Israel is completely justified!!!!....................?

Question

I hear everyone complaining about Israel bombing southern lebanon, but what I haven't heard are viable alternatives. In fact, the two alternatives I've heard is...
a) Pressure the lebanese gov't to oust hezbollah.
reply) The tried and the lebanese gov't basically said that they can't (or wouldn't) do that

b) Ask the neighborhoods to push hezbollah out so that israel could bomb them away from their cities.
reply) I couldn't believe someone actually proposed this as it is rather absurd. Firstly, most lebanse support hezbollah. Secondly, how the hell are they going to force hezbollah out?

Hezbollah intentionally hides in populated areas because they know israel is hesitant to attack there (while they are NOT hesitant to fire rockets into apartment buildings, for example).

So what options does israel have left? Should they just continue to let this terrorist militia murder their people?

I think that their idea -- warn civilians to flea, and then bomb the hell out of hezbollah - was the best of the limited options they had. Of course, Israel isn't happy about civilian casualties (which is why they dropped leaflets beforehand), but what option do they have?
And for the lebanese that stayed -- why are they complaining? They were warned?!
I saw on the bbc one lebanese guy said that he was staying because he wants to call israel's bluff!

So again, Israel isn't happy about the death of innocent civilians, but they haven't had any alternatives.

What would you do?

1) They're not fighting because two soldiers were killed. They're fighting because MANY people have been killed by a terrorist militia that vows to continue doing so!

2) Israel would be glad to make peace with these people, but the problem is that the hezbollah agenda is not to make peace, but to destory israel. They're very clear about this.

3) The difference is that Israel is fighting to protect their own and are trying to minimize civilian casualties; hezbollah, however, is instigating a fight and are intentionally killing civilians.

4) This has nothing to do with hitler. It simply has to do with Israel defending herself.



Besides for Thomas P's suggestion -- which unfortunately is not feasible either -- I haven't heard any viable alternatives.

Answer 1

Myth: Israel is attacking and killing hundreds of Lebanese civilians.

Fact: The death of any innocent civilian is tragic and Israel regrets the loss of life.

Why are civilians dying? Because Hezbollah is hiding among civilians, using villages, mosques and even private homes to store and manufacture weapons caches that include 12,000 missiles.

This creates a conundrum for the Israeli military, where Hezbollah wins either way: If the IDF shies away from attacking because of the proximity of civilians, Hezbollah's terror infrastructure remains in place. And if the IDF attacks, no matter how carefully, there will be collateral damage -- triggering condemnation in the media, and emboldening Hezbollah to operate from civilian areas.

Even the UN's humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, said: "Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending... among women and children. I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this."

Ynet News reports that Hezbollah is trying to maximize Lebanese civilian deaths, presumably for its own propaganda purposes: Roadblocks have been set up outside some villages to prevent residents from leaving.

Meanwhile, in order to minimize civilian casualties, Israel has dropped warning leaflets in Lebanon, advising residents to protect their own safety by "avoiding all places frequented by Hizbullah."

When was the last time that Arab terrorists alerted Israeli civilians of an impending strike?

So let's be clear who bears responsibility for the deaths of Lebanese civilians. As Alan Dershowitz writes:

A bank robber who takes a teller hostage and fires at police from behind his human shield is guilty of murder if they, in an effort to stop the robber from shooting, accidentally kill the hostage. The same should be true of terrorists who use civilians as shields from behind whom they fire their rockets.

Myth: Israel deliberately attacked a United Nations post, killing four UN personnel.

Fact: That UN post, in the words of the Canadian peacekeeper who was killed there, was being used by Hezbollah as cover. As retired Canadian Major General Lewis Mackenzie, interviewed on CBC radio, explained:

"We received emails from [the Canadian peacekeeper who was killed at the UN post] a few days ago, and he was describing the fact that he was taking fire within, in one case, three meters of his position for tactical necessity, not being targeted. Now that's veiled speech in the military. What he was telling us was Hezbollah soldiers were all over his position and the IDF were targeting them. And that's a favorite trick by people who don't have representation in the UN. They use the UN as shields knowing that they can't be punished for it."

Furthermore, Hezbollah has attacked UNIFIL observers repeatedly this week. From the UN's own press releases:

In the last 24 hours... Hezbollah fired from the vicinity of four UN positions at Marwahin, Alma Ash Shab, Brashit, and At Tiri. (27 July 2006)

One unarmed UN military observer, a member of the Observer Group Lebanon (OGL), was seriously wounded by small arms fire in the patrol base in the Marun Al Ras area yesterday afternoon. According to preliminary reports, the fire originated from the Hezbollah side during an exchange with the IDF. He was evacuated by the UN to the Israeli side, from where he was taken by an IDF ambulance helicopter to a hospital in Haifa. He was operated on, and his condition is now reported as stable. (24 July 2006)

Note that the UN observer was injured badly enough to be evacuated to an Israeli hospital -- where they saved his life. Kofi Annan's reaction? Not a word of condemnation against Hezbollah, and not a word of gratitude for Israel's rescue of the UN observer.

