Let us accept that 19 Palestinian civilians were killed by an
errant IDF shell in Beit Hanun last week — although the
Palestinian record for truth in reporting is abysmal and
there was no independent verification of the casualty
figures. The true number of deaths may have really been
anything from zero to 19.
Civilian deaths are the result of deliberate Palestinian
policy. Why should Israel be condemned for them?
There have been many terrorist gangs, such as the Irish, the
Basques and the Leftists of the 60s, who were prepared to
attack even if they harmed innocent bystanders. They bombed
their targets — such as military bases or corporate
offices and stores — without too much regard for the
loss of civilian life.
Yet they never made a deliberate policy of targeting
civilians, something that is banned by all international war
rules. The Palestinian terrorists, in contrast, openly
declare that their targets are all Israelis, men, women and
children, fighters or noncombatants.
Moreover, the Palestinians deliberately locate their own
weapons and other military equipment in the middle of
residential areas. They also locate their firing positions
for Kassam rockets close to civilian homes. They intend and
hope that their own people get hurt and killed so that they
can produce good propaganda against Israel.
This is nothing less than their cultural goal. From a young
age and in the official school systems, children are taught
that death and martyrdom is admirable. Since the Palestinians
took control of their education after the first Oslo
agreements, young children recite slogans and poems
glorifying the goal of becoming a shaheed and killing
Americans and Jews.
Thus, tragic incidents like the one in Beit Hanun are really
a goal of theirs.
Their responses?
Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said, "Israel should
therefore be wiped off the map." Another Hamas spokesman
swore to avenge the deaths, and called on all Palestinian
groups to renew attacks inside Israel against any men, women
and children they can find.
These are statements that they would make any day, tragic
accident or not. It is part of the Hamas charter. Written in
1988, it calls for the elimination of Israel and Jews from
Islamic holy land and portrays the Jews as evil, citing a
history going back to the Crusades. It also includes a
reference to the noted Russian forgery, The Protocols of
the Elders of Zion, and throws in an official
condemnation of organizations like the American Rotary Club
and the international Masons.
Every day rockets are launched at the south of Israel. They
are targeted to kill, maim and damage. The security forces
regularly foil suicide bombing plots and other violent
attacks.
This is all according to their declared principles, according
to their education and according to the public statements of
their leaders in English and Arabic.
If Palestinians are so outraged at the killing of Palestinian
civilians it is something of a self-contradiction if they
call for the killing of Israeli civilians as an appropriate
response. Much of the world interprets it as an
understandable response to such a tragedy visiting them, as
if it fell upon them from nowhere, but really it is all part
of their own strategy.
Those who strive to be politically correct, constantly refer
to a cycle of violence, as if the killing comes from both
sides.
It is true that both sides kill, but one is action and one is
reaction. It would seem that which is which could easily be
determined even by a thought experiment.
If the Palestinians stopped their attacks, Israel would stop
its attacks in response. If no Kassams were to fall there
would be no artillery barrages in response. IDF officers say
that firing a few shells at an area which may be used as a
launch site for Kassams prevents this later use. If the
peaceful citizens of Sderot and Ashkelon would cease to be
Palestinian rocket crew targets, those crews would cease to
be IDF targets.
However if Israel stopped its attacks, the Palestinians would
not stop their attacks.
If these simple truths were recognized, it could lead to some
betterment of the situation. As long as the discussion is
dominated by lies and deception, the prospects are bleak.
