Targeting civilians is a war crime regardless of the perpetrator
Both infer, disgracefully, that Anti-War Ireland applauds Hezbollah’s rocket attacks into northern Israel. This is a willful misrepresentation of the anti-war movement’s position.
Let us be very clear about this: we consider the deliberate targeting of civilians to be a war crime, regardless of who carries out the attack.
It was completely wrong of Israel to murder hundreds of Lebanese civilians with bombs and bullets, and it was wrong of Hezbollah to fire Katyusha rockets into built-up Israeli civilian districts. That said, we do not believe that Israel and the Hezbollah movement are equally responsible for the recent upsurge of violence.
Both Ms Cohen and Ms Wolfe openly support the Israeli military action and they blame Hezbollah for sparking the crisis. This is complete nonsense.
The recent crisis came as no surprise to most observers of the Middle East, although the viciousness of the Israeli action shocked many.
The Israeli state has made loud noises about the capture of some of its soldiers by Hezbollah, but for years Israel has illegally held onto large numbers of Lebanese citizens who were seized during the occupation of southern Lebanon.
Although they were driven out of most of Lebanon a few years ago, the Israeli military continue to infringe Lebanese sovereignty by occupying farmlands in the very south of the country.
The Lebanese still remember the massacres that occurred during the Israeli invasion of their country in 1982. Lebanon, on the other hand, has never invaded Israel. It is clear to all which side is the aggressor.
Over the past few weeks, Israeli warplanes and troops have murdered over 1,000 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians. Entire families have been wiped out as Israeli missiles and bombs fell on Beirut and other urban centres.
The images of dead children being taken from the rubble of their homes have been truly heartrending.
The number of Lebanese killed has been far greater than the total of Israelis who have died.
Quite simply, the Israeli army, oiled and supplied by George W Bush, is a formidable killing machine and they have no qualms about murdering large numbers of Arab civilians. This is of a piece with Israel’s ongoing treatment of the Palestinian people.
While Lebanon has dominated the media headlines, the Israeli army has continued its murderous assault on Gaza. Since June 25, more than 200 Palestinians, including 44 children, have been killed. This is an outrage and cannot be allowed to continue.
Anti-War Ireland reiterates its call for tangible solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people, and we urge Irish people to boycott Israeli goods. Palestinian trade unionists have repeatedly called for this boycott and we ask your readers to stand with them in opposing US-backed Israeli military aggression.
Fintan Lane
Anti-War Ireland
Palmer’s Glade
Palmerstown
Dublin 20
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