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Myths & Facts
MYTH: "Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians during the war instigated by Hizballah."
FACT: Three weeks after the beginning of the war initiated by Hizballah on July 12, 2006, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report that charged Israel with indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Lebanon" HRW did not claim that its representatives were present when any of these alleged crimes occurred. Rather, the report explained that its information was gleaned from interviewing "eye-witnesses and survivors" of Israeli strikes who "told HRW that neither Hizballah fighters nor other legitimate military targets were in the area that the IDF attacked." To reinforce its interpretation, the report added that when HRW investigators arrived at the various scenes, they did not see "any signs of military activity in the area[s] attacked, such as trenches, destroyed rocket launchers, other military equipment, or dead or wounded fighters."
There was no dependable method by which HRW could assess the veracity of what it was told by the "witnesses," many of whom were in areas where the population was sympathetic to, or intimidated by Hizballah. Indeed, there was no means by which it could be sure that they were not Hizballah cadres, since members of the group do not ordinarily wear uniforms or display identity badges.
As for the absence of physical signs of Hizballah's presence at bomb sites, the report seemed to assume that the group would have left in place damaged weapons and fallen and injured comrades during the hours, or more likely days, that passed before HRW's investigators arrived at each site. For the especially grave accusation that civilian deaths were inflicted "deliberately," no evidence was offered. Civilians were injured and killed during the war, but individuals claiming to be witnesses denied Hizballah had been in the area.
When challenged about the group's methods, HRW director Kenneth Roth said, essentially, trust me. Anyone watching TV, however, saw the images of rockets being fired from civilian areas, and the photos of weapons and armed men in what should have been peaceful neighborhoods. Numerous witnesses also told reporters very different stories than those reported by HRW, giving examples of weapons caches in mosques and fighters using UN troops as shields (Alan Dershowitz, "What Are They Watching?" New York Sun, August 23, 2006). HRW had no trouble accepting the word of the Lebanese people it interviewed, but gave no credence to evidence presented by Israel, such as weapons captured in fighting in civilian areas or videos showing the deployment and launching of rockets from areas that were attacked.
Two days after the release of their report on Israel, and while being subjected to serious criticism for having double standards, a relatively short statement (7 pages compared to 51 on Lebanon) was released by HRW ("Israel/Lebanon: Hizballah Must End Attacks on Civilians," August 5, 2006). Rockets had already been falling on Israel for three weeks before Roth managed to call on Hizballah to stop its attacks and declare that "Lobbing rockets blindly into civilian areas is without doubt a war crime." Even in this report documenting strikes on Israeli hospitals, educational institutions, businesses and civilian homes, HRW couldn't resist reiterating its charges against Israel.
The decision by HRW to treat Israel as the main culprit in this war also entailed a studied refusal to make basic moral and legal distinctions. The group did not differentiate between Hizballah's action in initiating the conflict and Israel's reaction in self-defense, nor between Hizballah's openly announced and deliberate targeting of civilians and Israel's efforts to avoid civilian casualties by, for example, appealing to Lebanese civilians to evacuate areas it intended to attack (and thereby giving up the element of surprise and increasing the risk to its own troops).
Most remarkably, HRW did not take note of the contrasting goals of the combatants. One of Hizballah's declared aims is to destroy Israel, while Israel's goal was to survive and to protect its citizens. HRW justifies this self-imposed moral blindness on the grounds that its touchstone is law, not morality.
Source: Myths & Facts by Mitchell G. Bard |
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September 21, 2006
"And the Nations Shall Be Judged..."
"...which is destined for the sword and which for peace, which for hunger and which for plenty..." - From the High Holidays prayers.
A Review of United Nations Actions over the Past Year
by Israel HighWay Staff
The United Nations was created in the aftermath of World War II and the horrors of the Shoah. The United Nations' Charter proclaims that its mission is to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war... and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small."
Frankly, the UN has not lived up to its lofty promise. A cursory glance around the world reveals countless wars, conflicts, hunger, disease and even genocide. The UN has proved largely ineffective on three important issues of the day: Iran's nuclear aspirations, Hizballah terror in Lebanon, and the genocide occurring in Darfur.
On the subject of Israel and the Jews, the UN record has been exceptionally troubling. Although the United Nations helped create the modern State of Israel, there has been little good news from Turtle Bay for Israel and the Jews since.
