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March 24, 2011

Why Amira Hass Is Against the Firing of Qassams

Hass sderot Qassam.jpg

An injured woman after a rocket attack on Sderot

Amira Hass's Op-Ed yesterday, "The sanctity of the soaring Qassam," provides a fascinating look into the depths of her psyche.

In a display of verbal gymnastics, Ha'aretz's Hass attempts to explain to Hamas why the group should not fire Qassams at Israel. Why gymnastics? Because instead of simply saying, "Don't fire Qassams in populated areas because it is a crime against humanity and wrong," she speaks in terms of tactical interests.

Hass explains that Qassam attacks enables Hamas "to put on an act of being an army, one that targets civilians, and thus provide Israel with more ammunition for its victim show."

Hass gives additional reasons why Hamas should not fire rockets:

It's wrong to provide [Israel] with pretexts that would enable it to once again put Gaza's children and old people through an ordeal like Cast Lead, or even one half as bad.

And

The Qassams merely feed Israel's madness. It is not the Qassams that will ensure the Palestinians, both in and out of Gaza, a life of dignity. It is not the Qassams that will topple the Israeli walls around the world's largest prison camp.

Despite several attempts to explain why Hamas should not fire Qassam rockets, she never once mentions the significance of firing on civilians. Hass is simply not capable of just once simply saying: shooting rockets at civilians is a wrong and unjustified act. Period.

Her total lack of feeling for the lives of Israelis is on display when she states:

Who cares that the "appropriate Zionist response" to 50 mortar shells, which sowed fear but did not kill, was the killing of two 16-year-olds?

It is pure luck that the Qassams only "sowed fear but did not kill." Is Hass waiting for someone to (once again) be killed by Qassam fire before she will acknowledge that indiscriminate firing on civilians is wrong?

Beyond the fact that it has been a matter of luck that the mortars did not kill anyone in this round, Hass is completely unconcerned about the emotional trauma suffered by those who lived through 50 mortar attacks (as well as thousands of rockets over the last decade). Will Hass so easily dismiss Israeli strikes in Gaza that result in damage but not death?

-- By Yishai Goldflam. To see the Hebrew version of this blog post, visit Presspectiva, CAMERA's Israeli site.

Posted by TS at March 24, 2011 08:36 AM

Comments

bs'

u dont stres that the lac of civlian protection in Gaza is a war crime

& Israel avoids casualties thru complying with its duty to provide early warning & shelters

Posted by: emes at March 24, 2011 02:37 PM

no one is better at digging tunnels than GAZANS - if they really didn't want dead 'civilians' they would make some bomb shelters. They prefer to trot out victims for a photo op willing given by AP and Reuters. - Israelis are not dying b/c they hide underground (if they can run fast enough) during these frequent shellings.
Will the world be happy if JEWs remain in the streets and DIE in EQUAL PROPORTIONS? no.WHY? b/c no matter what ISrael dfoes is wrong unless they commit mass suicide, march into the sea and drown.

and YEs ISrael world, Like any nation, WILL not accept being fired upon. Israel should not award these attackers and murderers, with more land or concessions.
ENOUGH.

Posted by: Isahiah62 at March 25, 2011 05:09 PM

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