Woke up to hear devestating news. Israeli warplanes shattered bridges linking the north with Beirut.
Fidar Bridge in Jbeil (Byblos)
The Casino Bridge and Ghazir Bridge in Jounieh-Maameltein
Madfoun Bridge in Batroun
Five people died and many are wounded. A 23-year old guy, whom my family knows, died as he was driving back home from his work in Beirut.
As a result of the shelling, empty fields in Adma burned. Of course, that's only a fraction of the shelling that's going on around in the country.
I called home. There is fear to travel long distances now. And when civilians rush to the banks for money, they're not allowed to retrieve dollars, just liras. You can't even retrieve 1,000 dollars now.
Everyday brings in something new, yet another twist to the bloody plot. And the question in my head is why are the Israeli warplanes going to "non-combat" areas? Why are they further isolating the Lebanese from each other and from the outside world? The Lebanese people do not deserve all that, they don't.
"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."
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31 comments:
1earth.. i dont know what earth you invisage.. but i sure hope you never pursue a career in politics.. you say some really way out stuff..
probably a fair opportunity to note that israel has suffered death and carnage today as well..
the same targets that the HA has been seeking to reach for the last 6 years - none of which are miliatary..
these are truly sad times
wishing a speedy conclusion peace and safety to us all
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
the lady that was killed today wasin her house with her kids.. the rocket hit her house and terminated her on the spot in front of her kids.. they will live with this memory forever
i was just listening to tv in the background and one lady on a tv show was taking about a tank that was hit by HA fire and she said "a miracle happened" and then described how no one was injured..
this got me thinking.. in jewish tradition almost all of our religious festivals include a story with a miracle in it.. there is always some sort of positive twist.. its kind of a bit like political speak because half the time.. like in hanuka - we really got creamed - but i guess the miracle was the persistence of our faith.. the perserverence of the light of our temple - perhaps representing the light of our hearts and our cultural optimism..
anyway then i started thinking.. maybe we need a miracle in the middle east? and if we do.. how do we get one? how does one arrange a miracle? can we bring it on ourselves? can we somehow achieve the unthinkable and turn things around in a way that defies all odds?
the assumption is that we want to.. so what is stopping us - really.. im not asking about why does HA shoot rockets at israel.. but more collectively as a people.. why arent we able to communicate better and resolve this? international relations theories could explain this through hegemonic evolution.. but i dont buy it..
i think we seriously need to wake up to ourselves (as dunes would put it) and start bringing to this region the outcome that we want..
my mother always said to me as a child "if you want something - behave it.. be it and have it.. behave it!"
let behave peace!
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
to my dear fellow israelis.. i think we are slightly off the point.. if you listen to these guys i think most lebanese are not against our goal.. i think they are only questioning why they are have die while we achieve it..
i think what they are trying to say to us.. is that quelling HA is a narrow mission and that at some stage perhaps we might like toconduct a cost benefit analysis to factor the "collateral damage" (fuck i hate that term) not just to others and not just to ourselves but also to the broader context of our region and relations.. i think what they are asking us to consider is whether what we are doing is definitely the best way to serve our own interests..
i think this is a very legitimate question.. its certainly one that israelis are asking as well and i think this is a great forum to take off the war barret for a second and together consider what the impact might be..
dont be afraid.. ur not actually representatives of our government.. whatever you say will not be held against you and it doesnt bind israel.. so what do you have to lose by opening your mind a bit..
wishing peace to us all
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
it begins with dialog
chas
matey i am not a human rights of military lawyer.. my international law study focussed largely on trade - however - i lets use our minds a bit with the knowledge that international law is a difficult and highly self contradictory body of rules that are in part based on treaties and in part based on customary international law..
the legal/moral doctrine of self defence has its limits - you are right.. however.. where this becomes more complex is how it fits in with the country's obligation to protect its citizens from harm and assure its citizens a decent and peaceful home.. there are many laws at play here.. not only the laws of war..
to further complicate matters - the way that international law is interpreted is also subject to extreme variation..
in any event.. if we do examine the issue of proportionality - as one would under normal criminal law - i would suggest we first of all look at its parameters:
(a) the extent of the clear and present danger
(b) the extent of the damage
(c) the declared intentions of the aggressor
(d) the restraint the country claiming self-defence has exercised so far
(e) the consequences that the defending country would suffer by ceasing the actions at an earlier stage
looking at these - israel's position would be, with respect to each item:
(a) 13,000 missiles purchased to destroy it and aimed at its territory backed by a constant stream of vicious messages and provocations.. would probably in itself qualify quite elaborate efforts to curb their deployment in its own right
(b) israel has suffered a continuous rain of rockets for 6 years.. this is a lot.. i dont think proportionality requires you to try to mirror your damage with your enemy and then stop.. but rather use self-help ie not wait for lebanon but rather apply force to kurb the continuation of the missiles landing in our territory - while the damage in lebanon exceeds the damage in israel in a tangible sense - i dont think this is necessarily a measure of proportionality.. because if this was the case then countries could take calculated risks by attacking other countries knowing that all that would happen is a =n equivalent loss in return..