Issue of the Week is continued below 
Bush Reproaches Iran and Syria in U.N. Speech, Stresses "Jewish" state of Israel
On the Israeli-Arab conflict, President Bush stated: "The world must also stand up for peace in the Holy Land. I'm committed to two democratic states - Israel and Palestine - living side-by-side in peace and security. I'm committed to a Palestinian state that has territorial integrity and will live peacefully with the Jewish state of Israel. This is the vision set forth in the road map - and helping the parties reach this goal is one of the great objectives of my presidency. The world has sent a clear message to the leaders of Hamas: Serve the interests of the Palestinian people. Abandon terror, recognize Israel's right to exist, honor agreements, and work for peace." (White House)
Thousands of Israel's Supporters Protest U.N., Iran
Some 35,000 supporters of Israel protested outside the United Nations building on Wednesday. The rally, organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, was held to show solidarity with Israel; ask the United Nations to enforce Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the unconditional release of three Israeli soldiers kidnaped by Hamas and Hizballah this summer; and denounce Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presence at the 61st convening of the U.N. General Assembly. "We will defeat any enemy and overcome any challenge," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the crowd, which spanned two city blocks. "We say terror will not defeat us."
(JTA News)
See also: Pause for Thought by Gideon Platt
Yesterday's rally in front of the United Nations, in opposition to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a nuclear Iran, served a very important purpose. Not to show President Bush or Congress what our feelings are; that they already know. They "get it."
Click here to continue
Gideon Platt is a senior at The Ramaz School in New York City. He was one of several high school students who participated in the program at yesterday's rally in NYC. (Special to the Israel HighWay)
Click here to view Rally video.
School Children Send New Year Greetings to Captives
by Hagai Einav
An organization struggling for the release of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit initiated together with the soldiers' families a project for the holiday aimed at spreading awareness about the fate of their loved ones.
Thousands of elementary school students across Israel wrote letters and made greeting cards for the new year dedicated to the captive soldiers, and the organization will attempt to transfer them to the captives.
According to the head of the organization, Shmuel Elgrably: "Following the rally in Rabin Square, Miki Goldwasser, Udi's mother, turned to me and said that the participation of many young people in the event is an important contribution and they should be integrated in the struggle for the soldiers' release." (Ynet News)
Michigan School District Monitors Kids after War
by Tamara Audi
Brad Weiss, 16 (pictured), was visiting Israel when Hizballah missiles struck a town two miles away. Lena Brinjikji, 17, was with family in Lebanon when Israeli bombs killed two of her relatives. Now, both are back at Andover High School, where Brad is a junior, Lena is a senior, and neither is an anomaly. The Bloomfield Hills school district is home to a significant number of Jewish and Arab families, some of whom were caught in the summer conflict.
That prompted the district to take an unusual preemptive step: Teachers have been told to monitor students' conversation and clothing for anything that might cause trouble. Students who wear a shirt that is either pro-Hizballah or pro-Israeli military would be asked to change. But displaying the Lebanese or Israeli flags would not be censored. (Detroit Free Press) 
Happy to Serve Her Country
by Gregg Mattura
As her former Demarest High (NJ) classmates prepare for their first college quiz, Keren Barnea is preparing to serve in the Israeli army. Barnea returned to her native Israel last weekend to serve two years of mandatory military duty at a time when tensions in the Middle East are smoldering. She begins basic training next month. "I'm looking forward to it," said Barnea, 17, who starred for Demarest's volleyball team. "It's my choice."
"You have to pay a price to protect our land," said Barnea's mother, Margalit. "It's not a matter of pride, it's a matter of necessity."
"I could have stayed in college, and then gone when I'm older, but it's my choice," Keren said. "I wanted to go. I wanted to serve my country." (New Jersey Record)
See Also:
Women Soldiers Play Key Role on an Israeli Front - by Bryan Bender
Sergeant Tzipora Schindler , a 2004 graduate of Newton South High School (MA), is on the front lines of Israel's other border war, on the lookout for terrorists and smugglers along the country's southern frontier. Schindler, 20, left her parents in Newton and moved to Israel two years ago, seeking spiritual rebirth after spending part of her childhood in Jerusalem. She quickly volunteered for the only infantry battalion in the Israel Defense Forces that includes women. (Boston Globe)
Muslims from Israel Bring Fresh Views to the Boston Hub
by Charles A. Radin
Al Qasemi College, which was founded in 1989 as the first institute of Islamic higher education in Israel, is trying to export revolutionary openness and liberalism to the wider Islamic world, leaders of the faculty told educators, Jewish leaders, and local Muslims during a four-day visit to the Boston area that ended last week. Speaking at campuses, mosques, and the homes of Muslims, the Al Qasemi faculty said that it is time for Muslims to quit blaming others and examine their own responsibility for the troubles of Islamic civilization; time for Arab Israelis to call themselves Israelis, not Palestinians; and, above all, time for women to have full equality with men in the Muslim world. (Boston Globe)
Palestinian-American Family's Trip to Israel: 'It's Totally Different from What You See on TV'
by Sulaiman Beg
Had it not been for the television, Miriam Awadallah would have had a hard time believing she was in the middle of a war. There was no sound of bombs exploding outside the small Israeli village she visited with her family this summer. No blood. No violence. Just your average everyday life in your average everyday country. From July to August, the Awadallah family stayed with relatives in her father's hometown of Ein Nequba, an Arab village - with a population of more than 1,000 - that sits between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
"My friends were really worried about me," said Awadallah, a 17-year-old senior at Nyack High School. "But I kept telling them I was fine." Life, they said, continued to go on. They mingled with Jews and Arabs during their monthlong stay, which included visits to Jerusalem, Nazareth and Jaffa. In fact, they recalled seeing peaceful people, who worked, shopped and rode the bus together.
