In a news flash a few minutes ago from liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz, it was announced that the Israeli Defense Force has threatened to bomb residential districts of Beirut if soldiers captured by Hezbollah are not returned to them. Lst night bridges in Lebanon were sytematicslly bombed, and at 10 childen were among the dead.
The invasion of Lebanon in 1982 by Israel left an estimated 17000 dead.
Is there any wonder that the west becomes the target of terrorism when the British and US governments tolerate military aggression on this scale from the Israelis, while wringing their hands and whining about the need for restraint on “both sides”. The weasel words of that scumbag Kim Howells, speaking for the British government are: "'We urge on the Israeli authorities to respect their obligations under international law and to take all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties, particularly children. In addition we call for an immediate halt to all rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel.'
What a bold contrast to the language of condemnation that always meets any violence from the oppressed.
17 comments:
So, 2 Israeli soldiers have been captured and 8 died in border fighting. And now Israel is on the rampage with "officially" 22 (though other fgures state 27 though it is probably higher by now) people dead. It does beggar belief.
And when has the Israeli state ever respected international law. They expect everyone else to but not them. Yes, the language is much more cautious and sweet reasonable to the oppressors. But not to the oppressed. What a joke!
I totally hate kim howeells anyway for the terrible role he played in securing a return to work in the miers strike without an agreement on no victimisations.
While we are about it let us remember that it was Michael Meacher, possible "left" contender for leadership of the Labour Party who swung the vote oon the NEC agiansy labour pledging to reeploy the sacked miners if they came to office.
It was immediately after the miners strike (when a motion backing the victimised miners, was defeated in my left wing ward in bristol) that i decided my adventure of labour party membership was a waste of time (although it did take a few months before I actually left).
Yeah, can't quite believe that Meacher is now part of the "left". That too is a joke.
Very boring speaker as I remember him speaking at the Labour Against the War AGM last year and thought his speech was the best time to rush off for a loo break... previous speakers were far more interesting.
Sctually he made a very good speech at the Climate change demo outside the US embassy last December.
We did have a transcript on the Socilaist unity Website, but for some reason i cannot find it in the archive.
Have you completely forgotten why Israel when into Lebanon 24 years ago, and why they went in again yesterday? Because it is a safehold for terrorists launching attacks across the border into Israel. Israel would have to be out of their minds not to defend themselves.
So Anonymous, marauding Israeli F16s and gunboats, threatening and attacking Lebanon. That ok then?
The Israeli army chief has warned that "nothing is safe in Lebanon". A frightening warning for the Lebanese bearing in mind the massacres in 1982 at Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila.
This is the Israeli state defending itself then....
Wake up kids. When Isreal left Lebanon they had a deal, Syria could dominate Lebanon if they kept a lid on Hezbollah. Well now, that deal is off and the Iranians are arming and supporting Hezbollah. The US wants to both disable Hezbollah as they are seen as entertaining thoughts of global terrorism (true or not doesn't matter) and limit Iranian power in the region. Isreal feels they can only be secure if their technological expertise of war is greater than the Arabs, which makes sense since they are at a disadvantage in geography and manpower. The kidnapping of two soilders is a slap in both faces to which they must respond. And Washington says 'take the gloves off', its OK. And Isreal, or for that matter any other nation in a fight would much rather fight in enemy terrority than at home. So don't be surprised if they go deep and hit hard.
Louisefeminista, are you truly so brainwashed? The Sabra and Shatila massacures were commited by Lebanese, not Israelis. The only blame Israel carries is for letting the Lebanese into the camps where they could massacure the Palestinians.
And yes, Israeli F16's and gunboats attacking Lebanon are just fine, as long as Lebanon is attacking Israel through its proxy, Hezbollah.
So the Israeli Defence Force weren't complicit at all then? Neither was war criminal Ariel Sharon, I suppose...
Anonymous and Soulful_wayfarer.
There is little point in this discussion. Particularly given the patronising tone you have taken, and the factual inaccuracies.
You are clearly racist extremists who support an apartheid state, and support the mass murder of Arab civilians to support that aim. you rationalise this by saying that the enemy are "terrorsts" in the same way that colonialists and fascists have always demonised those they seek to subjugate.
I didn't say there weren't in some way complicit. I was simply pointing out that your pointing to the massacures (committed by lebanese on palestinians) as a reason why lebanese should be wary of Israel, was absolutely ridiculous and baseless.
LOL, someone has been throughly indoctrinated. You do realize Israel arabs have more rights than arabs in most arab states, right? And you do realize that facist arab regimes like Syria have killed more of their own citizens than Israel has killed arabs, right?
You are clearly racist extremists who support an apartheid state, and support the mass murder of Arab civilians to support that aim
anonymous,
Yours are the same arguments used by the white supremacists in rhodesia and South Africa.
They used to point to repression in black ruled African states, and proclaim how marvellous they were in contrast. In fact of course the Apertheid governemts played a hand in destabilising their neigbour states and therefore delibertaly increased the level of oppresion.
Of course the Arab regimes are corrupt but part of their corruption and illegitimacy is their collusion with the imperialist settlement in the middle East, of which Isreal is the cap stone.
Jewsih Voice for peace:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_252.shtml
From September 16 to 19, the Maronite Phalangist militia rampaged through Sabra and Shatilla. The camps were sealed off by Israeli soldiers who remained outside.
The international outcry, as well as a severe reaction in Israel, prompted the Begin government to set up a commission of inquiry into the matter, led by Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Kahan. The finding of the Kahan Commission that is most often reported is that Sharon bore “indirect responsibility” for the massacre. But the report also stated that Sharon bore “personal responsibility” for the massacre as well, something mentioned far less frequently. The preamble to the report states: “Mr. Sharon was found responsible for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge when he approved the entry of the Phalangists into the camps as well as not taking appropriate measures to prevent bloodshed.”
It was crime made in Israel, and carried out by their facsist allies.
Margaret Beckett this morning: "The Israelis had every right to respond to the provocation but in a proportionate and measured way".
Dubya: "they need to protect themselves against terrorists"
Yes indeed, the Israeli state are acting as terrorists but he wasn't talking about them was he now!
Oh and the cowardly rubbish about "Proportionate and measured way"... Obviously that means bombing the crap out of Lebanon.
And again AN, you're just spouting more mindless propaganda. You're giving us liberals a bad name.
Thank goodness I am not a liberal then.
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