(c) HA has been sending a very simple single barrel message that it seeks to destroy israel.. there is no question about HA's intention.. it may have collateral intentions and objectives and strategies - however - its long term mission is unequivocal and has been publically declared over and over
(d) israel tried waiting for 6 years.. it severly compromised its most significant defence umbrella known as the deterance affect and tried to leave way for the lebanese internal politic to rectify the situation.. the world knew of the rockets hailed our way and israel bit its lip and tongue again and again - just as it did with iraq in desert storm.. if the intention of israel was merely to damage lebanon - israel would not have waited until now.. israel could have hit much harder and much more lethally when HA was still in nappies 6 years ago..
(e) by far the most crucial is this item.. in common law we call it the "but for" test.. but for israel's actions - is there any other way that israel could assure its security at this point in time? well - now the world is saying - talk talk talk.. but only weeks ago when HA attacked israel lebanon made it clear that they had no power over HA and could not possibly be held responsible.. and for this reason could not be held accountable.. now by all accounts the lebanese government has only been weakening.. how can israel now trust the faible authority to be able to reign in the consistent aggressor that it is addressing.. its tough now when nasralla speaks of a ceasefire.. it would suggest that this item is resolved.. however.. lebanon trusted the HA enough to incorporate it into its politics and it was stabbed in the back brutally.. should israel - the sworn bloody enemy - be able to trust this body and in doing so neglect the safety of its citizens that it owes them under international and municipal law?
this is israel's point of view as i would argue it from a self defence perspective..
it is important to keep in mind that lebanon did not approach the security council about HA's ongoing activities in vilation of the infamous resolution.. Lebanon did not raise a single cry while israel was carrying the price for its political reformation.. this is not about revenge.. however - the international legal issues are long winded and complex and go way beyond the mere defence of the lebanese.. because the same law that the lebanese hinge on right now is the very same law that forces my government to effectively complete its mission of eradicating the risk to my country..
Furthermore.. this is merely examining the issues under treaties.. if we were to look at customary international law and consider how in our region violent conflicts are played out.. and how much force is typically used in the middle east to resolve conflict - we will never ever have a clear vision of what is right and wrong..
Conclusion:
international law is an impotent pile of bananas.. it does not offer solutions because it is so vague and every country is an independent administrator of its its own interests..
HOWEVER!!! this does not mean there are no solutions.. we are people first and foremost.. we all come from mothers who loved us and fathers who sought to feed us - none of us suffer alone.. our pain is echoed into many hearts each time one is hurt.. and as neighbours we cannot afford to ignore eachother's pain..
i pray and hope that this will end quickly and inits place will come a long period of quiet that shall lead to a sustainable and fruitful peace..
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
there is no need to be cycnical - it is one thing to defend yourself in a thorough manner and quite another to rub people's face in their blood while they're in pain.. no matter what the cause is and no matter what the excuse is..
please a little humanity - perhaps even a drop
cheers chas
you and i mate.. lets get it out there.. lets vocalise our desire for peace..
by the way - if anyone has a different view on the international legal analisys please share it.. i dont profess to be an expert on these specific topics..
im just a corporate suit wearing ocean surfing guitar strumming hippie at heart ;)
ok tjex
i like you am entirely propeace.. i want you to visit us in tel aviv by riding a train from beirut.. it would be awesome if that train crossed at rosh hanikra near the sea caves where there once was a tunnel..
but what would you do if you were the israeli government and the incursion and kidnapping had just occured.. when would you finish your operation?
chas..
that is not accurate my friend..
israel actually outlawed the most extremist groups in its society.. it has used its army to forcefully drag others out of their homes.. take their weapons and arrest where necessary..
and - if we talk about those who have entered the political process.. the suffered dramatic electoral defeat..
a very different outcome and a very different effort..
we too faced the prospect of civil war.. we too continue to face it today.. but we recognise the importance of our mainstream and refuse to be terrorised by our minority as much as they are our brothers and sisters..
