An Open Letter to the Toronto Star
[This is an open letter because the newspaper would not print it. Too long perhaps? In any case, I think the information I disclose is worth knowing.]
In his defence of PM Harper's defence of Israel's actions in Lebanon ("Measured response or war crime?", Aug. 7) Neil Finkelstein neglects to mention a number of facts:
1) The day before Hamas soldiers "kidnapped" an Israeli soldier on Israeli soil, Israeli commandos had entered the Gaza Strip to "detain" (really the same action) two Palestinians Israel has claimed are Hamas members.
2) The area in Israel Hamas attacked was a military post close to Gaza that had been used among other fortified positions to fire the hundreds of shells into Gaza that had led to some 30 deaths in the preceding weeks.
3) Hamas "stepped up their firing of rockets at Israeli civilians" after Israel had stepped up its firing of more advanced weapons at Gaza civilians after the "kidnapping" of its soldier.
4) Hezbollah began firing its rockets only after Israel, rejecting negotiation, began bombing raids over certain areas in Lebanon after the two soldiers were "kidnapped"
5) Hezbollah "kidnapped" the soldiers to use them as bargaining chips in a prisoner exchange. This has long been standard practice on both sides, terminology favouring Israel notwithstanding.
6) Israel has also destroyed various utilities with its declared "precision" weapons in addition to "the bridges and communications infrastructure" allowing Hezbollah movement to Syria.
7) Israel's military is no less blended in with the civilian population than is Hezbollah's. The 12 Israeli soldiers killed on Aug 6 were in the entrance of a kibbutz. How much closer were the Hezbollah soldiers to civilians at Qana? Too bad Lebanese civilians don't have the network of air raid shelters Israelis do, and too bad they have to face much more powerful weapons than Katayusha rockets.
And too bad most of these facts aren't coming to light in most of our mainstream media.
[In case anyone is wondering about the sources of my information, they can be found here, here, here, here, and here. Gainsay who dare.]
[This is an open letter because the newspaper would not print it. Too long perhaps? In any case, I think the information I disclose is worth knowing.]
In his defence of PM Harper's defence of Israel's actions in Lebanon ("Measured response or war crime?", Aug. 7) Neil Finkelstein neglects to mention a number of facts:
1) The day before Hamas soldiers "kidnapped" an Israeli soldier on Israeli soil, Israeli commandos had entered the Gaza Strip to "detain" (really the same action) two Palestinians Israel has claimed are Hamas members.
2) The area in Israel Hamas attacked was a military post close to Gaza that had been used among other fortified positions to fire the hundreds of shells into Gaza that had led to some 30 deaths in the preceding weeks.
3) Hamas "stepped up their firing of rockets at Israeli civilians" after Israel had stepped up its firing of more advanced weapons at Gaza civilians after the "kidnapping" of its soldier.
4) Hezbollah began firing its rockets only after Israel, rejecting negotiation, began bombing raids over certain areas in Lebanon after the two soldiers were "kidnapped"
5) Hezbollah "kidnapped" the soldiers to use them as bargaining chips in a prisoner exchange. This has long been standard practice on both sides, terminology favouring Israel notwithstanding.
6) Israel has also destroyed various utilities with its declared "precision" weapons in addition to "the bridges and communications infrastructure" allowing Hezbollah movement to Syria.
7) Israel's military is no less blended in with the civilian population than is Hezbollah's. The 12 Israeli soldiers killed on Aug 6 were in the entrance of a kibbutz. How much closer were the Hezbollah soldiers to civilians at Qana? Too bad Lebanese civilians don't have the network of air raid shelters Israelis do, and too bad they have to face much more powerful weapons than Katayusha rockets.
And too bad most of these facts aren't coming to light in most of our mainstream media.
posted by Gregg Hill at
1:54 PM
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