Israel Needs your Help

If you have chosen to read this blog, you obviously feel that there's something wrong with the way Israel is being portrayed in the press. Perhaps you're visiting my blog from the US, or the Netherlands, Argentina or South Africa. But somewhere deep inside there's something that's eating away inside of you.

The claims and accusations against Israel just don't add up. Oh sure, you've heard the hard "questions" posed to supporters of Israel like "so you think the killing of innocents is OK?" which cause an uncomfortable feeling deep inside and make you wonder yourself if just maybe Israel did something wrong.

And it's OK that you wonder, and that you examine for you wouldn't be a conscientious human being if you didn't. But there also seems like there's something wrong with the question, I mean, during war innocent people die, and it's not right. But wouldn't pretty much any response to the question "so you think the killing of innocents is OK?" seem like some form of admission of guilt?

Then there are the pictures, the horrid pictures of bloodied limp bodies of children and destroyed houses in Gaza, and the newscasters asking rhetorically how can any of this be considered "proportionate?" But then again, the newscasters children didn't have to live under Hamas missles for 8 years.

But the fact of the matter is that today Israel is being attacked. Not by missles, or by bullet but in every forum, in every publication, and on every university campus.

And make no mistake, it's not an honest question and answer session that people see on the news, there is a concerted effort to deligitimze Israel in the eyes of the world, one that is well executed by the same people that have always rejected Israel, one that the media a part of, whether through indifference or complicity.

And as opposed to the past wars against Israel, the difference is that today, those that want to harm Israel are winning. They have made the existence of Israel as a state for the Jews, Israel's actual legitimacy, an accepted point of discussion; on the talk shows, in the news, definitely on the internet, and among academics and Islamists alike.

And they are not winning because Israel is an immoral, rogue and uncaring nation. They are winning because they've got a louder voice, and are willing to publish bloody photos of dead children that while they are worth a thousand words, they still don't tell you that this child was standing next to a rocket launcher that just launched missles at Israeli civilians before he died, or that he was dispatched to the roof of a house who's occupants just moments earlier were warned to evacuate the premises immediately, and instead of leaving they called the neighborhood kids to stand on the roof to "protect" the house.

I grew up in a reform Jewish community. I went to a reform Jewish summer camp for 13 years of my life. Many of those who went to camp together with me, or so I hope, are reading this post. And I believe that pretty much all of you share the same values as I do, those that we were imbued with while growing up, and which I assume you are imparting on a new generation.

Today I live in Israel, and love this country dearly, warts and all. I moved back here the last time in the beginning of 2002. I've been here for the last wave of horrific suicide bombings at the end of the second intifada, the last Lebanon war, and most recently the Gaza conflict.

I can tell you that Israel did not launch any of these wars. Marwan Bargouti takes credit for starting the second intifada (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/9/Interview%20by%20Marwan%20Barghouti%20to%20Al%20Hayat%20-%2029-Sep ), the Second Lebanon war was launched after three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped, and the Gaza war was launched after Israeli children across the south put up with more than 12,000 missles over the course of 8 years.

And yet, it is obvious, neither Hezbollah or Hamas can defeat Israel militarily. But they have developed their tactics well. They've built war infrastructure within their own civilian population, launch their missles at Israeli communities from within their neighborhoods, draw fire from Israel trying to stop these attacks, and cause the death of their own people, and the destruction of their neighborhoods.

But most effective of all, they distribute these photos of death and destruction they themselves set the stage for to hundreds of millions of people across the internet, to draw sympathy, inflame indignation, and bring condemnation down upon Israel. Indeed, this has proven to be their most effective weapon to date. All at the cost of a few thousand easily dispensible "martyrs."

For those of you that have grown up with me, that went to summer camp with me, I know you are intelligent human beings. And I don't say this to complement you. I say this in order to get you to examine the fact for themselves. To look beyond the double standard in which there is one standard for Israel, and another for the rest of the world?

It is so glaringly obvious that Israel takes whatever reasonable precautions it can to protect innocent civilians during conflict, like making tens of thousands of phone calls, dropping hundreds of thousands of fliers, and using the latest technology to minimize collateral damage. And these are things I don't need to tell any of you, because they are self evident.

But the very same tragic deaths caused not because of Israeli aggression, but because of a calculated strategy used by Hezbollah and Hamas, is now being recycled in the world court of opinion to attack Israel and deligitimze it in the eyes of the world.

Even the UN, the international body which was meant to provide an objective body, prevent war and bring peace created a commission who's mission was not to investigate the Gaza war and the cause of death and destruction, but to investigate the "crimes" supposedly perpetrated by Israel.

As can be seen in this statement by Irwin Cotler, former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada
http://spme.net/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?ID=5830

"Indeed, the mandate that was handed over to Goldstone was deeply one-sided and flawed, by his own admission. For the resolution of the UNHRC creating the mandate already served as a direct indictment of Israel - it began by "strongly condemn[ing] the ongoing Israeli military operation… which has resulted in massive violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people and systematic destruction of Palestinian infrastructure." Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom - among others - accordingly refused to support it."

Indeed, the war against Israel has changed battlegrounds. It is no longer fought by gun or missles, or at least these items don't pose an existential threat to Israel (except maybe Iranian nuclear weapons). The new war is fought in the comment sections of newspapers, in the hallways of Universities, in the streets of London and San Francisco, and any, and everywhere in the cyber world.

Over the past couple of years I have made an effort to fight this battle. Not because I wanted to, but because I felt a driving need. Because I was so appalled at the distorted picture of Israel I saw in the international press, and in the comment sections of the newspapers. One in which I try to shed light on those ugly lies that are so easily believed by so many in the world who know no better. I write about those very same sound bytes you hear on the news, and try to examine the accusations against Israel in the world today to try and show that they are nothing more than double standards, and untruths told by those who have no qualms saying anything to achieve their goals, just like they have no qualms about doing anything to achieve their goals.

But I am but a lone voice, and while there are a handful of people out there in cyber world like me, we are losing the battle. On one side we have many of those same nations, those same peoples that have been attacking Israel since its inception. Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and more. And they have sadly been joined by academics at many of the Universities around the world that unwaveringly support the underdog, and reduce the plight of the Palestinian people to what they call Israeli "colonialization," a very dishonest term at the least, with no consideration to the fact that the war against Israel has been waged much longer than since Israel came into possession of the West Bank and Gaza strip in defensive wars. And dismissing off hand Israel's repeated calls for peace and compromise.

