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Top 5 Lies about Israel's Assault on Gaza

Jeremy R. Hammond

Jan 3, 2009

Lie #1: Israel is only targeting legitimate military sites and is seeking to protect innocent lives. Israel never targets civilians.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of militants within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting militants is, in fact, a war crime.

Moreover, the people Israel claims are legitimate targets are members of Hamas, which Israel says is a terrorist organization. Hamas has been responsible for firing rockets into Israel. These rockets are extremely inaccurate and thus, even if Hamas intended to hit military targets within Israel, are indiscriminate by nature. When rockets from Gaza kill Israeli civilians, it is a war crime.

Hamas has a military wing. However, it is not entirely a military organization, but a political one. Members of Hamas are the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people. Dozens of these elected leaders have been kidnapped and held in Israeli prisons without charge. Others have been targeted for assassination, such as Nizar Rayan, a top Hamas official. To kill Rayan, Israel targeted a residential apartment building. The strike not only killed Rayan but two of his wives and four of his children, along with six others. There is no justification for such an attack under international law. This was a war crime.

Other of Israel’s bombardment with protected status under international law have included a mosque, a prison, police stations, and a university, in addition to residential buildings.

Moreover, Israel has long held Gaza under siege, allowing only the most minimal amounts of humanitarian supplies to enter. Israel is bombing and killing Palestinian civilians. Countless more have been wounded, and cannot receive medical attention. Hospitals running on generators have little or no fuel. Doctors have no proper equipment or medical supplies to treat the injured. These people, too, are the victims of Israeli policies targeted not at Hamas or legitimate military targets, but directly designed to punish the civilian population.

Lie #2) Hamas violated the cease-fire. The Israeli bombardment is a response to Palestinian rocket fire and is designed to end such rocket attacks.

Israel never observed the cease-fire to begin with. From the beginning, it announced a "special security zone" within the Gaza Strip and announced that Palestinians who enter this zone will be fired upon. In other words, Israel announced its intention that Israeli soldiers would shoot at farmers and other individuals attempting to reach their own land in direct violation of not only the cease-fire but international law.

Despite shooting incidents, including ones resulting in Palestinians getting injured, Hamas still held to the cease-fire from the time it went into effect on June 19 until Israel effectively ended the truce on November 4 by launching an airstrike into Gaza that killed five and injured several others.

Israel’s violation of the cease-fire predictably resulted in retaliation from militants in Gaza who fired rockets into Israel in response. The increased barrage of rocket fire at the end of December is being used as justification for the continued Israeli bombardment, but is a direct response to the Israeli attacks.

Israel's actions, including its violation of the cease-fire, predictably resulted in an escalation of rocket attacks against its own population.

Lie #3) Hamas is using human shields, a war crime.

There has been no evidence that Hamas has used human shields. The fact is, as previously noted, Gaza is a small piece of property that is densely populated. Israel engages in indiscriminate warfare such as the assassination of Nizar Rayan, in which members of his family were also murdered. It is victims like his dead children that Israel defines as "human shields" in its propaganda. There is no legitimacy for this interpretation under international law. In circumstances such as these, Hamas is not using human shields, Israel is committing war crimes in violation of the Geneva Conventions and other applicable international law.

Lie #4) Arab nations have not condemned Israel’s actions because they understand Israel’s justification for its assault.

The populations of those Arab countries are outraged at Israel’s actions and at their own governments for not condemning Israel’s assault and acting to end the violence. Simply stated, the Arab governments do not represent their respective Arab populations. The populations of the Arab nations have staged mass protests in opposition to not only Israel's actions but also the inaction of their own governments and what they view as either complacency or complicity in Israel's crimes.

Moreover, the refusal of Arab nations to take action to come to the aid of the Palestinians is not because they agree with Israel’s actions, but because they are submissive to the will of the US, which fully supports Israel. Egypt, for instance, which refused to open the border to allow Palestinians wounded in the attacks to get medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals, is heavily dependent upon US aid, and is being widely criticized within the population of the Arab countries for what is viewed as an absolute betrayal of the Gaza Palestinians.

Even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been regarded as a traitor to his own people for blaming Hamas for the suffering of the people of Gaza. Palestinians are also well aware of Abbas' past perceived betrayals in conniving with Israel and the US to sideline the democratically elected Hamas government, culminating in a counter-coup by Hamas in which it expelled Fatah (the military wing of Abbas' Palestine Authority) from the Gaza Strip. While his apparent goal was to weaken Hamas and strengthen his own position, the Palestinians and other Arabs in the Middle East are so outraged at Abbas that it is unlikely he will be able to govern effectively.

Lie #5) Israel is not responsible for civilian deaths because it warned the Palestinians of Gaza to flee areas that might be targeted.