Miriam Awadallah said she hoped to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2008 as part of a study abroad program. (Journal News)
What It Means to Be the Eternal Nation: Why I Am Going to Israel
by Meira Faratci
Like many Americans my age, I am in the process of packing–making that emotional, psychological, and physical transition from high school to college. Unlike most, however, my journey has an additional stop along the way: Israel. No, not an end-of-summer vacation nor a family trip; but rather, a yearlong search for my heritage, the answers to my questions about religion, faith, the world, etc., and my identity. Israel? Now? Yes, Israel. Especially now.
As a member of this Am Netzach [Eternal Nation], I see Israel's current war as a difficult and painful challenge, one we would rather live without, and, despite the hardships and losses, one we will surely overcome. This year may not be the quietest or most peaceful, but I do not fear a long journey toward the ultimate destination of peace. As you are reading these words, a large Israeli flag with thick black lettering hangs from the wall of my dorm room in Israel. "Am hanetzach lo mefached mi derech aruca." An eternal nation does not fear a long journey.
The writer is a 2006 graduate of Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago. (Chicago Jewish Community Online)
My Summer in Israel
by Erica Puckett
I knew that going to Israel would be a trip of a lifetime, but I couldn't quite understand how going to Israel was supposed to change me until I returned to Houston. I think that I have matured in the sense that, things that would have bothered me before, like high school "drama" do not even matter that much anymore, and seem pointless.
Most of the teens in Israel are just like American kids. They love rap music and going to parties. However, I was surprised that they weren't upset about having to serve in the military. Another difference is the Israeli teens speak Hebrew and English. In fact, most of the teens we met through our travels spoke at least two languages. It made me realize that most of my American classmates don't take our foreign language studies seriously as we should.
The writer is a senior at the Jack Yates High School in Houston. She was a participant in the Mickey Leland Kibbutz Program. (Crimson Journal, Jack Yates High School, Houston TX) 
‘The Anguished Summer of 2005'
by Abigail Klein Leichman
In two hours, you can see things about last year's pullout from Gaza that could not be written up in a lengthy New York Times analysis. "Home Game," a powerful 120-minute documentary opens with idyllic scenes of everyday life in a Mediterranean coast town. "Beach and basketball - that was the talk of the summer," a teen narrates at the beginning of the film. "Home Game" provides a peek into what should have been a normal July and August for the 410 residents of a sandy, sunshiny agricultural village.
But there was nothing normal about last summer in Netzer Hazani, the locale for this mostly amateur-shot film. Its inhabitants were bracing for the arrival of a much-anticipated annual basketball tournament on Aug. 15, and also for the arrival of soldiers with orders to destroy their entire hometown days later. Would they win in either court?
"Home Game" the Movie tells the story about the last basketball tournament in Gush Katif.
View trailer (New Jersey Jewish Standard)
Iran Nuclear Negotiations
by Connor Strader
Iran, which has been under heavy suspicion of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, has repeatedly claimed that the uranium enrichment process has been only intended for peaceful use. However, offers by the United Nations members to provide nuclear power plants to Iran under the supervision of United Nations countries and inspectors have been largely ignored. Other offers have been made by the UN to provide already enriched uranium, but Iran has also turned down those and similar offers.
"Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm," said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This, taken with recent events and other such diatribes against Israel and Western establishment, has long been viewed as a not-so-subtle threat. (Cougar Clause, Rockingham County High School, Wentworth NC)
A Real Test for the Palestinians
Editorial
The radical Islamist Hamas - which came to power after last January's legislative elections - has been negotiating to form a national unity government with the Palestinian chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, and his Fatah party. Hamas still refuses to say the words necessary to unlock international aid: that it will renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Words are important. But worrying about who said what should not divert attention from what should be the real test of any Palestinian government: whether it will commit to a genuine cease-fire and use its security forces to halt, rather than abet, rocket and terrorist attacks against Israel. (New York Times) Issue of the Week continued
Anti-Semitism Echoes through the UN Halls
After giving the pistol-packing terrorist leader, Yasser Arafat, a hero's welcome in November 1975, the United Nations adopted the infamous "Zionism is Racism" resolution one year later. Only in 1991 was it rescinded. Subsequently, Arab spokesmen have risen to UN podiums to accuse Jews of killing Christian children to use their blood for matzot or that Israel had injected 300 Palestinian children with the HIV virus. This is nothing more then the classic historic lie, "the blood libel."
The hatred and contempt for Israel has been a constant source of shame for an organization which allows dictatorships like Libya, Cuba, China and Syria to sit on the new UN Human Rights Council. This year, UN inaction led to the Israel-Hizballah war. The UN had actually passed the necessary resolutions that could have prevented it. It "talked the talk," but it failed "to walk the walk."
Failures in Lebanon Led to Bloodshed
In 2004, fully four years after Israel left southern Lebanon – areas previously held by Palestinian terrorist groups - the UN passed Resolution 1559 that called "for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias" and "supports the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory."
The resolution, apart from calling for the removal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, called for the disbanding of Hizballah as a military force and for the Lebanese army to deploy to southern Lebanon. Yet, in October 2000, only a few months after Israel withdrew from Lebanon, Hizballah forces in southern Lebanon illegally crossed the Israeli border and kidnapped three Israel Defense Force soldiers. Hizballah terrorists, just like their Palestinian predecessors, set up camps throughout southern Lebanon and even fired rockets into Israel in full view and knowledge of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon. UNIFIL peacekeepers had actually videotaped the abduction in 2000. The United Nations denied possessing any such videotape for almost nine months. On July 6, 2001, The UN finally admitted that they possessed the tape. It was broadcast on Lebanese television last week.
Ignoring Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad
The UN's failure to implement its own resolutions is even more serious in the light of Hassan Nasrallah's rhetoric before the recent conflict. In 2002, the Hizballah leader called on Jews to return to Israel because "If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." Later that year Nasrallah explained that his goal had nothing to do with the liberation of Lebanon, but the complete destruction of Israel. Weeks before the war, Nasrallah gave every indication to the world that he would initiate a conflict when he declared "our nation's willingness to sacrifice their blood, souls, children, fathers, and families" is an advantage over the Jews "who guard their lives."
For more than six years, Hizballah's acquisition of weapons and war preparations matched Nasrallah's words, and UNIFIL sat and watched. Look at those two flags on this page. They are the UN and Hizballah flags photographed flying next to each other in southern Lebanon.
Only after hundreds of deaths, massive damage and thousands of displaced refugees did the UN report for duty. On August 11, the UN passed Security Council Resolution 1701 which, apart from calling for an Israeli withdrawal, again called for the "full implementation of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon."
A new UN force is deploying now in Lebanon. Will they be more effective than their UNIFIL predecessor?
United Nations institutions are supposed to limit and deter nuclear proliferation, but the Islamic Republic of Iran scoffs at the UN. For years Iran was secretly building what appear to be nuclear weapons facilities. The UN Security Council has issued warnings and threats against Iran. Iran has shown absolutely no interest in complying with the UN. European nations have even offered massive incentives to replace Iranian nuclear power, but to no avail. On April 11, 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully enriched uranium, a process that could lead to an atomic bomb.
This is, of course, the same Ahmadinejad who called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and has denied the existence of the Shoah. Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin said, "This threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions, is a matter that the world cannot ignore."
But the United Nations apparently is ignoring the Ahmadinejad threats, just as it ignored Nasrallah's, and just as it ignores the terrible genocidal bloodbath taking place in Darfur, Sudan. It looks like this Rosh Hashana the UN and its leadership needs to do some extra soul-searching and repenting for their sins.
What You Can Do
Many of you attended Wednesday's rally in New York to show support for Israel and to denounce Ahmadinejad's policies. Now relate to your friends and family what you heard – the calls for action, for petitions, and for letters to your elected officials and to candidates. (The Israel HighWay)
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