Myth: Israel is needlessly targeting Lebanon's civilian infrastructure.

Fact: Prior to the fighting, Lebanon was recovering from a long, destructive civil war. Last year's "Cedar Revolution" against Syrian occupation gave the world high hopes for the possibility of a new Lebanon. Tourism was on the rise, business was improving, and national infrastructure was being rebuilt.

Hezbollah has now used this infrastructure to support its own violent agenda. For years, weapons shipments passed through the capitol's international airport, across the Beirut-Damascus highway, and through various coastal ports. That's why Israel has been forced to bomb the transportation network, to hinder the arrival of arms from Syria/Iran, and to stop Hezbollah from moving the kidnapped Israelis out of the country.

Other Israeli strikes have targeted telephone links used by Hezbollah to communicate, Hezbollah offices, banks that handle their money, and TV transmitters from which Hezbollah's Al-Manar station is broadcast.

In fact, Israel is carefully selecting targets, in order to minimize damage. Writes David Frum of the American Enterprise Institute:

[Israel] has fought this war on its northern border as humanely as it can. Flip the switch in Beirut and the lights come on; open the taps, and the water flows. Essential services have been spared. The runways at Beirut Airport have been bombed to stop reinforcements to Hezbollah, but the control towers and the newly built terminal have been spared because Lebanon will need them later.

Myth: Israel's military response is "disproportionate and excessive."

Fact: We need to define our terms: Israel's response may be "disproportionate," but it is not "excessive."

In war, you don't measure response by what the enemy has done in the past, but rather how to stop their threats to attack you in the future. Hezbollah is threatening to send missiles into Tel Aviv, and there is the looming threat of Iran supplying Hezbollah with nuclear weapons. This is a serious security threat that must be eliminated.

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen exploded the myth of "excessive force":

For Israel, a small country within reach, as we are finding out, of a missile launched from any enemy's back yard, proportionality is not only inapplicable, it is suicide... It is not good enough to take out this or that missile battery. It is necessary to reestablish deterrence: You slap me, I will punch out your lights.

Hezbollah boasts 12,000 missiles -- not for defense, but to destroy Israel. Why would the world not allow Israel to defend itself? Because it is more comfortable to live with the illusion of peace, to hope that this will pass and things will somehow work out. But Israel cannot afford to ignore the reality of the threat.

It is true that the fighting has produced more Lebanese casualties than Israeli casualties. But if Israel were to tell its citizens not to hide in bomb shelters, so that the thousands of rockets launched from Lebanon would kill many more Israelis, would the world's journalists and government leaders then smugly agree that Israel's effort to stop Hezbollah is indeed "proportionate"?

Myth: Hezbollah has a justified grievance and is being provoked by Israel.

Fact: Charles Krauthammer said it best:

What's the grievance here? Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely in 2000. It was so scrupulous in making sure that not one square inch of Lebanon was left inadvertently occupied that it asked the United Nations to verify the exact frontier defining Lebanon's southern border and retreated behind it. This "blue line" was approved by the Security Council, which declared that Israel had fully complied with resolutions demanding its withdrawal from Lebanon.

In the meanwhile, Hezbollah has created a mini-state inside of Lebanon -- with territory, weapons and soldiers. Over the past six years, Hezbollah has launched dozens of attacks across the internationally-recognized border on both civilian and military targets within Israel.

The current crisis began on July 12, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli towns and cities in an unprovoked attack, and then crossed the border killing eight Israeli soldiers engaged in routine patrol and kidnapping two more.

Hezbollah "claims" that it is fighting over Shebaa Farms, a small tract of land where the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria converge. The UN maintains that Shebaa Farms was captured from Syria in 1967, and is subject only to Israeli-Syrian agreement.

Shebaa Farms is a thin smokescreen. Hizbullah's goal is the total destruction of Israel, plain and simple. (Read the Hizbullah charter, and Hezbollah's goals in their own words.)

Even Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have now chastised Hezbollah for its "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts."

Myth: Lebanon bears no responsibility for the actions of Hezbollah.

Fact: According to UN Security Council Resolution 1559, it is the responsibility of the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and to assert Lebanese sovereignty in southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese government has completely failed in this regard, standing by while Hezbollah has assembled weapons stockpiles and entrenched itself in Lebanese towns.

Further, Lebanon cannot claim disassociation: Hezbollah is actually part of the Lebanese coalition government, holding two seats in the cabinet!

The irony of all this is that most of the world -- including the Lebanese population -- hopes that Israel will succeed in doing the job that the Lebanese army has not: liberating southern Lebanon from Hezbollah rule, and giving it back to the Lebanese.

