Ehud Barak couldn't have said it better, and it's time that people around the world remember these words. At a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Barak was quoted as saying, "the operation will be expanded and intensified as much as necessary. War is not a picnic."
Even as the world press scrambles to be the first to tell us how many children have been killed, it is well to keep in mind that this whole scenario could easily have been avoided. All that was required was for Hamas to stop shooting rockets into Israel. That doesn't seem like much to ask. So why didn't they simply stop?
As I have pointed out in previous posts, the answer is simple; Hamas doesn't care about anything on this earth except for the destruction of Israel. They don't care about the Palestinian people, and they certainly don't care about the Palestinian children, otherwise they would not be hiding in mosques and hospitals to conduct their warfare.
For anyone who would venture to compare these "freedom fighters" to the American Minutemen, let's put that to rest immediately. While the Minutemen tactic of guerrilla warfare ensured the defeat of the British, they were always concerned with taking the fight away from their families and homes. Why can't Hamas follow that model?
As Israel pushes farther into Gaza throughout this Sunday, casualties will mount, to be sure. Israel has done all that it possibly could to minimize civilian casualties, something Hamas never, ever considered. The world press needs to be a bit more balanced in their reporting, as it could possibly have an important impact on the final outcome. For example, if they report truthfully on Israel's intent and tactics, i.e, not seeking to re-occupy Gaza and trying to do nothing more than wipe out Hamas' ability to launch any more missile attacks, it could assuage the Palestinians and prevent some of them from making matters worse.
Egypt has the right approach; stand back, let Israel wipe out Hamas, and hope that it is the ultimate cure for the unrest.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
"War Is Not A Picnic"
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1 comment:
" it is well to keep in mind that this whole scenario could easily have been avoided"
It certainly could. Israel has steadfastly refused to negotiate with Hamas since they were elected i 2006. They have also TWICE refused to accept an offer to extend the ceasefire to the West Bank as well. Why? Would that not have been a more constructive approach, opening the possibility of a political rather than a military activity? History will judge the current Israeli cabinet very harshly.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-true-story-behind-this-war-is-not-the-one-israel-is-telling-1214981.html
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