The Israeli propaganda machine is trying to paint this war as an Islamists war on Jews. Playing the anti-semitism card is always the way out for Israel when they have nothing else to legitimize their killing machine. Especially after their terrorism card stopped being effective considering the only terrorism being practiced currently is that of the Israeli Air Force on Millions of Lebanese civilians.
But let us look a little more into that claim.
Islamist resistance movements are only new comers to the picture. Long before Hezbollah and Hamas, Israeli oppression of Palestinians and Lebanese created many resistance movements. None of them were Islamist. The initial wave of resistance was leftist and secular. Israel’s destruction of these movements aided the rise in Islamist movements. Israel preferred dealing with Islamists because waging a war on “religious wackos” would be an easier sell for their PR machine. The invasions of Lebanon in 1978 and 1982 were before Hezbollah even existed. Comatose Sharon’s claim to fame in Sabra and Shatila was one of the reasons Hezbollah started appealing to the populace. That was in 1983 long after 1948 and 1967 when Islamism was nowhere to be found.
We can thank Israeli policy for the rise in religious fanaticism in the region as its racist oppressive strategy since 1948 brought this upon us.
So when Israeli missiles blow up a bus of fleeing civilians and their spokespeople claim that "religious anti-semitic wackos" were hiding under the bus, they are only trying to make their ethnic cleansing practices more acceptable to the western audience.
On to today's events, the sun is not visible in Beirut today, a cloud of smoke and dust fills the sky. The night was rough, the explosions are getting louder and more frequent. Personally, I got used to it and I slept through it. A lot of families are sleeping huddled in open areas in different areas of Beirut. Schools are packed with people left homeless by Olmert's war. Olmert is trying to earn his stripes. Right now the only stripes he has earned are of a frustrated killer.
Hezbollah hit Haifa's port, oil refinery, and train station this morning, so expect Israel to retaliate by bombing another bus full of fleeing families since they already bombed all of our ports and oil refineries.
More later...
34 comments:
Jamal,
I just don't understand what exactly is your claim?
My claim is that YOU, the Lebanese people, inspite of all raised a snake on you chest! This snake is poisonous, and until now it only bit Israel. Now it came to poison you too, so why won't you just take responsibility for what's going on?
I can bitch and whine too, you know, innocent people die here too, and no matter how leftist i consider myself to be, this “ocupation” is much less ocupation than you think — just like the ocupation of the southern Lebanon with IDF troops before that.
I've been reading your blog for days now, and I'm amazed by your consistent disregard of your own role in the conflict. What a disappointment.
Olmert is doing something that his people agree upon — self defence, survival. Sadly Israel cannot trust nor Hizballah nor Lebanon with this.
The fact is that it is now by and large the Islamists with their hateful agenda against Israel and the entire West (and yes, they're anti-Semitic; other than in Islamist societies there's no region in the world where people take seriously such tripe as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion) who are standing in the way of peace and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel isn't going away, and those who can't make peace with that fact are, yes, religious lunatics.
When we see arabs marching in beirut screaming death to the Jews in America, those of us who understand some Arabic tend to find it hard to believe your lies. You terrorists talk out of both sides of your mouth for some reason, but I guess that's how it works. You started this war, accept the consequences. No, your country isn't like Sodom and Gomorrah, without an innocent soul, but the wicked still control your country. The good people are responsible for everyone in their country, not just themselves. Remember that the murders in Sabra in Shatila were at the hands of Lebanese, killing more of your beloved Palestinians in a single day than have been killed in this whole second intifadeh. By Christians. So stop pointing the finger at Israel while Israel treats the hemorrhoids that resulted from Lebanon not wiping its own ass. If Lebanon tried to take care of Hizbullah, it would be another Sabra and Shatila massacre of Arabs at the hands of Arabs. Don't forget that you killed 100,000 of each other in your civil war. I guess you Arabs will never have any regard for human life beyond a propaganda tool. Lets face it, if Israel disarmed, there would be no Israel. If you terrorists disarmed there would be no war in the world. Eventually you'll be brought out of the 13th century, on your own, or by people kicking you out of it. It's still up to you.
