Israel's recent actions explain much about the mentality of that country's media and government establishment and the bizarre logic it operates under.
It continues its operation aimed at destroying the civilian infrastructure of Gaza while terrifying Gaza's population. It has bombed Gaza's only power plant and cut off gas supplies. As a result, hospitals don't have power, water pumping and sanitation systems can't function, and hundreds of thousands of people live in darkness. Food and medical supplies are rotting and spoiling at closed border crossings and thousands of Palestinians on either side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt are stranded.
Sonic booms from Israeli jets terrify Gazan children three to four times a night, ensuring they don't sleep - a practice that has no military purpose and is meant only to inflict psychological trauma on a civilian population. Such trauma is readily apparent now in Gaza (see video).
Shells and missiles consistently rain from the sky. In one day last week, Israel dropped 400 shells. Along with power plants and bridges, Israel has bombed the Islamic University in Gaza twice, as well as a school in Gaza City that provides free education to children whose parents were killed or injured in the conflict.
Israel has abducted 70 Palestinian government officials and has threatened to kill those still free.
Today alone, in it's re-invasion of a land it never actually ceased occupying, Israel killed 21 Palestinians, including at least six civilians. It killed another two in the occupied West Bank.
Supposedly these efforts are meant to free a captured Israeli soldier. But even Israel's ambassador to Britain can't explain how bombing a power plant helps to free a soldier. One could ask the same about how sonic booms, bombing schools, starving 1.5 million people, etc. free a soldier. One thing it certainly does do is constitute collective punishment, violate international law, and has been labeled war crimes.
Clearly, the goal of Israel, along with inflicting massive harm on Palestinian civilians, is to destroy the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. With the PA being irrelevant since its inception, that's not a big deal, but Israel should know by now it can't destroy Hamas by force. But Israel will try to do it anyway, all with the support of the US. At the UN today, Israel's other UN ambassador, John Bolton, pretty much promised to veto any resolution that even slightly voiced objections to Israel's war crimes in Gaza.
What's amazing through all this is somehow Israel remains the victim. For example, check out the beginning of this recent story on YNet:
Residents of Gaza vicinity communities are not the only ones suffering from anxiety...Who is paying the price for the Gaza operation? While the residents of Sderot, Ashkelon and the Gaza vicinity communities and kibbutzim are suffering from ongoing rocket fire and unstoppable sounds of war around them, Gaza Strip children are also suffering.
Are you kidding me? Are "also suffering"? Nice of the Israeli media to remember the victims of their nation's aggression. Earlier today, Haaretz's article on the Gaza invasion spent the first six paragraphs talking about one dead occupation soldier, then finally managed to remember the 21 dead Palestinians.
And a few puny rockets land in Ashkelon and according to the Israeli media and government, the world has ended.
In a first response to the Qassam rocket fired at Ashkelon, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday evening: "This evening a serious incident like no other took place, when a Qassam landed in a school in our southern town."
Are you kidding me? "Incident like no other"? What about the 7,000+ Israeli shells that have killed dozens of civilians in Gaza?
Despite its horrific brutality and sheer disregard for the humanity of the Palestinian people, Israel still plays the victim and somehow the world buys it. Has there been a more self-absorbed, narcissistic country? Perhaps the US? The degree of Israeli exceptionalism is mindboggling, as is the anti-human attitude of Israel's leaders and its supporters (as soon will be exhibited in the comments section).
No matter what Israel does, it is completely acceptable. And no matter what the Palestinians do, short of rolling over and dying, is completely unacceptable. Since Israel clearly will not restrain itself, everyone else must make them. Its state terrorism, war crimes and exceptionalism must end.
UPDATE 7/7: A just released poll shows that the vast majority of Israelis - 82 percent - support the extrajudicial assassination of Hamas leaders. That's stellar. And who wants peace? Who is not a negotiating partner?
Per my earlier statement: The degree of Israeli exceptionalism is mindboggling, as is the anti-human attitude of Israel's leaders and its supporters (as soon will be exhibited in the comments section).
Four comments advocating the genocide of Arabs have already been posted here and deleted. Any anti-Arab or anti-Jewish comments will be deleted. Please don't feed the racist, slimy trolls.
Posted by: scott | July 07, 2006 at 05:03 AM
Scott, while I agree with the general thrust of your piece, there is a lot that, I think, is inaccurate. The general population of Gaza is indeed terrified, and are genuine victims of this. I interviewed several of the American citizen evacuees that the Embassy got out in yesterday's operation, and they described the fear, insecurity, and atmosphere of war (background noise of shelling, sonic booms, etc).
