Of course Hamas killed the baby
Alan M. Dershowitz, GATESTONE INSTITUTE
The recent disclosure that Omar Misharawi, the baby son of BBC reporter Jihad Misharawi, was actually killed by an errant Hamas rocket rather than by an Israeli missile, should have absolutely no moral implications. Of course the baby was killed by Hamas. He would have been killed by Hamas even if the missile that ended his life had been fired by Israel. Hamas is totally and wholly responsible for this death, as it is responsible for every civilian death in Gaza and in Israel. It is Hamas that always begins the battle by firing rockets at Israeli civilians. Generally Israel does not respond. When it does, its rockets occasionally kill Palestinian civilians. That’s because Hamas wants Palestinians civilians, especially babies, to be killed by Israelis rockets. They want Palestinian babies to be killed precisely so that they can display the kind of photographs that were shown around the world: a grieving father holding his dead baby, presumably killed by an Israeli rocket. For years, I have called this Hamas’ “dead baby strategy.” The recent United Nations finding simply confirms the reality of this cynical strategy.
The errant rocket that killed Omar Misharawi was fired by Hamas terrorists from a densely populated civilian area adjacent to the home of the BBC reporter Jihad Misharawi. Hamas selects such locations for firing its rockets precisely so that Israel will respond by firing into civilian areas and killing Palestinian civilians. They regard such dead civilians as “shahids”, or martyrs for the cause. It is better for Hamas’ publicity campaign if the rocket that kills the Palestinian baby was fired by the Israeli Defense Forces, but even if the rocket was fired by Hamas terrorists, Hamas will claim, as they do regarding this death, that the lethal rocket was fired by Israel. Often the evidence is inconclusive, though the forensic evidence in this case points clearly to a Hamas rocket.
The important point is that it doesn’t really matter who actually fired the rocket that killed the baby. The baby was killed by Hamas as part of a calculated strategy designed to point the emotional finger of moral blame at the IDF for doing what every democracy would do: namely, defend its civilians from rocket attacks by targeting those who are firing the rockets, even if they are firing them from civilian areas. As President Obama said when he visited Sderot shortly before becoming President:
The first job of any nation state is to protect its citizens. And so I can assure you that if…somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.
Babies like Omar Misharawi will continue to die in Gaza and in Israel so long as the world media continues to serve as facilitators of Hamas’ dead baby strategy. Every time a picture of a dead Palestinian baby being held by his grieving parents appears on television or on the front pages of newspapers around the world, Hamas wins. And when Hamas wins, they continue with their deadly strategy. The media, therefore, is complicit in the death of Omar Misharawi as it is in the deaths of other civilians who are victims of Hamas’ dead baby strategy. Pictures of dead babies in the arms of their grieving fathers are irresistible to the media. That won’t change. What should change is the caption. Every time a dead Palestinian baby is shown, the caption should explain the strategy that led to his or her death: namely that Hamas deliberately fires its rockets from areas in which babies live and into which Israel must fire if it is to stop its own babies from being killed.
It may sound heartless to claim that Hamas wants its own babies to be killed as part of its strategy of demonizing Israel. But there is no escaping the reality and truth of this phenomenon. Indeed it has been admitted by Hamas leaders such as Fathi Hammad:
For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children. This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: “We desire death like you desire life.”
Of course these Hamas leaders don’t desire their own death. They build shelters for themselves and for the terrorists who fire the rockets at Israeli civilians. As soon as these rockets are fired from crowded civilian areas, the terrorist scurry into below-ground shelters, leaving babies, women and other civilians in the path of Israeli rockets that target the rocket launchers. This isn’t martyrdom by the leaders and terrorists. It is cowardice. That too is part of the dead baby strategy: make martyrs of babies, while the leaders and terrorists hide in shelters. In Israel, it is precisely the opposite; shelters are for civilians; soldiers put themselves in harm’s way. That’s why the following illustration sums it all up:
That image my be the ideal
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/large/165.jpg
But unfortunately the IDF is as human as the rest of us and does use human shields.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjEd4hJNVCE
Curious, you are full of shit.
Did you look at the video? I was telling the truth.
This is not a condemnation. All armies do this.
An israeli concert pianist was prevented from performing for a South African audience because of a mob of protestors blowing vuvuzellas. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4356686,00.html – I googled for more info about the pianist and I found a South African site that says that he supports Palestinian independence. That same website had an editorial about the violent nature of the country, which leads one to see how rabid hatred for Israel often flourishes in the most depraved and violent societies.
A South African writes about their violent streak: “Statistics don’t lie – we are indeed a violent nation – The latest police statistics: we murdered, tried to kill, assaulted or raped nearly half a million people in a year – 469,303 to be precise. 50,000 of them children.” http://www.dispatch.co.za/insight-statistics-dont-lie-we-are-indeed-a-violent-nation/ –
These are the people who feel morally entitled to criticize Israel.
@ CuriousAmerican:
The IDF, they should use YOU for a human shield!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, there is an intelligent response </sarcasm>
@ CuriousAmerican:
Disagree; it’s both intelligent and honest.
@ Canadian Otter:
Israel was right to support the previous SA Apartheid state. We knew what would be the alternative. The white population know in their heart of hearts that they have no long term future in Africa. They live in heavily guarded enclaves and their homes are fortified like modern forts.
