Is this not the worst excuse for the civilian deaths in Lebanon that you have ever heard?

Question

We had a friendly discussion at a party this weekend and I heard, what I believe, is the worst justification for the civilian deaths in Lebanon. A man who I normally like and respect his opinion on Israel got upset about the criticisms and asked, "What is the big deal? More innocent people die on the roads in the US every week then have been killed in Lebanon." I was left uncharacteristically speechless.

Did he have a valid point or is the the worst excuse you've heard to marginalize those deaths?

Note: I support Israel's right to fight the terrorist threats to its sovereignty and border. But they are not killing terrorists, they are killing civilians who were too poor to relocate or had no where to evacuate to.

Answer 1

Thats a horrible way to trivialize innocent deaths.

Answer 2

One quick point: how do you know they are not killing terrorists? The terrorists dress like civilians, the only way to tell them apart is that the terrorists are shooting. Why should we believe the terrorists when they say Israel has only killed 20 of them and 400 civilians?

And you are right that the excuse the man gave you was lame. Any civilian death is tragic, but accidents happen in war. However, if any blame is to be assigned for their deaths, it is all to Hezbollah. They are the terrorist scumbags that use civilians as human shields.

Answer 3

That is not a good excuse but do not think that the civilians that are killed are too poor to move. Hezballa is making them stay as shields. The building where all the "innocent" were killed yesterday was staged. Hezbulla held those people hostage and staged the building to look like a good target. I am afraid that the war can not be won with out lots of civilian deaths.

Answer 4

well, its not really to the point. a better justification would be that the isrealis are using bombs so they dont have to fight door to door in towns they are not welcome in, and these bombs are gonna kill civilians and the terrorists they have living in the same buildings, no question about it. Im sure his point was that there arent really that many being killed when you think about it. If the jews have to go in there and put an end to it, there would be a heck of a lot more killed. There is really not a good answer, but historically we firebombed cities in germany, and nuked a couple in japan, so this so called war isnt as bad as it could be.

Answer 5

Actually any where in the world there are no terrorist killed instead of that just normal innocent people were killed. In Srilanka The government and it's army killed innocent civilians. Also the freedom fighters killed innocent school children recently .Like wise in India more than 200 innocent people killed in train bombs. In Lebanon also they don't kill any terrorist. They kill innocent people and children. What profit they got by killing people? Are they trying to destroyed the world or any certain race in the world? Why these people or governments took important to racism or religion more than human being? I never understand.
If he told there are lot of people die in US streets more than in Lebanon...Do you think that was an excuse? Excuse for what? To hide their witness of human manner? or No guts to face the truth?
If he said that words with his real knowledge he is not a human . Even if i support to Israel but i am not supporting they killed innocent people in Lebanon. When ever we saw the TV news at least one mother will cry with her child's dead body in her lab. At that moment i have tear in my eyes. I don't cry for a certain Lebanon person or Muslim mother. I felt sad as a mom for a mom who lost her son or daughter. The value of being mother will be understand by another mother. Do any one will feel or realize how much suffer and pain a mother will have when she carry a baby and give a birth to that baby before kill any human? If they will think that or if they will think at least their mother they won't kill any human life.
This answer maybe sentimentally touched. But Sentimental is better than a human act like an animal.
If you are a christian or Buddhist or Muslim or Hindu there is no life after the death. So let every one live their own life.. Don't put barriers by religion or language to a human to live their live. This request is not only for Bush or Rums field.. also bin-laden, Athwany, Prabaharan, Rajapakshe and others who every like to take another humans life....

Answer 6

It's drawing 2 things together that have nothing to do with together. Sure people die everyday from nemourous things, it's the cause that we get upset about. If 10 people died each day from getting hit by a car in front of your house you would probably be upset with the drivers of your town. However the amount of casualties from the Isreal offensive is relativly small. It's comparable to the US occupation in Iraq, once numbers started building people got all crazy about it. Death happens people, especially in a war zone. Lebonese people evacuate! You would have to be borderline retarted to stay unless you were fighting against Isreal.

Answer 7

I agree with you richly.
But here's the problem - Lebanon wont move to restrict Hezbollah. Hezbolla are using their own people as shields.

If we say "well...... I guess we cant hit Hezbollah without harming civilians" - then the terrorists win. Not only that but they'll CONTINUE to butcher the children of other religions and get away with it by hiding behind their own.

We have no choice.

However........ your friends excuse was lame.

Answer 8

it is a wholly irrelevant point. the number of lebanese who die from disease, road accident, and other mischance has certainly increased in the chaos of the present country (think of how severely medical services must be disrupted). every casualty of israeli action is extra to these 'normal' deaths.

it sounds to me as if your interlocutor thinks american deaths are real but the deaths of brown people don't really matter. i've known the fox news channel to give a figure for 'iraq casualties' which was only the number of americans killed.

i don't think i'd be able to respect this man's opinions.

Answer 9

first of all i don't even see the relevance in Ur friend's comment. i mean those americans are getting themselves killed, not by an invading army

second of all i agree with "bluemarine"
how are the arabs suppose to live in peace with the jews, when the jews occupied palestine and drives out the palestinians ?
just cause their (jews) ancestors used to live there doesn't mean they have the right to barge in and kick everybody out .
they could have just come in settled side by side with the palestinians and i don't think they would have mind

Lastly,
when israel went and bombed that palestinian beach in gaza, was it protecting its sovereignty and border, while there was no HAMAS member on that beach?

so why can't hamas or hizbullah attack israel's military ?

Answer 10

your friend is a bit unaware of what is going on and is just being a cynic ... and Israel has to defend it's land and everything ... but has to be satisfied with the land that it already has... i mean , do you really think that Israel is just Happy with Palestine , i guess Israel wants more .. and Lebanon by the way is just a continuation of palstine ... i mean same weather, same Soil and same everything ...

peace is when Israel stop it is colonial tendencies and just calm down a bit .... this power aphrodisiac has to be toned down

Answer 11

That's not really a valid point. BUT...

He was probably defending Israel's right to their actions by comparing our ignorance towards unnecessary deaths right here at home. We do tend to ignore certain tragedies and focus on tragedies where there is an oppurtunity to argue something you strongly believe in.

You shouldn't hold his comments against him, IMHO.