However, among other things I don't care to mention here, one problem is that it seems sad that you just couldn't restrain yourself from getting in a kick at the U.S. You hate Israel, or at least aspects of its actions, history, and national character, very much (sometimes, fair enough); for all that animus, it's incredible that you view the U.S. as even worse. A suggestion -- maybe get out of the U.S. and travel a litle more. I know you've been down to Latin America for brief lefty tourism, seeing only what you wanted to see, through a pre-made filter to ensure you would come to the correct conslusion; maybe you've done a similar trip or two to other regions. Maybe try to get a job in a foreign country and actually live there -- a job that's not tied to some ideological anchor. There is no comparison between a few weeks, or even months, of temporary residence and a few years of actual life. Heck, maybe even try to do the same in your own country, get out of a leftwing urban environment and try to live among the knuckledragging fascist red staters whom you despise so much.
You may not end up liking either course of action, or change your mind in any way, but at least you'd have a chance of exposing yourself to the idea that there are two sides to every issue (most of the time both have some truth to them), and you'd have some credibility, too, among someone besides that tiny slice of the populace already inclined to agree with you. Or, if all that fails, you could follow in Michael Moore's footsteps and write semi-serious exposes of the other side, and make a boatload of money -- thus enabling you to fund the causes you love while living the high life, a la Moore :) Anyway, take this longwinded criticism in the spirit in which it is meant -- I think your views and efforts have some value, but they lack substance, balance, credibility, and intellectual rigor.
Posted by: WhatdoIknow? | July 09, 2006 at 05:56 AM
People here need some education, other than the kind FAUX News & the Bush goverment ram down your throats!
Asking Scott to travel around the world in order to see the other side (fascism) is ridiculous--how are you to know whether Scott has traveled & where?
Calling him a "traitor" because he thinks for himself & refuses to follow in lock-step behind all you Zionists is pathetic.
Calling him a "Communist" is so 1980's & lacks any intelligent thought--maybe you should look up the word in a dictionary before slinging it at people! And the comment about the South Central Farm truly shows the lack of education you have!
And calling him an "anarchist" for finding it funny when the MinuteKlan's fence was vandalized is off base.
**I suggest all you Scott/Bernarda/Palestinian bashers educate yourselves before pounding away at your keyboards--you are making yourselves appear unintelligent & racist.
Posted by: sappho | July 09, 2006 at 08:42 PM
I'm sick of a few irrational ranters dominating the comments section, and they have been warned, so for anyone following this nonsense:
- senatortombstone has been banned
- bernarda has been banned
- all their comments from this post have been removed.
WhatdoIknow?- Am I not allowed to have an opinion on the US without traveling? And how do you know where I have and have not been? Should I produce a "countries visited" list? The statement of "just go travel" is a pretty elitist suggestion. I do believe the US is worse than Israel. And that belief is based on the empirical evidence of US action since its founding - all traveling aside.
And how does my criticism of the US mean that my views "lack substance, balance, credibility, and intellectual rigor." Why is supporting the US a precondition to balance, credibility, etc? I believe the opposite is true - to ignore US culpability is to lack credibility and intellectual rigor.
Posted by: scott | July 10, 2006 at 03:37 AM
This entry of yours, Scott, should be submitted to the Guinness book of records for the sheer quantity of sloganeering and worn-out ideological cliches in a single post.
"Exceptionalism", LMAO! Rarely have I heard such a ridiculous linguistic innovation. Orwellian newspeak at its most ridiculous.
Posted by: Womble | July 10, 2006 at 08:49 AM
Wow, I guess I hit a nerve. 1) Interesting that a website that purports to comment on foreign affairs would call a suggestion that people actually visit (and maybe live and work in) foreign countries "elitist." 2) I based my comment on where you've been based on what I remember from what you've written. If I'm wrong (and your reaction makes me think I'm not), sorry. 3) I didn't mean to say that your criticism of the U.S. lacks substance, etc. I meant to say that your overall blog does. What you write makes me think you really don't have much experience of the world as a whole -- I think reality is far more nuanced than the left=good/right=evil thing you do. I've lived in the two regions you seem to spend most of your time writing about (Central America three years, Israel/Palestine 2.5) and your views seem to be so dogmatic, really just parroting a political line. Sappho's a great example -- she calls people who hold different views from hers "fascists". Um, THAT'S rational commentary? Is that really what you're aiming for, Scott? Don't worry about banning me -- after what I think to be almost two years of visiting your blog (maybe shorter, seems that long), I'm done.
