Liveblogging the War: Wednesday July 19th
July 19, 2006 | Aussie Dave | Comments 42
The IAF struck over 20 targets in Lebanon overnight, including a Zelzal rocket launcher (capable of firing long range missiles), an arms cache, a truck carrying ammunitions, a road serving rocket launchers, buildings used by Hizbullah operatives, and building used to finance terror activities. In addition, IDF cannon batteries fired artillery rounds at Katusha launch pads in southern Lebanon. This morning, IDF ground troops launched a limited cross-border operation into Lebanon, with the purpose of destroying Hizbullah outposts.The IDF estimates that they will need another 10-14 more days to meet the military objectives of the operation in Lebanon, which is to “to significantly weaken Hezbollah.” According to a senior IDF source, crushing Hizbullah is not feasible since ”it is impossible to crush a popular, religious movement.”
For their part, Hizbullah have continued to fire Katushas on our northern communities, with no damage nor injuries being reported.
On the southern front, 5 IDF soldiers have been wounded in a Gaza operation. According to palestinian sources, 3 Hamas terrorists were killed while trying to fire a rocket at Israeli tanks, and 5 more wounded. The IDF also arrested 5 wanted terrorists in overnight raids, and blasted a tunnel near the Karni border crossing.
Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)
12:10AM: More discussion on the now infamous “girls-drawing-on-artillery-shells” photo (see 11:55AM update).
Thursday updates here.
12:10AM: More discussion on the now infamous “girls-drawing-on-artillery-shells” photo (see 11:55AM update).
12:05AM: Statement from The Lebanese Foundation for Peace, in a press release to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:
We urge you to hit them hard and destroy their terror infrastructure. It is not [only] Israel who is fed up with this situation, but the majority of the silent Lebanese in Lebanon who are fed up with Hizbullah and are powerless to do anything out of fear of terror retaliation.On behalf of thousands of Lebanese, we ask you to open the doors of Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport to thousands of volunteers in the Diaspora willing to bear arms and liberate their homeland from [Islamic] fundamentalism. We ask you for support, facilitation and logistics in order to win this struggle and achieve together the same objectives: Peace and Security for Lebanon and Israel and our future generations to come.
Make sure you also listen to the interview with Brigitte Gabriel here to get an idea as to how many Lebanese support Israel’s actions.
11:45PM: Some statistics from this war:
3000 IAF sorties, with 1200 targets struck
590 Israelis needing medical treatment
25 Israelis killed
10 Israelis seriously injured
25 Israelis moderately injured
183 Israelis lightly injured
347 Israelis suffered from shock
11:52PM: Ravia Taluzi, 3, and Mahmoud Taluzi, 7, whose lives were ended today by Hizbullah.
11:45PM: Some statistics from this war:
3000 IAF sorties, with 1200 targets struck
590 Israelis needing medical treatment
25 Israelis killed
10 Israelis seriously injured
25 Israelis moderately injured
183 Israelis lightly injured
347 Israelis suffered from shock
11:36PM: Just completed my interview about the current situation with WORD FM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Did any of my Pittsburgh readers catch it?
10:30PM: Bunker: All in the Family: My wife informs me that the pre-school children’s cable channel Hop is broadcasting overnight now (normally, it ends transmission around 8:00PM, and resumes at 5:00AM). A sign of the times I guess..
10:10PM: The second soldier killed today was Staff Sergeant Yotam Gilboa, 21.
9:40PM: 
One of the two soldiers killed today on the northern border has been identified as Staff Sergeant Yonatan Hadassi.
He was 21.
The name of the other soldier has not yet been released.
9:13PM: According to a top intelligence officer, over 100 rockets have been fired today, including some Syrian made ones.
He also said that “voices in Lebanon are growing against Hizbullah activities.” This is good news if it is indeed the case. I just wish these voices had grown 6 years ago.
9:05PM: Now for some positive news: Depeche Mode are still coming to Israel. Let’s just hope they don’t get any ideas from Roger Waters.
