Israeli Attacks

I received this by email.

The impunity of Israeli attacks against Lebanese civilian infrastructure says something about Israeli objectives.

These objectives go beyond merely pressuring the Lebanese government into "reining in" Hizbollah. They are calculated to demoralize the Lebanese people and debilitate their economy. The attacks amount to collective punishment, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The ferocity of the attacks reveals how the Israeli government takes advantage of political and military weakness --not with restraint and reprieve, but rather with excessive force.

Israeli anger is misplaced. If the Israeli government truly wanted to debilitate Hizbollah and put a stop to its cross-border incursions, it would destroy military installations and transport facilities in Syria and Iran.
That Israeli military forces effectively punish Lebanese civilians who seek to disarm Hizbollah, deploy the Lebanese army in the South, and negotiate a peaceful settle

Israeli officials seem to justify the punitive effect, on several grounds:
(1) "Lebanon is a sovereign state," they point out. "Thus, we don't care about Lebanon's internal situation. That's a problem for the Lebanese."
(2) "Regional power politics have nothing to do with the current crisis," they propose. "Rather, it has something to do with the 'corrupt and flawed character' of the Leb

The Lebanese --ALL Lebanese-- should remember these days when the time comes to "normalize" relations with Israel. They should reflect long and hard on who are their true friends and allies. Certainly, they cannot be found in the government halls of either Jerusalem or Damascus.


social.culture.lebanon (newsgroup)
professor of Lebanese origin at the university of Austin TX