History of Israeli Strikes on Neutral Targets

Israel has had a history of military strikes on neutral targets, especially when those neutral targets continue to provide hindrances to Israel to prevent them from attacking civilians. Lets look historically at Israel’s record in just such instances. And keep in mind, one time is an accident, two times is suspicious but 3 and 4 times are blatant attempts to silence their critics.

(1)As we all know, Israel once again, bombed a UN position, this time killing 4 soldiers from four different nationalities, China, Austria, Finland and Canada. (According to Israeli logic, if one soldier dies or is kidnapped, it is cause for an all out war. So China, Austria, Finland and Canada need to pay a visit to Tel Aviv with some bombers.) When Israeli troops were firing around the position, the UN observers contacted them 6 times saying that the bombing was just getting closer, not farther away. What they didn’t realize was that Israel was using their calls as targeting information. Basically, when the UN called in that the strikes were hitting 200 yards south of their position, the Israeli jets aimed 200 yards north of the last strike. The were acting as their own FAC (Forward Air Controllers) and Israel was using this information to target the position. After dropping 14 bombs on the position and killing the 4 observers, the rescue operation had to continue under constant Israeli bombing. Does this sound like an accident to you? (2)Also, just a little over a week ago, Israel hit another UN position on Monday with artillery fire wounding 5 Ghanaian soldiers, but did not kill any and so it got little press. (3)Last week another UN outpost was hit with Israeli tank fire injuring 1 Indian soldier.

We have to remember that the UN and Kofi Annan has been very outspoken critics of Israel’s ongoing, show of force, against civilian targets. And historically, Israel has shut up its critics, or at least those who were trying to stop their murderous killings by bombing a strategic interest, or killing their civilians.

(4)We certainly can not forget the Grapes of Wrath incident in 1996 in Qana in which, once again, a UN observer post came under fire from Israeli troops. The UN was at that time also, applying serious pressure to Israel to cease its operations in Lebanon. However, the UN observer post was considered a place of refuge for Palestinians looking for a safe location to get out of the bombing. With over a thousand civilians in unprotected areas, the Israeli government decided to bomb the observer post in a massacre that killed 106 Palestinian women and children. And of course we know that Israelis believe it is their right to kill Palestinians on a whim. So when the opportunity arose, the commanders of the military chose to bomb this area and so to speak, kill two birds with one stone.

(5)As an American, we can not forget the attack of the American warship the USS Liberty by Israeli torpedo and Jet bombers in 1967. Even though the intent of Israel is disputed to this day, I have no clue how they could have mistaken an American warship for any Egyptian vessel when they had no ships of that class and size. However, at that particular time, the US was brokering peace in the region. It had granted Israel the latitude to pursue the Egyptian forces across the Sinai, but not across the Red Sea. Word was sent to Tel Aviv that the US would intervene if Israel crossed the Red Sea. Israel sent word back that their troops were fighting and that it would be at least a week before they reached the Red Sea. US intelligence over flights showed that the Israelis had already reached the Red Sea and were preparing to cross. The US confronted Israel with the photos, thus halting the crossing and ongoing slaughter of civilians. Shortly afterwards, Israeli commanders made the decision to strike the USS Liberty which was acquiring intelligence data in the Mediterranean. In an article by David Walsh, he interviewed over 500 senior leaders from America and Israel, commanders from both sides and individuals on board the ship and concluded that, Most senior US government officials of the era and nearly every senior intelligence official agrees -- often based upon study of intercepted communications -- that Israeli forces deliberately attacked a ship they knew to be American. Then Secretary of State Dean Rusk is quoted as saying, “I was never satisfied with the Israeli explanation… Through diplomatic channels we refused to accept the explanations. I didn’t believe them then, and I don’t believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous.” I think it is repetitive to state the obvious but these guys are our friends?

With the previous considerations and with the news of Iranian volunteers making their way through Syria to fight against Israel, Israel will take this as a green light to try to strike these individuals while still in Syria. It will once again be Israels wish to drag the entire region and the US into a broader war. Mark Har Megiddo (the hill of Megiddo) or Armageddon on your map, it is in the Jezreel Valley, where rockets and bombs are falling right now.