On the other side there are the few, avid supporters of Israel. Those that find it a subject close enough to their hearts to make their voices heard. And I understand how living life can be difficult enough without having to expose yourself to the virulent hatred that so often results in just mentioning Israel these days. That you, the leaders of the Jewish community don't want to get political, and that just maybe Israel isn't as central to Diaspora Judaism as it once was. But it is a mistake to look at Israel this way.

Ask yourself, what would it be like to live in the world as a Jew without a Jewish Israel. Ask those that have fled persecution in the old Soviet Union, ask those that were forced to leave Arab nations like Yemen, Syria and Iraq, ask today, the Jews of the UK, France and the Netherlands how comfortable they feel walking the streets of their town with a kipa or a Jewish star.

Although none of those are good enough reasons to support Israel, if you don't honestly know, deep inside your heart, that the blood libels which today are read on the daily basis in the comment sections of online publications like the Huffington post, such as this one (not far down after the start of the article):

"I don't know where on the scale to put the stealing of human organs of people killed by the IOF. Maybe under the umbrella of crimes against humanity? Tough one."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-harris/responding-to-the-critics_b_409903.html

are nothing more than anti-Semitic lies and hatred being propagated in an effort to bring condemnation upon Israel.

If Israel means anything to you, if you feel any type of connection, then its time to stand up and make a difference. Listen to the accusations carefully, examine them, look deep inside yourself, and use your moral judgment to decide, and only then respond, but respond. We, the few bloggers and other supporters just can't do the job by ourselves. We, and the strong, proud State of Israel need your help.

Even the smallest gestures, ones that can be made from the safety of your computer make a difference. Pass on links about subjects that might be relevant. Tweet an article that caught your eye. Share interesting links on Facebook. If you're a leader of the Jewish community talk to your congregations about Israel, hold discussion groups, open a discussion in Sunday school with your kids. Use your own critical moral judgment, and try to understand when "honest questions" you hear in the media and in the news are anything but.

Be wary of questions in discussions about Israel that are really accusations, and whose answers can easily be twisted into what would seem to be an admissions of guilt. It's no less than what is known as "newspeak" straight out of George Orwell's 1984. A question purposely meant to implicate.

I'll give you an example, I was having a debate on a message board recently when I was posed the following "question":
"So you claim that, given the clear provocation, any action to protect its citizens would have been proportionate?"

You can already see where this question is leading. I said in response that:
" Israel was obligated to take the amount of action required to stop missles and mortar attacks on its citizens.”

The person I was debating then said:
"So you claim that, given the clear provocation, any action to protect its citizens would have been proportionate?"

And by "any," he is not asking me a question, he is already making an accusation, with the word "any" taking on the meaning of all of the fashionable anti-Israel slogans you hear in the media such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, killing civilians, harvesting dead Palestinian organs, etc.

And here's another example. We were talking about civilian casualties during war, I said:
“For as we all know, large numbers of innocents were killed by the allies in WWII, by coalition forces in Iraq, by UN forces in Yugoslavia, and pretty much in every war in the history of the world.”

The person I was debating with said:
"So therefore killing innocents is ok?"

These are the types of questions meant to cause the other to state something which can be twisted into some kind of omission. The simple wording of the question makes one's stomach turn. Imagine you hear someone ask an Israeli government official this same question, you'd almost feel that the official was guilty, that no matter what they said they would be hiding something, before you even heard their answer.

Unfortunately, this type of questioning isn't only used in the comment sections of newspapers, they're used in the news studios of major international news outlets, they're asked by professors on University campuses, and quoted widely.

These are dishonest questions being asked by dishonest people, and the people listening to this debate need to understand this.

So what more can I saw. Israel is no better than any other country. We have our problems, corruption, bad decisions, hard wars to fight and hard decisions to make in the near future. But the fact that Israel's legitimacy is being openly questioned in the court of world opinion, and for those of you that don't know, it is, is a very bad sign. As I said earlier, Israel needs your help. In speaking up, in sharing links, in exposing the newspeak and asking the real questions like why did Israel have to go into Gaza in the first place? Why were missles being launched from the backyards of peoples houses? While was Hamas taking shelter under the largest hospital in Gaza, and why is nobody in the world asking THESE questions. Why is it always, without change, about putting Israel in the accused bench?

And ultimately, why is Israel being held to a higher standard than any other nation on the face of this earth.

For those of you that don't follow the international press, the situation is getting pretty ugly out there. And its not only Europe, there is the beginning of chatter in the US on boycotting Israeli companies. Israel is under attack at the UN, where the world's worst criminal nations sit on the board of the UN Human Rights Council, and Israel can't do it alone.

Make your voice heard. I started my blog as a means of examining various accusations made against Israel, and demystifying some of the more abstract accusations. Please browse through the different subjects, become familiar with the facts.

And remember, when you hear about how Israel indiscriminately kills civillians or that Israel has no regard for international law that it is not true. That as opposed to what people will say, the actions Israel takes, for example, in Haiti are the rule, not the exception. That Israel is filled with caring people and a responsible government that has to make tough decisions under even more difficult circumstances.

Also, if you dip your toes in this battle, know it is not a pleasant one. You will be called a liar, you will be told that Israelis are blood thirsty, that they use disproportionate force to murder innocent children. You will be called a dispicable human being for daring to even suggest that something "good" can be said by "war criminals and murderes." But also be aware that 98% of the time anybody citing anti-Israel commentary or statistics, or condemning Israel is only doing so as the result of a lack of knowledge. Many people simply repeat the same accusations they hear from their friends, at parties or in the press.

Israel is not a perfect country, but it is no criminal either. A nation at war is always faced with hard choices, will always make mistakes, and will always, one way or another, cause the death of others, whether combatants, or innocents. Just remember, it's not about numbers, it's about circumstance, and intent. Examine an event, ask yourself were there any other viable choices? If you were in Israel's place, what would you have done. And who's really responsible, the person that pulled the trigger to protect their own children, or those that hid behind their children when they pulled the trigger.

But most of all, don't let them intimidate you or shout you down. Your voice means the world. And if nobody begins standing up for Israel, decrying attempts at deligitimze her, helping to explain the situation to others, confronting the liars and the ignorant repeating libelous half-truths, encouraging people to use their critical judgment of why something happened, and not just the result, then we're in for a rough ride.

Israel, Europe and the New Anti-Semitism

Over the past few weeks there's been much talk about the "new anti-Semitism." It is described in Wikipedia as "a new form of anti-Semitism (that) has developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, emanating simultaneously from the left, the right, and fundamentalist Islam, and tending to manifest itself as opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel."

