Operation Human Shield

The most recent battle in the Middle East has stirred emotions all over the globe. Either you support an indigenous population living in an area that makes Slumdog Millionaire seem like the Lower 9th Ward, or you support a nation's right to defend itself from provocative terrorists.

This leads us to the current conflict in Gaza. With such a complex history laced with a multitude of opinions and emotions, I am not going to argue over the reasons for the fighting. What I do want to discuss is the post-9/11 method of warfare because it has become more prevalent than ever.

The United Nations has proven itself a useless body unable to govern its members, but capable of issuing sanctions that could harm a country. Israel can dismiss such recommendations in the name of self-defense, but Israel is not fighting a traditional war or facing a rational military.

Although Israel is arguably fighting a war against a democratically-elected government in Gaza, it does not adhere to the traditional rules of engagement considering the fact that the people of Gaza elected terrorists as their head of state.

To put it in terms parallel to this side of the globe, imagine the Ku Klux Klan winning elections in New Mexico and then proceeding to fire rockets in order to provoke a war with Mexico.

The government is using its Palestinian population as human shields, plain and simple. After a ceasefire of 6 months, they most certainly knew that firing rockets into Israel would stir retaliation. Opponents to Israel argue that the naval blockade against Gaza provoked the violence from the other side. But what is Israel supposed to do while its enemies stockpile weapons--sit back and wait to be attacked? Who can blame Israel for acting defensively when the number one goal of Gaza's terrorists is to deny Israel's right to exist and is willing to do anything to wipe her away? I'd be a bit paranoid if I were a member of the Israeli government.

This is not a war in conventional terms. When Israel called for a three-hour ceasefire for humanitarian goods to be delivered to the civilians in need, they were attacked 15 minutes later. When terrorists use areas such as schools to teach their children hatred and use places of worship to hide and store weapons, it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep civilians safe. Their government exploits them by using them as a living form of defense while their leaders hypocritically hide in Syria.

Civilian targets are a casualty of this unconventional type of warfare, on both sides. That fact is a cruel reminder that there are no winners in warfare.

This psychological warfare will continue despite whatever outcome emerges. Moderate Arab nations have avoided supporting either side in hopes of a diplomatic resolution. Such governments understand that the high risk of unrest in their respective countries, and potential for a situation that mirrors the current chaos in Gaza.

Israel is locked in a war that it may never truly win. Whenever fanatics are in power, the threat of war continues to loom. European liberals fail to understand this form of war, maintaining that the diplomacy--the conflict cure-all--can solve this disaster. It won't. In an ideological war that employs guerrilla tactics, there are no winners. There are only survivors.

Comments

[runner89]

Great Journalism---I agree with your comments ---Isreal is struggling to survive.

Since the 19th century, the Jews were a majority of the population in Jersalem. Isreal has a right to exist as do "any Arab state" They have a right to what is their's.

Please Mr. Kohn, maybe you should give a history lesson on what Isreal REALLY had to do to survive even to this day

[doriath22]

The IDF does not have clean hands in this regard, either. Might I point out the Israeli Supreme Court decision banning the so-called "neighbor procedure", wherein IDF soldiers have forced Arab civilians to enter buildings in front of soldiers, a practice which continues to this day, according to the ICRC. Only when both sides are willing to set aside moral absolutism and negotiate in good faith will there be any chance of a settlement

[hennep]

Some observations and a few questions for Daniel Kohn;

How can an enclave of a few square miles with 1.5 million people engage in open warfare on the plains of armegeddon with just ak47's and home made rockets against F-16 and Apache helicopters backed up by tanks and the latest military and suveliance hardware?, honestly that line of arguement along with they put civilians in danger is total straw, where do they go, they can't leave can they and if they did israel wouldn't let them back (thats why they are there in the first place), have you no shame?

The "against israel's right to exist" is a canard, do you honestly beleive that the state of israel is under threat from small arms?, its the Zionist entity they want destroyed not Jews, Iran has a Jewish population, they don't hate Jews they hate Zionism (more Christians are Zionist than Jews).

Correct on the not a convential war, overwhelming force against Gaza is a massacre no matter what care you take, so why do it, you won't be safer next year.

The Palistinians have been suffering from Israeli psychlogicial warfare for decades, israel does want peace it wants land, every thing they are doing says in letters writ large "we will not let you have a decent existance, go away or suffer, but stand up for whats yours and we will kill you"

European liberals do understand, thats the the point your trying to coverup.

[runner89]

Isreal should just get rid of the Hamas and keep on going---no talking to the UN--it is about time Isreal took matters into their own hands!

There will never be peace in the Middle East, as long this situation exists---let Isreal finally have her say and do what must FINALLY BE DONE!!! For once and for ALL!!!!!

The rest the world can exist without the Arab nations--it would be a much better world---they just create
trouble world wide....!

[omobob]

The human shield concept is a Western misunderstanding of the situation in Gaza. When Israel targets Hamas in Gaza, they are well aware of "who is home". Their families. Yet they target , destroy and kill women and children on purpose. Westerners think "Why don"t they just go somewhere safe? Isreali tanks, helos, troops and aircraft make it certain their is no place to flee. When you target a school, mosque or hospital you can be sure of killing civilians. The term "human shield" implies the inhumanity of Hamas, not just to justify the killing of civilians but tturn about to make it their fault. "One million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail." " Rabbi Yaacov Perrin, Feb. 27, 1994.

[Berettasskeeter]

Amazingly, I agree with the Rabbi!
Semper fi

[vinny]

Your KKK analogy is off-base and is a ruse to misdirect conversation from the actual facts that may be pertinent to whether Israel is really acting in Self-Defence.

