Monday 17 July 2006

Israel-Hezbollah: A war of self-defence

As Benjamin Netanyahu said this morning, if anywhere else had been attacked, if Chicago, Moscow, London, Paris or Berkelely, California had been attacked for example, then no-one would deny the right of the countries in which those cities reside to defend themselves. So why do citizens of those cities deny the right of Israel to defend its own citizens? Once again a Cox and Forkum cartoon (right) makes the point: the defence is being carried out against an undeclared proxy war controlled in Tehran and Damascus.

And once again, those defending themselves from violence are themselves criticised for doing what's necessary to end the ongoing violence of murder by mullah, and of war by proxy. As the ARI's Yaron Brook says,
The worldwide condemnation of Israel's retaliation against Lebanon is morally obscene. The calls effectively demand that the innocent victim be sacrificed to the aggressor.
Ayn Rand pointed out some years ago that the cure for the many problems of the Middle East is to put an end to tribalism. Perhaps the beginning of a cure to the endemic tribalism is to realise that not all Lebanese are indentical -- Lebanese people are individuals like all other human beings, and not all are as happy with being oppressed by those whom the Israelis are attacking as Robert Fisk might have you believe.

It might be thought for example that many Lebanese would be critical of the actions of the Israeli military. Not all. The Lebanese Foundation for Peace -- about whom I know nothing other than this excellent statement -- point out that Hezbollah have been a curse on Lebanon, and "for the millions of Christian Lebanese, driven out of our homeland, 'Thank you Israel,' is the sentiment echoing from around the world."
The Lebanese Foundation for Peace, an international group of Lebanese Christians, made the following statement in a press release to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert concerning the latest Israeli attacks against Hezbollah: "We urge you to hit them hard and destroy their terror infrastructure. It is not [only] Israel who is fed up with this situation, but the majority of the silent Lebanese in Lebanon who are fed up with Hezbollah and are powerless to do anything out of fear of terror retaliation." Their statement continues, "On behalf of thousands of Lebanese, we ask you to open the doors of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport to thousands of volunteers in the Diaspora willing to bear arms and liberate their homeland from [Islamic] fundamentalism.
UPDATE: Tim Blair has spotted some good sense from Hillary Clinton (yes, that Hillary Clinton):
New York Senator Hillary Clinton says Israel’s incursion into Lebanon is an exercise of the right that every sovereign nation has to defend itself against attacks.

Clinton was at Fayetteville this afternoon on a rare visit to her former Arkansas stomping grounds. She said Israel had the right to take stern and strong action against Hezbollah attacks originating in Lebanon. Asked if her support extended to Israel’s bombing of the Beiruit international airport, she said, quote, “I fully support Israel’s right to defend itself,” unquote.
LINKS:
Proxy war - Cox and Forkum
World leaders encourage Hezbollah and Hamas - Yaron Brook, Ayn Rand Institute
Thank you Israel - Brigitte Gabriel, The Lebanese Foundation for Peace [Hat tip Leighton Smith, Newstalk ZB]
Cue Card Libertarianism: War - Not PC
Hillary Clinton says Israel has right to defend itself - WREG News, Memphis

TAGS: Politics-World, War, Cartoons

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

... i think the reason people are condemning israel is because of collective punishment. noone is saying don't defend yourselves - they're not even saying don't punish the culprits. what they are saying is don't destroy the livelihood - all electrician - and acutal lives of hundreds of lebanese because the hezbollah killed 8 israeli soldiers and captured 2.

Alan Howard said...

Everyone seems to forget that the soldiers were captured within Lebanese territory. Israel has been engaging in provocative incursions for years, waiting for an 'official excuse' to 'defend' themselves.

I think it's ludicrous that any country that illegally enters another country would then complain that they need to defend themselves from attack.

If I poked you with a stick, then with a brick, and then with another stick, and then I poked your family, and then I punched your wife, and then I shot your baby, and THEN you punched me back, would I really be justified in engaging in an all-out invasion to kill your entire family to defend myself?

That's what Israel is doing, and I'm appalled that people have been supporting their actions, and continue to support their actions.

Libertyscott said...

Yes Hizbullah never enters Israel to attack civilians - such peace loving people they are. Syria and Iran likewise, arming suicide bombers in Israel for years, then there is Hizbullah's tactic of shooting rockets FROM residential areas to hit residential targets. Great heroes they are - not at ALL responsible for the people around those sites being killed.

Berend de Boer said...

You mention Jew and the lefties pop up all over the place. Go back to your own piss-holes people. A country has only one duty and that is to protect its own citizens.

Anonymous said...

It's quite clear that so many people have absolutely no clue whatsoever about the dynamics at play in the Israel/Middle East situation.

Suffice it say that if Hamas and Hezbollah laid down their weapons there would be peace in the region. If Israel laid down their weapons, that would be the end of the sovereign state of Israel. Go figure!

Collateral damage is inevitable: Hamas and Hizbollah base themselves in the midst of high-density civilian residential areas, in order to increase the 'civilian' death toll, thereby fomenting further villification of Israel in the World press.

Any individual or organisation that endorses terrorism or supports negotiation with terrorists is taking a grossly irresponsible stance. Terrorism is a virulent cancer that needs to be surgically removed, for the greater good of humankind.

All Israel is doing is to help stamp out the scourge of global terrorism. A job Grorge Bush says he is committed to, but doesn't seem to be doing as good a job.

Deadman said...

"Life Through (Your) Eyes", Alan Howard?

What's to show, you are obviously blind as a bat. And mad as a hatter to boot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060712/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel_clash

The soldiers were in Israel, not Lebanon.

"BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah militants crossed into Israel on Wednesday and captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel responded in southern Lebanon with warplanes, tanks and gunboats, and said eight of its soldiers had been killed in the violence."

I haven't seen a single news report anywhere that says the soldiers were anywhere BUT Israel.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the "freedom loving" Libs. will nod approvingly over hundreds of dead Arabs as per usual, but please don't kid yourselves that this will lead to anything other than more hatred and thus more conflict. As you always do, you ignore the background and as such your "analysis" is just a pathetic joke.
Far more intelligent, balanced and moral coverage of this whole mess is coming from the American libertarian/conservative right. Perhaps you ought to check some of it out?