Examples of this new anti-Semitism are abound in the European media, particularly in the UK. The GuardianUK for example regularly publishes articles about Israel and the Middle East which are more often than not vehemently critical of Israel and its policies. Most of these articles appear in its dedicated blog forum named Comment is Free (CIF). These articles are written as blogs in an effort to distance the publishers from the ideas expressed there, all the while providing a platform for hateful discourse. Reading these comments one can clearly see examples of the new anti-Semitism. For an examination and examples of some of these posts, see the website CIF Watch.

As its definition states, the new anti-Semitism is most often expressed in what is referered to as anti-Zionism, and furthermore mixed with anti-Israel sentiment. The word "Zionism" is used in very vague terms, typically defined by each contributor in a different way, most not close to the word's true meaning.

Another trend in the European media claims that Jews decry criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism in order to stifle criticism of the Jewish state. However if one looks at the media, the comments, the articles, and discussion or lack of (see censorship), this theory can be easily be disproved. For in the end there is no lack of criticism of Israel in the media. And this criticism would indeed not be construed as anti-Semitism except for two reasons: 1. it's using anti-Semitic tropes such as Jews controlling the media and the politicians, and 2: the coverage and criticism of Israel is extremely disproportionate to that of other nations just as newsworthy for other reasons.

Europe has traditionally had strong socialist foundations in which all people are (considered) equal, regardless of race, creed, or color. After WWII and the holocaust, Europe developed a serious guilt complex. While before the war nationalism could be found almost everywhere and people were proud of their cultures, after World War II and the holocaust this nationalism and pride was looked down upon, even shunned, at least when it came to European "natives."

The age of multiculturalism was born. New European dogma dictated that while culture is something to be respected and tolerated, it is the customs and practices of the minorities and immigrants that one needs to be particularly sensitive to. Even when European culture and law such as equality for women, freedom of speech and other democratic freedoms might be put secondary to the feelings of minorities.

So while the Europeans accused the Americans of being over politically correct, in Europe they adopted their own version of political correctness, which more often than not determined that certain practices of other cultures and religions that were against the law and principles of a free democracy were overlooked in the name of tolerance and multi-culturism. For example, practices such as forced marriage, honor killings, and even female circumcision. Fear of seeming politically incorrect and of offending the new minorities had an unexpected consequence on individual freedoms. For not only was it considered insensitive to take issue with another's customs, but the new immigrants express their anger and offense in violence and intimidation, which results in the stifling of free speech. But that's a discussion for a different time.

If once the European left had a particular enchantment with the underdog and romanticized the freedom fighter, as can be seen with the idolization of figures such as Che Guevara, now the support of the "struggle of liberation" was adopted and transformed into a religious crusade. Not only a point of reverence, but one of personal redemption for previous sins. While the Jews forced the Europeans to say the words "never again," the destruction of the Jewish communities and their replacement by immigrants from Europe's various colonial enterprises, many if not most from Muslim lands, resulted in the term "Islamophobia" becoming the new battlecry for protecting the underdog.

Another result of the massive immigration of subjects from Europe's Muslim colonies was the import of the Arab Israeli conflict. And furthermore, the ever burgeoning muslim population has transformed them into a force to be reckoned with, an important demographic to take into account when running for political office, selling newspapers, and spending advertising dollars.

As a result, the new cause of the Europeans, that persecuted underdog that must be supported to help cleanse their guilt of standing by the sidelines or participating in the extermination of the Jews was eventually cast as the Palestinian refugee. For not only is the Palestinian people an oppressed minority that as they would have us believe were made refugees as the result of the creation of Israel, which is construed as the result of Europe's guilt; they are a point of obsession and a rallying cry for Europe's disenfranchised and ever growing Muslim and Arab populations.

So to the Europeans, the Palestinian plight represents a means of redemption. The plight of Palestinian refugees fulfills a driving need of the Europeans for an underdog to support and fight for. And with this, Israel, the Jew among the nations, was transformed from a nation of refugees, into a nation born in original sin, guilty of the crime of making the Palestinians refugees.

Though if we look deeper we just may be able to discern another aspect to Europe's support of the Palestinians and growing attacks on Israel, a very dark aspect. If once Europe felt guilt for the holocaust and the killing of six million Jews, now they have reason for reflection.

With the transformation of Israel from refugee to oppressor, they have also been transformed from the Jewish state into "Zionist entity." In this state the weak, persecuted Jew of the holocaust has become a strong, belligerent and "colonial" power. The once persecuted and oppressed have turned into the persecutors and oppressors, and that just might give Europeans a little solace. For somewhere, deep inside, they might think to themselves, "just maybe they deserved it after all."

It should also be remembered that Israel is not only attacked by the international media, but by the United Nations. The UN Human Rights Council that is chaired by the worst offenders of human rights in the world, Libya, Sudan, Iran, regularly and constantly condemns Israel. And Israel is forced to investigate every accusation of wrongdoing, all the while rape is used as a weapon of war in the Congo, Iran executes homosexuals and political rivals, China harvests organs from prisoners in their jail systems, and the president of Sudan who is accused of genocide is welcomed in capitals including Ankara Turkey, and across the globe.

The UN Human Rights Council even decided to appoint a Jewish judge from South Africa to investigate Israeli "war crimes" in Gaza, who went so far to say that Israel imposed “a blockade amounting to collective punishment and carried out a systematic policy of progressive isolation and deprivation of the Gaza Strip,” which “was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population.” All the while completely ignoring the fact that Hamas used its entire population as one big human shield, and with each and every one of the 12,000 missles they launched into Israel in the past 8 years committed a war crime directed at more than 1,000,000 Israeli civilians.

And saddest of all, the US President Barack Obama, the hope for change, the international yardstick of integrity and justice, can't find it in himself to just once make a statement regarding the appalling, unbalanced nature of this investigation. Indeed, his election, and his attempts at mending relations with the Arab and Muslim world has emboldened those that would attack Israel and try to deligitimze its existence as a state for the Jews.

Furthermore, his obvious personal distaste for both the Israeli prime minister which is apparent through what few interactions he "permits," and his apparent lack of desire to directly address the Israeli population even a single time (he's addressed the Muslim world directly no less than twice), leads Israelis to feel isolated from the only real friend in the world it really has. For as much as the American and Israeli peoples understand and respect each other, there's no denying the impact the relationship and attitude of the American president towards Israel has on attitudes and public discourse in the US.

And at a time when the new anti-Semitism is making significant headway across the European continent, when the Europeans choose to placate their violent and intimidating Muslim population at the cost of alienating their peaceful Jewish population, at a time when anybody that dares to voice understanding or support for the state of Israel in Europe is shouted down and intimidated, at a time when the anti-Semitism is being expressed as anti-Zionism in the European press, and its use has become acceptable rhetoric, the Jews of Europe are feeling intimidated, the Jews of Israel are feeling isolated and the Jews of the US are standing on the sidelines either trying best to deal with economic catastrophe or trying to separate the wheat from chaff, and reconcile a President that on the one hand seems to represents their social values, yet on the other through his silence and actions in dealing with the middle east seems to support the very rhetoric becoming commonplace on the European continent.