Let's all do our part to promote the facts, and to help Israel win its battles on all fronts.

Answer 2

Firstly, answer me this

Im British and we fought the IRA for decades. We never invaded Ireland, Rocketed Dublin or blockaded the country. However, we suffered worse attacks then the Israels did, including the Birmingham Pub Bombins and the attack on Canary Wharf.

Now, my point is, with DIPLOMACY and SUBTERFUGE, we achieved a cease-fire and hostilities have ended. The IRA have disarmed. The War is Over

Now, i know the circumstances aren't the same, but if we can achieve a lastign ceasefire after 40 years of war, surely the Israelies should pull back and allow an international force to mediate?

POSTER
Why isnt my solution feasible? Because the Israelis will not surrender the occupied reigons, which has been demaded by the UN Security Council? Israel is certainly in a hostile neighbourhood, but invading them will not help anything. Diplomacy and talking and concessions must be made to secure a long lastin peace, most arabs in the middle east just want to live their lives

Answer 3

well when they tell people to flee so they can bomb their homes and all their possessions, it would help if they didn't bomb them on the road when they are trying to leave!

Obviously what Israel is doing is not working. the attacks from Hezbollah are getting worse, not better. In fact, they are only creating more Hezbollah recruits. If it is not right for Hezbollah to kill Israeli civilians, then how can you say that it is right for Israel to kill even more Lebanese civilians? That is hypocritical.

Answer 4

You must be kidding! Two soldiers kidnapped with the demand being to liberate political prisoners - one soldier in Lebanon, the other in Palestine- and you are going to pummel a country to rubble? This is what Israel has done! This is what most have called "excessive force" which is quiet an understatement.

Israel cannot continue to kill whoever they want and violate so many UN resolutions that no one can count them and justify it because their ancestors were killed by Hitler? The people they are killing have nothing to do with Hitler.

Obviously what is at stake is that the US wants the Lebanese ports to load their oil from Iraq and elsewhere in the region onto tankers.

(Edit: And, I have been actively researching these things for 24 years which is probably longer than the person commenting above me has been alive! And, my ancestors have lived in the US for over 300 years so I have what's good for the US in mind. And, supporting Israel is not good for us nor are our current imperialist wars. And, I am not a "liberal" for liberals are like Ronald Reagan and practice laissez faire economics. I am a conservative - for protecting our country and its interests first and foremost and for a debt free America.)

Answer 5

I absolutely agree with you on this. Well put.
In addition to what you have stated,what about the fact that the Hezbollah are actually aiming at civilians on the Isreali side... why does no one whine and moan about that?
Why doesn't the media talk and show pictures of all the Isrealis that are missplaced from their homes? I have heard Fox news mention it in passing(thanks to Shepard Smith) but there hasn't been the coverage like the displaced Lebonese... I am sick of this one sided (let alone siding with the enemies of the US) new reporting. Its no wonder there are so many lib nut jobs that don't understand!

***My case in point... read Murp below

Answer 6

Why in Religion? S/B in Politics section. Lebanese gov't too weak to move Hezbollah out...in fact they said their "army" would defend the border...What army was that again...Hezbollah? Yes Hezbollah uses true guerrilla tactics like hiding in civilian neighborhoods in order to make Israel look bad when it attempts to defend itself. Sorry folks there can be no reason for condemning Israel for defending herself. PEACE!

Answer 7

It's deja vu -- over and over and over again! Israel occupies territory to stop the attacks and arms build-up. The infamous "international community" insists they disengage. Israel withdraws and the attacks begin again almost immediately. I have to admit that it took a bit longer in Lebanon because the UN let them have a few more years to get a really BIG arms cache before attacking.

Let's hope Israel demands a real peacekeeping force this time that will actually enforce agreements and carry a BIG stick! And I'm not talking about our pitiful U.N.

Answer 8

If there were real men in Lebanon they would have stood up to Hezbollah kicked them out of thier country. Now they pay the price of thier cowardice.

Israel has every right to protect her babies.

Answer 9

Every time Israel fights, they gain portions of their promised land back. Every time they negotiate, they lose land. If I were the Israelites, I would fight, especially if it's an Iranian funded (150 mil/yr) Islamic organization bent on destroying Zionism.

Answer 10

So, because two soldiers were kidnapped, this gives the Israeli govt the right to fight and start a war?? To bomb another country???

It cracks me up that we wanted to spread democracy to these countries, and we have - and they democratically VOTED FOR HEZZBOLLAH! Who are we to tell them that democracy is good - but only when you choose the leaders we like???

Israel is not justified. Period.

Answer 11

how about killing a few thousand civilians?

- this is a typical answer morons like u wait for...interestingly u have quite a support...but its much more than that...imperialism at its best...