8:52PM: The 2 children killed in Nazareth were Arab: Ravia Taluzi, 3, and Mahmoud Taluzi, 7. I suspected as much when I heard it was Nazareth, but awaited confirmation.
8:49PM: Back on the southern front, the IDF has killed 8 terrorists in Gaza. Getting dizzy? I know I am.
8:48PM: The IDF has foiled a Hizbullah attempt by Hezbollah to infiltrate the Israeli town of Metula.
7:29PM: The Israeli cabinet has decided to delay the beginning of diplomatic talks over a possible cease-fire.
7:27PM: At least 2 more rockets have hit Haifa.
6:24PM: The Jerusalem Post reports that an explosion has occurred in the parking lot of a Rehovot mall, wounding 6 people. The cause of the blast has yet to be determined.
6:18PM: 2 soldiers have reportedly been killed in a gunbattle with Hizbullah on the northern border.
6:12PM: The 3 critically injured in Nazareth have died. The dead include 2 children.
5:30PM: According to OC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Gershon, the IDF has so far removed 94% of the dangerous chemicals stored in the area of the Haifa port.
5:20PM: 15 cows have been killed. Still awaiting word from PETA.
5:18PM: 3 people in Nazareth have been critically injured by Katushas.
5:08PM: Free Republic have some pictures that you won’t see in the mainstream media.
5:00PM: Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz:
“We remain adamant that Hizbullah will not return to our northern (border) fence..We shall absolutely not allow the Hizbullah flag to fly up to Israel’s (border) fences.”
4:50PM: Prime Minister Olmert has called Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to convey his condolences and regret over the death of 8 Canadian civilians killed during the IDF operation in Lebanon.
4:48PM: Our navy battleships are attacking Hizbullah strongholds and missile launch pads in southern Lebanon.
4:41PM: Police have captured the would-be suicide bomber in a construction site in Hod Hasharon.
4:40PM: From my inbox:
Mr. David
What do you say about the civilian victims killed by your forces in Lebanon, dont say we have victims also (only 8 or 9 Israeli civilians) because yur forces strat targeting and killing lebanese civilians (not Hizbullah guarellas) and the number reach more than 300 inluding childrens, what do you expect a nutral guy like me, to support you ? what ever you say , nothing justify killing childrens & women and building distructions by your forces, by the way your forces act reminds me of what Nazi had done to your people, do you want to be better than what thay had done to you?Essel
Mr Essel. I say what I have been saying all along on this blog, and on my podcast, and during the BBC interview I was on: my heart goes out to the innocent Lebanese victims of this war. But what do you expect Israel to do when it’s cities are being attacked? When it’s civilians are being deliberately targeted? Do you expect us to lay down and absorb the casualties? No other country on this planet would do that, nor be expected to. If the IDF had not been fighting back against Hizbullah, then the casualties would no doubt be far greater.
Your statement that Israel is targeting civilians is palpably false. The opposite is true; the IDF has been dropping pamphlets asking residents to leave those areas being targeted. Funnily enough, I do not recall the Nazis requesting that the Jews leave (By the way, your Nazi analogy is highly offensive, and makes a mockery of your claim that you are a “neutral guy”).
Perhaps you should direct some of your anger towards Hizbullah, Iran and Syria, who are responsible for this war, as well as the Lebanese government, who had 6 years since Israel’s withdrawal to disarm Hizbullah.
4:05PM: Today’s interview schedule: I will be talking about the current war, on 101.5 WORD FM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. I will also be appearing on Shire Network News with Tom Paine and Sandmonkey.
3:38PM: Katushas have struck Haifa, Carmiel, and Tiberias, with injuries being reported. According to Israeli television, approximately 70 Katyushas were launched at northern Israel in the last hour.
3:07PM: The IDF has killed a Hizbullah terrorist on the northern border, and is pursuing a second terrorist who fled.
2:25PM: Ynetnews reports that 4 people have been injured from a rocket blast north of Safed; 1 critically, 2 moderately, and 1 lightly injured.
1:25PM: The IDF is laying siege to a Nablus compound housing palestinian security forces. 3 terrorists have so far been killed.