Is Obama Boycotting Israel?

Being a secular American in Israel, and loving both countries, these days are a particularly dark period. For in many ways the doomsday scenario that the hysterical elements of society were telling us were about to happen with the election of Barack Obama seem to be coming true. Indeed, it almost seems as if his election was a "go" signal for those that wish for Israel's destruction, whether they be fanatical terrorists, or ultra left-wing liberals who believe Israel in its current form should be dissolved.

In my short 38 years on this earth, and 20 years of being conscious of the diplomatic and personal relationship between the United States and Israel I have never seen a situation in which the sitting US leadership has so much seemed to have abandoned Israel.

In many ways the bonds between the two nations are the same. First there is the population. Jews are an active and vibrant part of American society, most of which support Israel even under difficult circumstances. And then there is a large population of Americans that live in Israel and share a very similar world view and set of values with the Americans. There is also a strong military relationships between the countries, which is still a cornerstone to the relationship as can be seen in the Juniper Cobra exercise being conducted in Israel today with the participation of no less than 1,000 American troops.

However, on the diplomatic front, things look much darker. While all the way back to even Jimmy Carter (surprising for Jimmy's current anti-Israel rhetoric), if not before, America has stood by Israel through thick and thin, for many reasons. Today it appears that the current American administration is sacrificing its relationship with Israel, a democratic country with solid judicial institutions that takes responsibility for its actions and does its utmost to protect the rights of all its citizens; in order to try and build relationships with the dozens of Arab and Muslim nations that oppress their own populations and have no value for life or liberty.

It is difficult to understand, as an American Israeli, how it is that in the more than one year Barack Obama has been in office, he not once paid a visit to Israel, historically a very close ally, he has not bothered to publicly declare his support for Israel and its right to self defense, and he has not once directly addressed the Israeli public expressing his understanding for the difficult situation we are in.

For it is no doubt difficult to provide liberty to all and constantly attempt to make peace while fighting off suicide bombers, or dodging missles from Lebanon and Gaza. And lets remember, Israel unilaterally disengaged Gaza as the result of tremendous pressure from Condolessa Rice. And the result was Gaza eventually being overthrown by the terrorist organization Hamas and the indiscriminate launching of thousands of missles on more than one million Israeli civilians.

Indeed, the United Nations Human Rights Council, an organization chaired by the biggest offenders of human rights in the world including Iran, Sudan, Libya, and China, choose to unilaterally investigate the actions that Israel took to put a stop of this rain of missles, and declared themselves judge and jury, further declaring Israel's guilt in perpetuating the worse types of crimes imaginable, in a malicious and intentional manner.

This investigation, conducted by what is know as the Goldstone commission, came to the conclusion that the very carefully weighed acts that Israel conducted to bring an end to this 8 year onslaught against Israel civilians, which included making tens of thousands of phone calls to alert Palestinians of imminent attack, dropping hundreds of thousands of flyers doing the same, and delivering aid in the middle of wartime, was in fact one big war crime. And the international media chimed in to make the impression that never in the history of humanity, except for maybe the holocaust (note the moral relativism), were more atrocious crimes against humanity perpetrated.

Yet the very war forced upon Israel and the action that the Israeli military took in both practice and result is no more morally offensive than those same military actions conducted by military forces in any war anywhere in the world.

And while the world seems to be unilaterally condemning Israel. Barack Obama and his administration sits quietly and allows the farce to continue. Indeed, their silence is interpreted by most in the world of being agreement with the libelous conclusions, and the consent to deligitimze the existence of Israel and persecution of Israeli citizens in international courtrooms, being judged by men who have never known the moral quandaries involved in war and protecting your own family.

Immediately following the establishment of modern Israel in 1948, the Arab league started a boycott against Israel that forbid any Arab country from doing business with any company that did business with Israel. In 1977, under amendments to the Export Administration Act (EAA), it was deemed illegal for US citizens to participate in theis boycott.

And just a short while ago, many Arab countries were coming around and showed signs of willingness to accept Israel on some fundamental level. However, with the waves of vitriol generated by the one sided and faulty Goldstone report, these same Arab nations have reversed their positions. And furthermore, there is a huge movement to boycott Israel spreading like wildfire across Europe, and even beginning to take root in the United States. Does the US administration led by Barack Obama now think it is acceptable to boycott Israel?

How can the leader of the United States, a man who today more than ever knows the conundrum and complexity of asymmetrical warfare against an enemy that attacks you from among their own people, allow this movement to grow unabated. How can he not stand up in the media and let the world know that not only does Israel have every right to defend its citizens against missile attacks by terrorist organizations whose openly declared goal is the destruction of Israel, but that the Goldstone report was fatally flawed in that you cannot examine the results of a war and determine guilt without looking at the intent of both sides, the circumstances under which battle was fought, and then compare the results to other, similar conflicts in the world?

Indeed, this very same report all but buried any chances of peace with the terminally weak "moderate" Palestinian leadership Fatah. For how can they possibly tell their people that they are going to make peace with an enemy the UN has declared war criminals? All the while giving terrorist organization the justification for use of tactics utterly appalling to modern western morals? And of course, how can Israel ever agree to allow the Palestinians to create and run their own state if, just like in Gaza, after they pull out and are then attacked are not allowed to take the required actions to protect their own civilians?

If the peace process wasn't dead before, the Goldstone commission was a very significant nail in its coffin. And yet Barack Obama still wants the world to think that peace is just a matter of will and desire, with the onus squarely on the Israelis.

In spite of what organizations like Jstreet, a new lobby that claims to be pro-Israel and pro-peace would like you to believe, I can tell you that all Israelis are pro-peace. But wanting and desiring peace is not enough. It's hard to drive towards when bombs are falling on your head. So please spare us the clichés and metaphors.

Has the president of the United States not woken up to the fact that peace is a regional issue in the Middle East and not just between Israel and the Palestinians? For no doubt he knows that he tried to draft the ranks of the other Arab nations into the process, which would also be required to make concessions, but failed miserably. No, he just understands its politics, and is willing to submit to the Arab street in order to build bridges, something that no American President in modern history was willing to do, sacrifice a staunch democratic ally. And it’s a tragedy.

