UN hypocrisy as usual
The UN General Assembly voted 156 to 7, with 6 abstentions, to condemn Israel for the loss of life in Gaza. This shows the consistent extent of UN hypocrisy, it is totally without moral foundation and is completely biased and one-sided! After failing to obtain a Security Council resolution due to a US veto as a result of its one-sidedness, the Arabs went to the General Assembly where there is no problem getting a huge majority for an anti-Israel resolution. The Arab and Muslim States plus the so-called non-aligned (really aligned anti-Western) movement gives the anti-Israel axis 120 votes. In this case the EU voted as a bloc of 25 with them, mainly due to French lobbying for the resolution, then the Russians and their bloc voted for it, giving the total of 156. Only the US, Australia, and several Micronesian nations voted with Israel against. Israel's representative Danny Gillerman walked out of the UN chamber in disgust.
While the resolution mentioned the rocket attacks on Israel, in order to get EU support, the thrust of the resolution condemned Israel for what it has admitted was a mistake, and for which Israel already formally apologized. The resolution, that is not binding, calls upon the Secty. General to send a fact finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate, and calls upon Israel to cease all military action in Gaza, thus it would effectively render Israel defenceless while the rockets continue to rain down. There have been 1,000 rockets since the beginning of 2006, an average of about 4 per day. As Gillerman said the UN resolution can only encourage the Kassam crews to continue their relentless attacks. Today the Israeli Cabinet voted against cooperating with such a one-sided delegation.
As Gillerman also said in his speech, the motion did not mention Hamas, who are responsible for firing the rockets, nor terrorism. Thus, the members of the so-called Quartet, except for the US, who are supposedly standing in judgement over Israel, who have voted to hold Hamas to an international standard of recognising Israel, etc. voted in this case against their own position. The French hypocrisy is as usual extreme, last week the French Ambassador to Israel wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post saying how France supports Israel and how Israelis are wrong to be anti-French! I suggest we all boycott France and French products.
A left-wing demonstration of cars drove thru Sderot today to the Erez crossing into Gaza. They called for an end to violence! Nevertheless 7 rockets landed today, and they were lucky not to be hit by one. A taxi driver in Sderot was hit and is hospitalized. A delegation lead by Bibi Netanyahu also visited Sderot today, but had no answer to the current situation.
In order to reduce the pressure on the children, Arkady Guydamak, a Russian millionaire, has paid to send hundreds of Sderot children to Eilat for a weekend holiday. Others were taken on tours of Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the Government, that seems to be paralyzed, has finally agreed to reinforce school buildings in Sderot. The Cabinet meeting today discussed what to do about the rockets, but came to no decision, pending the formation of a National Unity Government in the PA.
The Palestinians came up with another effective defence today, when the IAF telephoned a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees and told him they were going to hit his house (used as a weapons storage facility), instead of leaving, he called upon locals to gather at his house and a huge crowd acted as a "human shield," knowing that the IAF would not strike for fear of causing civilian casualties. So now the IDF has admitted that they cannot stop the rockets and now they cannot hit back at houses and other facilities. Today they did manage to hit a car in which several gunmen were travelling, who were killed.
The problem is that however many are killed, the Palestinians believe that they are onto a winning strategy, bleeding Israel daily with rocket attacks, and thwarting Israel's response due to international PR pressure and human shield tactics. This leads to loss of Israeli morale and frustration. Either the Israeli Government must act soon to end this fiasco or there will be a crisis. New Minister Avigdor Lieberman has called on the Government to stop attacking houses and to start to assassinate the Hamas leadership. Israel has resisted doing this since Hamas were elected as the Government of the PA. Apart from pounding Gaza cities, this is the only fresh suggestion that might break the stalemate. But, this has been heavily criticized from the left. and could lead to the breakdown of the Olmert coalition Government. Nevertheless it is reported that Defense Minister Peretz is very upset over the amputation of the legs of one of his bodyguards, and is determined to do something. The question is what?
While the resolution mentioned the rocket attacks on Israel, in order to get EU support, the thrust of the resolution condemned Israel for what it has admitted was a mistake, and for which Israel already formally apologized. The resolution, that is not binding, calls upon the Secty. General to send a fact finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate, and calls upon Israel to cease all military action in Gaza, thus it would effectively render Israel defenceless while the rockets continue to rain down. There have been 1,000 rockets since the beginning of 2006, an average of about 4 per day. As Gillerman said the UN resolution can only encourage the Kassam crews to continue their relentless attacks. Today the Israeli Cabinet voted against cooperating with such a one-sided delegation.
As Gillerman also said in his speech, the motion did not mention Hamas, who are responsible for firing the rockets, nor terrorism. Thus, the members of the so-called Quartet, except for the US, who are supposedly standing in judgement over Israel, who have voted to hold Hamas to an international standard of recognising Israel, etc. voted in this case against their own position. The French hypocrisy is as usual extreme, last week the French Ambassador to Israel wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post saying how France supports Israel and how Israelis are wrong to be anti-French! I suggest we all boycott France and French products.
A left-wing demonstration of cars drove thru Sderot today to the Erez crossing into Gaza. They called for an end to violence! Nevertheless 7 rockets landed today, and they were lucky not to be hit by one. A taxi driver in Sderot was hit and is hospitalized. A delegation lead by Bibi Netanyahu also visited Sderot today, but had no answer to the current situation.
In order to reduce the pressure on the children, Arkady Guydamak, a Russian millionaire, has paid to send hundreds of Sderot children to Eilat for a weekend holiday. Others were taken on tours of Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the Government, that seems to be paralyzed, has finally agreed to reinforce school buildings in Sderot. The Cabinet meeting today discussed what to do about the rockets, but came to no decision, pending the formation of a National Unity Government in the PA.
The Palestinians came up with another effective defence today, when the IAF telephoned a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees and told him they were going to hit his house (used as a weapons storage facility), instead of leaving, he called upon locals to gather at his house and a huge crowd acted as a "human shield," knowing that the IAF would not strike for fear of causing civilian casualties. So now the IDF has admitted that they cannot stop the rockets and now they cannot hit back at houses and other facilities. Today they did manage to hit a car in which several gunmen were travelling, who were killed.
The problem is that however many are killed, the Palestinians believe that they are onto a winning strategy, bleeding Israel daily with rocket attacks, and thwarting Israel's response due to international PR pressure and human shield tactics. This leads to loss of Israeli morale and frustration. Either the Israeli Government must act soon to end this fiasco or there will be a crisis. New Minister Avigdor Lieberman has called on the Government to stop attacking houses and to start to assassinate the Hamas leadership. Israel has resisted doing this since Hamas were elected as the Government of the PA. Apart from pounding Gaza cities, this is the only fresh suggestion that might break the stalemate. But, this has been heavily criticized from the left. and could lead to the breakdown of the Olmert coalition Government. Nevertheless it is reported that Defense Minister Peretz is very upset over the amputation of the legs of one of his bodyguards, and is determined to do something. The question is what?
posted by Jack Cohen at 7:50 PM
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