Israel claims it sent radio and telephone text messages to residents of Gaza warning them to flee from the coming bombardment. But the people of Gaza have nowhere to flee to. They are trapped within the Gaza Strip. It is by Israeli design that they cannot escape across the border. It is by Israeli design that they have no food, water, or fuel by which to survive. It is by Israeli design that hospitals in Gaza have no electricity and few medical supplies with which to treat the injured and save lives. And Israel has bombed vast areas of Gaza, targeting civilian infrastructure and other sites with protected status under international law. No place is safe within the Gaza Strip.

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-Jeremy R. Hammond is the editor of Foreign Policy Journal (www.foreignpolicyjournal.com), a website dedicated to providing news, critical analysis, and opinion commentary on U.S. foreign policy from outside of the standard framework offered by government officials and the mainstream corporate media, particularly with regard to the "war on terrorism" and events in the Middle East. He has also written for numerous other online publications.
He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact him at: jeremy@foreignpolicyjournal.com.

More cut and paste from britisharab.

In any case, it was a good read. It is a pretty basic article that most of us know to be true anyway. However, I'd like to point out that Hamas fighters could stay away from their families if they really wanted to ensure their protection. If they know that Israelis will not hesitate to bomb their entire family home, then stay away from it! Hamas should eat, sleep, and conduct their actions together like every other military does. Mingling amongst their families and other civilians puts more people at risk.

ppl here only care for parting (ask chocoholic) although 500 are dead from witch75 kids....only in week1

uaekid, this is a blatant example of how you are a troll. I'll be ignoring you after this post.

kanelli wrote:uaekid, this is a blatant example of how you are a troll. I'll be ignoring you after this post.

did I ask for your attention ?

as usual impotent arab governments will sit and watch until israel finishes its massacre on innocent people.

then they'll hold a meeting in which they all will condemn israel atrocities, have tea and finish.

they'll ask public to contribute for assisting people in gaza, help children there, send medicine.........

back to normal days for them again.........

kanelli wrote:I'd like to point out that Hamas fighters could stay away from their families if they really wanted to ensure their protection. If they know that Israelis will not hesitate to bomb their entire family home, then stay away from it! Hamas should eat, sleep, and conduct their actions together like every other military does. Mingling amongst their families and other civilians puts more people at risk.

Becuase they thought that if they blend with the civilians Israel will hesitate to bomb them which obviuously didn't happend.

they are useless,them and their meeting

gafoorgk wrote:as usual impotent arab governments will sit and watch until israel finishes its massacre on innocent people.

then they'll hold a meeting in which they all will condemn israel atrocities, have tea and finish.

they'll ask public to contribute for assisting people in gaza, help children there, send medicine.........

back to normal days for them again.........

Because their loyalties are not with Palestine, but with the US. They all have vested interests.

as long as they reflect the reality of what's going on around the area, it's ok to have copy paste form..

xl

True, but britisharab only cuts and pastes, never puts any of his own thoughts. Also, much of his cut and paste is conspiracy theory crap and anti-Western propaganda.

Choco, you hit the nail right on the head. You dead right in there

They are just a punch of showy, sloppy, uneducated, primitive, self-served, womanizer leaders. They are so good at spending the oil money.

These ugly large bellies leaders have to make a tangible stand, and say to the world and to Israel in particular enough is enough. It’s time for peace now not tomorrow, and forces the world to work with them to not only achieve a cease fire, but for an end to this bloody conflict once and for all.

The citizens of the far away countries are full outrage about what the Israeli government has been doing to the Palestinians. But when it comes to these leaders are acting as of there is nothing is happening to so many innocent Palestinians. All what they do is get drunk at night and sleep in the morning because after all they know that no one can hold them accountable whether they work or not.

Why can’t they learn something from the European Union, learn how those governments work together effectively for the benefit of their people, and how they works for the people not the other way around.

Western leaders, you rock. You really deserve a standing ovation of doing the best for your own people.

Twenty some years ago, the world had Left versus Right politics, and after communism were eradicated that very politics had to find its voice as pro-western versus anti-western..
And they’re in many ways the same politics of old..
We should not deny that to people of this world; should we..

Hamas should be happy Israel is the enemy. Who remembers Hama, Black September or Anfil?

Humbleman, Good post. However one point I will pick up on, is that innocent people are dying on BOTH sides! This not a one-sided issue, never has been and never will be. Who cares who started it, because at this point it doesn't really matter. The point is people are dying! I don't care if they're Israeli or Palestinian, people are people to me! They all deserve the opportunity and chance to live in a peaceful environment.

Let's not forget that!

Sweet choco

Am with on that dear

and those 'rocking' EU member states are the ones selling the ammunitions to israel lets remember ..!

xl

muyesser wrote:and those 'rocking' EU member states are the ones selling the ammunitions to israel lets remember ..!

xl

Do some research! Israel have had their own munitions making capabilites since the 1920's!

that would be conveniently ignoring the fact that member states of EU still sell the weapons to israel..

xl

An intelligent British man, who I see as a father figure had once told me this story.
A long time ago some smart folks discovered that they had enough of fighting with the Palestinians, so they came up with a genius plan that, let’s get rid of the Jewish by bringing them over to Palestine so they could kill each others – by doing so we could kill two birds by one stone. And at the same time we could make money by selling them our weapons.