As a result, today, Israeli soldiers that visit European cities are at risk of arrest based on the biased and dysfunctional findings of the Goldstone commission. Today, anti-Semitism is on the rise across Europe, particularly in light of the huge waves of immigration from North Africa, Pakistan and other Arab and Muslim nations, all who have a state fuelled hatred of Israel which they were fed from birth in their home countries.

Today, Israel is being persecuted no less in the media as it is in the United Nations, for doing nothing less than taking action required to protect its own civilians, using the very same tactics that coalition forces used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, Israel's children, most of which serve in the armed forces to protect their families from Iranian missles coming from Lebanon and Gaza have now become the target of an international manhunt for doing what any red blooded American would do in the exact same situation.

And yet, Barack Obama is giving the cold shoulder to AIPAC, the Jewish lobby that represents the vast majority of American Jews, a lobby that is pro-Israel, pro-peace and red blooded American, while at the same time pandering to movements that claim to be "pro-Israel" and "pro-peace" such as JStreet, which are looking more to strong-arm Israel into making decisions that go against their national interests, such as protecting their own civilian population. Jstreet is an organization who recently decided to drop the term "pro-Israel" from its slogan used to draft recruits in Universities. They furthermore condemned Israel for taking action in Gaza to stop the rain of thousands of missles on Israeli civilians, for fear of harming Palestinian civilians. That makes them anti-war and not pro peace. And as for being pro-Israel, well them modifying their slogan blows that fallacy away.

In Israel, we watch international events carefully. We saw how the American administration promised to the Russians to lower its profile when condemning the Russian government's abuse of human rights. We see how the American administration refused to meet with the Dali Lama, to cater to Chinese demands, another country who is most infamous for their human rights record. It furthermore seems that the current American administration is willing to move away from encouraging other nations from protecting human rights in their own homes, and distancing itself from trying to bring democracy to countries that only know dictatorship and tyranny.

And perhaps, to a degree, there is some logic. For the Bush administration tried to bring democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan, and it would seem to have failed. Should America wage war to democratize other nations in consideration of American security interests, perhaps not.

But please, do not sell out those countries that are democracies fighting against brutal dictatorships and theocratic nations that would force their entire population to submit to their twisted idea of god.

Indeed, the feeling in Israel is we're under attack. From the Arabs, from the Turks who have recently rediscovered Islam and are abandoning Israel and the West, from the Europeans that would try to arrest Israeli soldiers whose only crime is that they were forced to fight an unwanted war and had to choose between protecting their own children or potentially harming another's. From the Russians who sell weapons to Iran and build their nuclear facilities, all the while providing them with backup in the UN which enables the Iranians to continue their drive to nuclear weapons. And most unfortunately, feel abandoned not by the American people, who understand our struggle and realize that if it's between our children or their children, our children will always come first.

No, we're disappointed with the American administration, who it would seem has not only abandoned Israel to the wolves of the world who today seek to deligitimze our very right to existence and self defense, but who themselves seem to be boycotting not only the Israeli administration, but the freedom loving Israeli people, that given the circumstances for a real and lasting peace would jump at a second. We watched as Barack Obama first directly addressed the Muslim world from Istanbul, Turkey, and then made a second address to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt. And sit in wonder as to why he never, not once, bothered to attempt to speak to the Israeli people.

Barack Obama is scheduled to give a speech at the yearly ceremony to commemorate the assassination of Yiztchak Rabin, but he's making a terrible mistake. For he is only addressing a small forum of people that he feels shares his values, in a closed environment out of the international public eye. If he really wanted to make a difference, he'd address the Israeli civilian population through the international media, either directly, or indirectly by openly declaring his unwavering support in the international media for the only democracy in the Middle East. Or he'd come to Israel personally to show us that he is in fact not catering to the Arab world, not sacrificing us in his attempt to build bridges with nations led by dictators and fanatic religious leaders.

And if he has any hope of increasing his popularity with the Israeli public at large, he needs to make it clear not only to us, but to the world, that he recognizes Israel's right and responsibility to protect its citizens.

Has Obama abandoned Israel? I certainly hope not. I think it would be a real tragedy both for America and for Israel, for there is no more diehard American ally than Israel. But today, we feel we're under attack from all corners, a disproportionate attack that would indicate there is one set of laws for Israel, another for the rest of the world, and this is troubling. We'll make it through in any case. We're just hoping that President Obama will awaken to our despair, and prove to us that America, through thick and through thin, will stand by its democratic allies, and not sacrifice us for some unfounded bridge building with the dictators of the world. And that while he's willing to sacrifice the human rights of the populations who's unfortunate fate found them born in a country run by dictators or tyrants, he's not willing to sacrifice the rights of those living in a nation that today is open and democratic.

If he does, it bodes very badly for the future of not just Israel, not just America, but the world at large.

The Guardian UK as Big Brother – An Analogy

Posting comments in a talkback on a newspaper is always a tricky business. Posting comments at the Guardian UK is a firsthand experience at censorship in the new millennium. This blog deals with the disappearance of comments in the Guardian UK online edition's Comment is Free. Even if you're not familiar with the Guardian, please take a moment to read this post. The Guardian is recognized as a global leader in modern journalism, and its important to understand that not all that glitters is gold.

Do you post on the Guardian? Have your posted just disappeared, with no traces left what so ever? You're not alone. It’s a regular event in board in Comment is Free, and it’s the means the Guardian UK tries to manufacture consent, by deleting information that was once present, in a split second. The same method used by the totalitarian authorities in George Orwell's book 1984.

Written in 1948, long before the era of the Internet, 1984 painted a world that has since been used as a measuring stick for the development of technology and the steps taken by government and media in the delicate balance between providing their citizens security and information and maintaining democratic freedoms.

One of the central tools of any governing body in swaying public opinion is without doubt the ability to have an impact on the type and accuracy of information available to the masses. And in 1984, in which we find the model of what has become known as big brother, the "Ministry of Truth" is the master of all things information.

The Ministry of Truth is responsible for the never ending rewriting of information and facts, both past and present. And the book's central character Winston Smith works diligently if doubtfully in changing history based on requests from faceless sources that send him instructions written on paper regarding what needs to be modified using a system of pneumatic tubes.

Once he has completed his work he dispatches these instruction using another system that transports this paper to the bowels of eternity, an incinerator, subsequently destroying all traces of the instructions he received and in effect, rewriting history (for what if there is no proof to otherwise argue to the contrary?).

In this way Big Brother, the leader of a group of states known as Eurasia, controls all information, rewrites history, and can easily wipe away all traces of contradiction or dissent to the ideas they are propagating.

