From the perspective of Israel’s military leadership, the nation is never really not at war with any of its neighbors, and at best is just in-between major invasions of those nations.
So when top Israeli military brass like IAF chief Major General Amir Eshel talk about what they’ll target in the next Lebanon War, it is important to keep in mind that those officials envision such a conflict kicking off at literally any moment.
Maj. Gen. Eshel made clear today that Israel’s intention is to launch mass attack on residential areas and that the nation will inflict high civilian casualties while doing so.
When Israel starts talking about massive civilian tolls it’s time to take notice, as in the 2006 war on Lebanon they killed 1,191 Lebanese civilians and that figure was presented by officials at the time as extremely modest and a testament to Israeli “restraint.”
Eshel is now claiming “thousands” of Hezbollah bases in residential areas, and says the intention of the Israeli Air Force is to destroy every single one, civilian casualties be damned.
The idea that there are thousands of anything in Lebanon is more than a little far-fetched, with the whole country amounted to less than 5 million people in an area about half the size of New Jersey. Yet during the 2008 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israel was attacking random police stations on the grounds that literally every one was a “Hamas base,” and Hezbollah’s status as both a militia and a major political party means an awful lot of office space is likely to get classified as “dual use” the next time Israel starts bombing the nation.
Why not just raze Lebanon to the ground with thermobarics and plow it under with monster bulldozers in the next war? It is more efficient that way.
If this happened to Israel humanity could take a sigh of relief and live in a much better world!
I certainly hope that is meant to be sarcastic!
of course it is not sacastic. They are for real and actually represent a group of people who fail to understand they have become what they have. I am sure they actually believe that they are chosen to be superior. I guess they never read the Mohe Diary to understand that the zionist desired the waater of theLatinia river and as early as 1918 they started making plains to have it. Even when the land still belonged to the Ottoman Empire the zionist understand the value of a major river to a desert nation. Once you understand lebanon is not a threat but a source of wealth then you understand the real goal of Israel. The mouths who support the nake agression have always been around even in 1918 as they got us into a european war for their profit. War mongers are really a form of disease.
Why not? It's what the Naz!s would have done…maybe.
Ditz, if you are going to write about this stuff, you should at least make the effort to understand what is being talked about. The "thousands" of bases obviously refers to missile placements. Hezbollah is setting up missile launching sites in and around residential buildings. To remind you, this missiles are sent into Israeli civilian areas, so basically the Israeli army has to choose between Lebanese civilians and Israeli civilians. If you were them, what would you choose?
How about Israel addressing the Palestinian issues in a meaningful way? How about Israel refraining from trying to destroy everyone and everything that questions its policies, as well as discrediting the motivation of those who question its policies. If Israel continues to expropriate, expand, plunder and kill, do you expect the victims being plundered not to resist. With the exception of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, every war Israel has fought, has been provoked and started by Israel.
Israel needs to hit a brick wall and suffer the consequences of its actions instead of being enabled by the U.S., and the U.S. must stop letting its own national interest be compromised by Israel's policies and conduct.
Savages can only act as savages. You expect israel to acknowledge that the rest of humanity also matters? Not going to happen?
Most of the hezbollah military is designed to be defensive. There has been much less attacks on Israel than IDF attacks on/in Lebanon. Israel is a foolish nation who wasted its water resource with a really stupid program of planting trees in a desert. 60 plus years of planting only to learn the trees suck up the water and become a fire danger. It is a hoot to listen to the terminally stupid brag about moving to a desert and making a garden.
There is not right or reason other than to steal the water of Lebanon to attack.
The real problem for Israel is Hezbollan not has extensive combat training thanks to the troubles in Syria and Israel clearly lost the last invasion and probably cannot do anything but bomb woman and children.
Please read 3 great articles here on anti-war.com by Jonathan Cook.: http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cook.php?articleid=95… http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cook.php?articleid=10… http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cook.php?articleid=11…
Seriously, read them. And there are more sources to refute this "human shield" excuse, notably the UN report on the July War. I suspect you haven't been to Southern Lebanon or you'd know that the thought of there being "missile launching sites in and around residential buildings" is ludicrous.
Eshel is yet another deluded one. Israel bombed Lebanon residential areas, bombed apartment buildings, schools, churches, petrol stations, highways, bridges, hospitals etc.
Even after the cease fire was announced Israel returned in a bombing frenzy and peppered Lebanon with millions of cluster bombs. School children and farmers were still being blown up long after the conflict ended yet Israel for years stubbornly refused to hand over the ordinance map to the UN so unexploded bombs could be safely diffused.
