oo

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/742257.html
Morality is not on our side

By Ze'ev Maoz

There's practically a holy consensus right now that the war in the
North is a just war and that morality is on our side. The bitter truth must
be said: this holy consensus is based on short-range selective memory, an
introverted worldview, and double standards.

This war is not a just war. Israel is using excessive force without
distinguishing between civilian population and enemy, whose sole purpose is
extortion. That is not to say that morality and justice are on Hezbollah's
side. Most certainly not. But the fact that Hezbollah "started it" when it
kidnapped soldiers from across an international border does not even begin
to tilt the scales of justice toward our side.

Let's start with a few facts. We invaded a sovereign state, and
occupied its capital in 1982. In the process of this occupation, we dropped
several tons of bombs from the air, ground and sea, while wounding and
killing thousands of civilians. Approximately 14,000 civilians were killed
between June and September of 1982, according to a conservative estimate.
The majority of these civilians had nothing to do with the PLO, which
provided the official pretext for the war.

In Operations Accountability and Grapes of Wrath, we caused the mass
flight of about 500,000 refugees from southern Lebanon on each occasion.
There are no exact data on the number of casualties in these operations, but
one can recall that in Operation Grapes of Wrath, we bombed a shelter in the
village of Kafr Kana which killed 103 civilians. The bombing may have been
accidental, but that did not make the operation any more moral.

On July 28, 1989, we kidnapped Sheikh Obeid, and on May 12, 1994, we
kidnapped Mustafa Dirani, who had captured Ron Arad. Israel held these two
people and another 20-odd Lebanese detainees without trial, as "negotiating
chips." That which is permissible to us is, of course, forbidden to
Hezbollah.

Hezbollah crossed a border that is recognized by the international
community. That is true. What we are forgetting is that ever since our
withdrawal from Lebanon, the Israel Air Force has conducted
photo-surveillance sorties on a daily basis in Lebanese airspace. While
these flights caused no casualties, border violations are border violations.
Here too, morality is not on our side.

So much for the history of morality. Now, let's consider current
affairs. What exactly is the difference between launching Katyushas into
civilian population centers in Israel and the Israel Air Force bombing
population centers in south Beirut, Tyre, Sidon and Tripoli? The IDF has
fired thousands of shells into south Lebanon villages, alleging that
Hezbollah men are concealed among the civilian population. Approximately 25
Israeli civilians have been killed as a result of Katyusha missiles to date.
The number of dead in Lebanon, the vast majority comprised of civilians who
have nothing to do with Hezbollah, is more than 300.

Worse yet, bombing infrastructure targets such as power stations,
bridges and other civil facilities turns the entire Lebanese civilian
population into a victim and hostage, even if we are not physically harming
civilians. The use of bombings to achieve a diplomatic goal - namely,
coercing the Lebanese government into implementing UN Security Council
Resolution 1559 - is an attempt at political blackmail, and no less than the
kidnapping of IDF soldiers by Hezbollah is the aim of bringing about a
prisoner exchange.

There is a propaganda aspect to this war, and it involves a
competition as to who is more miserable. Each side tries to persuade the
world that it is more miserable. As in every propaganda campaign, the use of
information is selective, distorted and self-righteous. If we want to base
our information (or shall we call it propaganda?) policy on the assumption
that the international environment is going to buy the dubious merchandise
that we are selling, be it out of ignorance or hypocrisy, then fine. But in
terms of our own national soul searching, we owe ourselves to confront the
bitter truth - maybe we will win this conflict on the military field, maybe
we will make some diplomatic gains, but on the moral plane, we have no
advantage, and we have no special status.

chris x

Poor Doodoo - still insisting on his "relevance". Everyone else still
yawning.

dod

Just by my voting makes me relevant. Unfortunately (somewhat) Britain is a
major power which makes you still relevant, even though you are a colossal
prick. (

arminius

The little Nazi jihadi turd "Chris X" pops up as usual to defend his
Nazi-scum comrades. Yawn...

Looks like I may have rattled your little cage.

You never did explain why your humanitarian concerns only extend to
Palestinians and any other Muslims in the firing line. It doesn't seem to
bother you that there are other conflicts going on in the world where *more*
people are dying than the relatively small numbers killed by the Israelis
(including those now being killed in Lebanon).

For example, more people die within several days in Iraq than have been
killed by the Israelis in their entire Lebanon campaign thus far. These
people are mainly Muslims killing *other Muslims*. We note a lack of
equivalent moral outrage and condemnation from you in this connection.

You say you don't want British troops being killed abroad. But I'd be
willing to bet there was no similar outcry from you about British forces
being killed in Northern Ireland or in the Falklands. You seem to be quite
silent on British troops in Afghanistan too.

What about the ongoing illegal occupation of a large part of Cyprus by
Turkey? Where is your outrage about that?

Your vitriol seems to be wholeheartedly reserved for the actions of the
Israelis and Americans. How interesting...

chris x

You vote Republicrat, therefore you are incredibly *ireelevant*, DooDoo.

chris x

LOL ! And you're going to do *WHAT* about it, exactly, Ahm-An-Anus ?


Yes, the world's two biggest nations of warmongering perverts. Both
supported by you, you festering piece of Zionazi shite. How revealing ...

Yawn.

dod

I vote, therefore I am relevant. You however are losing slowly but surely.
And why can't you come up with your own ideas for name calling. You have to
steal others ideas. But then again you are not very bright, and that has
been demonstrated over and over again.

chris x

ROTFLMAO ! Talk about "delusions of relevance" ...


"I vote, therefore I am relevant." - that's a classic !

arminius

Ha ha, if you believe I'm even Jewish, let alone a "Zionazi", you're even
dumber than you make yourself appear.

Does your fascist brainwashing even conceive of the idea that a person may
support Americans, Hindus or Israelis, and yet not be one of them?
Is it at all possible for your amoeba-sized brain to even dare contemplate
such a possibility?

Not everyone in the world shares your small-minded and bigoted "ideology".
Can you even entertain such a prospect? Your failure to answer my questions
is also noted.

Now run along and play :-)

chris x

Did I say that ?

Someone would - if they're incredibly brainwashed and stupid. Someone like
you, in fact. YOu brainwashed little turd.


You're the small-minded one here, Ahm-An-Anus. I bet that nice Mr Murdoch's
meeja tells you "all you need to know", doesn't it ? You sad, shallow
little fuckwit.