two sides of Israeli opinion
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3283720,00.html
07.30.06 Yesha Rabbinical Council:
During time of war, enemy has no innocents
The Yesha Rabbinical Council announced in response to an IDF attack
in Kfar Qanna that “according to Jewish law, during a time of battle
and war, there is no such term as ‘innocents’ of the enemy.” All of
the discussions on Christian morality are weakening the spirit of
the army and the nation and are costing us in the blood of our
soldiers and civilians,” the statement said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284115,00.html
Here lay their corpses by Sever Plocker 31.07.06
The corpses of dozens of Lebanese children, shrouded in sealed
plastic bags are laid down on the scorched and blood soaked ground
of the village of Qana, it is a cursed village. The IDF’s air strike
brought down a building sheltering war refugees….
The images of the corpses are heartbreaking. It’s true that
Nasrallah used the village of Qana to launch rockets towards Israel,
because among other reasons he too was aware of Israel’s reluctance
to bomb the village (which had become a symbol of a merciless
massacre 10 years ago). But this reluctance in itself, does not
acquit, cleanse or sooth the conscience of any Israeli. On a
national level, we are all to blame.. This killing should be on all
our consciences.
Can we explain it? There’s no need to, there is a need however to
take responsibility, to console and to ask for forgiveness. Taking
responsibility is key in such a tragedy. So is asking for
forgiveness. It’s usually difficult for us, as Israelis to ask for
forgiveness - even from one another, and even more so from a
neighboring people. This character trait is perceived by other
nations as a form of Jewish arrogance, as a show of indifference to
the plight of non-Jews, as a stand of continuous victimization.
Looking at the dozens of corpses, there is no room for such a stand.
Let’s just be human beings, completely humane. We’ll weep. Our
powerful stance will not be damaged by this approach. Our enemy’s
will not view us as cowards. The families of the dead will regard us
as human beings, and perhaps will also forgive us…………….