The Destruction of Lebanon Rant (Israel and The Art of Collective Punishment)

Well over 100 civilians killed in Lebanon and the headline on all the mainstream news websites is "8 Israelis killed in Haifa". 15 Lebanese children killed in one strike alone and Bush just keeps going on about Israel's right to defend itself from "terror". And, I repeat, 15 Lebanese children killed and the news that just has to be reported is "8 Israelis killed in Haifa". The entire country of Lebanon living under Israel's reign of terror, mass killings and destruction and the talk is, as always, of Islamic "terrorists"... and "8 Israelis killed in Haifa". Thousands of Arabs kidnapped and taken away to rot in Israeli gulags, after ridiculous show trials, and the emphasis is on 2 kidnapped Israeli soldiers held in Lebanon... and "8 Israelis killed in Haifa". Is there something wrong with this picture or what?

As usual and as always, and in contradiction to all international laws, the Israelis have been engaging in the collective punishment that they really seem to relish inflicting on entire civilian populations. Recently it's just been the Palestinians, but now, once again, it's both the Lebanese and Palestinians suffering under the wrath of Mighty Israel. They're bombing the airport, they're bombing the highways, they're bombing civilian convoys as they try to escape the fighting, they're bombing residential neighborhoods. And they've blockaded the entire country as well. Man, are they ever good at making themselves look ruthless, despicable, barbaric and inhuman (you pick the adjective). Rather than simply striking back at Hezbollah - the group that attacked the Israeli military patrol and kidnapped the 2 soldiers - the Israelis instead chose to pound the entire nation of Lebanon, endangering not only Lebanese civilian lives but also the moderate, democratic government in Beirut that had nothing to do with any of this. But, as always, the Israelis simply care about revenge and massive retribution against, well, whoever.

Of course, Bush has given Israel his full support, but what was really upsetting and embarrassing was to see Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, cheering Israel on in an even more gung-ho stance than Bush. The Americans were at least calling for some restraint from Israel, but Harper said he thought they had every right to do everything they've done so far. It's incredibly depressing to think that he's the leader of our country. Canadian Prime Ministers have generally taken a more balanced approach than this, but not this buffoon!!

Then there's the pathetic Western media with its ridiculously biased reporting. At least at the three networks I've been watching (CBC, CTV and CNN), the empathy is so clearly with the Israelis. And it is truly ridiculous. I mean, I'm obviously biased myself, but my bias is towards the victims and the oppressed. Once you get past all this blatantly-pro-Israeli media coverage and start to think for yourself, how could anyone really sympathize with the Israelis? Really now, who sympathizes with the biggest, baddest, meanest bully on the block? Seriously, who out there empathizes with a bully who, after years of tormenting all those around him, responds with rage and furry whenever anyone has the tenacity to strike back in any way at all? It's like a poke in the back being responded to with a pick-axe to the head.

You can't really sympathize with the radical Islamic militants in Hezbollah either, of course, but it is Israel, after all, that, by occupying southern Lebanon for nearly 20 years up until 2000, is ultimately responsible for creating them. And it is Israel who holds thousands of Arabs in their prisons. And it is Israel that has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, of Lebanese civilians over the past 3 decades, losing only a handful of Israeli civilians to attacks from Lebanon over the same period of time. Why all the concern for a few dead and captured Israeli soldiers? Why all the concern for "poor Israel"? No matter how hard I try to fathom it, it just leaves me baffled.

No matter how much the media refuses to even consider the notion - and even laughs and scoffs at it - I'm going to have to insist on sticking to my contention that Lebanese and Palestinians (yes, believe it or not, all Arabs even!) are equal human beings to Israelis. Deny it all you like, but eventually the truth must be accepted. Just as most Europeans chose to view Jews as inferior back in the '30s and '40s (and for centuries before that) and, thus, found it easier to overlook their suffering, especially, of course, at the hands of the Nazis, the Western - or at least North American - media and general population seem to view Arabs as inferior and, therefore, find it easier to excuse their barbaric treatment at the hands of Israel. The simple reality, however, is that Arabs are equal human beings and as they struggle under vicious Israeli attack (and, in the Palestinians' case, oppression) it is they, rather than their tormenters, who deserves the world's sympathy... or at least the majority of it.

Forty years of occupying and oppressing the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, ignoring all U.N. resolutions to leave; 40 years of occupying a big chunk of Syria (the Golan Heights); and 20 years of occupying southern Lebanon (up until 2000) and, still, the Israelis want to be seen as the victims? It's just a bad joke, right? Protected, funded and coddled by their benefactors in Washington - who demand compliance with U.N. resolutions from all other countries, on pain of invasion, but demand nothing from Israel whatsoever - it is no wonder the Israelis see themselves above all international laws. Much like North Korea, constantly coddled and protected by China, it's like dealing with a spoiled child.

Israel's brutal, totally disproportionate and irrational attack on the entire nation of Lebanon can only increase the hatred felt towards them throughout the whole Arab and Muslim world. There is no chance of peace in the region as long as Israel believes and acts like it is some sort of superior nation of superior human beings.

I think this is a fair summary of most Israelis' views: Israel has a right to possess nuclear weapons, while no Arab (or Persian) nation can be allowed to; Israel can hold thousands of Arab prisoners in its jails, but no Israeli soldiers can be held outside of Israel; Israel can kill and terrorize Arabs at will, and occupy and outright "confiscate" (i.e. steal) Arab land, but how dare any bloody Arab ever even think of attacking Israel, even if, like the Palestinians, it's in resistance and self-defense; Israel can do ANYTHING it chooses in "self defense", while all acts of violence committed by Arabs against Israel are clearly acts of "terrorism".

The double standards and hypocrisy are so ridiculous it must be a Monty Python skit, right? How could it be anything else?

So, the killing and destruction will continue, as will our trusted media's desire to tell us, sometimes subtly sometimes not so subtly, that it's all about Israel and the Israeli people's suffering, no matter how disproportionate and horrendous the suffering inflicted on the Lebanese and Palestinian populations may be. Because if we've learned anything by now we've certainly learned this: Israelis are special human beings and they deserve all of our sympathy and empathy. The Lebanese, on the other hand, well, they're just Arabs and, like their Palestinian cousins, they simply don't matter all that much, now do they? So let's hear it for the massive disproportionate make-the-entire-population-pay response. And, whatever your personal take on all of this, one thing can't really be argued with and that's that the Israelis are sure damn impressive - world leaders even - when it comes to inflicting terror and suffering on entire civilian populations. Someone should give them a medal or a trophy or something.

Mike Cowie (Oredakedo)
Sunday, July 16th, 2006