In the light of Bernie Sanders’ remarks regarding Israel and Gaza, I feel it necessary to put my own voice out there, regarding the issue of “disproportionate” responses.
It is wartime, lives are being lost, American losses are high, estimated at the end of the war to be around 420,000, of which 12,000 are civilians.
The Japanese losses are higher still, 2,550,000, or more (3,200, 000) but this is war, and the end justifies the means.
We all know, that America dropped 2 big bombs on Japan, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, Dower has estimated 550,000 and Gruhl 670,000!
Was the American response disproportionate?
In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and the American led coalition came to the Kuwaitis’ aid. Around 28 000 Iraqis lost their lives, 3000 of them civilians.
The total coalition losses were less than 500 souls !
Was the coalition response disproportionate?
In the Korean war, the Americans lost around 35,000 troops, the Koreans, both North and South, in excess of a million!
Were the American disproportionate?
During WWII, the Germans lost around 7,500,000 lives (official German figures 1960), around half of them civilians. Total allied (English and American) losses amounted to less than one million.
Were the allies disproportionate?
Few would ever even think to say such a thing, despite the fact that the allies carried out bombing raids on civilian centers, with the express aim of shortening the war.
It is well known that the Americans, as well as broadcasting radio messages, also dropped millions of pamphlets in Japanese before they dropped the bombs.
The pamphlets and radio, both warning of the impending doom which was about to befall the Japanese nation.
In much the same way, Israel drops pamphlets and makes thousands of cellphone calls to warn the civilian population of Gaza of impending attacks.
If these warnings were heeded, there would be no need for civilian deaths at all!
It is a sad state of affairs, when those same warnings are used by (Hamas) the Gazan administration. Hamas concentrates civilians in those areas, in order to increase the number of (civilian) casualties and use these figures in a propaganda war on Israel.
This war is carried out by way of the international press who, far from being impartial, are sponsored by huge amounts of (oil and aid) money that the administration of Gaza have at their disposal.
Historically, Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005, handing it over to Fatah, who, in the general election of 2006, ceded power to Hamas.
When Hamas refused to renounce violence and recognize Israel, the naval blockade was imposed, as were economic sanctions.
The naval blockade was imposed by Israel, and was subsequently declared legal by the U.N. “Palmer report” in September 2011. The economic sanctions were imposed by Egypt, Israel and also the “Quartet on the Middle East,” made up of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.
To date, Hamas has refused to renounce violence, remaining true to their charter which states “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam invalidates it, just as it invalidated others before it.”
Hamas is in a de facto state of war with Israel, firing over 15,000 rockets at Israeli civilian populations since 2001.
There is no need for this – Gaza is a free and independent entity – and were Hamas to turn its attentions within, the billions that they have received in foreign aid would have helped to build an economy to be proud of.
Instead, the money is used for terrorism and to make an ultra rich ruling class that directs the terror war on Israel but lives in other countries. Thereby avoiding Israeli retaliation.
Again, Gaza has no reason whatsoever to attack Israel aside from the desire to destroy Israel. This is war. Hamas is well aware of the Israeli military capability.
In the school yard, a boy that picks a fight with someone bigger than himself will likely get pummeled. In view of who started, it is unlikely that anyone will ever suggest that the response meted out was disproportionate!
Are the Israeli responses disproportionate? No, on the contrary, they are the just consequence of starting a fight with someone bigger.
