Moral selectivity and business as usual yet again as Israel's shelling of a residential area elicits nothing more than the usual slap on the wrist from the
An IDF officer claimed that the deaths of some 18 people had been caused by an “error in the aiming devices” – Perhaps the same technical ‘glitch’ which manifested itself during Israel’s peregrination in Lebanon this summer. The glitch which mysteriously causes Israeli heavy artillery to be aimed at Arabs, usually of the civilian, female, and child variety.
It is crap like this which devalues the laws of armed conflict, and makes people want to punch me in the face when I insist that even in the face of such brutality there is still a place for human rights norms. So up yours Peretz, IDF and Olmert.
3 comments:
Actually Peretz, IDF and Olmert are the ones saying up yours to the useless bugg- I mean international community..
What can human rights do if not empowered?
I disagree simply because Olmert and friends have no need to give two fingers to the international community when this community gives Israel virtual carte blanche to behave as it pleases.
My problem with Israel (apart from the fact that it has murdered, chased out and tormented the Palestinians since its creation) is its cynical employment of e.g. law of armed conflict standards to condemn attacks on it, while it wilfully and routinely breaches its own obligations under these laws in a spectacular fashion.
And ironically therein lies the strength of human rights; yes they may be routinely violated, but even those who violate them invoke the very same standards to condemn opponents. So while practically speaking there is no way to force a state to uphold its obligations, human rights nonetheless have a compelling moral authority.
Sounds like the famous arabic saying:
Darabny we baka we saba2ny weshtaka.
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