Of course, in the modern world, with the birth of the information highway which allows information to be freely exchanged and replicated a million fold literally in a matter of seconds, it is difficult if not impossible to control access to information and dissenting opinions or eliminate all traces of their existence. None the less, human nature tends to take on that role, by having individuals choose an opinion or a school of thought, and then at times conducting self-censorship by choosing to only frequent sources of information that more or less support one's beliefs.

The Guardian UK is arguably a news source that caters to people of a very firm and reverent belief system. On its about page, Jo Confino, Executive Editor of the Guardian and Head of Sustainable Development for Guardian News and Media is quoted as saying that "The Guardian has a clear purpose to deliver high quality independent liberal journalism in the pursuit of social justice." In other words, it boasts of its liberal view of the world and furthermore posts social justice as its primary mission.

But can you promote social justice in an environment that uses draconian measures to control the information exposed to readers? Its it ethical to claim to be a liberal publication that promotes social justice but use methods employed by the darkest of regimes to repress free speech?

Doesn't the term "justice" in itself conjure up an image of scales, balancing different information or aspects of an item? And if the Guardian is not only stifling free debate and the exchange of thoughts and opinions, can it be considered liberal Journalism?

I have experienced a number of levels of censorship on the Guardian over the past few years. They include:

• Editing the content of a comment. A practice that has now been stopped.
• Deleting a comment, but leaving the placeholder that shows one's username showing proof that their comment once existed (and that perhaps there may have been dissenting opinion).
• Deleting both one's comment and the placeholder, eliminating all proof that one's comment ever existed, and forever eliminating any indication that there may have been any form of disagreement with what was being discussed (a.k.a, linguistic cleansing)
• Preventing one's ability to post under a username, a means of pre-censorship meant to prevent comments from appearing
• Blocking one's IP address. Another practice that to my knowledge has been stopped.

Is the fact that they are censoring out comments that don't match their political agenda make the Guardian, in its operation, a defacto totalitarian institution that uses unethical censorship to try and control the beliefs of its readership, much like Big Brother in 1984 used the Ministry of Truth to control the masses. Providing them with only that "information" that supported their own political agenda, meant to keep the masses in line?

The right to free speech, share ideas, express oneself, hold dialogue between opposing parties and provide a platform for debate are debatably the cornerstones of social justice. For

Unfortunately, for Guardian readers, they are relegated to the whims and wishes of Winston Smith, the willing, or not so willing censor that rewrites history. I wonder if the moderators at the Guardian understand the true significance of their actions, and how it may very well impact any future aspirations they may have as journalists or writers.

Some may think that this analogy is far off, the Guardian is a newspaper, not a government. They're only deleting a few lines, not completely rewriting history. And people can choose to use other sources for their news and information, and are in no way bound to read the Guardian.

I on the other hand think that this practice is far more ominous that I can put into words. For how can one know there is any form of dissent, if they can't see it before their eyes.

At the very least it can be surmised that the fact the Guardian feels it is their right to delete posts that don't match their political agenda is in itself an affront to social justice and liberal journalism. And undeniable proof that the values they claim to hold so dearly, and by which they try to win the hearts of the masses, are no more than lip service, in the service of those it supports, including terrorists like Khalid Meshal and Ismail Hannieh, that would have the world believe that it is an acceptable practice to use one's own population as one big human shield, all the while indiscriminately launching missles at innocent civilians.

Do purveyors of social justice provide open support for a terrorist organization, while denying the right to response by legitimate representatives of the nations they are attacking? The Guardian does. For more information read my blogpost examining whether the Guardian UK supports Hamas here: http://anothermudpit.blogspot.com/2009/01/does-guardian-uk-support-hamas.html

Spoiler, they do.

One final note. This censorship has been experienced by many, including one young lady by the name of Nicola. She saw first hand how innocuous my blog comment was. It was the first comment, as happens often. And within a short time it was completely deleted, my name and all. What's probably most telling about this specific incident, is that the blog was about Blogwars and citizen journalists. Kind of sad how it turned out to be yet another example on how the real battle is for the freedom of speech, and the lack thereof at Guardian. Nicola wrote the following. If you believe in free speech, then go to the Guardian website comments is free section. Choose a blog, any blog. Register for an account, and post the following. Let the Guardian know they are being watched.

==============

Nicola617 Sep 09, 11:36am (54 minutes ago)*****STOP PRESS: GUARDIAN POLITICAL CENSORSHIP*****

Shockingly, The Guardian censors are removing all trace of posts that are do not agree with their political positions.

BlindInjustice2 earlier posted the story of how his measured and reasoned contributions to the Israel/Palestine debate had been deleted by moderators.

I found it hard to believe, until they deleted all trace of my own comment condemning such censorship.

Political censorship has no place in what purports to be a public forum for free debate. The very least The Guardian could do if they are going to engage in such behaviour is be honest about it and state in their moderation policy that they will delete comments that are not in accordance with their own political views.

Absolutely despicable, Guardian moderators. I hope you are happy in your work stifling free debate. Shame on you.

If you agree, please copy and post this comment and link as no doubt it will be deleted shortly.http://anothermudpit.blogspot.com/2009/01/selective-censorship-at-guardian-uk.html

The Arrogance of the Israelis

This has by far got to be one of the most fascinating accusations about Israel I've encountered, that Israel, (and Israelis) are arrogant. Particuarly when it relates to morality and the actions Israel takes during wartime. Its something you hear time and again. And particularly among Israel's biggest critics (and there are no lack of those). The world just can't believe how it is that Israel would dare to question their moral compass. They don't understand how it is that while millions of people around the world insist that Israel's decisions are immoral, and that their actions constitute the most flagrant violations of human rights out of any nation in the world, Israel insists that their decisions are in fact stringently weighed, made after extensitve consideration, discussed with legal authorities that are experts in international laws, and supervised by the Israeli supreme court: that the decisions we make are the best under the circumstances.

In fact, and maybe I'm only speaking for myself here, but we think that it is the world that is chock full of arrogance, and that their burning self-righteous indignation can only stem from one of two things, ignorance of the true facts of the conflict, or prejudice.

We're fascinated by how the peace loving, good natured people that make these solid, moral judgments about life and death do so from the safety and comfort of their corner Starbucks, University Assembly hall set in the scenic British countryside, or the corner mall in Stockholm, all the while not having to worry about suicide bombers getting on to their school bus of their children, or having 15 seconds to run to a bomb shelter before a missles lands.

I for one think its fabulous that the world cares so much. That they are concerned for the lives of the others (though I'd hope it would be for more than just the Palestinians). We must all stand up for what we believe, and do our best to prevent injustice and protect the weak.

