U.S. vetoes resolution against Gaza incursion (from the Washington Post):
- The U.S. vetoed a UN Security Council resolution put forward by Qatar on behalf of Arab states that would have condemned Israel’s two-week military incursion into Gaza. The vote on the draft resolution was 10-1, with the United States voting no, and four countries abstaining—Britain, Denmark, Peru and Slovakia. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Washington had voted against the text because it was “untimely and already outmoded” . . . The resolution would have demanded the unconditional release of an Israeli soldier captured earlier as well as Israel’s immediate withdrawal from Gaza and the release of dozens of Palestinian officials detained by Israel.
European statements (from the New York Times):
- German Chancellor Merkel—It is important to remember “how this escalation started, through the kidnapping of the soldiers, through rockets – from the firing of missiles against Israeli territory. The parties to that conflict obviously have to use proportionate means, but I am not at all for sort of blurring the lines between the root causes and the consequences of an action.”
- French Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy—“We obviously condemn this disproportionate act of war, which moreover has two consequences. The first is that it forces anyone who wants to enter Lebanon from now on to go either by sea or via Syria. The second consequence is that it risks plunging Lebanon back into the worst years of the war . . . Today there is a risk of a very dangerous spiral of violence, which could destabilize the entire region.”
- European Union—“The European Union is greatly concerned about the disproportionate use of force by Israel in Lebanon in response to attacks by Hezbollah on Israel. The presidency deplores the loss of civilian lives and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The imposition of an air and sea blockade on Lebanon cannot be justified.â€
- Russia—“One cannot justify the continued destruction by Israel of the civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and in Palestinian territory, involving the disproportionate use of force in which the civilian population suffers . . . All forms of terrorism are completely unacceptable. All sides involved in the current events should take rapid measures to stop the region sliding into open conflict.
British statement (from The Guardian)— Statement of Foreign Secretary Beckett:
- “We urge all parties to do all they can to address this crisis and to prevent the situation from worsening. We strongly support the UN efforts to arrange, as quickly as possible, a ceasefire and the release of the abducted soldiers. We call for the urgent release of the Israeli soldiers and an end to the attacks on Israeli towns and cities and urge all those countries with influence over Hezbollah and Hamas to play their part. Israel has every right to respond to inexcusable acts of provocation, but while Israel is entitled to do what is required to protect its security, it should do so in a way which does not escalate the situation and which is proportionate and measured, conforms to international law and avoids civilian deaths and suffering.”
Israeli statements (from The Times):
- Israeli army radio announcement—“Israel is imposing an air, maritime and land blockade on Lebanon until further orders as part of operations to retrieve its two soldiers abducted by Hezbollah on Wednesday.”
- Shalom Simchon (Agriculture Minister)—Israel “wants to make the Lebanese Government understand that it is responsible for what happens in Lebanon.”
- Mark Regev (Foreign Ministry spokesman)—Palestinian Foreign Minister Zahar “is part of a leadership that is involved in a very tangible way in terrorism and in violence. He had knowledge of the recent hostage taking, and he is part of a leadership that has orchestrated rocket attacks, countless rocket attacks … countless missile attacks against Israeli urban areas.”
Hezbullah statement (from The Times):
- “The Islamic Resistance declares that it will shell the city of Haifa and surrounding areas if the southern suburbs and Beirut are the target of a direct Israeli aggression.”
ISRAELI PRESS LINKS
- Jerusalem Post (Op-Ed)—“ Hoping the Ripples Reach Iran“
- Jerusalem Post (Op-Ed)—“The Predicament of the Lebanese Government“
- Jerusalem Post (Op-Ed)—“Blinded by Engagement“
- Jerusalem Post (Editorial)—“War and Peace“
- Jerusalem Post (Editorial)—“Stop Iran Now“
- Jerusalem Post (Editorial)—“Taha’s Temerity“
- Haaretz (Editorial)—“‘No’ to Lebanon War II“
The BBC just let James Zogby go on about it being our fault for not doing more to contain the violence. He mentioned Reagan’s failure to stop the Lebanese civil war, the containment achieved by Clinton, and Bush’s failure to do anything for the last 6 years. Strange that Hamas, Hizbollah, Iran, and Syria had nothing to do with this. I am so sick of the excuses made for a dysfunctional society unwilling to face the fact that it has been used for years by its Muslim brothers.
karen, this is at its base an adolescent argument. No one is responsible for his own actions, it’s always “Daddy’s” fault. Guess who is “Daddy.”
Oh, how I hate that word ‘disproportionate.’ Proportionality implies a persistent stalemate, which is why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been allowed to continue for decades. Resolution of this conflict depends on decisive action. Decisive action is about applying disproportionate violence on your enemies with the aim of destroying them and breaking their will to continue to fight. This fight should continue until the Palestinians and Hezbollah beg for mercy. If Israel allows itself to submit to UN or EU pressure, it’s just giving their enemies time to recover and regroup and postponing another confrontation. Enough is enough.
Exactly, Tom P. This isn’t a sporting match where you give handicaps to keep the game roughly even. You use every capability at your disposal to win decisively, causing your enemy as much damage as possible while keeping your own to a minimum. At this point Israel should annex Gaza and forcibly remove all Gazan Arabs to somewhere else. The Sinai, perhaps. Send them to whoever is their greatest financial benefactor. France?
And then they should kick Syria completely out of Lebanon, terminate Hezbollah with extreme prejudice, and establish a protectorate over Lebanon until the Cedar Revolution can take firm root. Well, perhaps hand the protectorate over to us, while they proceed to remove Assad from power in Syria. It’s time to stop pissing around.
Agreed, Doug and Tom P. And I add this: Sharon was soundly criticized in some quarters for abandonning Gaza. In retrospect, I think it was a diplomatic masterpiece in that it revealed the true colors of Hamas and other terrorist groups. They had a chance to build a state; instead, they chose to continue their violence. And the world has taken notice.
Here’s a comparison to drive home my point. Prior to the announcement of the Marshall Plan in 1948, there was considerable sympathy in left-leaning circles for the Russians, who were thought to be the standard bearers of a social and economic revolution that would benefit the European masses. When the Russians refused to allow their satellites to participate in the Plan, illusions were shattered and only hard-core Communists stood by the USSR.
The Marshall Plan was a diplomatic triumph because it pulled the wool off a lot of eyes. The same is true for Sharon’s disengagement policy.