i think you need to remember that our fumbling olmert was the same guy that sent the army into hebron to kick jews out of buildings that they had purchased because of how they were interfacing with the arabs around them.. he was the same guy that - when evicting settlers from outposts - made it clear that he would spare no force and that our democracywould not be undermined.. the israeli parliament includes arab MPs that speak against the security interest of israel every day.. our system permits this.. they condemn israel for everything and anything it does.. i have never in my life in any country that i have lived in watched a government tested the way mine is today by a minority that is respresented insuch a hostile fashion.. these aram MPs breachisraeli law and meet with state enemies againts the country's strict instructions and we allow them to speak while we silence our own - for fear of harming our democracy..
we understand the risks of internal conflict.. we live it every day..
wishing it end soon
and peace to us all
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
I just can't believe how in one sentence people can say "peace", "I'm sorry for your loss" and "let me tell you why you deserve it".
Doha, I like you, I really do. And I do have sympathy for you and your country.
But.
If you want to convince people to accept your premise (which seems to be 'Israel is just a big meanie'), then you're going to have to deal with counter-arguments. That you happen to be suffering at the moment is unfortunate, but doesn't make your assertion valid or immune to question. If all you want to do is vent and generally wallow unchallenged in self-pity, then I suggest you either ban anybody who doesn't toe the 'oh you poor, poor dear' line or turn off comments entirely.
come on achillea.. turn it down..
we express our views very freely on this site and most of the time receive very fair responses..
doha.. i thank you for your generally balanced posts and your genuine sentiments..
in a time of so much misinformation - my perception of you is that you speak from the heart and i have 100% respect for that..
(maybe i should let someone else say something hehe)
And sure, you've killed lets say 400 HA fighters, but guess what, you've just made 1000 more fighters.
Unfortunately, letting Hezballah get away (AGAIN!) with what they did would also have made 1000 more fighters. So Israel is now 400 dead enemies ahead of where they would have been. Plus they've managed to kick enforcement of Lebanon's responsibilities under UNR 1559, sluffed off for lo these many years, into high gear.
And before anybody goes into the 'hurt Israel's standing in the world' argument, what standing? If there's one thing decades of blatant European racism and biased UN resolutions have taught Israel (and anybody paying attention), it's that nothing short of total self-annihilation will win Israel approval.
omer yedidi
if you want to know what i stand for.. just read my blog dude..
i think i have made it quite clear..
but if it isnt i'll state it again now..
i am first and foremost pro peace..
however as an israeli.. watching my country enter a phase of tragedy - i do feel that i owe it dignified representation.. and if i can i try to explain its reasoning.. not because i am trying to convince anyone of anything.. but i do believe that there is a lot of mistrust where there shouldnt be on both sides.. and i do think that we are more similar minded and oriented than many think..
so i try to show that side of israel and i try to deliver its considerations and balance some of the often intense accusations when i think we are creating a distorted picture..
i think chas.. loli.. dany.. wintermotek.. seeker and a fair few others from both sides know that i want peace between us and i for me humanity is a very very important principle..
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
i hope this is how i come across
missiles hit hadera.. thats not very far away..
this aint pretty
wishing peace to us all and a safe night..
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
i hate war
abou al.. i think he wasnt referring to you but rather to al-ghadabulsaati3
loli - we have to take this opportunity to make those people change their tact.. this is fertile ground to harvest good minds away from agression..
think porters model.. turning threats into opportunities :)
I know this is a difficult time for everyone in Lebanon, and my thoughts and prayers are with you.
This conflict will end soon, and Lebanon will be left with a shattered economy and infrastructure. What do you think Lebanese expats and sympathetic people in the west could do to help, so that people in Lebanon are not left dependent upon either Hezbollah or on endless (and potentially corrupt) UN aid systems? There must be something that individuals can do to promote freedom and support the individuals of Lebanon as they rebuild.
i wrote about the children..
i think sometimes forgiveness takes time.. but the healing process can co-exist wih peace..
i dont wish any harm to the germans or austrians even though 2 generations later i still havent forgiven..
and yet i would still never inflict harm on anyone or assault anyone.. i hat their history but i dont feel anyting specific against them as people..
and i pray that one day when i have kids they do not carry my historical and emotional baggage..
i pray the same for the children of the lady who was killed up north today..
feeling a need to take this opportunity to give a vote of confidence to lebanon..
just finished chatting to a lebanese friend of mine on msn.. we have promised eachother to visit with our foreign passports when the conflict ends.. i pray for a time soon that we can visit on our israeli and lebanses passports..
i dont care who's right and who's wrong.. i want peace with my lebanses cousins..
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
its achievable.. lets bring it
yuval you are wrong.. zionism is not dead at all..
