With Friends Like These
By Aaron Goldstein (07/15/06)
Israel finds herself at war once again. Of course, with its neighbors committed to its destruction it has always been at war. But now Israel is fighting a war on two fronts. The first from the Gaza Strip where the Hamas government has ceaselessly fired rockets into Israel and then began kidnapping Israeli soldiers. The second from Lebanon where Hezbollah (backed by Syria and Iran) did much the same and even went into Israel to kill and kidnap Israeli soldiers. Israel was left with no choice but to go into both Gaza and into Lebanon. It should be remembered that Hezbollah is a coalition partner in the current Lebanese government. It should also be remembered that Israel unilaterally withdrew from both Lebanon and Gaza in 2000 and 2005, respectively. Look where it has got Israel now.
Needless to say in times of trouble one finds out whose one friends are really fast. Sadly but unsurprisingly, it would seem that Israel does not have very many friends.
In Great Britain, Dr. Kim Howells, Minister for the Middle East condemned the Israeli air strike in Gaza:
I was gravely concerned to hear of the death of Palestinian civilians, including a mother and her seven children, and a high number of injuries following an Israeli airstrike (sic) in Gaza City today.
We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about Israel’s policy of targeted killings. The killing of innocent civilians, and particularly children, is unacceptable.
We urge on the Israeli authorities to respect their obligation under international law and to take all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties, particularly children. In addition we call for an immediate halt to all rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
Dr. Howells spend the entire announcement condemning Israel and then at the very end tells the Palestinians not to fire rockets into Israel as if it were an afterthought. Does he think Israel does these things for the fun of it? He could have also mentioned the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier. Dr. Howell leaves readers with the impression that the killing of innocent civilians, including children, is Israeli military policy.
Dr. Howells superior Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett was a little better but not by much. While Beckett asserted Israel “has every right to respond to inexcusable acts of provocation” she added:
But while Israel is entitled to do what is required to protect its security, it should do so in a way which does not escalate the situation and which is proportionate and measured, conforms to international law, and avoids civilian deaths and suffering.
Talk about qualified support. By making such a statement Beckett is assuming that Israel will not provide a proportionate and measured approach, will not conform to international law and will not take every precaution to minimize civilian death and casualties.
The President of the European Union (which is currently held by Finland) stated that they were “greatly concerned about the disproportionate use of force by Israel in Lebanon in response to attacks by Hezbollah on Israel…The imposition of an air and sea blockade on Lebanon cannot be justified. Actions, which are contrary to international humanitarian law, can only aggravate the vicious circle of violence and retribution, and cannot serve anyone’s legitimate security interests.”
So how would the EU get itself out of this pickle? What does the EU consider a proportionate use of force? Who is the EU to decide what Israel’s legitimate security interests should be? Israel was attacked inside its borders. Is Israel a sovereign state or is it not?
To be fair, the EU President did call upon Hezbollah to release captured Israeli soldiers “immediately and unconditionally, and to cease all attacks on Israel.” But what if Hezbollah isn’t stirred by the words of the EU President? What if Hezbollah doesn’t release the Israeli soldiers? What if Hezbollah continues to attack Israel? Again, what would the EU have Israel do?
The French government condemned both the Israeli air strike and the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers demanding their unconditional release. Phillipe Douste-Blazy said, “I call on all parties to show restraint and not engage in a cycle of violence in which civilian populations would be the first victims.” Well no, the first victims have been Israeli soldiers. Furthermore, where does Douste-Blazy come off putting Israel on the same moral plane with Hezbollah? How would Douste-Blazy like it if I were to place Charles de Gaulle on the same moral plane with Adolf Hitler? Israel and Hezbollah are not equals. Israel is a legitimate, sovereign democratic country with a Jewish majority. Hezbollah’s raison d’être to destroy that legitimate, sovereign democratic country with a Jewish majority.
Greece got in on the act as well. While Greece, too, called upon Hezbollah to release Israeli soldiers the harshest words were spared for Israel. Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros stated, “Greece calls on the government of Israel to avoid the use of excessive and pointless violence which cannot provide a solution to the problem.”