And it's great that these feel good, warm fuzzy people of the world care about what's going on. Its just a bit absurd that they have the arrogance to tell us that we're wrong and that our decisions are immoral, when the most moral decision they have to make in life is whether or not to give a buck to the poor guy on the street, or maximum, to break up a fight or confront a hater hurling abuse at another.

The fact that the world community wants to tell Israel what a moral decision is during conflict, when its Israelis that need to choose between protecting their own children, or potentially harming another's (who have been purposely been put in the line of fire by his own people), has got to be the most arrogant thing I've ever heard.

I'll say this once. We know we're not perfect. We know our soldiers, army and government don't always make the right decisions, but under the circumstances, we do the best we can, and our primary concern is the safety of our children. Criticism we're always ready to take. G-d knows the world press is full of it. Anybody who says the contrary is playing the fool.

Thanks Reini for the inspiration.

Here's a video that shows how Palestinian fighters often surround themselves with children during warfare. It doesn't matter if the children want to be there. This is what leads to high civilian casualty rates amoung palestinian youth. The video was produced by the Israeli government. But no matter, the photos speak for themselves: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=58&ar=HamasExploitationofCiviliansV&ak=null

A Direct Appeal to President Barack Obama

Mr. President, I am making this appeal as the direct result of the conclusions reached by the Goldstone commission, empowered by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the events of the Gaza war. I am sure you are aware of the conclusions reached by the Human Rights Council, and the direct accusations in which they accuse Israel of War Crimes and potentially Crimes Against Humanity.

It is, without doubt, clear that the very conclusions that have been released by this commission, and the unbalanced manner of its investigation will undoubtedly have an impact on world events for years to come. This commission and its investigation leaves out the single most crucial detail regarding combat, and that is Hamas use of Palestinian territory as launching pads for attacks against the Israeli people, and Hamas use of the Palestinian people as human shields by virtue of their constructing war infrastructure among their own civilians, fighting from among their own population, and launching missiles from the back yards of Palestinian homes.

The short sighted conclusions of the Goldstone commission have removed this fact from the equation, in practice determining that it has no impact on the legality of the action taken by Israel to protect its own citizens, nor the results of Hamas using its own people as part of its war effort.

This single fact will have ramifications for every nation that values the life of its citizens that battle against organizations that implement this most heinous of modus operandi.

As an American and Israeli, I am appealing to your balanced judgment and sense of justice and equality to, this one time make clear that in no way shape and form is the use of one’s civilians a valid tool in any war or battle, in any way shape or form.

We, the Israelis, are this one time looking to you, the only person at this time in the world capable of making a difference and causing the world to listen, to stand up and declare that while the loss of life and destruction in Gaza was indeed tragic, it was not Israeli actions, which were justified in protecting its citizens, while taking all reasonable precautions during war time, that caused the death and destruction in Gaza. But that it was the tactic of Hamas using its own people as human shields on a grand scale, by building tunnels throughout their neighborhoods, launching missiles from residential areas, surrounding themselves while launching rockets with children while attacking Israeli civilians.

What you do and say at this moment in history will have repercussions for generations to come. If you do not stand up and unequivocally denounce not only the actions, but the biased conclusions from the Goldstone commission, you not only rob Israel of its right to protect its own citizens, but you risk delegitimizing your own actions, and those of other sovereign nations, in any event and conflict in which those trying to harm and kill American citizens use this same modus operandi. You risk putting the American people in harm’s way, and tie the hands of the very soldiers today fighting against Al Qaida across the world.

We, in Israel asking for no more than declaring to the world that the use of civilians as weapon or shield is an unspeakable crime, and its use must come to an end.

We understand you want to build bridges to other cultures in an attempt to foster peace. However we ask you one question, is the price of this peace worth the corruption of the value of human life? For if the conclusions of the Goldstone mission, which put the responsibility for the death and destruction on Israel for what occurred in Gaza, with no respect to the fact that Hamas launched the war and willingly and purposely used its own people, are allowed to stand. And Israel becomes the target of accusations with no relation to Hamas accountability, then this will become a central tactic in every war involving terrorist organizations and totalitarian regimes. And you will have tied the hands of anyone, including yourself, in any effort to protect their own civilians and guarantee the right of people to self determination.

President Barak Obama, the time has come for you to stand up and let the Goldstone Commission, and the world know that Hamas bears full responsibility for the results in Gaza. That these results are unacceptable, and that it is they, and any others that would use their own or another people as a tool in war that should stand trial.

This is your last chance to prove to Israel that you have respect for life and understand that some decisions in life aren’t simple. It is your last chance to show that you are not selling out the Israelis to placate the Arab and Muslim street. And more so, its your last chance to tell the world and those that would use their own people in war that it is unacceptable in any way shape and form. We’re not asking to you welcome us with open arms, or accept every decision we make. Indeed, we know all too well that we are not perfect. But at this moment in history, not only Israel needs you to speak out, humanity needs you to make clear right from wrong, use the tools of intent and circumstance to judge events, and let the world know that it end here.

The findings of the Goldstone commission need to be thrown out. If deemed desirable, a new mission needs to be created, one that not only investigates Israeli actions, but investigates all the circumstances surrounding the war in Gaza. Including Iran training Hamas and sending weapons. Including Hamas use of its own civilians. Including Hamas launching the war on Christmas eve by raining missiles indiscriminately on Israeli cities. Include Hamas fighters surrounding themselves with children.

Blind Injustice – The Failure of the Goldstone Mission

The UN Human rights council, an organization that was previously dissolved due to its failure to protect human rights, and in whose current structure has the greatest violators of human rights in the world guiding its actions including Libya, Iran and Sudan, is accusing Israel of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity for its actions in the Gaza war, which started when the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people Hamas, launched more than 80 missiles into Israel on Christmas eve in 2008.

There will be much to be said about this mission in the coming weeks and months. It is said that Israel imposed “a blockade amounting to collective punishment and carried out a systematic policy of progressive isolation and deprivation of the Gaza Strip,” which “was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population.”

But what is most interesting isn't what's contained in this “examination” of the Gaza conflict, but what's missing. For example, its emphasis seemed to be almost uniquely on investigating Israel’s actions and their consequences, while completely ignoring just why Israel had invaded Gaza and what it was trying to accomplish (the stopping of missiles from being launched onto its civilian populations for the past eight years). With the only real reference to this fact being that the commission theorizes Hamas may have committed war crimes by firing missiles into Israel. From all these facts, a single question arises, which without doubt exposes the bias and failure of the Goldstone mission:

Why does the UN Human Rights Council’s mission that led the investigation into the Gaza war completely ignore that Hamas, the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people, who have openly and repeatedly declared its goal to destroying Israel; built war infrastructure, fired rockets, and fought completely from within the Palestinian civilian population?