6000 families came to israel last week to live here.. these were not refugees.. these were tear bearing jews who for zionistic reasons came home..
i work 60 hour weeks - not because i have to but because i know that every hour i put in forwards my country and benefits thousands of people with trade and development..
there are many people with a deep love for our country and i am very disturbed by your view..
its plainly wrong
loving my country and wanting peace go hand in hand for me
gsh - its not accurate.. in the territories there are roads (as i understand it) that are called bypass roads that allow you to traverse areas without entering arab towns..
a jewish guy had problems with his car this week and pulled into an arab town for some assistance.. they shot him and threw him in his car - drove him a bt out of the war and burned him in his trunk..
the bypass roads have more supervision so you can cross areas safely but arabs use these roads too
i would probably go so far as to say that there are arab only roads moreso than jew only roads..
but in either case.. there is something starkly grotesque about our relationship with our palestinian neighbours.. regarless of fault.. it does make me a very ashamed..
ok dude.. as long as you are aware that zionism is evolving into a new phase and certainly is NOT dying..
we now have a country - its about securing it.. not about establishing it..
i agree..
thats right
good night
bonne nuit
לילה טוב
(layla tov)
salamat malam
bonna notte
im off to bed.. anyone care to say gnight in arabic or any other language?
wishing you all a peaceful sleep my friends
lirun
telaviv
www.emspeace.blogspot.com
we're all the same ;)
Please consider signing this petition asking that the Israeli military release video of its airstrikes so that we can verify whether or not civilians are being intentionally or knowingly targeted.
regardless of all nonesence opinion wrote here by some isrealies. there is some great ideas.
I truly suggest to all lebanies who are going to bulid thier country later on. one week from now or 10 years from now.. to work on a strong defence program and military union with ( Jordan/Eqypt/syria) . it sure will help lebanon in a way or another.
a person need to learn from his mistakes and avoid them in future. Lebanon should not be alon in defending it boarders in future.
I agree sherri
a democratic country like Lebanon where pepole show a great deal of solidarity no matter how they are diffrent in political view, people should march again against the unjustified violence on their country.
if thousand of Lebanese gather with Lebanon and white flags in one of pre-announced targets by Israel im sure reports will be there to capture that picture .
"
"Let me get this straight. You allow one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world to set up shop throughout your country. You permit them to completely take over the entire southern third of Lebanon and you claim to have seen nothing.
You allow the terrorists to build sophisticated, fortified bunkers and you did not see any heavy equipment building them. You allow the Hezbollah terrorists to move into many of your towns and villages, including the complete takeover of one of the largest neighborhoods in Beirut, where they proceed to build numerous, complex command and control centers...and then you claim ignorance.
You allow Hezbollah to store weapons, bombs and rockets in your basements. You turn a blind's eye when they carry arms into your restaurants, stores and buildings, yet you call yourself an "innocent civilian."
You watch the Hezbollah parades with hundreds of thousands of participants including children screaming, "Jihad. Death to Israel, Jews and Americans," burning American and Israeli flags, while goose-stepping soldiers with Nazi-like salutes receive your cheers--and all of you "innocent civilians" did not see a thing even though you were captured on videotape. All this, while Koffi Annan and much of the UN insist that "we should not believe our lying eyes about the innocent civilians."
There are giant posters of the rubenesque terrorist leader, Hasan Nasrallah, all over Lebanon with headlines declaring the imminent destruction of Israel. Yet you choose to elect this terrorist party to your government--and all of the so called "innocent Lebanese" do not know anything about anything.
Twenty thousand rockets and launchers are shipped into your country along with other military equipment by plane, truck and ship, and the government industrial complex knew absolutely nothing; and neither did all those "poor, innocent civilians" who are now crying."
- from "Those Poor, Innocent Lebanese"
by Irwin N. Graulich
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_13676.shtml
mara7eb iae5wet ayri. lak yel3am rabkon a5ou maniouki wa7ad wa7ad. min doun any exceptions. lak yel3an rabkon shou 2elkon jledi, lak ayri fikon ou bi lebnen l zaber taba3kon jami3an. yel3an dinkon jami3an... yel3an rabkon jami3an. ayri bi li bte3ebdou bi ayri shi a5ou sharmouta ou byentek. lak ayri fikon jame3et l zaber, li ma 3enda shi gher inou tetnayak 3a ba3da. lak l barghash bifid aktar minkon.
yalla naykou ya maneyek ou betnama ma t3ishou 7ayet haniyeh bi hek watan lebnen m2ayar, 3ashen ra7 yidal l sha3eb 7mar ou a5ou sharmouta le7e2li heda ou hadak.
ou yel3a الله , yalla naykou
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