Start with the basic facts regarding the rocket attacks themselves. Look at this timeline of rocket attacks:
http://www.themediaoasis.com/Hamasrockets.htm

From this data, we can observe that Hamas was living up to its end of the cease-fire agreement. Israeli newspapers documented Hamas engaging Islamic Jihad in gun battles and making arrest to stem the violence.

Clearly, Israel broke the cease-fire agreement by their Nov 4th incursion and killing of 6 Palestinians.

The Self-Defense Against Hamas assertion cannot be maintained considering Hamas was making significant progress toward halting the rocket attacks.

Israeli apologists will do whatever they can to obscure the public discussion of these simple facts.

[Michale32086]

Actually, it was 7 Hamas terrorists and it was a justified shoot... These are the facts..

"On November 4 the IDF carried out a military
action close to the border security fence on the Gazan side to prevent an abduction
planned by Hamas, which had dug a tunnel under the fence to that purpose. Seven
Hamas terrorist operatives were killed during the action. In retaliation, Hamas and the
other terrorist organizations attacked Israel with a massive barrage of rockets."

As for your claim about the rocket attacks themselves... Let's go with an objective source...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rocket_and_mortar_attacks_in_Israel_in_2008

'nuff said...

Michale.....

[omobob]

"nuff said? Does your absolutism allow you to blind eye to the deliberate targeting and killing of Hamas officials at home with their wives and children? The disproportional use of retaliatory force used by the IDF? 1,000 to 13. There will never be "nuff said.

[melpol]

Hitler and Suharto never had any original ideas they were only murderers that led a jealous population on a murderous rampage against middle class outsiders. The slaughter of a six million Jews in the holocaust and a million Chinese Indonesians in 1967 was due to jealousy and nothing else. Southern Sudan is another example where close to a million Christians were murdered by Muslims. Now the same process is taking place in Muslim nations where middle class Christians and Jews are unwelcome strangers. The civilized world must not allow jealous fanatics to murder hard working people with values other than their own

[wma9703]

Take a look at this interesting read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/opinion/14goldberg-1.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

[omobob]

"I don't understand your optimism. Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country." " David Ben Gurion, 1956, quoted by Nahum Goldmann in The Jewish Paradox, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1978.
Maybe this is the reason there is no peace?

[Akin]

It is interesting.

People do Hamas no justice by "mis-underestimating" (why not 2 days to go! :-) how much sheer hatred of jews serves as the engine of its militancy.

[Jezreel]

Daniel Kohn wrote: "Although Israel is arguably fighting a war against a democratically-elected government in Gaza, it does not adhere to the traditional rules of engagement considering the fact that the people of Gaza elected terrorists as their head of STATE."

As usual, those who try to defend Israel's gross misconduct in its offensive against civilians in Gaza do so under the false premise that Palestinians elected terrorists as their head of State.

Let's inject a bit or reality here. Gaza is not a state. It is a territory inhabited by 1.5 million refugees who are under siege by an Occupying Power; Israel.

Any attempt to rationalize the events taking place in Gaza without acknowledging the relational dynamics of the conflict will inevitably be flawed. Every human rights agency around the world has condemned Israel's military actions against the people of Palestine. The UN High Council on Human Rights has issued a Resolution accusing Israel of grave violations against humanity.

Why has the world reacted so strongly against Israel's actions? Because everyone other than Israel's shills understands that Israel is an Occupying Power and Gazans are asserting their right to resist being under siege.

[Michale32086]

Several things wrong with your conclusions..

Egypt has also occupied GAZA.. Egypt also shares a border with Gaza and blockades it.

It can be logically stated, using your own reasoning, that Egypt is an "occupying power"....

As for the world reacting so strongly??

I see no evidence beyond what normally occurs whenever Israel defends itself... Pretty much the same players whine and cry now, just as they did in '06..

I have been incommunicado for the last couple days and was actually surprised that there wasn't more in the news about Israel and Gaza..

Israel still continues as it has and those who normally whine and cry are still whining and crying...

This alleged upswell of indignation and condemnation is more wishful thinking, than anything else.

Michale.....

[Karma7]

Israel is not defending itself - it is the agressor

28 Dec, 2008, Hamas finally retaliated after being provoked by Israel since Nov 4,
http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/event.php?eid=2865

CNN confirmed that Israel Broke Ceasefire First 1/07/09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1kt8qi0M-M&feature=related

The Bush administration helped to plan Israel"s attack on Gaza Bush Plan to Eliminated Obstacle to Gaza Assault, by Gareth Porter / January 6th, 2009 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2009/01/bush-plan-eliminated-obstacle-to-gaza-assault/

But the last straw is that Israel is using nuclear wmds
Depleted Uranium has been found in Gaza victims. . http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2009/01/05/depleted-uranium-found-in-gaza-victims/

[Artboyz]

WTF: There's no way to protect civilians during an all out war in a tiny overcrowded city. It doesn't matter where the weapons are. Israel's policy is about flexing muscle, not solving problems. Conditions have now developed to the point where every military action by Isreal actually dimishes its power. Like Lebanon this will end with a net gain for Iran. Isreal has to visualize a future and take pragmatic steps toward that goal. The notion that any response to 'terrorism' is justified has no basis in reality.

[JohnFromCensornati]

"Israel is locked in a war that it may never truly win."

Israel is locked in a war that it *will* never win. Same goes for the Palestinians. They are all insane with hatred fed by religion (of course) and tribalism.

[Michale32086]

I have been out of the loop for a couple days.

I am glad to see that logic and a rational discussion of the facts still win the day..

Very good post.

Michale.....