The "World" is, as expected, criticizing Israel for its aerial attacks on Hamas which, unfortunately, resulted in some civilian causalities.
The Arab world has generally taken to the streets to protest Israel's defense of its population.
It seems to me that this Israeli response to repeated rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel could easily, and quickly, be brought to a halt.
All it takes is for Hamas to cease its efforts to murder Israelis - with rockets, with suicide murderers, with whatever diabolical tactics it could devise.
Meanwhile, let's consider civilian causalities.
In truth, they are "collateral damage" that rightly should be laid at Hamas' feet - no attacks on Israel and Israelis, no counter-actions by the Israelis.
Beyond that, let's consider the nature of war.
"Civilians" are killed.
I put "civilians" in quotes because in some cases, these people were in bed with the perpetrators (e.g., Germans and Poles and Hungarians in recent memory) either as willing collaborators or as silent onlookers.
I include the US government in this group, in particular the FDR (WWII) and Eisenhower (Hungary) administrations.
I recognize that once a party comes to power it is hard to dislodge, but it can be dislodged if the people stop supporting it.
In the case of Aza, Hamas is dependent upon the good will of the Arab states - Iran, Saudi, and Syria in particular. If these countries wanted a cessation of attacks on Israel, Hamas would be forced to cease the attacks.
At the same time, if Iran and Saudi - the money countries - wanted to turn Aza into a place where "Palestinians" wanted to live, these two countries could fund and supervise the building of the cities (for which Arafat received millions) the previous (PLO) Aza regime promised when Israel withdrew. With cities, the camps - set up in 1948! - could be closed, at least in Aza.
In case anyone missed my point, the Arab states are largely responsible for the camps continued existence. To be fair, Jordan - truly a "Palestinian" state - did welcome those Arabs who got out of the way of the glorious invading armies (in 1948) or who were forced out by the Jewish defenders for fear they (the Arabs) were a Fifth Column.
Before anyone shakes a finger at the Jews who expelled their Moslem neighbors, consider the American Indian's plight (even today), and the people "relocated" to Siberian camps by the Soviets - never mind the Jews and Gypsies and others sent to Hitler's camps, particularly those in Poland.
Back to Jordan - after welcoming the Moslems who left Israel, the guests tried to kill the monarch and over-throw the government.
Jordan chased them out - and Lebanon became their next victim.
I specify "Moslem" vs. "Arab" because, as I understand it, the Druze are Arabs but not Moslem. Many of the Baha'i in Israel are Arab, but not Moslem.
By the way, what of the Moslems who elected to remain in Israel?
Last time I was there - when we were being shelled from the north - I shared a beach near Haifa with an obviously Moslem family (wondering if an obviously Jewish family could do the same in Syria or Iran). I also keep in the front of my mind the Arab - Moslem or ?? - who was the first to help my sister-in-law when she fell and broke her leg on a Haifa sidewalk. I am neither "anti-Arab" nor "anti-Moslem," but I am very much anti-Hamas and the people who, willingly or quietly, support it.
The bottom line is that civilian causalities in a war are unfortunate but to be expected even in attacks that do not target civilians (unlike Hamas' attacks that DO SPECIFICALLY target civilians).
Hamas is directly responsible for the injuries and deaths in Aza.
When it stops murdering Israelis then Israel will cease its counter-attacks.
Simple.
Parting question. Why is it that Israel is the only country condemned for reducing aid to an enemy? Note I wrote "reducing," not "refusing" aid to an enemy. Aza also borders the Med and Egypt. Egypt, like Israel, closed its border to its fellow Arab Moslems. Could it be the Egyptians have the same concern for Hamas as Israel? And why, given the billions poured in to Aza's politicians pockets over the decades, does Aza lack a decent port?
Things to consider as Hamas' friends and the safely-distant-from-Hamas-terrorists liberals condemn Israel for having the audacity to finally protect its population - Jewish and non-Jewish alike.
5:30 news bulletin 29 Dec 2008: There now are four Israelis killed by Hamas' rockets. One of those Israelis was an Arab who apparently preferred Israel's freedoms to Hamas' terror.
Yohanon
Yohanon.Glenn @ gmail dot com
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