Protesting for peace
Vancouver’s Lebanese community, hopeful peace activists and an unfortunate assortment of Israel-bashing communist-dictatorship supporting Trotskyists made their mark at a protest at the Vancouver Art Gallery yesterday. People gave thumbs up and cars honked as they passed the group of about 50 demonstrators around noon.
Buttons with slogans were also selling briskly (The large ones went for $2.75). “Israel out of Gaza” and “Israel out of Lebanon” were in the mix. I wondered if the buttons were made before or after Palestinians from Gaza attacked Israel and captured a soldier, necessitating the Gaza incursion in the first place. Same goes for whether the buttons were made before or after Hezbollah fired a rocket and attacked soldiers in northern Israel prompting Israel to move back into Lebanon.
I can understand yesterday’s demonstrators being upset at the destruction and death happening far away from our peaceful land. But perhaps a few signs or buttons criticizing the terrorists who started the madness in the first place, or their state sponsors (Iran and Syria) would have been appropriate.
Protesters who ask that one side voluntarily give up its right to defend itself while making excuses for all provocative violence from the other side can’t truly say they are speaking for peace. When these semi-regular protests outside Vancouver’s art gallery start selling buttons like “Hezbollah out of Lebanon” and “Suicide bombing is a crime against humanity”, I’ll be the first in line to buy one.
By the way, I made a short video about the current conflict, if anyone is interested. You can check it out here.
“I can understand yesterday’s demonstrators being upset at the destruction and death happening far away from our peaceful land. But perhaps a few signs or buttons criticizing the terrorists who started the madness in the first place, or their state sponsors (Iran and Syria) would have been appropriate.”
I think this is asking a bit much from a protest group. They are, by nature and definition, terribly one-sided groups of people, out with a simple message. Save impartiality for the media.
The backlash against this operation seems to be because of the inherent disproportional response of Israel. Soldiers are legitimate targets during conflict, and civilians are not. The fact that Israel practiced collective punishment (bombing power plants in Gaza and airports in Lebanon) should also not be overlooked here. Unless 3 kidnapped Israelis are equivalent to hundreds of dead civilians.
Oh, but those deaths were unintentional. I’m sure that makes a difference to those attending funerals.
I don’t know if you read my stuff on U/V or not,
but no matter - most people today are too young
to know the whole story of Israel and how it got
started. In 1948, I was 16, and I recall that some
of our Second World War heroes rushed over there
to help out. Later, in the mid-1960s, while working
in Ottawa with the government, I met an older Jewish
gentleman whom I affectionately called “Colonel”
because he had been once. He was in the British Army
when the formation of Israel began, and he deserted
the British to join the Israelis, almost at day one.
He knew Moshe Dayan personally, and had a letter
of commendation from him framed on his rec-room
wall. He told me the whole story, and it wasn’t
a pretty one. In the earliest days, a lot of the
fighting was done by mercenaries and other hired
guns, and even a few outlaws there for the thrills. And international agreements aside, I was
left with the conviction that Israel basically
stole what it wanted from the local inhabitants,
and burned them out, or chased them off, or killed
them if they didn’t leave. I believe that’s why
there has always been bad blood between the
Palestinians and the Jews over there. And the
Americans have been aiding Israel ever since day
one, with money, arms, and political clout.
They still are doing that, and it’s 58 years later. Talk about your “slow learners”….
Hey, Ray,
I do read your stuff on UV. Interesting take, old timer. You mention the beginning of the Jewish state - but don’t mention that when Israeli leaders declared independence by way of a UN brokered partition plan, it was the Arab neighbors that invaded immediately. The Jewish state has been in a perpetual struggle for survival ever since.
As for the US supporting Israel, that wasn’t always the case… although it’s only just that the world’s premier democracy should lend support to the Middle East’s only democratic state. If the US was only interested in oil, it would have left Israelis to be driven into the sea by their enemies decades ago and simply bought the black stuff from its Arab friends (it being a lot cheaper and easier to simply buy a barrel of oil than send an army over to secure it). Clearly, supporting democracy and human rights are factors in US policy over there.
Clearly, supporting democracy and human rights are factors in US policy over there.
indeed
It is naive at best, and blind at worst, to think that the US dabbles in Middle Eastern foreign policy with fairness and democracy as overarching goals.