I wonder if the rabid hatred of Israel has less to do with "stealing land" and "the oppression of muslims" and more to do with the fact that Israel took a little patch of scrubby desert and in 50 years created the most powerful nation in the middle east. With all of the oil income they receive from the west, the arab lands have shamefully low literacy rates, per capita incomes, industrial capacity, military strength etc etc etc. So what can we do about this disparity? You muslims have a choice- 1) conclude that everything modern and western is evil and fight a war you will lose or 2) let go of that backward, violent, tribal, hateful religion called Islam and live in peace with the rest of the world. Islamists don't offer protection from the Israelis or the Americans. They promise unending war- war against progress and modernity and this is sick.
Let me remind you that Sabra and Shatila people were in fact murdered by you Lebanese.
You Lebanese have to grow up and learn how to be responsible.
I love how all these commentators creatively justify mass murder.
I think in Israel they teach them that in 2nd grade.
Magnifique concert de justifications aux meutres de masse commis par Israël! Quelle indécence quand des centaines de civils ont été assassinés ces jours derniers! Pour répondre à un des intervenants - mais est-ce bien nécessaire? - ce sontles israéliens qui ont rendu possibles les massacres de Sabra et Chatila en y laissant opérer des miliciens aux ordres.
Their warning to Southerners today:
"a3thir man anzar"
Jamal: I love the image on your blog of the Chinese. Please make your commentary as high quality as the image.
You are basically saying that the Israelis are to *blame* for destroying secular movements that wanted to destroy Israel...and getting religious movements as a replacement? So that makes the Lebanese blameless?
And you, living among these terrorists and probably doing business with them (shopping in their stores), want to be left alone?
I don't get it. You need to be out there fighting Hezbollah.
It appears from the blogosphere that the good people actually LOST the Lebanese Civil War. If Hezbollah has the luxury of just living among a bunch of leftist sheep whose bravest act was lighting a candle in public during the socalled "Cedar Revolution"...than the bad guys both won the civil war and the Cedar Revolution.
I have a feeling that a lot of Lebanese are out helping the Israelis now. I am sure that a CIA trained Lebanese militia will be appearing in key places with roadblocks if the Israelis attack by land which seems imminent.
"Resistance was leftist and secular." Resistance was fueled by the assumptions of Islamic society. You can argue that in the old days, the resistance was really something else, but the biggest problem is cultural.
Let me ask you: Is it not in Israel's interest to avoid civilian causualties, to reduce pressure for an early ceasefire?
Israeli population centers are faced with thousands of rockets that will kill civilians as the purpose -- well, the intermediate purpose. The ultimate purpose is sharia, which (in the end) the rest of the world will not allow either. If you reflect, you will admit: Israeli killings of the innocent are inadvertent.
The problem here is that Islam will not accept non-Islamic sovereignties, except under conditions of necessity; and specifically, that the Arab street will not accept the return of the Jews to their national land.
Had the surrounding nations had a different culture there would have fighting, perhaps, but resolution; and with resolution, prosperity.
If you focus on the right of individuals to convert from Islam, you will be doing more for civilian populations than you are by arguing against the destruction of Hezbollah. The destruction of Hezbollah is in most everyone's interest, maybe even yours.
Please keep an eye on jihadwatch.org, which changes daily and tells the story.
I may be away from computers for a few days, so may not respond if you have something to say to me.
Sleep well.
Check out "Love Your Enemy" on a syrian blog: viarecta.blogspot.com
As for Sabra and Shatila, it is true that the massacres were perpetrated by Lebanese militias. But although it may not have been planned by the Israeli forces, it was done with their knowledge and was later covered up with their help.
In the current attack on Lebanon, Israeli forces have shown that they don't care much for innocent people's lives. Dropping leaflets of warning is not enough. People practically have no time or means to flee. Ofcourse, Hezbollah on the other hand is boasting the death of 8 Israeli civilians.
I think I have an idea that might solve this problem you have with the evil Zionists. Don't kidnap their kids or shoot missiles at them. Then they will have no excuse to attack you. That will teach them a lesson they'll not soon forget. Imagine how angry they will be when they cannot think of a reason to attack you, and will be forced to live in peace!
Sam, above, posted the usual Arab line of lies. When will you folks learn to face the truth?