1:10PM: An earlier rumor that an IDF troop was kidnapped from the Herzliya area was false.
1:08PM: IDF troops are clashing with Hizbullah terrorists across the Lebanon-Israel border, with helicopter gunships being called to the area.
12:03PM: A rocket fired from Gaza today has been identified as a homemade Katusha, not a Kassam.
11:57AM: Just saw that Sandmonkey has – to his credit – posted an explanation to the pictures.
11:55AM: Many people are angry about this picture of Israeli girls writing messages on some missiles artillery shells, which I posted on my blog yesterday:
Here are some of the comments:
wow! Young israel girls writing messages on MISSILES? What are those israelis thinking when they let girls younger than 10 years old, write their own messages on missiles used to distroy and kill people, instead of teaching them tolerance sympathy and love? This is a great example to demonstrate how hatred is indecently planted in the souls of the innocent young. These acts are simply despicable and should not be passed unnoticed!
Hey, Israel, losing the Moral Highground quickly , are we?Disgusting.Congratulations, you are no better than Hamas now. You have become what you hate!
My response is that these girls are writing the messages to Nasrallah (Nazrala with love From Israel). Clearly, they are hoping that Hizbullah are taken out with the missiles, not the Lebanese people. And I don’t think you can blame them, considering that Hizbullah are deliberately trying to murder them.
Of course, some of these missiles could very well hurt or kill innocent Lebanese civilians – such is the nature of this war. So the Israeli girls are not being sensitive. But I do not accept that these girls are showing hatred towards those who don’t deserve it. And to say they are no better than Hamas is ludicrous.
11:25AM: Ha’aretz reports that there has been a high alert declared in Tel Aviv over a suspected terrorist infiltration near Kfar Sava (I work near Kfar Sava).
11:05AM: Within the last hour, Katushas hit Haifa and Nahariya. Ynet reports that in Haifa, the siren did not sound, possibly due to the power shortages in Israel. So far, no injuries have been reported.
10:25AM: 
Andrei Zilensky, 36, yesterday’s Katusha attack victim.
Andrei Zilensky, 36, yesterday’s Katusha attack victim.Andrei Zilensky scrambled to the shelter with his family yesterday in Nahariya. He hastened his wife, Radmilla, and 4-year-old daughter Galit to shut themselves in the shelter. And they did. But then Andrei decided to go back out to bring his daughter some clothes. He didn‚Äôt make it back: the house received a direct hit from a Katyusha. Andrei was killed on the spot and wife ‚Äì who heard the fatal blast ‚Äì was left only to identify his body in the hospital.
9:58AM: Power shortages have been reported nationwide. Here at work, the lights are off, and we have been asked to log off in a couple of minutes for a server shutdown.
9:45AM: According to the local head of a foreign airline carrier, foreign airlines could be forced to reduce their scheduled flights to and from Israel, or suspend operations here entirely, if their insurance premiums go up due to the fighting in the North.
Filed Under: General
About the Author: An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.
Israelian innocent kids are writing some words —–>
http://www.iranclubs.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2069&d=1153258271
Someone should tell that wingnut in the photo holding the banner, that if his words were true, then why are all “His” believers trying to doing all “His” work for “Him”?
I don’t feel comfortable seeing images of young kids mixing with weapons – from any side. But I’d have to say that these pictures are nothing compared to what emanates from the PLO Arabs. I mean, this looks like a ‘one off’, a novel situation for these girls, whereas the PLO actually institutionalize anti Israel sentiments in their schools.
I’d say with certainty, that these girls aren’t fed a steady diet of hate as their PLO counterparts are, nor would they attend ‘summer camps’ to get their minds right and get some preparatory weapons training. Am I exaggerating?
Those that are taking exception are really just looking for anything they can to demonize Israel.
What’s with these people? They just can’t stand the fact that Israel belting the daylights out of their enemies, who as usual, bring the war to their own families and citizens by operating a war amongst them.
Those aren’t missles. They are artillery shells.
