That is the title of a headline printed by the Haaretz newspaper, and I concur. Of course, that may not be a popular sentiment to some here, but frankly, I don't give a damn. This is about human rights and where that is concerned there is no skin color, no religion, and no validation for it.
More below
The government is losing its reason
By Haaretz Editorial
06/30/06 "Haaretz" -- -- Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's palace; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince us that all these actions are intended only to release the soldier Gilad Shalit.
But the greater the government's creativity in inventing tactics, the more it seems to reflect a loss of direction rather than an overall conception based on reason and common sense. On the face of it, Israel wishes to exert increasing pressure both on Hamas' political leadership and on the Palestinian public, in order to induce it to pressure its leadership to release the soldier. At the same time, the government claims that Syria - or at least Khaled Meshal, who is living in Syria - holds the key. If so, what is the point of pressuring the local Palestinian leadership, which did not know of the planned attack and which, when it found out, demanded that the kidnappers take good care of their victim and return him?
The tactic of pressuring civilians has been tried before, and more than once. The Lebanese, for example, are very familiar with the Israeli tactic of destroying power stations and infrastructure. Entire villages in south Lebanon have been terrorized, with the inhabitants fleeing in their thousands for Beirut. But what also happens under such extreme stress is that local divisions evaporate and a strong, united leadership is forged.
In the end, Israel was forced both to negotiate with Hezbollah and to withdraw from Lebanon. Now, the government appears to be airing out its Lebanon catalogue of tactics and implementing it, as though nothing has been learned since then. One may assume that the results will be similar this time around as well.
© Copyright 2006 Haaretz. All rights reserved
More at the link provided.
How are we to believe they want peace when they perpetuate the same tactics of those who want war? And kidnapping "democratically" elected officials of a country is supposed to be something we support? Sorry, but terrorist tactics on any side are not to be supported, and by Olmert doing this he only puts his own people in more danger and has precipitated a humanitarian disaster of untold proportions... Yet, this government supports it? We are supposed to support it?
You would think the history of the Jewish people would preclude its current leaders from emulating the tactics (meaning war and denial of human rights and dignity over the last three decades which is NOT a comparison to them committing genocide based on ONE action as some have tried to label it to discredit my opinion) that killed so many of their own people not that long ago. That lessons from history would be learned so that they are not repeated. That they would see beyond the tactics of enslavement and terror to show the way to a brighter future for all in that region who desire it, rather than one of desperation, poverty, and perpetual war. I no longer see any good side in this, and I also sadly see no peace in this region coming to seed, and it is truly heartbreaking.
I also truly feel sorry for the Israeli people and the innocent Palestinians caught up in all of this, especially the children who are being murdered by these tactics on all sides. What does it solve to cut the water off to babies??? And yes, I cry for them, as I cry for Israeli children, African children, Iraqi children, and American children. Children are our future, and by our actions that have not changed even for all of the lessons we should have learned from the past, we are doing all in our power to make sure the world they live in is one of despair, war, poverty, and intolerance. How can anyone with a conscience and a soul support that being done by ANY COUNTRY? How can we just sit out of political expedience and allow it to continue??
I also believe it is a total disgrace that this is not getting the press it should be getting. It only illustrates why so many in this world hate us. The attack on Gaza is an international outrage, but of course, don't dare say anything against it if you want to survive in the American political establishment. It seems that human rights abuses are very selective in their severity when it comes to garnering donations and slaps on the back from the lobbyists in this country who buy elections. You are now branded a terrorist for actually being a humanitarian!
As a person of conscience who stands up against true terrorism by any group, and who has decried the violence of those who attacked us on 9.11 (and am still waiting for the supposed ringleader of that attack to be captured,) I also decry what the Israeli government has done in Gaza as an international human rights outrage, and the terrorism that persists on all sides. Perhaps when we finally get to the point in our evolution as a species to see that wrong is wrong regardless of the party involved and treat it with the same contempt, we may finally find our way out of a viscious cycle of hate and retribution that has only enslaved an entire generation and seeks to now enslave ALL of our children.
On this July 4th weekend when we celebrate our independence from the British, I think it would be only fitting to then reflect on what our current policies are now allowing in the way of the very same enslavement we fought so valiantly to end.
In the words of George Santanyana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Time to remember.