Israeli Propaganda?
I am on the Haaretz mailing list. From one of their recent mailings I received a link to an aish.com video that presents the Lebanon/Israel conflict from an Israeli perspective (see here).
I will not condemn Israel for attempting to get her side of the story out. I think this video is informative and educational, however it is entirely too one sided. There are many complexities to the issues the video explores.
Example 1: The video asks why Lebanese civilians are dying. It then answers that it is because Hezbollah uses the Lebanese people as human shields. I ask: Why then were cluster bombs used in areas where civilians were concentrated if Israel truly was trying to limit civilian casualties? From what I have heard, cluster bombs even landed in the parking lots of hospitals.
Example 2: Israel dropped leaflets warning the Lebanese civilian population to flee. I counter with: Did you really expect them to flee? Israeli aircraft were bombing vehicles on the highways. Reports were that even Red Cross vehicles with red crosses painted on top were attacked. Is it any wonder that many civilians chose to hunker down hoping for some protection from concrete buildings rather then risk travel on the roadway where they were an open target?
Example 3: The video states that, according to the United Nations, Israel withdrew from every square inch of Lebanon in 2000. This is a powerful argument and is entirely truthful. However left unstated is the dispute over Sheba Farms. While Sheba Farms was taken from Syria during the 1967 war, and while the United Nations only recognizes Sheba Farms as Syrian territory occupied by Israel, Syria has renounced sovereignty to Sheba Farms pointing to it now being part of Lebanon. However I will point to a conclusion I have reached about Sheba Farms. Even if Israel agrees to give up Sheba Farms to Lebanon as part of the solution to the current conflict, this is not going to lead to Hezbollah agreeing to lay down their weapons and live in peace with Israel. Hezbollah's goal is the destruction of Israel, not the liberation of Sheba Farms.
I will admit to siding with Israel on the current conflict. However I do not think that some of the criticisms of Israeli action are completely void of merit.
I will not condemn Israel for attempting to get her side of the story out. I think this video is informative and educational, however it is entirely too one sided. There are many complexities to the issues the video explores.
Example 1: The video asks why Lebanese civilians are dying. It then answers that it is because Hezbollah uses the Lebanese people as human shields. I ask: Why then were cluster bombs used in areas where civilians were concentrated if Israel truly was trying to limit civilian casualties? From what I have heard, cluster bombs even landed in the parking lots of hospitals.
Example 2: Israel dropped leaflets warning the Lebanese civilian population to flee. I counter with: Did you really expect them to flee? Israeli aircraft were bombing vehicles on the highways. Reports were that even Red Cross vehicles with red crosses painted on top were attacked. Is it any wonder that many civilians chose to hunker down hoping for some protection from concrete buildings rather then risk travel on the roadway where they were an open target?
Example 3: The video states that, according to the United Nations, Israel withdrew from every square inch of Lebanon in 2000. This is a powerful argument and is entirely truthful. However left unstated is the dispute over Sheba Farms. While Sheba Farms was taken from Syria during the 1967 war, and while the United Nations only recognizes Sheba Farms as Syrian territory occupied by Israel, Syria has renounced sovereignty to Sheba Farms pointing to it now being part of Lebanon. However I will point to a conclusion I have reached about Sheba Farms. Even if Israel agrees to give up Sheba Farms to Lebanon as part of the solution to the current conflict, this is not going to lead to Hezbollah agreeing to lay down their weapons and live in peace with Israel. Hezbollah's goal is the destruction of Israel, not the liberation of Sheba Farms.
I will admit to siding with Israel on the current conflict. However I do not think that some of the criticisms of Israeli action are completely void of merit.
posted by Little David at 8/14/2006 11:53:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home