I believe (for the most part) when Israeli soldiers conduct a raid in PA territory they attempt to be "surgical" in apprehending or killing whoever it is they are after.
And what about the bombs dropped from the sky on the civilian home of "whoever it is they are after"? You can't have missed the reports on women and children killed thus.
And what about the soldiers themselves who express disgust at the way Israel treats Palestinians, including the civilian killings?
"Terrorists" have been known to hide in hospitals, police stations and crowded areas, which is asking for civilian casualties
Fair enough. And the tactics of any normal democratic state against this would be to send in a force to ARREST the guy (normal democratic states don't just execute suspects), and if they want so much to execute the guy without due judicial process, send in some Mossad agents to put a bullet to his head. His head only.
Perversely, for me, it would be better for the PA to blow themselves up at checkpoints where there are military personel or government offices, etc; and if Israeli citizens get killed along the way, it would be sad, but then at least you could say the killings are not indiscriminate.
So we agree that both sides' killings are horrible but those of Palestinian side are more horrible because they are "indiscriminate".
My understanding is that perhaps Palestinian targets are more indiscriminate but the civilian death toll among Palestinians is so high that it is impossible to argue that Israel is any different. OK, so their actual target is this one guy. They are still being very indiscriminate if they bomb his house from the air, killing more than ten adults and quite a few children in and around his house and those of his neighbours. Sorry but it just ain't right.
"Freedom fighters" would then be attacking symbols of the regime or the soldiers of the regime, as opposed to killing only civilian people at random.
I understand your point and it is a valid one. There IS a slight difference. Let's all boo Palestinians because they are a bit more indiscriminate in whom they kill than the mighty Israeli army.
What I am trying to say is that both sides are carrying out atrocious acts. The difference between the two is quite small.
But ultimately, Israel is between a rock and a hard place
One could also say a nation under occupation by a ridiculously more powerful people are in a hard place and UNDER a rock :-)
Still, the hard situation one is in does not excuse the atrocities he commits.
Israel can't stand to the side and let suicide bombers bomb willy nilly. They have to try and stop them militarily if talking is not an option
How do you suggest they do this - killing all Palestinians one by one? Any one of them can turn suicide bomber any day, as the latest one (a lawyer woman) proved. Just kill her brother a few days ago and she goes ahead and blows tens of Israelis in exchange.
They've tried to negotiate a deal with the PA
Have you read about the unofficial peace deal some figures of Israeli & Palestinian state have signed? It seems the deal isn't that hard to reach if one really wants to... |