As with most things there are a couple of ways of looking at what the young girls are doing. The Pope has just released a statement to ‘forgive the terrorists for they do not know what they do’, a very Christian sentiment. But the girls’ words could also be interpreted within this Christian sentiment. Don’t know enough about Judaism to know whether this sentiment is one of our originals or a pass down
Sorry, I don’t have the link to where I saw it, been busy on the blogosphere catching up on the news on the conflict.
I am so sick and tired of the recurrent Left technique of finding a single instance of something that is in abundance on their side and then claiming moral equivelence. Yes, it was decidedly callous to have those girls writing messages on the shells, albeit the messages were not venomous as Arab messages invariably are. With the exception of some ultra-orthodox fundamentalist Jews, one so very rarely hears the language of hatred out of the mouths of Israelis. Yes, they speak in terms of tactics, strategy, and politics vis-‡-vis battling Palestinians and Chizbolah. When was the last time you saw any Israeli burning a Palestinian flag. We do not teach our children to hate Arabs or Muslims. Our universities are not centres of indoctrination of hatred and vilification. Equally I am tired of trying to be balanced. The fact of the matter is that the Jewish people do hold the high ground with respect to attitude. You never see an interview of an Israeli speaking about “rats”, killing them all, etc. The fact of the matter is that the Arab/Muslim/Palestinian attitude is one of extreme hatred, annihilation, and anti-semitism. The Israeli attitude is devoid of hatred and is one of trying to come to terms with another people.
The World Peace Religion is the solution for the Middle East Crisis. http://www.thetempleoflove.com/
Stay safe and thanks for the updates. While at work, I can’t watch the news and I can click on your site to find the latest. Praying for all of Israel.
“This is a great example to demonstrate how hatred is indecently planted in the souls of the innocent young”
I figured that all those suicide bombers and threats of genocide would do a better job of planting hatred, but that’s just me.
Some people have some really rather, well, odd views of war. Writing some stuff on arty shells equals intentionally blowing up civilians? Christ. Bunch of goddamn pansies. For some reason you’re supposed to feel bad and cry about killing people who want to kill you and everybody you know. I’m sorry, but if somebody threatens me and mine then I’m gonna waste them with a smile on my face.
Also, keep up the good work on this blog.
Israel has been attacked by these terrorists since its inception. This isn’t about a war of atrocities that ISRAEL has committed. Its Israel who took in these palestinians because its Arab brothers didn’t want them knowing what terrorists they would be in their own land. Its Israeli citizens who paid taxes for them to have the infrastructure they needed to live, let alone practice religion freely. Yet, these terrorists sole mission in life remained to wage war rather build a civil society for themselves. Its not Israelis who strap bombs to themselves in open markets or teach their children about Martyrdom with virgin girls through killing. Its not the Israelis who bomb trains in India or Spain. Its not Israelis who slaughter innocent children in Checnya. Israel has every right to defend itself against these terrorists. All death is a tragedy, as all credible religions teach. It is Israel who is interested in the peace process and its ISRAEL who withdrew from land. Its the terrorists who continue to fire over 600 missles within the past year alone (mind you that is before the current fighting) from the very land that Israel withdrew and go on to abduct its soldiers. This is not a war about Israelis and those who support them or the so called atrocities that are used as propaganda against Israel. This isn’t a war about Israel — this is a war about power and the terrorists who fight Western civilization and freedom of democracy, using Israel as their excuse to go on.
does anyone think that israels actions are heavyhanded in targeting and destroying civilian and (freedom of deomcracy – democratically elected) political infrastructure as well as the militants?
and do you think many israeli people are behind the war effort and the heavy use of force because they served in the IDF and have to an extent been brainwashed into thinking that aggressive attack is the best form of defence?
Your liveblogging of the war has been fascinating, not to mention heartrending at times. Sandmonkey completely went off about those pictures of the kids signing the missiles (and you should read the comments to his post).
Take care of yourself……………….
OT. Does anybody know why many Israeli soldiers are wearing black tape around their arms, like this guy?
Dave, {finally I’ve learned your name
}
I’ve assumed, by reading some of the comments made by media and some of those made here that, people just can not get it thru their thick skulls what HAS been going, on for years over there!