Excessive and pointless? If Antonaros believes that Israel’s action do not provide a solution to the problem what is Greece’s answer? What does Greece know that Israel does not? Please enlighten us with your wisdom.
Of course, no action against Israel would be complete without the UN getting in on the act as well.
Qatar submitted a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s military incursion into Gaza and calling for Israel’s immediate withdrawal as well as the release of Palestinian officials detained by Israel in addition to the kidnapped Israeli soldier. Fortunately, the resolution was vetoed by U.S. Permanent Representative John Bolton. The U.S. was the only country on the Security Council to vote against the resolution.
This brings me to the silver lining in this article. Israel does have true friends. Not many mind you. But it is often better to have a couple of very good friends than dozens of fair-weather friends such as Britain, France, Greece, the EU and the UN.
Israel has three such friends.
Most obvious is the United States. The Bush Administration has stood by Israel from the outset and has put the pressure where it belongs namely on Iran and Syria.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow stated:
The United States condemns in the strongest terms this unprovoked act of terrorism, which was timed to exacerbate already high tensions in the region and sow further violence. We also hold Syria and Iran, which have provided long standing support for Hezbollah, responsible for today’s violence. We call for an immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah’s actions are not in the interest of the Lebanese people, whose welfare should not be held hostage to the interests of the Syrian and Iranian regimes. We reiterate the international community’s insistence that all parties in the region fulfill their obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1680, and cease all support for Hezbollah.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack was even more blunt:
This was an unprovoked attack. This was on attack on soldiers who are on Israeli territory, Israeli soil, by a terrorist organization.
It is a cynical attempt to provoke a reaction. It’s a cynical attempt to try to escalate tensions in a region where tensions are already high as a result of the acts of Hamas, another terrorist group.
President Bush was even more blunt:
Hezbollah doesn’t want peace. The militant arm of Hamas doesn’t want peace…Israel has a right to defend herself. Every nation must defend herself against terrorist attacks and the killing of innocent life.
I would add Canada to the list of Israel’s friends. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in London visiting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. When asked about the situation in the Middle East, Blair equivocated. While he understood “the desire and need for Israel to defend itself properly” but emphasized that the Road Map had to be resuscitated. “(T)he only solution is that the international community empowers the two sides, the moderates on both sides, to come to a solution.”
Harper then stepped in and clarified the situation at hand:
(T)here are two realities, the specific and general reality. I think escalation is inevitable unless some actions are taken. I think it is essential, I repeat again, that the soldiers be returned. These are soldiers on Israeli soil that were attacked from areas that Israel had evacuated. That is the specific problem. The more general problem, once again, I think it is very difficult to move forward on the road map unless the Hamas government is prepared to accept the principles of the road map, and to this point they have been unwilling to do so, but obviously we would encourage them to do so and Canada would look forward to working solely with that government should it embrace the road map, its previous commitments, a commitment to non-violence and the recognition of Israel.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard can also be counted as one of Israel’s few friends. When asked about the situation by Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio, Howard replied:
The latest incident started because of the Hezbollah incursion into Israel against all of the resolutions of the United Nations, against all of the understandings now of international law.
Do I think it’s appalling? Yes. Am I other than totally appalled at the loss of life on both sides? It is terrible.
Like every other world leader, I would like it to stop.
But you will never have any kind of lasting settlement in this part of the world until two things are accepted – there is an absolute acceptance of Israel’s right to exist in peace and be free of terrorist attacks, and there’s an absolute commitment to the emergence of a Palestinian state.
It is gratifying to know that Israel is not alone in this fight. While the support of the United States, Canada and Australia shows that Israel has friends and good quality friends at that they are still the exception and not the rule. Israel has diplomatic relations with Great Britain, France, Greece and the EU but they are disinclined to show their friendship when their friendship is needed. With friends like these who needs enemies. But enemies is what Israel has in spades. With or without the friendship of their so-called allies, Israel will carry forward. It has no other alternative.
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