Thursday 8 January 2009

What Constitutes 'Proportionate' Force?

I pose the question in relation to the Israel/Palestine confrontation in Gaza and as a result of this  open letter, which appeared in todays Guardian, sent to Gordon Brown by representatives of Muslim organisations.

Once again, critics of Israel talk about 'disproportionate' force, but no-one in their criticisms offers an explanation of what they would consider to be 'proportionate' force.

It has to be acknowledged that Hamas would appear to be masters at 'engineering' political reaction to acts of aggression that are of their own making. A post entitled 'Different Dogs, Same Tricks' on EUReferendum says it all really.

I would also direct you to an article by Danny Finkelstein in the TimesOnLine which is well worth reading. Why the rockets from Hamas when Israel is no longer in Gaza, having withdrawn unilaterally and taken the settlers with it.? What did they expect Israel to do? When one considers that Israel, at Camp David in 2000, offered to hand back the West Bank and Gaza and that it was rejected out of hand by Yassar Arafat, one has to wonder at the mindset of Hamas and its related 'supporters'.

As I have posted earlier, at the end of last December even the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit said: 

The Israelis have been warning you that this was coming if you continue your cross border rocket attacks. Egypt has been imploring you to stop firing rockets into Israel, but you ignored our words. We have been urging you to renew the cease-fire with Israel, but you refused. You have brought this upon yourselves. You are responsible for what is happening to the people of Gaza.

That statement appears an honest and 'to the point' summary of the situation, a summary that seems to be conveniently forgotten by the 'liberal left wing bleeding-heart' critics that appear in the media whenever the word 'Israel' crops up.

Instead of 'wringing their hands' and informing us they will probably not be able to 'control' their own people, perhaps the Muslim representatives would be better issuing an unequivocal statement to the effect they will condemn any terrorist act by one of their own?

Simple, forthright and no 'wriggle-room'!

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