Sabra & Shatilla were not done with Israel's knowledge and certainly weren't covered up. Besides reaching the world press at the time immediately after the massacres occurred, Israel followed up with the Kahan Commission, placing administrative blame on the Israeli officers involved. And frankly, if you asked me, the commision unjustly attached too much blame on the Israelis in charge.
You can wish for all the conspiracies you want but they're all self-administered poison in you collective heads. Try coming to grips with reality for a change. Our neighborhood would be much better for once and for all if you did.
We here in Israel are not "boasting" anything. All you have to do is safely return our 2 kidnapped soldiers, kick Hizb'Allah out of the south and deploy your own country's armed forced there in Hizb'Allah's place to keep the peace.
You have no one but your own brothers to blame. As usual, Arabs are more often their worst enemy than Israel. Maybe some day, the penny will drop.
Regards from Jerusalem, Israel
"Dropping leaflets of warning is not enough."
It's more than anyone has ever done for them though, isn't it?
I would like to hear Israel's opponents accept even 1% of the blame. The "we are victims, we suffer, it must be someone's fault" is the same mentality of people in prison. If you talk to them, you find that it was never their fault, it was always someone else.
Jamal,
I do not support or agree withthe wholescale destruction of the country that the Israeli invasion is inflicting on innocent civilians. That the above is cruel, unjust and might be ultimately ineffective against its originally stated objective must NOT blind us from the seminal issue that if ; we the Lebanese, wish to have a non dysfunctional state then we have to stand up and lend our officially elected government support to take action against HA and to send the Lebanese army to the borders. It is crucially important that we recognize our failures and take responsibility for our actions or lack of actions in this case. This does not either justify or condone the Israeli aggression but it will seek a solution by addressing the essential issue that brought all of the current crisis about.
I see nothing wrong in condeming in no uncertain terms the HA violations of the blue line and yet at the same time taking a strong stand against the wanton destruction of Lebanon by the IDF. The above two issues are not separate as many seem to be saying. they are an organic whole and it would be totally unrealistic to condemn one side without addressing the other.
If you wish to help establish a strong and sovereign Lebanon, and I am sure you do, then we have to stop our denial of the implicit role that we have all played in creating the current situation. Yes Jamal, each of us has played an important role in setting the stage for the present situation because we have failed to live up to our responsibilities as citizens. We have accepted a status quo that we condemn privately but do nothing to change it publicly. We have abetted the creation of a state within a state and we have allowed the pols to coopt and steal a popular revolution.We are , eachof us, part of the problem and the understandable emotional reaction when a country is being systematically destroyed in front of your eyes is only part of the story. Actually I submit that when we are going to operate under the assumption that only if the aggression will stop then all will be well is a dream, a mirage , and a dangerous illusion. It only shows that we are not ready to face the responsibility of building a democracy and it even suggests to me that maybe to have a functional state of Lebanon is not meant to be. It is up to us as it has always been to either move from one crisis to the other (1958, 1975-1991, 2005-present) or to once and for all establish a modern state on solid democratic principles. If it so happens that the legitimately elected government wishes to declare war then so be it but we should not allow a privately armed group to hold us hostage. We have agreed to be taken hostage and we have not resisted the hostage takers. We have failed ourselves and the future generations. We must remember our role in this crisis if we are to ever formulate a meaningful solution that addresses the root problem and not only its surface phenomenon.
I'd like to rebut Eugene's remarks above.
I wish The Christian Lebanese people all the success in overcoming their Muslim masters.
Should they ever succeed, I hope that there is peace and quiet for eternity on our mutual border.
About Ghassan's post, as an Israeli, I disagree that my country's attacks on Lebanon are "unjust" or "dispraportionate" but I sympathize with Lebanon's plight and aspirations for a sovereign state.
Regards from Jerusalem, Israel
Anon 5:35, I have not invented this, nor is it a collective hallucination. I will be more specific here. (Although I wouldn't want to get into Sabra and Chatila now but I will for the last time)
I heard the very balanced German and Lebanese directors of a documentary on the massacres say that through dozens of long and individual interviews with Palestinian survivors and perpetrators (Lebanese Christian militants), they have established the following: In the last night of the massacre, when the bodies were being buried, the Israeli army helicopters used to light up the area while the bodies were being wrapped up and thrown in previously dug holes. Many interviewed Christian militants also said that the Israeli army supplied the plastic bags. Although they didn't mention any Israeli supervision while the massacres were taking place, they did mention their presence in the distnace at the end of the massacres. That is all I know. And I'm not pretending it's all a concpiracy.
