It
is almost unbelievable that after the US speeded
delivery of guided bombs to Lebanon, Israel forces
shell civilians in Qana, the same city in Lebanon
were they committed another massacre ten years earlier
(18 April 1996 shelling of a UN compound killing
106 civilians). As in that incident, Western mainstream
media, guided by pro-Israeli forces, failed to report
the reality of what was happening on the ground
before then. Only Reuters for example carried the
statement 9 days before (on April 9, 1996) of Maj.-Gen.
Amiram Levine: "The residents in south Lebanon
who are under the responsibility of Hezbollah will
be hit harder, and the Hezbollah will be hit harder,
and we will find the way to act correctly and quickly."
So indeed residents were hit "harder".
Yet, left wing politician and architect of Israel
Nuclear program Shimon Peres stated then with a
straight face that the 1996 attack was simply a
mistaken targeting.
The
U.N. appointed military advisor Major-General Franklin
van Kappen of the Netherlands to investigate the
1996 incident concluded that facts on the ground
were at odds with the Israeli explanations given.
Amnesty International investigation concluded, without
mincing words: "the IDF intentionally attacked
the UN compound, although the motives for doing
so remain unclear. The IDF have failed to substantiate
their claim that the attack was a mistake. Even
if they were to do so they would still bear responsibility
for killing so many civilians by taking the risk
to launch an attack so close to the UN compound."
Yet, Israel was never punished for that crime in
Qana and the hundreds of other massacres going back
six decades. Israeli historians now acknowledge
for example that some 33 massacres of civilians
occurred between November 1947 and May 1949 that
helped precipitate the exodus of the Palestinian
refugees. More crimes ensued since then and today
over 2/3rds of the native Palestinians were made
refugees and displaced people and Israeli Zionists
increased their control of Palestine from 7% of
the land in 1947 to over 90% today.
Now
we are faced with another massacre in the same city
of Qana and with a parroting of the same "explanations"
used in 1996: "a regrettable mistake".
So far 54 are confirmed killed including 37 children.
Unfortunately these never-ending "mistakes"
are perpetuated using US weapons (violating the
terms of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign
Assistance Act). In the past two weeks alone over
500 civilians were killed in Gaza and Lebanon. Our
Congress and media, succumbing to the pro-Israel
lobby, chose to close their eyes to the damage done
to the US. The damages go beyond public image around
the world (a majority of Europeans now think of
the US and Israel as the most dangerous countries
on earth). The damage also includes the foolish
attack on Iraq (2560 US killed, over 25,000 injured,
$300 billion of our taxes spent so far). Each day
we remain there over 100 Iraqis are also killed.
A vast majority of Iraqis and even 70% of US servicemen
and women want us to bring the troops home. Lest
we forget, it was Wolfowitz, Perle, Abrams, Wurmser
and other neocons who argued (well before 9/11/2001)
that an attack on Iraq would serve Israel.
It
was these same neocons who support Israeli extremist
political parties who violated constitutional protections
with domestic wire taps, attacks on civil rights
of Arab and Muslim Americans, infringment on academic
freedoms, and allowing torture and imprisonment
without trial. When defending the constitution,
we pledge to defend it against enemies both foreign
and domestic. Isn't it time to challenge the domestic
enemies of our constitution? Isn't t time to realize
the danger posed not just to the US but to the whole
world (as Europeans and Latin Americans are now
realizing)? Isn't it time to challenge the myth
(found among the left and the right) that Israeli
militarism serves US interests? Isn't it time to
stop delivering billions of our tax money to Israel
(largest recipient of US foreign aid)?
Mazin
Qumsiyeh's website