Eshel should also take notice that Hezbollah with Iran in tow, fresh from the Syrian conflict and flush with victory has ALL Israel ports in target range. It will be Israel's folly to again underestimate such a formidable opponent. Remember the INS Hanit.
Israel bombed Lebanon residential areas, bombed apartment buildings, schools, churches, petrol stations, highways, bridges, hospitals etc"
"Even after the cease fire was announced Israel returned in a bombing frenzy and peppered Lebanon with millions of cluster bombs"
This is why everyone hates these miserable, arrogant, over-armed butchers. They are long overdue for another punch in the face – and to openly announce plans to wantonly kill civilians means all those fighting back should consider Israeli lives to be just as cheap as they consider the lives of others, ie non Jews.
2006 israeli invasion of Lebanon and others before and overflights now
why EU remains complicit with this hot fascist rage burning down the region. where is the UN, why no expulsion of israel. Is it all just a show and really no one is serious.
It should be noted that the UN Human Rights Council report on the July 2006 War: “Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution S-2/1,” Geneva, A/HRC/3/2 (10 November 2006) concluded that Hezbollah had fought from villages only "when most of the civilian population had departed the area," and that "The Commission found no evidence regarding the use of 'human shields' by Hezbollah."
I thought that's what Israel always does?
They (1) don't usually announce it in advance, and (2) usually lie about it when they do it. This was remarkably forthright.
I find it more than ironical, as well as hypocritical, when someone makes the comment "A religion of peace," in a derogatory fashion when referring to Islam. Yet that same person gets on their hands and knees and cries "Amen," at all of the bombings, blockades and constant incursions into soverieign neighboring countries by the Jewish state with their state of the art, high tech, "Made in U.S.A." weaponary. Incursions which inflict hundreds of thousands of casualties and cause millions of dollars in damages to private property and civilian infrastructure, which breeds still more casualties. A "Religion of Peace," indeed.
Israel has always walked a fine line regarding crimes against humanity – usually just over the line but not far enough to get those defenders of Israeli actions to actually complain loudly. If they actually do what Gen. Eshel promises there won't be enough cover for them to escape reprimand – even from the US.
I would like to believe that there is a red line that the US would not cross – I used to believe there was but today I'm not so sure…but I hope nonetheless.
Curmudgeonvt, US politicians care more about staying in office and if they don't fall in line with Israel they are OUT!!! There is NO hope..
The argument that Israel greatly influences the American electorate is a red herring. In fact, a large segment of the Jewish vote, south Florida and NYC, for instance do not follow the dictates of the Israeli government regarding whom to vote for. Over the years, we've been led to believe otherwise, but the facts don't bear out. What Israel does control is the money that come from the unofficial (non-)lobby groups like AIPAC to those Congesscritters who stray off the Israeli message. Now, you might be able to connect a lack of donation dollars into a campaign coffer and losing office but it is not a guarantee. Personally, and the libertarians won''t like this but I'd rather see publicly funded elections. Put everyone on a level playing field and let the best candidate win – not the one with the most money. But, that's just this old curmudgeon's opinion…
I'm sure there is no "red line" for Israel. The relationship between the two nations is symbiotic, they do each other's dirty work.
Hmmm, I seem to be drawing a blank…what has Israel done FOR the US people recently – say the last 25 years?
If one assumes the interests of the US government/elite are the same as that of the American people, nothing. But I don't make that assumption. I believe America's ruling class perceives a great benefit to maintaining turmoil and instability in the Middle East oil patch, which serves to prop up reactionary monarchs more willing to serve our power than their own peoples, and provide lucrative business opportunities in both the petroleum and arms sectors of the economy. As I said, "dirty work".
Israel is justifying its own destruction.
The IDF is nothing but a gang of murdering war criminals.
Considering that Israel is always on a war footing, and nearly every citizen is liable for some kind of military service at one time or another, can the claim not be made that 'thousands' of buildings and installations are 'dual-use' and therefore to be considered potential military targets in the event of open hostilities?
I'm Jewish, and as much as I don't want to see anything bad happen to Israel or its people- which includes at present the Palestinians- those boys really have to get their act together and stop the saber-rattling like this. All it does is create regional problems and gives us a bad name in many circles.
Israel said it targeted civilians in 2006 because of Hezbollah being there. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International confirmed that was a lie.
I bet you this new statement and plan is part of Israel trying to provoke a response from Iran that would then be used as a pretext for Israel and probably also the US attacking Iran.