B'Tselem: Don't attack Gaza civilians

[pelsar]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1178708631640&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The group acknowledged that Kassam fire into Israel "is itself patently illegal and constitutes a war crime," and that "the Israeli government must act to defend its civilians from such attacks."

However, the organization said, "the government cannot compensate for its failure to protect residents of Sderot by intentionally causing suffering in Gaza."

notice the differences between the israeli human rights organization and the palestenian

http://www.pchrgaza.ps/

http://www.pchrgaza.ps/files/PressR/English/2007/28-2007.htm

the lead article about the fighting in gaza
The two sides blatantly demonstrated disregard for the lives of civilians, who stayed at homes voluntarily out of concern for their lives. PCHR received information that ambulances were not able to reach areas of clashes on time to evacuate the wounded. These actions violates the principles of international humanitarian law, especially those relevant to the protection of civilians,

note how the kassams on israeli civilians isnt even mentioned in the PCHR: i guess to the PCHR human rights (and others) doesnt include israelis

(I noted that the ISM website doesnt even mention the conflict in gaza...so much for "human rights".)

Whats now becoming glaring obvious is the double standard...or rather its getting harder and harder to ignore

[ohio2007]

1. attack the rocket launchers not the civilians

standing by the launch areas ?

[bemildred]

2. It's about NuttyYahoo's collective punishment idea:

The letter came in response to calls by several MKs to cut off Gaza's water and electricity. According to B'Tselem, intentionally harming civilian infrastructure constitutes prohibited collective punishment and could also constitute a war crime

[pelsar]

4. its about a double standard:

the reaction to netanyahus "cut off the water" : proposal

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x175009

what a sick bastard.

Yeah that will work make them suffer more,

a link; Act of Vengeance: Israel's Bombing of the Gaza Power Plant and its Effects

And I suspect there'd be some who'd insist that what Nutty is wanting to do wouldn't be a war crime either
___________________

the emotion is quite evident in those reactions, yet those same posters reaction to not just a proposal but the actual events of the kassams being used to attack sederot as well as the palestenians shooting up ambulances, hospitals, universities, journalists, children (all considered war crimes) etc is far more benign.

[bemildred]

5. I think B'Tselem gets to decide for itself what it's talking about.

Not posters here on DU. If you want to talk about what you consider to be a double standard, that is your business, but you don't have any right to ascribe it to everyone that takes issue with Israeli policy based on things said by some, and certainly not to B'Tselem, which was careful to be clear about its meaning.

[pelsar]

6. I'm not arguing about B'Tselem

they're an israeli organization that deals with human rights....and they dont seem to have a glaring double standard. Moreso they are partisan to the israeli culture and do have different expectations for it (or so i've come to believe)

my argument which has been here as long as I..is that there is a double standard. One for israel and one for the palestenians. With the latest round of fighting within gaza and with sederot its become very obvious.

Whereas B'Tselem takes issue with israeli govt policy they also dont neglect the israelis:

ISM for instance which is big on claiming human rights issues when it comes to israel, is strangly silent when it comes to the palestenian violations.

other posters here seem to get pretty upset at an israeli knesset members suggestion but are pretty quiet about actual palestenian war crimes, ethnic cleansing lite, etc.

taking issue with israeli policy is one thing...pretending to care about human rights for all, when its clear that its not the case, is another.

[bemildred]

7. As long as we are clear about that, it's fine with me.

It doesn't appear to me that applying a double standard is unique to either side in this dispute, but that doesn't mean you aren't entitled to harp on the part that annoys you.

[pelsar]

8. i actually have a double standard...

and in fact expect less out of the palestenains than i do the israelis.....and i also have a "pecking order" of lives when choices have to be made......i just have a problem with cry of "human rights" when its used selectivity.

i believe we all have different expectations for the different groups involved, i just have trouble when its not admitted.

[pelsar]

3. attacking the launchers...kills civilians

the launchers are many times within civilian populated areas....the missle explosions (and the ensuing explosions from the kassams) have radiuses that go beyond the immediate launcher.

(phasers dont exist yet in the arsenal.......) but that wasnt my point.

my point is the glaring double standard found here as well as within other "human rights groups". Where as what israel does or is imagined that it does gets quite the criticism....yet when the palestenians, do far worse...(and its clear their attacks on civilians/journalists are intentional) we get this "silence", this "lack of outrage" lack of calling for the intl court......though to be fair some posters here are "against the kassams"

i dont mind that it happens....i just think the double standard should at least be admitted (the reasoning can come later)