January 4, 2009

Moral clarity in Gaza


Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Charles Krauthammer in yesterday’s Washington Post:

Some geopolitical conflicts are morally complicated. The Israel-Gaza war is not. It possesses a moral clarity not only rare but excruciating.

Israel is so scrupulous about civilian life that, risking the element of surprise, it contacts enemy non combatants in advance to warn them of approaching danger. Hamas, which started this conflict with unrelenting rocket and mortar attacks on unarmed Israelis -- 6,464 launched from Gaza in the past three years -- deliberately places its weapons in and near the homes of its own people.

This has two purposes. First, counting on the moral scrupulousness of Israel, Hamas figures civilian proximity might help protect at least part of its arsenal. Second, knowing that Israelis have new precision weapons that may allow them to attack nonetheless, Hamas hopes that inevitable collateral damage -- or, if it is really fortunate, an errant Israeli bomb -- will kill large numbers of its own people for which, of course, the world will blame Israel. [...]

The full article is worth reading from beginning to end.

6 comments:

  1. Saw you on Matt Warner's blog...added your blog to my 2 blogs...6,000+ missiles launched into Israel before they retaliated? Wow. Great blog ! I am memoriadei on twitter...where are you??

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  2. Hi Clairvaux, nice to meet you! I am robpiccoli on Twitter (just added memoriadei!).
    Having a look to your blog ...

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  3. “It should be noted that the breakdown of a truce between Hamas and Israel had been observed for several months by both sides. The truce was maintained by Hamas despite the failure of Israel to fulfill its obligation under the agreement to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza. The recent upsurge of violence occurred after an Israeli ... Read Moreincursion that killed several alleged militants within Gaza.“

    –Richard Falk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

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  4. “It should be noted that the breakdown of a truce between Hamas and Israel had been observed for several months by both sides. The truce was maintained by Hamas despite the failure of Israel to fulfill its obligation under the agreement to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza. The recent upsurge of violence occurred after an Israeli ... incursion that killed several alleged militants within Gaza.“

    –Richard Falk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

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  5. A well-balanced commentary. Congrats

    Dottsg (Singapore)

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