Israel's Moral Imperative
01/11/23 06:17
November 1, 2023 (Vol. 17 No. 46) - I made it clear in my blog post of October 12 that I support Israel's right to to defend itself in the wake of horrific attacks by the terrorist group Hamas. I have also made it clear in personal comments and social media posts through the years that because of its history, Israel has a moral imperative to follow the Geneva Convention and to avoid making war on the civilian population. These pleas have repeatedly fallen on deaf ears. And yet, yesterday, Israel's so-called defense forces took things to a new low. They killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds more in a crowded refugee camp in the name of killing one "high-value" Hamas leader. To be totally honest, these are the same kind of tactics Germany used in the Second World War. Of course, the Allies did it, as well. Does Israel really want to follow those examples? We have heard Israel's claim to have warned the residents of the refugee camp to shelter elsewhere prior to the attack. But where were they supposed to go? Gaza is one great big prison where no one goes in and no one goes out. Under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has repeatedly provoked the Palestinians through the commission of a series of civil rights - some may say human rights - violations. I doubt that he is the man to lead his nation out of this crisis. How do you expect him to "fix" this problem when the only tool he seems to have in his tool box is a hammer? Yes, Israel was attacked. And yes, the United States should stand with her against Islamic extremists. But we have to be more forceful in telling our friend that there is a line that has been crossed and that she needs to return to the side of sanity and humanity. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.