01 August 2006
On Shooting the Child Hostage
Everyone and their brother is saying that Israel screwed up by retaliating against Hezbollah aggressions, but, really, what choice did they have? Roll over and play dead? I don't think that would've been wise.
So why, now, the near total turn against Israel? Not in Europe -- Europe's contempt for Jews has been demonstrated time and time again over the past several hundred years -- but in the USA. It is, in this one's opinion, because of the perception that Israel is using "disproprotionate force" in the West. Israel isn't using disproportionate force: Hezbollah is placing armaments and personnel in places where civilians necessarily will be injured if Israel attacks Hezbollah. If not Lebanese civilians -- perhaps Hezbollah sympathizers, but still Lebanese citizens -- then U.N. observers.
It is also based on a perception of Israeli weakness: That this Israeli army may not be of the same caliber as the one that fought and won nearly forty years ago, and that Hezbollah is stronger than one would've imagined. This is no surprise: One should expect those who grovel before totalitarian thugs like Castro and Saddam and who romanticize "liberation movements" and their leaders (like Che!) to suck up to murderers of all stripes, even when those same murderers are bent on the destruction of those sucking up to them.
Remember: You have never, not once in your life, seen Jews in the streets of Tel Aviv celebrating the death of Muslims, of Lebanese. But you have, on a regular basis, seen Hezbollah spokesmen, the Iranian president, the leaders of Hamas, discuss the destruction of Israel and the death of the Jews. I am not saying Israel hasn't made mistakes in managing the occupation of the territories acquired in 1967, but let's get real here: They neither explicitly nor implicitly have said or implied "death to the Muslims."
I don't blame Israel for defending itself instead of letting creeps hide behind women and children kill them. I don't ask Israel to sacrifice itself for Hezbollah sympathizers in southern Lebanon who willingly put themselves in harms way by supporting Hezbollah any more than I would ask that we sacrifice ourselves for Mexican children should rockets be launched on El Paso from inside Mexico. Put yourself in the Israelis' position: Given an impossible situation, you would choose the one that saves the lives of you and your own, not those who are attacking you or supporting them. Would you sacrifice your own child or your own life if you were being shot at by a gunman holding his child in front of him while he shot at you? Or would you try to shoot the gunman, knowing full well you might hit the child.
The responsiblity for the child's death would lie with the gunman; the responsibility for civilian deaths in Lebanon lies with Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, half the USA is more interested in the drunken anti-Semitic rantings of a wacko Catholic movie star / producer, with the commentariat not missing any chances to display their anti-anti-Semitism by condemning Mel Gibson, while in the same breath dismissing Israeli actions intended to actually stop Hezbollah from killing real live Jews. It is absurd, but it accurately reflects the misplaced (in my opinion) priorities of many in the public eye, as well as many citizens of the USA.
So why, now, the near total turn against Israel? Not in Europe -- Europe's contempt for Jews has been demonstrated time and time again over the past several hundred years -- but in the USA. It is, in this one's opinion, because of the perception that Israel is using "disproprotionate force" in the West. Israel isn't using disproportionate force: Hezbollah is placing armaments and personnel in places where civilians necessarily will be injured if Israel attacks Hezbollah. If not Lebanese civilians -- perhaps Hezbollah sympathizers, but still Lebanese citizens -- then U.N. observers.
It is also based on a perception of Israeli weakness: That this Israeli army may not be of the same caliber as the one that fought and won nearly forty years ago, and that Hezbollah is stronger than one would've imagined. This is no surprise: One should expect those who grovel before totalitarian thugs like Castro and Saddam and who romanticize "liberation movements" and their leaders (like Che!) to suck up to murderers of all stripes, even when those same murderers are bent on the destruction of those sucking up to them.
Remember: You have never, not once in your life, seen Jews in the streets of Tel Aviv celebrating the death of Muslims, of Lebanese. But you have, on a regular basis, seen Hezbollah spokesmen, the Iranian president, the leaders of Hamas, discuss the destruction of Israel and the death of the Jews. I am not saying Israel hasn't made mistakes in managing the occupation of the territories acquired in 1967, but let's get real here: They neither explicitly nor implicitly have said or implied "death to the Muslims."
I don't blame Israel for defending itself instead of letting creeps hide behind women and children kill them. I don't ask Israel to sacrifice itself for Hezbollah sympathizers in southern Lebanon who willingly put themselves in harms way by supporting Hezbollah any more than I would ask that we sacrifice ourselves for Mexican children should rockets be launched on El Paso from inside Mexico. Put yourself in the Israelis' position: Given an impossible situation, you would choose the one that saves the lives of you and your own, not those who are attacking you or supporting them. Would you sacrifice your own child or your own life if you were being shot at by a gunman holding his child in front of him while he shot at you? Or would you try to shoot the gunman, knowing full well you might hit the child.
The responsiblity for the child's death would lie with the gunman; the responsibility for civilian deaths in Lebanon lies with Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, half the USA is more interested in the drunken anti-Semitic rantings of a wacko Catholic movie star / producer, with the commentariat not missing any chances to display their anti-anti-Semitism by condemning Mel Gibson, while in the same breath dismissing Israeli actions intended to actually stop Hezbollah from killing real live Jews. It is absurd, but it accurately reflects the misplaced (in my opinion) priorities of many in the public eye, as well as many citizens of the USA.
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