War in Context

Comment from kagiso
Time: September 24, 2009, 5:37 pm

Despite the best efforts of both Al Qaeda and the IRA, I think it is important to remember that the biggest single loss of British lives to a terrorist attack was that carried out by the Irgun on the King David’s Hotel; killing many civilians.

Many of the perpetrators went on to be respected Israeli politicians, most noticeably Menachem Begin, leader of the Irgun at the time.

But then it’s amazing what otherwise decent people will do when fighting for their homeland.

If the Israelis move back behind the green line, I would defend absolutely their right to respond to Hamas provocations. Until that day I struggle to see the moral difference between Hamas and Irgun.

Comment from Aditya
Time: September 25, 2009, 12:47 am

In addition to Begin’s Irgun, we should also remember the words of the leader of Lehi (aka The Stern Gang):

“Neither Jewish morality nor Jewish tradition can be used to disallow terror as a means of war,”… “We are very far from any moral hesitations when concerned with the national struggle.”

“First and foremost, terror is for us a part of the political war appropriate for the circumstances of today, and its task is a major one: it demonstrates in the clearest language, heard throughout the world including by our unfortunate brethren outside the gates of this country, our war against the occupier.”

1943, former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir quoted by Noam Chomsky http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199112–02.htm#n38

Surely the rockets were criminal and stupid, but there was a way to put an end to them:

The former commander of the IDF in Gaza Brigadier General Shmuel Zakai: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048931.html
“We could have eased the siege over the Gaza Strip, in such a way that the Palestinians, Hamas, would understand that holding their fire served their interests,” Zakai said in an Israeli Army Radio program days before the attack. But by continuing the siege during the relative calm of the truce, “it’s obvious that Hamas will try to reach an improved [truce], and that their way to achieve this, is resumed Qassam fire.”
Israel must acknowledge that “Hamas rule in Gaza is a fact,” and that it is a pragmatic organization that can be reasoned with, Zakai said.
“You cannot just land blows, leave the Palestinians in Gaza in the economic distress they’re in, and to expect that Hamas will just sit around and do nothing,” Zakai said, “that’s something that’s simply unrealistic…we can’t impose regimes on the Palestinians. We can’t cause the Palestinians [to decide] who will rule over them… I do not believe that the state of Israel should cause another ruler to come to power in Gaza borne on the bayonets of the IDF. ”

The head of Shin Bet, Yuval Diskin, also briefed the cabinet before the attacks that Hamas wanted a ceasefire in exchange for lifting the blockade and extending the truce to the West Bank (BBC, Dec 22, ‘08).

“The cabinet – high with election fever and eager to appear tough – rejected these terms,” Johann Hari said in the Independent . Livni promised that if elected, “government under me, will make it a strategic objective to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza.” (Independent, Dec 29, ‘08)

Comment from Elron Hubbard
Time: September 27, 2009, 6:54 pm

It is like me taking two boxing lessons, then walking up and punching a proffessional boxer in the face, and then acting surprised when I get the shit kicked out of me. I’m sure if I sat in the street and cried long enough someone would come along and take a picture and then everyone on the internet could condemn the boxer for being such a brute when they saw my mangled face. But when this publicity convinced me to keep getting up and doing it again and again, it seems like the sympathy would wear thin.

Comment from Paul Woodward
Time: September 28, 2009, 2:35 pm

Mr Scientologist – not sure about your analogy. Maybe it’s more like punching a professional boxer and then get murdered. I don’t think the killer would be shown leniency just because he was talented.