Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog

Charles Karuthammer states some inconvenient facts, at least inconvenient to some.

For Hamas, the only thing more prized than dead Jews are dead Palestinians. The religion of Jew-murder and self-martyrdom is ubiquitous. And deeply perverse, such as the Hamas TV children’s program in which an adorable live-action Palestinian Mickey Mouse is beaten to death by an Israeli (then replaced by his more militant cousin, Nahoul the Bee, who vows to continue on Mickey’s path to martyrdom).

At war today in Gaza, one combatant is committed to causing the most civilian pain and suffering on both sides. The other combatant is committed to saving as many lives as possible — also on both sides. It’s a recurring theme. Israel gave similar warnings to Southern Lebanese villagers before attacking Hezbollah in the Lebanon war of 2006. The Israelis did this knowing it would lose for them the element of surprise and cost the lives of their own soldiers.

He also mentions something that is very true and ignored by everyone for some reason

That is the asymmetry of means between Hamas and Israel. But there is equal clarity regarding the asymmetry of ends. Israel has but a single objective in Gaza — peace: the calm, open, normal relations it offered Gaza when it withdrew in 2005. Doing something never done by the Turkish, British, Egyptian and Jordanian rulers of Palestine, the Israelis gave the Palestinians their first sovereign territory ever in Gaza.

The Arabs and their supports spend a lot of time beating their breasts over the Palestinians but as a rule they are treated as 2nd class citizens all over the Arab world. The Irony is that they performance the one time that they were given total control of a region may actually justify that decision.

To paraphrase a US congressman from the last century: “The difference between War and what was happening before the attack on Gaza was one side wasn’t shooting back.”

I wish I wrote this but modesty forbids:

I completely agree with the protesters who say that the war crimes in Gaza should end.

So, what are those war crimes?

Let us count the charges, shall we?

* I agree that the deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians by Hamas is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of residential areas by Hamas to attack Israeli civilians in order to draw retaliatory fire to civilians is a war crime.

* I agree that the recruitment of civilians to act as human shields by Hamas for combatants not in uniform is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of journalists as human shields by Hamas is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of civilians and children by Hamas as bait for the enemy so that snipers can target relief personnel accompanying their military is a war crime.

* I agree that the deliberate killing of injured and wounded civilians by Hamas to increase casualty rates is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of university buildings for weapons manufacture by Hamas is a war crime.

* I agree that stockpiling explosives in civilian areas or the transport of explosives through civilian areas by Hamas so that those civilians are wounded or killed by mishandling or targeting of those weapons is a war crime.

* I agree that systematically exterminating members of a rival party (Fateh) or religion (Christianity) by Hamas for political purposes is a war crime.

* I agree that the torture of Fateh members and Christians while held in jail without charges by Hamas is a war crime.

* I agree that the passage of laws by Hamas which threaten inhumane punishments such as crucifixion, torture, amputation, and death for political crimes is a war crime.

* I agree that taking hostages and refusing to give free access to Red Cross/Crescent personnel or their use as propaganda material is a war crime.

* I agree that Hamas’ use of civilian police forces as a reserve army by an organization on international terror lists is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of public airwaves by Hamas to incite violence upon Israeli civilians is a war crime.

* I agree that the use of civilian foreign aid by Hamas for military purposes is a collective war crime.

Oh. Wait. That’s not what you’re protesting.

If it’s been put better elsewhere I’m not aware of it.