Israel is fighting for it’s existance against terrorists forces which have vowed to distroy it! They want it gone! It dosen’t take too much to figure this out.
I keep seeing “junk” postings like the one here about letting young girls sign the arty shells which are used to kill civilians.
I ask these folks, with no power of thinking, if you lived there, would you not have gotten the heck out by now by ANY means?
Plus, I still see these same types still trying to make Israel look like “the bad guys” becouse it is firing back. I ask them to stand before me and let me punch them in the face a few times. GEE! I wonder what they would do? NOTHING? I highly doubt it. Eather they run OR they would fight back.
Then there are the silly ones who think diplomats can end this by just showing up and talking. Communicating is not the problem here. Israel has stated time and time again, send back the soldiers taken healthy, stop firing the missles, and we will stop. What’s so hard to understand? DUH! Once that is done, THEN talks MAY be able to do something. Until then, people will be killed and injured on both sides.
I state MAY becouse, Israel is trying to fight terrorist groups, not a one country’s army. If you want to place blame for the events on someone, blame those countrys who allow these groups to act and flurish with in them and other countrys who give these groups support and arms to attack with. Another no brainer!
It’s good to see you are still blogging and safe. Keep it up Dave for two resons. One means you’re still alive and kickin’ and two is we have inside information and views.
Rick
No. No one here thinks that except lunatic barking moonbats such as yourself.
A neighboring state allows lunatics to barrage civilians … and you consider retaliation to be an “aggressive attack”?
Idiot.
The reporters shooting those pictures gave those children those pens and encouraged them to do this.
Perhaps Sandmonkey should be condemning the MSM journalists for encouraging this behaviour?
Hezbollah Rockets Hit Nazareth
Funny thing is there are no valuable military targets there. Two Israeli Arab children were murdered in this terrorist attack. There were three deaths overall and many injuries.Haaretz: A Hezbollah rocket attack on the northern town of Nazareth killed …
I always ask the Lebanese “Where are the Lebanese MEN? Why don’t the MEN of Lebanon drive out the Hizbollah?”
I never get an answer.
I guess there are no MEN in Lebanon.
Jordan and Israel work closely together to prevent cross border attacks. When one happens the Jordanians and the Israelis work together to capture and punish the perpetrators. Supposedly the Lebanese are smart and sophisticaed. How come you can’t do what the Jordanians do? How hard could it be?
Battle Ships is quite an exageration.
Cutters is more like it. Or patrol boats.
The INAV has a few destroyers some submarines and quite a few smaller craft. From what I have seen in this war it is an excellent Navy for its size.
No battle ships. Not even any light cruisers.
I just learned they are actually Biblical inscriptions, not tape.
They are called Tefillin (phylacteries), and are worn by religiously observant Jews for the morning prayers. They consists of the black straps, as well as some containers that contain some scriptures.
Yes Mr.rick, you are right that Israel is fighting for its existance, but that existance was not there 70 years ago, you are calling those people the terrorist who are fighting for their existance because how that israel came into being all of us knows. Whenever you enter to someone home and then invites your friends, and then try to kick the owner of that home out of the home what you expect from the owner of the home will he fight for its existanc or you woulld fight for your existance, Israel has rights to Kill more than 350 Innocent peoples in Lebnon but the Lebnonion have no right to defend in respons, Israel has much more power much more money much more supporters(Due to some financial support given to them by Israel) How could one think to have terrorist attack against them untill he will feel that there is some unjustice there, I think the existance of Isreal is the root cause of any terrorism in this world. The world would have been peaceful if Israel might have not came into being they learnt nothing from Holocaust.
Nazar, we hear this line over and over again. Why is it that Israel is treated as a special case?
Too bad you feel that modern Israel wasn’t there 70 years ago – she is there now and only a fool believes that she is not staying without absolute obliteration of all enemies occurring too.
Who says anybody was ‘invited’ – Israelis will say they ‘invited’ the Arabs who kicked them out in years gone by.
