Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Amnesty International's Balance of Blame

LONDON (Reuters) - Amnesty International said on Tuesday Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip had carried out killings, torture and abductions of people accused of helping Israel, during and after the recent Israeli offensive. At least two dozen men have been shot dead by Hamas gunmen and scores of others have been shot in the legs, knee-capped or injured in other ways intended to cause permanent disability, the human rights group said.
Others have been severely beaten, tortured or ill-treated, it said in a report.
Most were abducted from their homes and later dumped, dead or injured, in isolated areas, or found in the morgue of one of Gaza's hospitals. Some were shot dead in hospitals where they were receiving treatment for injuries, Amnesty said.

Amnesty also condemned Hamas rocket attacks into southern Israel before the war and the use of civilians as cover by Hamas during it. But expect Israel's apologists to condemn them as one-sided and anti-Israel the next time they condemn any of Israel's crimes anyway. To that crowd the only position that isn't inherently anti-Israel and antisemitic is 'Israel right or wrong', whether its detention without trial, using white phosphorous on civilians or shelling schools full of civilians.

If (When?) Israelis elect a far right government today that includes vicious racist Avigdor Lieberman and his openly fascist Yisrael Beiteinu party, expect the usual anti-Arab crowd at CanWest and their ideological soul mates among the Conservative/Liberal coalition government to still call anyone criticising Lieberman policies like loyalty oaths for Israeli Arabs and ethnic cleansing of Arab villages antisemites for not falling into line with unstinting support for anything Israel does.

UPDATE: The first exit polls suggest a possible squeaker win by Kadima, which does not mean they won't potentially turn to Lieberman to shore up their right flank.

1 comment:

DougS said...

these were nt "rouge elements, taking the law into their own hands" ; these were murderers, and kidnappers, who's victoms were trying to save [and create] their own state. I like to beleive : even peaceloving.

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