Now, when Israel tells its citizens and the world that it is going after Hezbollah, it doesn't tell you that it cannot get rid of it once and for all like this, through air strikes and sea strikes, because it has no real presence on the grounds. All of Lebanon will be destroyed and more innocent people will die before Israel can defeat Hezbollah like this. It will be the Lebanese army who will have to go to Hezbollah and fight it to snatch away its weapons. How could the Leb Army have faced and disarmed Hezbollah (a Syrian and Iranian backed militia) while the Leb army has no weapons (thanks to the US) and only one year after the end of the Syrian occupation, without risking another civil war.
As for the civilians who will die, it is inevitable in this war the IDF has chosen. But the international community, the US, and the Israelis won't let this go on forever without real progress. If Israel doesn't succeed in defeating Hezbollah soon (which is difficult), there will come a point when the civilian casualties on both sides will outweigh the anti-terrorist cause and there will be negotiations.
And hey, 'assistant village idiot' if a foreign army drops leaflets on your village telling you to evacuate, you pack your bags and leave as fast as you can, not knowing where to go, and that foreign army drops a bomb on you van a few hours later and burns you to death with your children, how would you feel. Don't compare two year old children with prisoners please. All these village people could do is vote, and even until now their opinions are not taken into account. They didn't carry weapons and didn't donate to Hezbollah. So whoever's fault it is, it is clearly not theirs.
I was hoping Jamal's insightful posts would eventually raise some awareness.
I am now thinking of not reading the comments section anymore.
From the NYTimes:
"Though Israelis now talk of destroying Hezbollah, that outcome is likely to be impossible without a sustained ground operation that is unlikely. And the clock is ticking: the international community, including the United States, is not going to give Israel a blank check to bomb Lebanon for much longer."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/world/middleeast/16olmert.html
So in the mean time, more massacres.
Sam, you said:
I heard the very balanced German and Lebanese directors of a documentary on the massacres say that through dozens of long and individual interviews with Palestinian survivors and perpetrators (Lebanese Christian militants), they have established the following: In the last night of the massacre, when the bodies were being buried, the Israeli army helicopters used to light up the area while the bodies were being wrapped up and thrown in previously dug holes. Many interviewed Christian militants also said that the Israeli army supplied the plastic bags.
Yes, everyone hears all sort of magical mayhem over 2 decades after the events. And then we twist a fact here and stretch a fact there and - presto - Israel is to blame.
Keep on enjoing your conspiracies. You people trive on them.
Next you say:
Now, when Israel tells its citizens and the world that it is going after Hezbollah, it doesn't tell you that it cannot get rid of it once and for all like this, through air strikes and sea strikes, because it has no real presence on the grounds.
1. We know this already. Maybe there are a few truly ignorant people who think that a war can be won strictly through airstrikes. However, I don't know anyone who thinks so. There is nothing new in what you state.
2. Latest reports indicate possible heavy ground forces movement. So we're being told everything you think we're not being told. BTW, the need for ground forces to move in has been discussed on Israeli TV and radio by numerous military correspondents since day 1.
You further state:
All of Lebanon will be destroyed and more innocent people will die before Israel can defeat Hezbollah like this. It will be the Lebanese army who will have to go to Hezbollah and fight it to snatch away its weapons.
We we like nothing more than to have all of our troops return home safely - including our 2 kidnapped soldiers. That's the most elementary way to have all hostilities ceased.
I wish the Lebanese Army the best of luck in truly controlling the border area but that includes the responsibility of removing Hizb'Allah from anywhere from where it can strike Israel. Now, is that scenario currently realistic? I think we both wish it was.
You also said:
How could the Leb Army have faced and disarmed Hezbollah (a Syrian and Iranian backed militia) while the Leb army has no weapons (thanks to the US) and only one year after the end of the Syrian occupation, without risking another civil war.
