Blogging for Freedom

The situation in the Middle East has become exponentially more dangerous to world stability with this latest assault by Israel on Lebanon. Pundits, politicians and news heads are quick to claim that Iran and Syria are behind the Hizbullah kidnapping of two Israel soldiers (and killing eight) on the northern border and the Hamas kidnapping of one Israeli soldier in Gaza.  GW has even said from the G8 Summit in Russia that he blames Hamas and Hizbullah directly for making Israel retaliate.  Fox News analysts point to the kidnappings as the starting point of the latest escalation of conflict.

Nobody is mentioning, however, that the kidnapping in Gaza was precipitated by the Israeli shelling of a Gaza beach resort some weeks earlier in which vacationing Palestinian families were killed and wounded. Israel accuses Hizbullah of crossing the border and kidnapping two soldiers. Israeli soldiers have regularly been crossing the border and taking away Lebanese.  Israel is currently detaining over 9,000 alleged members of Hamas and Hizbullah in Israeli prisons.  Of course, the tit-for-tat violence has been going on between the Israelis and the Palestinians since at least 1948. Revenge and retaliation and revenge and retaliation.  In no way do I condone the actions of Hamas or Hizbullah, but terrorism is the same to innocents no matter who's doing it.

Another interesting point no one seems to be mentioning is that Lebanon has a large Christian population.  Hizbullah retains power among the Shia in southern Lebanon (home to huge Palestinian refugee camps that have existed for over 20 years) but Christians comprise a significant presence in northern Lebanon and Beirut - will they be bombed, too?. 

25,000 Americans are caught in Lebanon with no way out. Countries all over the world are trying to evacuate their nationals, but Israel has destroyed the international airport, strategic bridges, main thoroughfares, sea ports and borders with Syria. 

This is our ally? To put it simply - our ally, Israel, is attacking our ally, Lebanon. Israel is bombing civilians, many of whom are Christians. Israel is destroying the infrastructure of a democratic nation and putting it's population under siege. Israel is showing no regard for the safety or lives of 25,000 innocent Americans who just happened to be in country.

And, Bush goes around spouting off about terrorists?