An understandable over-reaction

[Violet_Crumble]

Israel has good cause for taking tough action against the Palestinians in Gaza. Even before the capture of Corporal Gilad Shalit, the Palestinians have been regularly firing Qassam rockets from northern Gaza into Israel.

The Israelis are right to be fearful of these rockets. Having pulled out of Gaza last year, the Israelis would have been justified in thinking they might enjoy a bit of peace on their southern border. Instead, Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the other groups have been in competition in launching attacks on Israel, each with their own brand of homemade rockets.

The rockets are not accurate and have only a short-range. There are casualties but these are small in relation to the number of rockets fired. Israel rightly judges that any casualty is one too many but the real fear is that the Palestinians, with practice, ingenuity and outside help, will make more efficient rockets, ones that will be able to go beyond the Israeli border town of Sderot and hit the bigger population centres like Ashdod and the Israeli power plant. The view of the Gazans is that until the Israelis pull out of the West Bank and negotiate a final settlement, the conflict is not over.

The problem is Israel's over-reaction. The Israeli army, in an attempt to deter the rocket launching, has been laying down artillery barrages into Gaza that are reminiscent of the first world war. And would there be rocket attacks at all if the Israeli army, having pulled out of Gaza last year, had not continued with its policy of assassinations, taking out militants - and civilians - in Gaza with missiles fired from helicopters. Which came first? The rocket attacks or the targeted assassinations?


http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ewen_macaskill/2006/06/an_understandable_overreaction.html

[cali]

1. this article

makes some excellent points. Not the least of which are the comments about targeted assasinations.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Yeah, I thought he made a good point with that comment...

n/t

[eyl]

6. Which came first? Answer

The withdrawal from Gaza lasted from early August to the 12th of September 2005. According to B'Tselems list of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces, the first assassination after that period was on the 25th of September. There don't seem to be any assassinations during the disengagement (the previous one seems to have been an attempt in July).

On the other hand, we have 2 Qassams fired on September 12th, 3 on September 23, and 30 on September 24 (possibly there are others which arent listed in Wikipedia).

[acmejack]

3. According to some Israel is always justified.

Perhaps that is the problem? Don't bother attacking me as is your wont, just consider that perhaps both sides are not entirely blameless in this affair.

[pelsar]

4. what came first?....

this is not a zero sum game...both parties have to "give a little" and get a reaction......israels policy of assassination continued (though there was a let up after the gaza pullout)..but whats missing is what did the Palestinians do in response to the pullout.

every israeli i know....waited and watched for the reaction...would it be positive?...can there be additional pullouts?....or will the Palestinians use the freedom of movement to attack. (as the right claimed, and we feared....)

sadly the answer is clear. Israel made a huge step (for its own self interests...)..the Palestinians in turn, did not respond in kind......

its really not much to ask for...that the Palestinians do SOMETHING...ANYTHING! to respond in a positive way to the gaza pullout.....

[no_to_war_economy]

5. why do they keep firing piss-ant rockets

oh yeah, Israeli forces kill children