Israel and Lebanon
I woke up this morning to the news that Israel bombed Qana again, this time killing upward of 50 civilians, of which at least 37 were children. Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said “Oops!! We’re sorry!” The attack was almost universally condemned around the world. The Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora continued his calls for a cease fire, and told Condi Rice not to come to Lebanon. Condi contradicted him, stating that she called him and said she wasn’t coming. I wonder who’s telling the truth there.
This attack exemplifies Israel’s over-reaction to the capture of two of its soldiers. Two soldiers were captured in a cross border raid (Operation Truthful Promise) by Hezbollah on July 12, 2006. Ever since then, it’s been an series of cross-border raids and rocket attacks by both sides. It was only two soldiers, and now more than 500 Lebanese civilians are dead. And Israel wonders why Arabs get pissed at them. There’s such a thing as an appropriate response. This has gone far over the line of inappropriate.
Perhaps some Israeli artist could have made a “Piss Muhammad” art piece. That would have had probably the same sort of reaction, but fewer people would have been killed.
