israel invades southern lebanon again

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Thursday July 13, 2006 00:00 by raymond deane - ipsc

history repeats itself as tragedy

Today, Wednesday 12th July, Israel has again invaded Southern Lebanon from which it withdrew only 6 years ago, having brought about the futile slaughter of some 18,000 - 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. This new invasion is "in response" to the capture by Hizbullah guerrillas of two Israeli soldiers. Today also Israel butchered a further two dozen civilians in Gaza, including an entire family of 9 adults and children.

According to Conal Urquhart and Chris McGreal in the Guardian, Wednesday July 12, "Israeli tanks and troops invaded southern Lebanon today amid a series of military disasters for the government in Jerusalem after Hizbullah captured two soldiers and killed several others - compounding a political crisis over an abducted soldier held in Gaza. The Israeli air force killed a family of nine, including seven children, in a large bomb attack on a Gaza City house.
Hizbullah said it would not exchange the two captured soldiers until Israel agrees to release all Arab prisoners. Palestinian militias holding Corporal Gilad Shalit in the Gaza Strip have demanded that all Palestinian women and young people held in Israeli jails be freed.
Several other Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting after the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, ordered his forces into Lebanon in an attempt to rescue the soldiers captured today. "

And so it goes. The USA has blamed Syria and Iran, which is predictable. Alas, also predictably, the European Union has failed and will continue to fail to express even the mildest criticism of Israel for its monumentally disproportionate response to the perfectly legitimate capture by uniformed combatants of soldiers engaging in upholding illegal policies. Israel's fearsome butchery and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza is straighfacedly described by the Americans as "self-defence".

Watch for either uneasy silence or weasel words calling for "restraint" from Dermot Ahern. Remember those Apache helicopters transported to Israel through Shannon Airport, and the Israeli Air Force jets nestling on Shannon's runways while their passengers - possibly wanted war criminals - live it up in the Great Southern Hotel. Remember the essential parts provided by Irish software companies for Israeli missile systems. Ireland is in this up to its neck.