Let me start by saying that I fully condemn the continuous firing of missiles by Hamas into Israel. I think it is a barbaric act of terror and violence and should be dealt with. But the question is how? Over the last couple of weeks we have witnessed yet another conflict unfolding between the Hamas and Israel and is grown to a full-blown war in Gaza Strip. In the midst of all this, yet again, unarmed and defenseless civilians bear the bruises of the conflict. Masses of Israeli people have to halt their daily life and spend days and weeks in bomb shelters fearing for their lives. But on the other side there is an even grimmer reality unfolding. Over a million Palestinians living in one the most densely populated parts of the world, go on with their lives praying that their houses, schools, and hospitals do not collapse into rubbles by the attacks of the Israeli military. There is no iron dome protecting them from incoming missiles and air strikes. They can only wait and pray. There is no where to go, no place to hide. The grossly disproportionate number of civilian casualties on the Palestinian side speaks for this fact. As the human toll rises, Israeli government is quick to remind everyone that its people are being attacked by a terrorist organization and it has to do whatever it takes to protect them. Whatever it takes? Is that really the standard we hope to see from a civilized and modern society? Israel is one of the largest recipients of US foreign aid. This aid is provided to help the nascent Jewish state stand on its feet and thrive. Israels politicians do not hesitate in advertising the Israeli society as a democratic and free society where all the citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish can live in peace alongside each other. Now, whether this is a true claim or not is a discussion on its own. But assuming that it is true and that Israel is this oasis of democracy and freedom in the otherwise divided Middle East, shouldnt we expect a higher standard of discretion and respect to human life from the government of Israel? Shouldn’t Israeli government be held to the same level of scrutiny as the one that other modern and free societies are held to? Shouldnt we demand the Israeli government to respect human lives outside of its borders just as much as the ones inside? I think the answer to all of these questions is yes. But unfortunately in reality, for some bogus reason, Israeli government is given a free pass and unconditional support from the world powers to deal with its security issues however it pleases and not be held accountable for the loss of lives of thousands civilians. During an interview with the BBC couple of days ago, an Israeli military official claimed that they are conducting surgical offensive attacks aimed at destroying Hamass strong hold and stop the rockets from being fired into Israel. Surgical?! U.N. estimates that over %70 of the casualties are civilians. Does this seem surgical to you? Israeli government is consistently telling us that Hamas is using civilians as human shields. So, isnt having such knowledge alone enough of a reason not to undertake the strikes? The rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza suggests two scenarios; either the Israeli government simply does not care about civilian lives in Gaza (which I hope that is not true), or its military is simply incapable of performing so called surgical offensive against Hamas. Unfortunately, due to very divisive and sensitive nature of this conflict, many refrain from talking about it and there is not enough interest just to even criticize Israels acts. But I strongly believe that Israel’s government, just like any other government, should be held accountable for its actions and its politicians should face and answer the tough questions about the way in which they have handled this conflict.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:31:05 +0000
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