Terrorism and Israeli threats to blow up Lebanon
Regional, Editorial, 8/28/1998

Israeli officials have threatened to blow up Lebanon's infrastructure and assassinate resistance and military leaders.

Israel hopes that its threats will cause the Lebanese, who are already suffering economically as they try to rebuild their country, and the Lebanese Prime Minister who has much personal economic stake in the ongoing construction that he has personally invested in, into accepting the Israeli terms of withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories

These Israeli threats come within the ongoing conflict in south Lebanon as a result of the Israeli assassination using missiles shot from a helicopter at a Lebanese citizen who was driving his car. The Lebanese citizen was a prominent leader of the Lebanese Amal resistance movement, which is engaged in a fight to force Israel out of its occupation of South Lebanon.

Though supported by a UN resolution calling for an unconditional Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon under UN resolution 425 and the UN charter right to self-defense provision, the plight of the Lebanese who are being attacked daily seems to have escaped the attention of the world. Beyond mere statements of condemnation, not much has been done to effect Israel into withdrawing and compensating the Lebanese for the damages incurred.

The US, the main supplier of military and financial aid to Israel and its protector at the UN, has not imposed sanctions on Israel. The basis for these calls would obviously be the same as those used against other countries that seriously breach international law.

Israel has previously called for the destruction of Lebanon and engaged in such acts. Israel engaged in acts of blowing up telephone networks, water stations, electricity stations, factories, buildings and other civilian sites for the sake of continuously impoverishing the Lebanese people, preventing them from getting back on their feet as this serves Israeli geopolitical interests.

Israel has excelled with its advanced US-made and US-funded weapons in elevating what can be described as state terrorism into a new level. Israel chooses helicopters missiles to fire at selected civilian cars, knowing who is inside the car, to assassinate individuals. Had it been an individual doing this, it would have been labeled a terrorist act, an assassination.

When Israel admitted in effect to using chemicals in its failed assassination attempt on the life of Hamas political leader in Jordan Khaled Mishal, the world stood silent to this breach of international law and use of chemical weapons to kill individuals.

Israel in its violations of international law seems immune from sanction. One is inevitably led to ask: If these Israeli actions are against international law, then do the Lebanese not have the right to resist occupation? And is it not appropriate to ask whether all means be allowed to defeat this occupying power? Because the resistance cannot strike at the heart of Israel because it does not have advanced weaponry and planes, then do we say that they do not have the right to do so as Israel seems to feel it is entitled to do?

When Israeli leaders like Barak and others in recent days state that the leaders of the resistance "should be assassinated," does Barak make legitimate for the resistance's call for his life? Israeli officials by these kinds of highly irresponsible and provocative remarks and acts force some important questions to the fore. What is terrorism, and what is state terrorism? Israel should be willing to live with the consequences of its call to assassinate, blow up and destroy, but can the world now-a-day afford this kind of rhetoric and acts?

Israel cannot solve its unlawful and immoral acts against the Lebanese by carrying out greater immoral acts. The answer is for Israel to leave Lebanon, and leave the Lebanese in peace.

Terrorism is the same, whether you kill people or impoverish them by blowing up their property or means of livelihood. If Israel thinks that a "bloodless" destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure will be accepted by the rest of the world, then the world should be just as quiet when the same is done to Israel. Terrorism should be denounced and actively opposed by all and when done by individuals or by a state.

Israel has caused the Lebanese and others in the region much suffering. It is time for the world to stand united in condemning this evil represented in Israeli policy. One cannot help but wonder how much bad news will disappear from the face of the earth as a result of Israel being forced into accepting international norms.

When moral people do not speak and act against such inhumanity and immorality, their own humanity and morality is diminished, and much more suffering is likely to follow.

Previous Stories:
  Tension prevails in south Lebanon   (8/28/1998)
  India - Pakistan nuclear tests: the positive aspects   (6/1/1998)
  Israeli Mossad report on Amman Fiasco: background   (2/16/1998)

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