The lack of addressing these fundamental facts in analyzing the conflict damns this report as the single most biased piece of work ever to be produced by a UN body.

It actually attempts to delegitimize a sovereign nation from taking action to protect its civilian population from attacks by a terrorist organization, and legitimizes the use of civilians as human shields by this same terrorist organization. It furthermore suggests that this report is no more than blind persecution of Israel and a direct attempt at delegitimizing its right to self defense against organizations that have openly declared their goal as Israel’s destruction, and who have historically used their own population as both weapon and shield to achieve this goal.

For after all, how can you investigate the tragic results of a war, the casualties and destruction it resulted in while completely ignoring why the war was started in the first place, and the means used by both sides (not just one) to fight it?

Another critical fact that seems to have be completely ignored by the mission’s members is that Israel made a regular and intensive effort to warn Palestinian civilians of pending attacks through phone calls and fliers dropped from planes. So while Hamas’s use of civilian infrastructure to attack Israel is completely ignored, so is Israel’s attempt to avoid civilian casualties. And additionally, Israel made every effort to work with international bodies to provide civilians with food and water during the conflict.

Does this sound like a country that ran a malicious war “directed at the people of Gaza as a whole" and implemented "a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population.”?

Furthermore, by the Goldstone commission suggesting that Israel’s defensive action (aimed at ending missile fire at its civilians) is illegitimate, whether intentional or unintentional, it is delegitimizing the Israeli government from taking steps to prevent harm to its citizens and provide them with a life of peace, clearly its responsibility as the democratically elected government of the sovereign State of Israel.

I'll say that again: The UN is claiming that Israel has no right to take the steps it deems required to protect its citizens, a fundamental right of every nation on earth. And when Hamas builds its war machine among its own civilians, it cannot be avoided that to stop missiles from being launched from the backyards of houses and next to mosques and UN facilities, people in or near these areas are going to be unavoidably hurt or killed.

With this said, is Israel really the ones responsible for this result? Or is it Hamas? After all, their building and launching weapons from residential areas not only proves their disregard for human life, even among their own population, it clearly shows their calculated action of using this death and destruction as a weapon in itself, first to build sympathy for the Palestinian plight, and then to bring international pressure onto Israel not to respond to their rocket fire. A method that is fabulously succeeding.

In international law, is the calculated use of civilians as a strategy to deter action while firing rockets at a civilian population legally permitted? Does this fundamental fact of the conflict in Gaza have no direct bearing on the outcome of the war and the ensuing death and destruction? Does Israel have no right to take all action to stop missiles from falling on their own population because they are being launched from within the Palestinian population, and among civilian infrastructure? Is this the lesson the UN wants the world to learn? Do armies have the right to use their own civilians as human shields on a mass proportion like Hamas did? These are the fundamental questions that need to be asked. These are the factors that will determine just who is the war criminal. And if it turns out that in fact Israel has the right to take action to stop missiles from raining on over 1,000,000 of its population, then Richard Goldstone, and the UN itself should not only be asked to do some soul searching, but should be judged in a court of law on charges of incitement and unlawful persecution.

And the argument that Israel only has the right to use Proportionate force, and purposely used disproportionate force intentionally, against Palestinian civilians is no less than blood liable. Looking at the circumstances, what other option did Israel have to bring an end to the missile fire? Peace talks? With a group that has declared it shall never recognize Israel and will build for war again? Guess again.

Just what is proportionate force? Does it mean that Israel can only kill as many Palestinians during conflict as Israel’s that were killed by missile fire? Or perhaps Israel can only destroy as many buildings in Gaza as Hamas destroys in Israel? Is that the way wars are planned and fought? Is the Goldstone commission aware of what war actually entails? Do they not acknowledge that the goal of Israeli action in Gaza was to stop the continuous bombing of Israeli’s civilian population which has systematically been taking place for eight years?

Proportionate force in this case is the amount of force required to stop the shelling of over 1,000,000 Israelis.

If Israel really wanted to destroy Gaza and wantonly kill Palestinians for the sake of killing Palestinians, they could have done a much better job than they did.

It is already clear that the Goldstone Mission is not meant to be an objective and balanced examination of the war in Gaza and its results. At best it’s meant to document the death and destruction that took place in Gaza with no consideration to circumstance and intent. But it seems more and more likely, due to the critical information that is lacking, seemingly intentionally, that it is an attack on Israel and its right to self defense.

Goldstone’s mission is ignoring the fundamental fact regarding Hamas's fighting from its own civilian infrastructure. This would seem to make its results no more than be a blind and wanton attack on Israel as a culture and a nation, and attempting to delegitimize its right to self defense.

While horrid crimes of biblical proportions are being carried out in Sudan, while Iran not only oppresses and kills its minorities including Bahais, gays, and women, but its own electorate, while Russia brutally suppresses all decent among their own populations and uses blunt force against anyone who stands in their way, the UN Human Rights Council, not only today, but since its inception, only see the "crimes" perpetrated by Israel. Its history of disproportionate attention focused on Israel further backs this claim up.

This is indeed a dark day in history. For Israel, and for all humanity that in the future will face attacks on their own citizens by terrorist organizations who have as of today, been given a green light to use their own population as weapons in a war of terror.

The coming weeks and months we shall see a rise on so many fronts. International organizations starting to boycott Israel, attacks not only on Israelis around the world, but on Jews, and the delegitimization of Israel as a sovereign nation.

The world has forgotten that Israel is not wantonly oppressing the Palestinian people. That the Palestinian plight is not the result of the creation or existence of Israel, but the rejection of its existence by Arab and Muslim nations. The plight of the Palestinians is a sad chapter in history, one that is the result of the rejection of Israel. It is a classic example of a people being used by its own in a battle against another. First they were used by the Arab and Muslim nations, left to rot to try to prove to the world that Israel had no right to exist. Today they are used by their own elected government in a war they have openly declared.

And yet they say it is Israel that is the war criminal.

Richard Goldstone, it is not Israel that did not distinguish between combatant and civilian, as you claim. For there is plenty of proof that Israel made every effort to do so throughout the fighting in Gaza. From fliers dropped from planes, to telephone calls made to individual houses, to daily coordination with international (and UN) bodies to guarantee food, water and other critical supplies made it to Palestinian civilians.

No, it is you who are guilty of this crime. By making all Palestinians civilians, and all Israelis soldiers, then giving permission to the world to wage war against Israel and Israelis in what will undoubtedly be twisted into a new blood liable. You shall, without doubt, go down in history as a horrific failure on a grand scale. One that led to much more death and destruction than you believe you may have prevented.