Posted by: TakeaChillPill | July 10, 2006 at 03:31 PM
TakeaChillPill has said that I call people who hold different views than mine "fascists". Ummm,no. You are flat wrong. I respect others views. But when you disrespectfully come to someone else's blog & post hateful, ridiculous things & talk like a raging hypocrite,what do you expect?
If it walks like a duck....
Posted by: sappho | July 10, 2006 at 08:23 PM
Takeachillpill- First, if you're going to attack me at least step up and identify yourself.
Second, you haven't offered a single example to back up any of your claims, so why should I take them seriously? I'm open to reasoned criticism, but blanket statements don't count.
Third, I do believe it is elitist to just suggest someone pick up and hop around the world to gain "perspective." That is an impossible option for the vast majority of people, and to therefore withdraw their entitlement to have an opinion about world affairs because they haven't traveled is "elitist."
However, for your information, I do appreciate the benefits of traveling and have been very fortunate to visit many countries.
Womble: How does describing current events count as sloganeering? And you really think Israel doesn't view and portray itself as exceptional?
And thanks for the support, Sappho. :)
Posted by: scott | July 10, 2006 at 10:53 PM
"No matter what Israel does, it is completely acceptable. And no matter what the Palestinians do, short of rolling over and dying, is completely unacceptable."
-- What is the basis for this statement? The elected government of the PA kidnapped a 19 year old soldier and is keeping him hostage. They will not release the soldier until terrorists kept in Israeli prisons are freed. That began the Gaza occupation. The Palestinians exacerbated the conflict by firing lethal missles at Israel. Here is a hint for the Palestinians -- release the soldier and stop firing missles and the occupation of Gaza ends.
"UPDATE 7/7: A just released poll shows that the vast majority of Israelis - 82 percent - support the extrajudicial assassination of Hamas leaders."
You bet they do! If I was Israeli and dealing with this nonsense I would gun down the Hamas terrorists myself AND the terrorists that Hamas wants freed.
On another, related note. Palestinians were polled as well. 80% approve of the kidnapping and the lobbing of missles into Israel. Seems like the Palestinians are getting what they have always wanted -- a war with Israel!
Posted by: wiseone | July 11, 2006 at 02:17 AM
Uh, wise one. wise up. If you want to get a prisoner freed, you don't go in and bomb. You have to have good intelligence and a highly targeted operation to free the captive.
This is not rocket science; it's basic rules of freeing hostages through armed operations. Use your head, not your ideological inclinations.
What Israel is up to has nothing to do with freeing its soldiers; they are the unfortunate pawns in Israel's political game.
It's becoming obvious to the nation and not just the rest of the world that the degree of Israeli exceptionalism has probably reached the point of diminishing returns. Otherwise, you wouldn't get so many racist screeds about the "A-rabs."
If calling someone "anti-Semitic" or having "hatred for Israel" doesn't work, the name callers have to up the ante. This is why the tone of defense of "Israel," is so hysterical and why no one talks about how to actually save the lives of the Israeli soldiers.
Posted by: freespeechlover | July 13, 2006 at 04:24 PM
Hamas ought to give up their war. Hamas is at war with Israel. They deserve to be hit
Posted by: Jonathan | July 16, 2006 at 11:45 AM
Israels enemies persecute their minorities. Israels enemies persecuted their Jewish populations. There are almost no jews in arab lands anymoe
You are right the exceptionalism ought to end.
Israels enemies ought to be condemed for their human rights records and their never ending war aginst Israel.
They don't have a right to their war.
exceptionalism is practiced on this site what I mean is selective crticism.
Israel has a right to defend itself. It doesn't have to accept the war of Hamas or Hezzbollah.
Posted by: Jonathan | July 16, 2006 at 11:49 AM
Hey Freespeech lover explain your selective criticism?
I mean if someone criticizes Israel all the time in a one sided fashion while ignoring the crimes and actions of Israel's enemies is it not fair to question the motives of the ones making the criticism?
Maybe that is one kind of freespeach that you would like to see supressed.
I am very good at dealing with moonbats . Just wait and see. I have come to this site Get ready for the storm. and well you will see.
Posted by: jonathan | July 16, 2006 at 11:54 AM