War crimes
Letter sent to US and UK media:
Dear Sir:
I am willing to accept "War Crimes trials" for Israeli troops fighting in Gaza in 2006, if those who are calling for such trials are also willing to accept the same trials for British and US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq over a period of 6 years the number of civilians killed was ca. 98,521 (according to Wikipedia statistics). In Afghanistan the comparable number is ca. 6,086 (same source) from 2001-2008. Compare that to the IDF estimate of a total of 1,320 killed in Gaza of which 75% were terrorists, for which the IDF has an actual name list of 950, and the rest, i.e. 25% or 330 were civilians. If you believe Hamas statistics or the ridiculously bloated civilian casualties reported by the biased media then you are foolish.
Granted some of these might be terrorists in civilian garb, granted that mistakes happen in war, but these also apply to everyone, including IDF soldiers. In other conflicts, in Sudan (where it is reported millions have been killed), in Sri Lanka (where ca. 67,000 have been killed) and in the Congo, where many more civilians have been killed, there is no comparable call for "war crimes trials" in those conflicts. In fact, as one media outlet said, "there is no reliable independent confirmation of that figure," which is not the same caution applied to the Gaza war by most of the media. They readily broadcast sensationalized videos showing dead bodies when they know that incidents are staged for the camera (different parents carrying the same dead child, staged operations in hospitals, acted out death scenes), and this is a well known Palestinian tactic for winning the PR war when they can't win the military war. And the media and a gullible public fall for it every time.
For example, the issue of "white phosphorous" bombs is a completely manufactured one. The IDF has said that it does not have or use such bombs, but they do use white phosphorous for illumination, which is a use sanctioned by international law. It is likely that some of these caused casualties. But, how many? On Sky news they showed one woman with a bandaged arm several times, and said several others had been burnt, but there was no attempt to confirm this statement. Also, UNRWA, that was the source for such statements, is a full-time paid up wing of the Palestinian cause.
So let's drop this double standard. If IDF soldiers are to be tried for "war crimes" in Gaza then I call on Israeli and European courts to try British and American soldiers too! This attention on Israeli "war crimes" is disproportionate.
Sincerely
Jack Cohen
Netanya, Israel
Dear Sir:
I am willing to accept "War Crimes trials" for Israeli troops fighting in Gaza in 2006, if those who are calling for such trials are also willing to accept the same trials for British and US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq over a period of 6 years the number of civilians killed was ca. 98,521 (according to Wikipedia statistics). In Afghanistan the comparable number is ca. 6,086 (same source) from 2001-2008. Compare that to the IDF estimate of a total of 1,320 killed in Gaza of which 75% were terrorists, for which the IDF has an actual name list of 950, and the rest, i.e. 25% or 330 were civilians. If you believe Hamas statistics or the ridiculously bloated civilian casualties reported by the biased media then you are foolish.
Granted some of these might be terrorists in civilian garb, granted that mistakes happen in war, but these also apply to everyone, including IDF soldiers. In other conflicts, in Sudan (where it is reported millions have been killed), in Sri Lanka (where ca. 67,000 have been killed) and in the Congo, where many more civilians have been killed, there is no comparable call for "war crimes trials" in those conflicts. In fact, as one media outlet said, "there is no reliable independent confirmation of that figure," which is not the same caution applied to the Gaza war by most of the media. They readily broadcast sensationalized videos showing dead bodies when they know that incidents are staged for the camera (different parents carrying the same dead child, staged operations in hospitals, acted out death scenes), and this is a well known Palestinian tactic for winning the PR war when they can't win the military war. And the media and a gullible public fall for it every time.
For example, the issue of "white phosphorous" bombs is a completely manufactured one. The IDF has said that it does not have or use such bombs, but they do use white phosphorous for illumination, which is a use sanctioned by international law. It is likely that some of these caused casualties. But, how many? On Sky news they showed one woman with a bandaged arm several times, and said several others had been burnt, but there was no attempt to confirm this statement. Also, UNRWA, that was the source for such statements, is a full-time paid up wing of the Palestinian cause.
So let's drop this double standard. If IDF soldiers are to be tried for "war crimes" in Gaza then I call on Israeli and European courts to try British and American soldiers too! This attention on Israeli "war crimes" is disproportionate.
Sincerely
Jack Cohen
Netanya, Israel
posted by Jack Cohen at 9:02 AM
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