I have to agree with this to a certain extent. I wish the world would support a Lebanon run by Lebanese and for Lebanese. I'm also disdainful of Israel's own treatment of the SLA troops after Ehud Barak abandoned the south in such a cowardly way.
Do we share something in common in these views?
As for everything else you said about civilians dying and how terrible war is, it wasn't Israel who initiated hostilities. Again, look in your won back yard and get rid of the vermin that have been breeding there for years.
Regards from Jerusalem, Israel
I'm curious what the opinion is here of articles like this.
Regards from Jerusalem
Ziyad Makhoul, one of Beirut’s leading pro-Saudi infomercialists and a self-proclaimed “francophone intellectual” whatever that means has a surreal editorial in L’Orient-le-Jour, the newspaper of choice of Lebanon’s Fascist far right, who says the following after blaming Hezbollah for everything that has happened in the Middle-East in the past 5,000 years:
« … with, deep in [Olmert’s] heart, the other obsession of every Israeli government: to prevent the revival of its only rival in terms of tourism, intellect, democracy, investment, prosperity, attraction,…etc., to prevent it from muscling its feet [sic] and taking off»
Ah! The scales are finally falling off my eyes: these perfidious Pharisees are deliberately targeting the unrivaled talent of the glorious inventors of intellectual landmarks such as the alphabet, purple dye, and rosewater baklava- the secret of which has been fiercely guarded by Lebanon’s engineers since time immemorial…
We won’t let them have our baklavas!
Sheikh Abu Bahim Ab Rûti
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............baklava!
Dear Friends,
I am sure you all well aware of the tragic situation DARFAR and its people are in. Some of you are in the country, others are abroad while their families are still here, and some of you spent some time here, and I am sure you have come to love SUDAN and consider it a second home.
I write this message to ask for your help… for all of us to try and do something to stop this REAL atrocity against old men, women and children who are citizens of Sudan and its people, regardless of who is to blame and who started it all. Let us put the politics aside for now.
I urge you all to do whatever you can to lobby, demonstrate, petition, contact your MP or congressman, run stories, whatever thing to try and push for some sort of action against this violence.
There are no guarantees, we are aware of this, and this is not going to pose a solution to the problem. But we need to stop the violence now. So please do your part. For the sake of this innocent country and its people that have already been through hell.
It is truly heartbreaking what is happening. To see your country rise from the rubble after a long bloody war, to see it overcome its infamous violent reputation, to see a buzzing social and nightlife reemerging, its wonderful people and tourists returning, democracy slowly but surely taking its course… to see all of this and more, destroyed.
It is not fair.
Please do what you can. Sudan and its people need your help. So do what you can and pass the message on.
Thank you.
What will be known to future generations as the second battle of the Saudi-Persian wars or “Hurûb Al Râfidah wal Hanâbilah” has just started.
Being highly flexible cynics, the Israelites have chosen to help simultaneously the Râfidah in Baghdad and the Hanâbilah in Beirut, thus ensuring that this will be a long, protracted conflict.
Clearly this is none of our business, as we weren’t born to die for Sheikh Bar-Dizbah Al Bukhari’s Torah-based sayings or Nahj Al Balâghah’s hashish-induced suicidal trances.
Time to get out of the crossfire…
hey dude its kodder here, but I am not home. not gonna use my password here.
can you disable the anonymous posts?
its kinda boring when they comment then run.
then others do the same and you don't who to answer for.
deyman bitfeshelleh khel2eh ya jamal! Excellent!
Anon 8:01, how can anyone who calls himself Lebanese (or human for that matter) applaud an operation that will murder innocent people, leave others without homes or food, and destroy Lebanon completely, but that will never defeat Hezbollah?
Sam, if indeed Hizb'Allah cannot be defeated , then, as they say, resistance is futile.
So, according to you, those who wish to fight to free Lebanon from its Syrian and Iranian overlords are waging a lost cause, I take it?
I confess that I myself have no way to gauge such an assessment. This is why I'm asking the Lebanese here.
Regards from Jerusalem, Israel
You are, a complete idiot. You clearly have no knowledge of history or are so blinded by your culture of death and love of kiling Jews that you don't have the capacity to act like a proper human instead of an animal. There is no such thing as a "palestinian." There is no such thing as the muslim religion of peace. you are a cult. go get deprogrammed and then read your history.