What about all the Jewish refugees from neighbouring Arab countries that have been kicked out – why doesn’t the Arab brotherhood take some ‘PLO refugees’ in their place?
Its too bad about Lebanon and its civilians who have died for Hezbollah.
If a threat exists – it exists whether its out in the open (like real wars) or between civilians ( as the cowards have shown).
Its Israeli civilians or Lebanese civilians – Hezbollah have made that choice – not Israel.
Stop invoking the Holocaust. Its got nothing to do with the barbarism that the Arabs have endlessly displayed.
People should sensibly learn to live with Israel’s existence.
Aussie Dave,
First I would like to say the tenacity with which you have attacked your goal of liveblogging this conflict is admirable. However, I do take issue with a few of your postings.
Mainly, the fact that anything regarding damage and casualties in Lebanon has been largely glossed over. In you statistics of the war, why aren’t innocent Lebanese (and Canadian for that matter) casualties listed? I understand this is a blog from an Israeli perspective, but surely Israelis should be worried about innocent life being preserved, arab or jew.
In addition, your response to a pro-lebanese poster was far from satisfying for me. You say that Israel is not deliberately trying to kill civilians, that it needs to respond to the missile attacks and kidnappings, and that the conflict is hezbollah’s fault. These statements are all true, however none of this is justification for the killing of over 200 innocent people. OR justification for the destruction of an airport, a power plant, nearly every major bridge and freeway, and countless apartment buildings and homes.
Yes, it is true that rockets have been launched from residential neighborhoods, and I believe that can make some legitimate targets. Hezbollah clearly bears the responsibility for civilians killed in attacks on missile stockpiles in residential areas. However, Israel has some of the most highly trained soldiers in the world. Surely special forces or troops might be used to attack some of the more heavily residential areas. I have NO DOUBT that if several terrorist cells were launching missiles from within Israel in residential neighborhoods, fighter planes would not be called in to level the entire block.
As far as the infrastructure, the destruction of the airport, freeways, bridges and power plant were blatant violations of international law, and simply ridiculous. Israel’s claim that this was to prevent the movement of the captured soldiers is nothing but a farce. First of all, your soldiers could have been killed if they happened to be caught in the bombings, as many Lebanese were. Secondly, preventing transportation within a country is clearly impossible, hezbollah clearly has a way to get the soldiers anywhere they want in all of lebanon. You claim Israel gave Lebanese civilians fair warning to leave, where were they expected to go?!?! Every major bridge and roadway was taken out, and the airport destroyed. All the bombings have done is prevent the vast majority of Lebanese from being able to escape the violence.
Trying to justify the scope of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon purely a defensive measure is laughable. The IDF’s intentions were clearly spelled out by Lt. General Dan Halutz, who said matter of factly “If the soldiers are not returned, we will turn Lebanon’s clock back 20 years.”
He didn’t say, we are going to kill terrorists, he didn’t say we are going to protect israel. he said, we are going to punish an entire nation for the actions of a radical group that many citizens are not in support of. if a radical conservative who was against any surrender of land to palestine, like the one who murdered Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated George Bush, or Bill Clinton, would you approve of Ben Gurion airport being demolished, or Israel’s key freeways being leveled? Just as most Muslims to not subscribe to radical terrorist ideologies, a majority of Jews surely do not share radical views that support killings of politicians. And surely then you would not support punishment of the Jewish population in Israel as a whole for a radical sect’s actions.
This post has gotten almost absurdly long, and I apologize for that. But i guess my overall point is, you list several good reasons to support Israeli military action (and i agree with them.) However, justification for a defensive action does not equate to a carte blanche for bombing every valuable piece of infrastructure in an entire nation.
I would love to continue debating on this topic, independent of petty flames and name calling, so reply away, please just don’t try and call me anti-semitic (i’m not, i go to school in new york city so that would severely limit my options for friendship). Criticizing Israeli policy is wholly different from denouncing a religion and its adherants.
P.S. Dave, feel free to email me a response if you don’t feel like posting it in the comments. And again, crack job on the volume of coverage, the fact that you have a second job besides this amazes me.
I just saw this come down on the AP wire and thought it added to my previous points.
Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli army spokesman said Israel had hit “1,000 targets in the last 8 days ‚Äî 20 percent (of them were) missile launching sites, control and command centers, missiles and so forth.”
If this is an operation about hitting Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities that threaten Israel, what were the other 80% of those bombs hitting?
I remember reading somewhere that one of the justifications used by terrorists for the indiscriminate murder of Israli citizens of any age was that even a newborn Israli was a potential member of the Israeli army and therefore a legitimate target. Your photograph of young Israeli girls enthusiastically dedicating artillery shells to their chosen enemies would seem to bear this out. Every Israeli citizen is a warrior in the cause of Israeli national security. However not every Lebanese citizen is a Jew-hating member of Hezbollah. Israel, your war must stop now.
I remember reading somewhere that one of the justifications used by terrorists for the indiscriminate murder of Israeli citizens of any age was that even a newborn Israeli was a potential member of the Israeli army and, therefore, a legitimate target. Your photograph of young Israeli girls enthusiastically dedicating artillery shells to their chosen enemies, even though those shells would seem to have a high likelihood of missing their chosen targets, would seem to bear this out. Every Israeli citizen is a warrior in the cause of Israeli national security. However not every Lebanese citizen is a Jew-hating member of Hezbollah. Israel, your war must stop now.
PS Please excuse the mis-spelling of Israeli in the previous posting
President of Spain, Rodriguez Zapatero smiles with a “kafiyeh” (i think is that the word) to the photographers in the socialist youths international festival, some of them carrying palestinian flags.
http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276283901.html
Zapatero compared the terror attacks of hizbullah with the “abussive forces” of israel.
The right wing opposition has critized his “antisemitism,antisionism and israelophobia”
Days before, another socialist member called israel ” a genocide state”.
The socialist party in government convened a demonstration against Israel, a supossed friend country of spain, for tomorrow.
The antisemitism of Zapatero is not new, in a private dinner with a famous jewish couple in spain, he questioned the number of jews killed in the holocaust, this became public because the couple left the presidential house ashamed.
Hey Dave,
The photos of the young girls writing messages on artillery shells was a setup.
See here and here: How to demonize Israel
Ah but it does have to do with the Holocaust. http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2005/01/palestinian-role-in-holocaust.html
“>The Palestinian Role in the Holocaust.
Hizbollah ought to stop using human shields.
One might note that Hizbollah feels that the two soldiers captured are worth the lives of 300 Lebanese and about 20 or 30 Israelis so far.
How many more Lebanese and Israelis are the HA willing to pay to keep the 2 soldiers?
The Israelis have said that all this will stop with the return of the two soldiers and the stopping of the rockets.
It seems that the complaints should be directed to the Hizbollah.
The shooting and bombing will continue until israel’s terms are met. The best place to put pressue is Hizbollah.
I always ask the Lebanese when I visit their blogs “Where are the Lebanese MEN? Why don’t the MEN of Lebanon drive out the Hizbollah?”
I never get an answer.
I guess there are no MEN in Lebanon.
Jordan and Israel work closely together to prevent cross border attacks. When one happens the Jordanians and the Israelis work together to capture and punish the perpetrators. Supposedly the Lebanese are smart and sophisticaed. How come they can’t do what the Jordanians do? How hard could it be?
Heard your interview on WORD FM, while driving in Pittsburgh. It was very informative & I am quite impressed with your willingness to hear from other opinions. I’ll keep you in my prayers and your blog in my favorites, as well as send it to my small circle of bloggers who are debating this war via email right now (75% pro-Israel by the way).
I’ve been to Iraq in combat and have visited Israel after Desert Storm. What I am most impressed by is your committment as a nation to support the least of your soldiers. This was an outright attack on your nation. In a strange way it was a test to see how far they could go. I would personally be very comfortable as an Israeli soldier knowing that my country would come for me.
Where I agree with you most is that the outcome belongs to the Lord. All that we can do is the next right thing. The Lord God calls his people to be obedient and HE will win for them. As a teacher of the Hebrew scriptures to churches all over Pittsburgh, my message is always the same – one person standing up for righteousness and fighting for the Lord is all that it takes; the Lord will do the rest.
