools. Officials said 3,600 participated in the first session, which began in September."

There's more, and you can read it at the Washington Post here. 

Frankly, it's sickening. But the Western media largely ignores these ominous signs (not you though, good ol' Washington Post) and/or minimizes what it means to any peace process. And what it means is, no peace. Because how can Israelis and Palestinians talk peace, when all Hamas's efforts are on holy war?

Sad.