Anon 5:03,
Ultimately the only people who have a chance of being able to get Hezbollah to quit the armed struggle are the Lebanese. The government, army and people.
Even the parties at the National dialogue who were pushing for this, were going at it very cautiously for several reasons: one because the government and army are weak in the face of Hezbollah who has made itself the defacto representative of the Shia with political alliances and who is supported by Syria and Iran, and two so as not to risk a civil war or separatist movements, and three because the almost self-designated leaders themselves lack credibility with the people because of their war-crimes and/or corruption in the past. But disarmement may be possible with negotiations and the help of the international community, and with real concessions on Israel's part in regards to releasing prisoners of war and giving back Shebaa. Ofcourse, Syria's influence is not a huge help. But Israel has made it clear that attacking Syria or changing the regime there is not on the agenda, too risky.
Now since the current war will not acheive the disarmement of Hezbollah, before Lebanon is actually broken apart and its people either leave or are murdered or starve to death. The only political justification of the current operation is for Olmert to earn his stripes as Jamal has said (also see the NYTimes article I linked above).
So Israelis, this is happening because many of you require your government to irrationally kill people even if it will lead nowhere.
And you have the nerve of calling two-year old children terrorists?
You may want to read this and this from Micheal Young, linked to by many Lebanese blogs out there. Also this from David Ignatius and this from blogger Jonathan Edelstein.
Why do you not blame Nasrallah. Hec created a statre within astate and he is more loyal to Teheran than to Lebanon. Olmert had only reacted to a series of aggressions and firing of rockets into peaceful towns and villages.
Do yu have anything to offer but your blind hate. First you admired Gamal Abed Al Nasser, then Saddam the murderer, then Arafat the murderer and now Nasrallah the murderer . What did you expect in the face of provocation and murder that the Israelis will send you flowers?
Parts of the Lebanese army collaborate with Hizboullah and therefore expose themselves to attack.
A large percentage of the Lebanese population is sympathetic to Hizbullah. The army is not a cohesive force, and there is no strong political will. It's more of a symbol of sovereignty than an actual tool.
While the Lebanese military does have certain resources at its disposal - a naval fleet, for instance, and an infantry force that has been largely supplied by America in an attempt to bolster the country against Syria. The Lebanese army does have the strength. Its impotence isn't in its military capabilities, but in its internal politics.
On Friday, four Israel Navy seamen were killed when the ship-to- ship missile ( C- 802 Silkworm) supplied by Iran was hit by Hizbullah - which reportedly acted on information provided by the Lebanese army. With this in mind, can Lebanon's military be trusted to act as a protective force in the south?
Demandez Nasrallah et les terroristes du Hizbullah!
Les terroristes voyages et transporte des munitions dans des véhicules civils.
Résultat:Tous les véhicules civils sont suspectes. Ils cachent leur missiles dans des maisons de sympatisants civils.
La guerre ne pas une science exacte ni un jeu d'échec. Déplorable, mais pourquoi le Libanais Chiite ont du quitter le Sud Liban si non a cause du Hizbullah
Il y a une façon simple d'arrêter n'importe quelle nécessité pour l'action militaire israélienne. Arrêtez de tirer des missiles Karioucha vers les villes et les villages israéliennes pour tuer et blesser, et empêcher la vie normale de civils pacifiques. Arrêtez d'autres actes terroristes depuis le Liban. Et que ses 2 soldats soient libérés
Wow, Jamal, I stumbled across your blog just screwing around on the Web looking for some Olmert Quotes, and I have to say, some of the responses to your posting have MORONIC. Who in their right mind would thanks Israel? Any Lebanese person would only redouble their support (and has) for Hezbollah after half their country was destroyed by Israel. And self defense? Really? Let's entertain that thought for a split second. Self defense is a measure taken when you have been attacked to prevent more attacks. Israel destroyed completely the infrastructure in southern Lebanon, which was almost entirely civilian. Not only is that not self defense, to try and justify it makes you a bigot. In the past 40 years, every Israeli military operation has shown a near complete disregard for civilians. Rationalize it how you like, but not only is Israel based on racist and imperialist ideals, its policy has done nothing but to strengthen its opponents.
Post a Comment