Hemm, wondered who have been making billions of weapon deals with Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Gulf countries.

Look, I have a great respect for any country who is trying to improve its citizen living-standard, let be Europe or a country from the space. Yeah I know it’s morally wrong to make money out of weapons which are destined to kill innocent people, I oppose that. But isn’t it the recipients of these weapons to realize the big picture, isn’t it their fault if they are stupid enough.

Just a silly thought, please don’t hold it against me hehehehe

Israel is fully dependant on the US for all its weapons and most of its revenue. A billion US dollar is given to Israel every single year, along with other things, like training its army. God knows what might happen to Israel if they didn’t have the US unconditional support.

For more info on the US support visit Wikipedia website.

Peace/love

Chocoholic wrote:

muyesser wrote:and those 'rocking' EU member states are the ones selling the ammunitions to israel lets remember ..!

xl

Do some research! Israel have had their own munitions making capabilites since the 1920's!

Dear choco, you made me laugh

Israel was only established 1948

Oh really!

'The modern defense industry in Israel was set in motion in the early 1920s. Faced by an increasingly hostile Arab population, the Jewish community began to manufacture homemade hand grenades and explosives. In the early 1930s, members of the Haganah (the pre-state Jewish underground defense organization) set up clandestine small arms factories, which became the Israel Military Industries (IMI) in 1948. In the first two decades after independence, IMI produced many of the basic weapons used by the IDF, including the Uzi sub-machine gun. The more costly aircraft and other advanced weapons were procured from foreign suppliers, principally France.'

Humbleman wrote:For more info on the US support visit Wikipedia website.

Is that really where you get your information from and base your opinions on? From Wiki?

nformation on Wiki should always be taken with a pinch of salt. It is submitted by the general public, is not substantiated nor reliable and has not come from approved sources.

Chocoholic wrote:nformation on Wiki should always be taken with a pinch of salt. It is submitted by the general public, is not substantiated nor reliable and has not come from approved sources.

Exactly! A bit weird from a guy who claims:

Humbleman wrote:One of my majors at the University was Media Studies, so I know how they operate.

Flying Dutchman wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:nformation on Wiki should always be taken with a pinch of salt. It is submitted by the general public, is not substantiated nor reliable and has not come from approved sources.

Exactly! A bit weird from a guy who claims:

Humbleman wrote:One of my majors at the University was Media Studies, so I know how they operate.

Flying Dutchman, my friend

I know the world history for very well. My resources are neutral and tell history as what it was. The reason why I recommended Wikipedia was just for your convenience because I know some of you are tied up with works and don’t have the time to go around searching for libraries. Wiki is one of the best website out there.

Again, if the US hasn’t been 100 % behind Israel government, boy, they would have been history a long time ago. I am sorry but that’s the truth.

Israel might manufacture low key weapons, but the big guns are USA made.

Peace/Love

Chocoholic wrote:Humbleman, Good post. However one point I will pick up on, is that innocent people are dying on BOTH sides! This not a one-sided issue, never has been and never will be. Who cares who started it, because at this point it doesn't really matter. The point is people are dying! I don't care if they're Israeli or Palestinian, people are people to me! They all deserve the opportunity and chance to live in a peaceful environment.

Let's not forget that!

it IS one-sided issue. do u really think killing 500+ innocent people is a retaliation of 80 rockets fired to israel ?! 30 number of israelis killed during war is greatly exaggerated. believe it or not, the news you watch and read are mainly made-up to show the world that there is a good reason to go for war and exterminate palestinians. it's all about getting regional gain.

israel is a powerful tool in this region for west just to keep middle eastern region under their control. they are also applying split-and-rule policy, which is easier to apply as arabs have high ego related issues with no willingness to stay united. it gives lot of benefits to west. apparent one is testing new weapons.

israel, knowing that they r being used by west, like to stay as a tool as it gives them more power and regional gain.

well.......... i'll only blame arabs for this as this region in it's current state will be exploited by anyone passing by.

Let's not blame Arabs only.

The blame lies with the whole Muslim world if not the whole world of humanity.

What has Turkey been able to achieve to counter "Israel"? It even enjoys close relationship with "Israel".

I don''t understand why such a tiny country is so feverishly hated while huge ones with their catastrophic actions are left alone.

Where is the outrage, hatred and anger against USA? It has directly killed more than millions of innocent Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Apafrom your last line Muppetfrombangalore, that's the first sensible post I've ever seen you write!

Do you think 'Muslim' can be replaced with 'muppet', chocoholic?

The Dubai government needs to track down Chocoholic and bring her to justice.

EDIT:Anyway, the last part is not disconnected from the initial one. You have to take it as a package, either all the sentences as one logical argument. Or not.