Doc's Talk: Disproportionate Response and Moral Blindness

Friday, January 02, 2009

Disproportionate Response and Moral Blindness

FrontPage Magazine
FrontPageMagazine.com | 1/2/2009

Israel is waging a struggle, but this struggle is not Israel’s alone. Israel is standing on the frontlines of the Western world’s war against terror, and we expect support for doing the right thing and fighting the war of the entire free world.

"It is true: the pictures broadcast on television all over the world are provoking harsh public opinion against Israel. Unfortunately, some of the world’s decision makers are swayed by public opinion and the media, even though they know what is true and what is not, and how they would act in a similar situation.

- Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni's recent speech before the Israeli Knesset.

AS ISRAELIS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD FACE TERRORIST ROCKETS TRY TO HIDE FROM FALLING ORDNANCE, their elected officials are attempting to avoid a more structurally catastrophic obstacle: pressure from the "international community." Overnight, the Olmert government wisely rejected a 48-hour "humanitarian truce" hammered out by French President Nicholas Sarkozy and his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, on behalf of the 27 member nations of the European Union, in consultation with foreign ministers continent-wide. Sarkozy and Kouchner plan to spend the day haranguing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni to accept a two-day standoff under the pretext of allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, with the spoken desire to make the ceasefire "lasting." The very concept has been described as "a diplomatic victory" for Hamas, with negotiations threatening to elevate Hamastan to the standing of an international quasi-state in its own right.

Despite increasing criticism for its self-preservation ethic, Israel has rendered the EU's proffered pretense irrelevant in its prosecution of the war. The Jewish state has regularly allowed humanitarian aid to reach the war zone of Gaza. An international news dispatch noted, despite imposing a blockade following Hamas' blood-soaked rise to power, Israel "let in dozens of truckloads of humanitarian aid on Friday." The New York Times reported Tuesday night, "Israel sent in about 100 trucks with emergency supplies of food and medicine" from Jordan and Turkey, as well as international organizations. As one Olmert aide remarked, "Gaza is not undergoing a humanitarian crisis. We're constantly supplying it with food and medications, and there's no need for a humanitarian ceasefire." (The fact that the Israelis refused to allow the Free Gaza "aid boat," carrying a group of international leftists and Islamists, to dock in Gaza yesterday indicates that Tel Aviv did not consider its primary objection humanitarian.)

The arresting disparity between the Israeli attempt to wage a humanitarian war and the international perception of ravenous Zionist warmongers decimating innocent Arab women and children stands at the heart of this conflict, of the wider War on Terror, and of the perpetual struggle between Western values and the new Dark Ages offered by a crusading Islamic fundamentalism. Each European-brokered accommodation to terror has invited renewed aggression. After disengaging from Gaza in 2005, rocket attacks increased 500 percent. In every case, the ossifying nations of Old Europe brand the victims - because they possess greater wealth and military might - as indefensible aggressors who must wait supinely for the next terrorist attack.

To this end, in the midst of Israel's long-overdue bid to secure the lives of its citizens so long rained upon by rockets, Europe seeks to impose a ceasefire before Israel can drive a genocidal theocracy from power on its border - a movement feared and despised by neighboring Egypt and others in the region. Before the latest squeeze, Israelis believed they had until, at the latest, January 5th before the "international hourglass" ran out and they would have to go back to passively enduring qassam showers. The effort to end this war prematurely, and to secure the welfare of modernity's enemies, stems from the European governements' profound moral blindness.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Nicholas Sarkozy and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown tried to broker a ceasefire through a series of phone calls to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak nearly coterminous with the eruption of Israel's military response.

Though Sarkozy acknowledged the "provocations" that led to the military action, he joined UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and virtually every other leader of any industrial power in calling Israel's response "disproportionate." Printer French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner - who proposed the 48-hour ceasefire to Barak - publicly scolded, "All hostile acts in Gaza must stop at once." His counterpart across the Channel, British Foreign Minister David Miliband demanded "an urgent cease-fire and immediate halt to all violence." Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, kvetched that "the current Israeli strikes are inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians." But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke most forcefully in a telephone call Sunday with Livni, calling for "an immediate end to military actions in the Gaza Strip" and bewailing the "numerous victims among the Palestinians." A statement released by the ministry recorded, "It was underlined that it is necessary to restore the regime of ceasefire, which would ensure the security of the civilian population in Israel's south." Further, "Russia stressed the importance of letting humanitarian cargo into Gaza." It was Lavrov who had Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's ear Tuesday, as she held a round of discussions about imposing a ceasefire on Israel.

Thankfully, President Bush and German Chanellor Angela Merkel saw the matter a bit more clearly. Bush, vacationing at his Texas ranch, was well represented by his spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, who said: "These people are nothing but thugs, and so Israel is going to defend its people against terrorists like Hamas...The United States hold Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire." Merkel, meanwhile, said responsibility for the destruction lies "clearly and exclusively" with Hamas. So elementary is the logic that even Palestinian adolescents get it. The New York Times quotes 13-year-old Yousef Nakhla of Gaza City thus: "I blame Hamas. It doesn't want to recognize Israel. If they did so there could be peace. Egypt made a peace treaty with Israel, and nothing is happening to them."

Europe is not incorrect in stating the Israeli response is "disproportionate" to Hamas' instigations. A "proportionate" Israeli response would involve firing rockets targeted at innocent civilians, rather than military targets (which Hamas terrorists hedge about with Palestinian civilians). Although Hamas suicide bombings claimed the lives of at least 300 innocent Israelis - roughly the number of "policemen" Israel has killed thus far in its military campaign - the bloodthirsty Zionists never induced a wave of Jewish youngsters to strap on explosives and hug Palestinian children riding public transportation. This disproportionate warfare manifests itself in every aspect of the war:

* Terrorists blow up buses of Jews; Israelis blow up cars containing Hamas leaders.
* Palestinian television incites its citizens to kill Jewish civilians; Israelis wait years to target known mass murderers.
* Terrorists kidnap and sometimes lynch IDF members; Israelis release convicted terrorists to prove their goodwill.
* Terrorists destroy hotels in the middle of a seder; Israel bombs empty buildings, often calling ahead to assure Hamas evacuates those structures before the bombs fall.

Israel's response to Muslim terrorism is disproportionate and always will be. The asymmetry represents the gulf between civilization and barbarism. It underscores the difference between nation-states and terrorist entities that have momentarily accrued the resources of nation-states.

Those in the latter category, or who hope to join it, recognize this. From the safety of Damascus, top Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal called for a new intifada with the words, "This is the time for a third uprising." Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decreed "all the Islamic world's pious people" are "obliged" to fight with Hamas and conferred upon the future casualties a martyr's death. Already, Iranian clerics have registered more than 3,500 volunteers to wage jihad. Saudi cleric Sheik Awadh al-Garn issued a fatwa declaring all Israel fair game.

As the Islamic world sends the flower of its youth off to die - and, they hope, kill - the Western world inveighs against Israeli "disproportion." The irony is not merely that their criticism is disproportionate, but it is self-defeating. Israel is the canary in the mine of worldwide terrorism, waging a proxy war for - us. The relativist governments of Europe now strain to prevent Israel from doing the one thing necessary to preserve itself and the West: hunt down the terrorist enemy, destroy their power base, and test their allegiance to the proposition that 72 virgins in heaven are preferable to three on earth.

We can rejoice that even a moderate Israeli government grasps distinctions that elude their European (and often, American) counterparts. Of course, their lives and the lives of their families depend on it.

Unfortunately, so do ours.

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk