First Time in 9 months, Israel demolishes home in Jerusalem
Israel razed on Tuesday an inhabited Palestinian home in East Jerusalem for the first time in eight months, effectively ending an unofficial freeze of such internationally condemned demolitions.
A Reuters photographer witnessed a Palestinian family removing its belongings from the house in East Jerusalem's Beit Hanina neighborhood before an Israeli excavator tore into the dwelling- Haaretz
Perhaps this is a way of telling Palestinians "agree to our proposals or else". Israel can do anything and enjoy the unqualified support of US politicians. At worst, they might hear the dreaded "that was not helpful". Obama may be reluctant to use such "strong" language, however, having been directed by 3/4 of Congress to NOT SAY A WORD. Israel also knows that the words, if they come, will not bring any actual consequence in any case.
In other news, the Israeli government has investigated the actions of the Israeli government, and without a bit of irony intended, praised the work of its commandos, who were responsible for massacring 8 Turkish civilians and one young American.
He also said that some aspects of the operation could be "praised," particularly the way the Shayetet 13 commandos acted during the operation and the quick and efficient evacuation of casualties. - Haaretz
It does admit "mistakes were made". Let us reflect on that, the difference between a mistake "I forgot to pick up milk on my way home from work" (a mistake) and an action that results in the death of 9 innocents, in defense of a siege that results that brings in very real harm to 1.4 million people. (not a mere "mistake")
The report was released by Giora Eiland, Maj. Gen. (ret.)
He has a strong belief in the usefulness in the suffering of civilians.
After the war in southern Lebanon in 2006, a number of senior former military figures appeared to develop the thinking that underlay the strategy set out by Gen. Eiskenot. In particular Major General (Ret.) Giora Eiland has argued that, in the event of another war with Hizbullah, the target must not be the defeat of Hizbullah but "the elimination of the Lebanese military, the destruction of the national infrastructure and intense suffering among the population... Serious damage to the Republic of Lebanon, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people are consequences that can influence Hizbollah’s behaviour more than anything else". [Giora Eiland, "The Third Lebanon War: Target Lebanon," Strategic Assessment (November 2008)]
(from the UN Report on the Gaza war...excerpted by Norman Finkelstein, here)
Inflicting harm and suffering on civilians as a means to achieving political ends is what many of us call terrorism. US-sponsored, enthusiastically defended in the halls of the US Congress.
It's time to change that. Organize.