Even if the righteous do not “succeed” in wordly terms and die in the attempt, we have not died in vain.
By the way, Jesus never said to not fight; nor does the Bible ever say that the military is evil and war is murder. Instead, the New Testament has only praise for soldiers.
May God be with Israel.
you are a wimp, plain and simple & simple minded at that
the terrorist threat of hezbollah has put itself into the population of lebanon; it is they who are holding lebanon hostage while attacking israel. MOST of their activities are on the rooftops of their victims.
But the men of that nation should rise up and kill these rats and throw them off the roofs that they hold hostage, then their women and children will not die as a result of israel defending itself against attack
where are the men of lebanon?
in America, we praise the men who rose against the mightest nation at that time and threw down tyranny.
it can be done, it should be done now
Dude. First of all, you can only say where are the MEN of lebanon so many times. Please get a new argument. Second of all, explain to me how the fact that Lebanese men have not driven out Hizbollah justifies all of Israel’s actions. We understand you think they need to drive Hizbollah out, but do innocent civilians (women and children especially) deserve to die because terrorists are stronger than lebanon’s military? Unlike Israel our government has not given them upwards of $2 billion in foreign aid annually. That is why I feel especially compelled to speak out, because my tax dollars are funding the bombing of civilians.
Also, unlike in Israel there is not compulsory military service in Lebanon, so I would imagine many of the MEN (your emphasis) are not well versed in the ways of war. I would also wager that if all Lebanon’s men learned to fight wars, you would probably be posting here about how every one of them is an AK wielding thug. Hezbollah’s numbers are strong enough in Lebanon that they could easily incite a civil war, which surely would cost many more innocent lives than Israeli airstrikes have claimed. Hizbollah and Hizbollah alone are to blame for their actions, and Lebanese people understand that. Many have been quoted stating how upset they are with Hizbollah to drag their nation into a war with Israel.
Lebanon is being held hostage, and Hizbollah has the gun to their head. Instead of killing the man with the gun, Israel has instead decided to just blow the building up, killing hostage and terrorist alike.
Cameron,
Either the MEN of Lebanon drive Hizbollah out or the MEN of Israel will do it their way.
There is no third option.
Choose.
Why do so many in Lebanon have to die? Too many living near military targets.
Why waste bombs and jet fuel that may be needed later on useless civilians?
My guess is that Hizbollah has loaded their facilities with women and children. Rockets are stored in houses. Innocent people live near Hizbollah Offices. etc.
So if the Lebanese are tired of dying at the hands of the Israelis they should drive Hizbollah out.
Them Hizbollah fellows are not nice:
Another ‘Burgher (and long-time podcast listener), but I don’t listen to Christian rock stations (for obvious reasons). I’m curious if you or Dave have a recording of the interview,
Johann Hari, famous journalist for the Independent, has published one of his most anti-semitic pieces of Israel bashing to date:
http://www.johannhari.com/index.php
My take-down and rebuttal is on my blog now:
http://doublethinkblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/johann-hari-hates-israel.html
Cameron,
Lebanon was not being held hostage.
Lebanon invited a bunch of thugs into its house.
The thugs got into a fight with the police. The house is in danger of burning down. Won’t be the first time.
Next time. Fight the thugs until they behave or leave.
What a load of bunkum. You just made the same connection as the warped-minded terrorists.
Israel, the war forced on you by the Hizbollah must not stop until they are smashed. Its too bad they wage war amongst civilians. But the threat must be eliminated or even more people will lose their lives for NOTHING.
Nazar – Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, all creations like Israel after the fall of the Ottoman Empire after WW1.
Israel took to 1948 because, well, you know dem A-RABS and der terrorist thingy.
no, i am sorry, i was driving and could not record it. your only chance for a tape is to call WORD FM and ask Shawn if he taped the interview.
i have been a guest on the show several times and each time, he gave me a cassette of the show. i am not sure if he records every show and if so how long he keeps it
shalom