Boeing 747 goes to help extinguish Israeli forest fire

Read more about the fire here.

Jack Guez / AFP - Getty Images

US Evergreen 747 supertanker sprays over a burning area in Ein Hod in the Carmel Forest on the outskirts of Haifa, Israel, on Dec. 5, as dozens of firefighting planes from around the world battled the blaze which has killed 41 people so far.

Dana Friedlander / AP

In this photo taken on Saturday, Dec. 4, smoke rises from a forest fire outside Haifa, Israel.

Abir Sultan / EPA

A man inspects the remains of a burnt house in the village of Ein Hod, outside Haifa, Israel, on Dec. 5.

Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

Israeli police officers mourn during the funeral of their comrade Yitzhak Melina in Haifa Dec. 5. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government faced calls for consequences on Sunday over a huge four-day-old forest fire that has killed 41 people, including Melina, and been called the worst in Israel's history.

Discuss this post

What a tear jerker.

No, it was not America helping the State of Isreal.

Isreal, after much time, was able to contract the 747, by way of leasing.

The rich got richer, the press plays it like the USA helped out.

What a tear jerker, i felt so much pride, a tear began to form on the edge of my eye.

Remember, when Bush was turning away help for Louisiana, he could'nt see how to make a buck for his

Friends.

God! are'nt we a great Nation. Sniffle.

    Reply#1 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 2:55 PM EST

    The 747 did not go out to help.

    It got leased.

    Speaking of leased, how about the Isreali being held in Hama's private Zoo.

    They speak openly that he'' be a old decript man, if he gets out.

    Some in Isreal are okay with this fire, it takes peoples mind off this poor wretch, but not off the minds of

    those who enjoy private viewings, and for some people in Isreal, they can't see how to make a buck out of

    this.

    Don't get me wrong, i dont like jews or arabs. Hate Arabs, got punched in the face by a turk; or was it a

    Arab, when i stumbled against one in Germany, loss of sleep. As for Jews, moving company,contracted

    with, two characters moving my stuff, claiming to be Isreali, ripped off unopened electronic goods.

    If Isreal was serious about freeing this poor guy, they would put a indefinite freeze, on freeing anyone

    remotely connected with Hamas.

    Hey. Hamas has all the time in the world, and so does Isreali politicians.

    Remember the Isreali airman, ended up in Iran, for privat viewing.

    I guess i don't like politicians either, arab or jews.

      Reply#2 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 4:19 PM EST

      Who pays for this?

        Reply#3 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 5:17 PM EST

        I'm by myself here. Speaking of disliking jews and Arabs, same race. Its a shame about Hitler, he spent so much time proving to himself that he was not a jew. The guy was smart, like Freued And Enstien. For hundreds and hundreds of years Germany was the center of jewish culture.Yiddish is a bastard German. The Semitic race prospered and with its new found wealth attracted so called Aryan members into its family. Of the 1930's so called Germans, in trying to explain thier defeat in the great war turned in on itself and lashed out at the obvious poor jew. Jew set upon Jew. Look at Krakow, Poland. The head of the Ghetto, hat in hand is posed with himmler sitting in his motor car, Two jews. Both smart and abusive

        And the jew sitting in a Hamas prison, mostly forgotten. Abused. By his own kind.

        So, who are the Germans, not in Germany, they too, today work at, not being jewish, with thier Nazi saluteswith thier skin heads and long noses. The Germans that remained Germans were the tribe of the Visoghotts, enslaved and filed the ranks of Roman legions. They sacked Rome, drawing Roman blood.Alric led the tribe and forced the Emporer onto his knees to use him as a mounting block to mount his horse. After plundering the romans of thier Gold, moving Northwards across Gaul the battled another German Tribe, the Franks. They settled in the western most part of the Iberian Peninsula along the Atlantic. undisturbed, except from the Moors to the South, we remaine today the true Germanic race.

        And it bothers me that a single Jew is singled out.

          Reply#4 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 5:33 PM EST

          Imagine being alone and counting meals, while others backslap themselves.

            Reply#5 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 5:45 PM EST

            First off, Bush did NOT turn help away from Louisiana. His help was turned away. Do your research and quit relying on one sided media information.

            Second, do you work for the government? How do you know we didn't help? Truth is, you don't. Pathetic.

            If you don't like what your country is doing, do something about it. Speak out.

              Reply#6 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 8:52 PM EST

              NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg was in contact with the Israeli consulate and got FDNY involved assisting with the fires. The story stated, in part, "the fire retardant Israel needs is not one that the FDNY uses in New York, and (Mayor Bloomberg) had the FDNY reach out to the United States Forestry Service, which does use Fire Troll 931 to fight forest fires."

              I know you can't look a gift horse in the mouth, but The US Forest Service quit using Fire Trol chemicals in about 2004, but does allow for the use of whatever Fire Trol chemicals remained in inventory. This looks like a way for the USFS to get a lot of credit for being a great, caring agency while getting rid of inventory that it doesn't want.

              A US company with a long record of working with the USFS (and who employs 3 ex senior USFS retirees including one from the USFS lab and who's combined career with the USFS exceeds 100 years) came up with a patent for a "safe" gum thickened retardant and the USFS changed the spec for retardant to be able to use the "safe" retardant. Coincidentally, by changing the specification, which matched the new patented retardant, the USFS's action resulted in Fire Trol, who had 75% of the US retardant market, being totally shut out of the US market because it couldn't meet the specification and is no longer on the US Forest Service Qualified Product List. With this old inventory gone, the new guys will have to replace 45 tons of it.

                Reply#7 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 11:31 PM EST

                It is not time to poit fingers. Just dowse the fire and let the victims start a new life. Yes, unfortunately there will be people who will take advantage or simply try to make money out of any disaster.

                  Reply#8 - Mon Dec 6, 2010 2:32 AM EST

                  Where were Israels neighbors in this time of need? Is Peace ever going to come. Israel has offered blood in the past & was refused because they did not want Jew-Blood. Aren't they cousins & both descendents of Abraham? Its time to open our eyes to realize that if the Arab world refuses to even acknowledge Israels right to co-exist hope is down the drain.

                    Reply#9 - Mon Dec 6, 2010 2:32 PM EST
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