Is the American Government blamed for Qana massacre?

Early this morning more than 55 civilians ( aljazeera ) were killed by Israeli shelling to a shelter at Qana in Lebanon. Israel claimed that Hizbollah fired rockets from a place near to that house, but no single international report or finding supported this claim. Olmert, the Israeli PM, refused to start a ceasefire even after the massacre saying that Israel has not fulfilled its targets in Lebanon.Cond. Rice still stands firmly with Israel, without even condemning the attack.

CNN , as usuall, was reporting the Israeli story, which accused Hizbollah of firing rockets from inside civilian areas.

The shameful american role in this conflict is worth mentioning. Not only did the government of the USA supply Israel with hundreds of smart bombs, but it also worked to enable Israel to work freely, without the least international pressure to stop its assault on the lebanese , as well as Palestinian people.
This has been the story with the Palestinians, as well, except that we managed to bring more light on our suffering to the extent that the American government resorts to the VETO to protect its strong ally Israel.

Many innocent people have been killed in Lebanon the last 18 days of 'war' with Israel, with the blessing and direct support of the USA government.
This massacre, together with what happened in Gaza few weeks ago all leads to labeling the Americans as 'targets' for the many 'terrorist' groups. Americans are now being viewd as blind supporters to Israel, and much anger is being directed to them.

It is the policy of the government of the USA that is making life worse for millions of Palestinians and Lebanese. It is the policy of the Amrican government that is feeding terror as we clearly see.

I believe it is time for the American people to take action and push the American government to take balanced and 'just' positions that are NOT biased to any side of this conflict.

How do the American people feel when seeing such horrible assaults on civilians ? Is Israel always right and everyone else is a terrorist or an enemy of peace ???

Collective Punishment ; a Favored Israeli Policy

Civilians are the first to be harmed in almost any armed conflict. It is almost impossible for any army, regardless of the high tech weapons and smart bombs used, to avoid civilian casualties. Civilian casualties are only 'decreased' at the best estimation.

Looking more closely on what Israel is doing in Gaza, and Lebanon now we see two patterns :
1. The Israeli military spokesmen explain that the IDF is doing ' all its efforts' to avoid targeting civilians.
2. IDF military operations themselves are not the main cause of civilian suffering, but the other policies being followed in every miliraty campaign and intervention.

Israel has been involved in military acts against Palestinians since long. The national resistance to occupation was dealt with using extensive military power, and any attempt to stand against occupation ( even the most peaceful ones ) were met with brutality and force ( 'firmly' in the Israeli vocabulary ) Still, this is not the essence of the problem. It is not the Military operations or invasions that violated the international laws. It is the whole Israeli policy towards Palestinians.

Take for example curfews. The whole citizens of a village or a city would be forced to stay home for 2 to 3 days whenever there is a 'military' or 'security' need. The whole population would be deprived from going to schools, universities, hospitals, and work only to " avoid contact with jewish residents in settlements " as is the case in Hebron for example.

Checkpoints are another example of the collective punishment policy. " Israel 's policy is based on the assumption that every single Palestinian is a security threat, thereby justifying restrictions on his or her freedom of movement. This assumption is racist, and leads to sweeping violation of the human rights of an entire population on the basis of national origin. As such. the policy flagrantly violates international law. " ( Btselem.org )

The latest example of collective punishment policy being used by the Israeli governments is the use of sonic booms. Olmert, the Israeli PM said : "Thousands of residents in southern Israel live in fear and discomfort, so I gave instructions that nobody will sleep at night in Gaza." !! Targeting the power plants, bridges, roads, and the already weak infrastructure is another example. These are not 'targets' as they are pure civilian structures.
It is very clear that the suffering of the civilian population is not merely a byproduct of Israel's attacks against militants, It is an intentional part of Israeli policy. ( Bitterlemons.org )

Whether this policy is giving results or not ( which in Gaza and Lebanon cases is giving opposite results ) it is a direct violation to all international and humanitarian laws. ( Palestine Israeli Journal.org )

Is there any evidence that the use of 'collective punishment' policy has ever brought up any results ?
Can such policies be justified even when their results are 'seen' ??
What is the benefit of International Laws then, if a ' veto' can simply end all the embarrassment of violating all human rights laws ?

Excellent Work USA !

Yes ! This is a very wise use of the VITO !! It is supporting the rights of the minority against the overwhelming military power of the majority ! It is protecting the harmless civilians against the brutality of Tanks and Missiles of the oppressor.

Well done USA !
In behalf of all the Palestinians : Thank you so much !

.....................................................................
The US was the only country to vote against the draft resolution put forward by Qatar on behalf of Arab nations. Ten of the 15 Security Council nations voted in favour and four, Britain, Denmark, Slovakia and Peru, abstained.The draft resolution accused Israel of a " disproportionate use of force " that endangered Palestinian civilians, and demanded Israel withdraw its troops from Gaza.

A UN report : Palestinian internal violence (Gaza Strip) increasing.