Please tell me in 100 words or less why discrimination against Blacks – especially in Africa – was okay, but discrimination against Jews is wrong.
Please tell me in 100 words or less why discrimination against Arabs is okay, but discrimination against Jews is wrong.
I guess it all depends on whose ox is being gored.
CuriousAmerican Said:
Little Tiny Israel has done more for black Africans than has America and all of white Europe.
Was Israel rewarded for our efforts and investment when we asked for their or some reciprocal support? Nada!! A Savage is a Savage. Now anyone with a little insight would have anticipated the results of breaking down the apartheid state giving the blacks political power and today the whites are only tolerated because they are still needed to run the country if not they would have been massacred. Today they are robbed, mugged and raped not to mention murdered. If the situation today is weighed against white brutal discrimination against blacks from a white POV apartheid is preferable.
From an Israeli POV we lost a friend and gained an enemy. I prefer the friend based on interests over an enemy.
As for Jews being discriminated against? Bothers some but I believe the Jews know how to handle it. My uncle in the 1930′s was refused access to a Hotel in the Adirondack Mountains. He later bought the hotel and fired all of the staff. Don’t worry about Jews.
@ yamit82:
you are right yamit82, this FB page even though associated to jew-haters, provides some data: https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheWhitePeopleInSouthAfrica
” Stacey van Adder Jean Niemand- i will keep you & your family in prayer.i am so sorry to hear the conditions you aré living in.like many americans, in 1994, i thought nelson mandela was a hero.that was then. . .as more and more white south africans move to my área, i have heard the most shocking and terrifying stories about the anc. Most of the sa emigrees told me most if not all of their families has fled & most left in fear for their lives with not much more than the clothes on their backs.God help south áfrica! ”
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheWhitePeopleInSouthAfrica
Now please tell me in 100 words or less why stereotyping blacks is okay, but stereotyping Jews is not.
People stereotype Jews. I am sure that upsets you.
CuriousAmerican Said:
yamit is not stereotyping. It is a fact that most in SA have prejuice against Israel, willful ignorance,
He referred to them as Savages. This is the stereotype I was referring to.
CuriousAmerican Said:
How would you describe them? Enlightened? Civilized?
Savages:
adj.
1. Not domesticated or cultivated; wild: savage beasts of the jungle.
2. Not civilized; barbaric: a people living in a savage state.
3. Ferocious; fierce: in a savage temper.
4. Vicious or merciless; brutal
5. Lacking polish or manners; rude.
n.
1. A person regarded as primitive or uncivilized.
2. A person regarded as brutal, fierce, or vicious.
tr.v.
1. To assault ferociously.
2. To attack without restraint or pity
@ yamit82:
I doubt yamit is generalizing. Of course not all the community are savages. But the ones that entertain happily their conspiratorial lies, their jew-hating theories, are savages. Only savages can hate so freely and with pleasure.
CuriousAmerican Said:
Not really!
@ yamit82:
thank-you Darlin,I’m busy today prepareing St.James Joyce Day corned beef and cabbagenew potatoes, Lemon Squares, my cousin Ester’s [a renouned cook] recipes,yawl come.
@ yamit82:
It upsets me when Jews stereotype their fellow Jews.
@ yamit82:
I LIKE your Uncle,I LOVE macho Jews. Don’t back up ,don’t back down.
@ CuriousAmerican:
A hundred words or less? Sugar Pie are you a Lberal East Coast college professor at a small liberal arts college,Benington perhaps.
Honey Bee Said:
Uncle Joe was a professional Boxer when he was young. If he was unable to purchase the hotel he would have had someone burn it down. He had mob connections, he was in the (used car business
).
@ yamit82:
Are you sure your not Italian?
Honey Bee Said:
I thought this site already had a resident “professor”
Curious American Said:
Your posts always contain red herrings and tangents meant to confuse and distract Jews from the issues of interest to them. It absolutely does matter whose ox is being gored. There are enough in the world looking after the interests of others so focusing on the Jews faults and errors here is a distraction and a tactic with an obfuscating agenda. It is a waste of time to be discussing discrimination and stereotyping and whether the Jews do it too(which is your repetitive mantra) You always want posters to get carried away on philosophical distractions using moralities which are never applied to the Jews. You think you are wearing a mask which hides your motives. This is true but you are also stark naked(emperors clothes?) It is the absence of the moralities you always summon, with regard to Jews, which is glaring. You have some reasonable perspectives to offer, so cease these obviously unattractive and obvious behaviors!
I expect SA to continue into the abyss as long as they curse the jews, similarly Europe and the arabs: after all, hasn’t Hashem stated this?
@ Bernard Ross:
Who Youuuuuuuuuuuu I haven’t attacked you yet, I always attacked my proffesors, I was the that bright annoying kid you loved to hate.
Honey Bee Said:
I wasn’t referring to me as the “professor” You’ll have to guess.
@ Bernard Ross:
i don’t like guessing, no Lemon Squares for you
CuriousAmerican Said:
Here is some stereotyping: Jews have won 25% of all real Nobel Prizes (not the Nobel Peace Prize). This is one of the things that upsets the world, maybe even you.