UN reports :
• 21 June: A bomb went off in a car driven by a member of the Fatah dominated Preventive Security Force (PSF) while travelling in Tel Al Hawwa quarter in Gaza city. Three persons in the car received shrapnel wounds.
• 21 June: Masked gunmen opened fire at two Fatah members when they were near their house in Gizan Najjar area south-east of Khan Younis . The two were taken to Nasser hospital after they sustained gunshot wounds to their legs. ...
• 23 June: A bystander was injured when members of the Hamas dominated Executive
Support Forces (ESF) attacked a house of a member of the PSF in Khan Younis .
• 24 June: A Palestinian man was severely beaten after being kidnapped by an unknown
group of armed men in Gaza City (Gaza Strip).
• 24 June: A PA Intelligence Service officer was shot in both legs after being kidnapped by a group of unknown group of armed men in Al Zahra city south of Gaza City (Gaza Strip).

. ( inter-fractional fights in Gaza 2 months ago )

• 24 June: Armed clashes continued between the ESF and PSF and one PSF member
was injured...
• 24 June: A Palestinian man was injured when unknown armed masked men opened fire
at him in Khan Younis.
• 28 June: Two members of a Palestinian family were killed (an 18 month old infant and a 26-year-old man) and four others injured when a bomb being handled prematurely went off in a house in Khan Younis . ..
• 3 July: A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was injured when an explosive device went off near his house in Khan Younis. ( Casualties related to Palestinian inter-factional fighting, family and community disputes and reckless use of weapons in the Gaza Strip are not included in the weekly figures in Section )


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Two UN reports, issued last weeks (21- June to 03-July 2006) presented amazing data regarding the inter-Palestinian violence inside Gaza alone. Every week tens of Palestinians are being shot, beaten, killed or even kidnapped, the UN reported.
The wide spread of weapons and the absence of the Palestinian security forces are all contributing factors. Most often, the guns that are used in these violence attacks are the 'resistance weapons'. It is obvious that we are moving very quickly into a situation where we have armed groups with different affiliations ( and external funding), fighting each other for authority and power. It is not far that we see these groups fighting for money and personal interests. What has happened in Iraq, Lebanon and almost any civil war might soon be seen here.

I believe that this report, together with other reports and findings of other human rights organizations is of utmost importance and priority. Although the Israeli operation in Gaza is taking all the attention, the consequences of what we are moving towards (as seen clearly from this report) will outweigh any tragic consequences Israel has ever brought about.

Who is to be blamed for this deterioration?

Should we always turn into blaming Israel for every mistake we do?

What can president Abbas do to stop us moving into a civil war?

Olmert vs Mash'al

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Olmert ( from Tel Aviv )and Mash'al ( from Syria ) are giving the orders . . . and those kids are paying the price . . .

Raise your voice to stop this pointless violence . . .

What is it like in Gaza now ?

What is the situation in Gaza?

/... Dr. Virginia Tilley, a professor of political science, currently working in South Africa: No lights, no refrigerators, no fans through the suffocating Gaza summer heat. No going outside for air, due to ongoing bombing and Israel's impending military assault.../
...
/...And yet, even all this misery is overshadowed by a grimmer fact: no water. Gaza's public water supply is pumped by electricity. The taps, too, are dry. No sewage system. And again, word is that the electricity is out for at least six months.../

Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz, July 2 2006 :
/...A black flag hangs over the "rolling" operation in Gaza. The more the operation "rolls," the darker the flag becomes. The "summer rains" we are showering on Gaza are not only pointless, but are first and foremost blatantly illegitimate. It is not legitimate to cut off 750,000 people from electricity. It is not legitimate to call on 20,000 people to run from their homes and turn their towns into ghost towns.../
...
/...The legitimate basis for the IDF's operation was stripped away the moment it began. It's no accident that nobody mentions the day before the attack on the Kerem Shalom fort, when the IDF kidnapped two civilians, a doctor and his brother, from their home in Gaza. The difference between us and them? We kidnapped civilians and they captured a soldier, we are a state and they are a terror organization../

/..Collective punishment is illegitimate and it does not have a smidgeon of intelligence. Where will the inhabitants of Beit Hanun run? With typical hardheartedness the military reporters say they were not "expelled" but that it was "recommended" they leave, for the benefit, of course, of those running for their lives. And what will this inhumane step lead to? Support for the Israeli government? Their enlistment as informants and collaborators for the Shin Bet? Can the miserable farmers of Beit Hanun and Beit Lahia do anything about the Qassam rocket-launching cells? Will bombing an already destroyed airport do anything to free the soldier or was it just to decorate the headlines?../
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Gideon Levy speaks it all.

I think that everyone has to work to put an end to this suffering. The suffering of the Israeli as well as the Palestinian parents who are losing their kids in 'the battle' day by day.

I can understand how much the people can get angry. Their sons are being killed for a reason and for no reason. They can hardly support their family. They are watching everyday the occupation army running its 'operations'. They also watch those who are being convinced that 'fighting' is the best method to get rid of this nasty occupation and its crimes against the palestinian women and children. This is no excuse, though, to target the Israeli civilians living in Sderot and other villages . In the same way we ask for the protection of our civilians from the occupation and its operations, we have to think the same and not let our anger control us.

We , as Palestinians, have to wake up and show the world that we are a people that deserves to live in dignity and freedom. We have to have the power to stand in front of those who desparetely target Israeli civilians and tell them to STOP acting the same way as occupation.

Free this prisoner and show the israeli people that we care about the human life, and that we are STRONG , and we take that strength from our rights as humans not from capturing a soldier or attacking someone's village.