<p>No, Israel is not the aggressor. She is the victim who has the courage to strike back. Why is then she is being shunned by the UN and our academia/media/liberals? Here's a thread dedicated to clear out any myths regarding Israel. This won't change the minds of any hardcore liberals/terrorist sympathizers. I urge everyone to please look at facts and think instead of being swayed by media images. No flaming please.</p>
<p>Myth 1: "Israel violates the human rights of the Palestinian Arabs."</p>
<p>Fact: Israel granted full citizenship to all of the Palestinian Arabs who fell within its borders after the War of Independence. Arabic is an official language in Israel. Israel remains to this day one of the few countries in the Middle East where Arabs can legitimately vote--and it is the only one where women can vote. </p>
<p>Myth 2: ""The Arab states have had to keep pace with an Israeli-led arms race."</p>
<p>Fact: Egypt received the Soviet IL-28 bomber in 1955. It was not until 1958 that France provided Israel with a squadron of comparable Sud Vautour twin-jet, tactical bombers. In 1957, Egypt obtained MiG-17 fighter planes. Israel received the comparable Super Mystere in 1959. Egypt had submarines in 1957, Israel in 1959. After the Egyptians obtained the MiG-21, the Israelis ordered the Dassault Mirage III supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber. Egypt received ground-to-air missiles--the SA-2--two years before Israel obtained HAWK missiles from the United States. Later, Washington reluctantly agreed to sell Israel Patton tanks. </p>
<p>Myth 3: "Israel has been an expansionist state since its creation."</p>
<p>Fact: Israel's boundaries were determined by the United Nations when it adopted the partition resolution in 1947. In a series of defensive wars, Israel captured additional territory. On numerous occasions, Israel has withdrawn from these areas. As part of the 1974 disengagement agreement, Israel returned territories captured in the 1967 and 1973 wars to Syria. Under the terms of the 1979, Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Israel withdrew from the Sinai peninsula for the third time. It had already withdrawn from large parts of the desert area it captured in its War of Independence. After capturing the entire Sinai in the 1956 Suez conflict, Israel relinquished the peninsula to Egypt a year later. In September 1983, Israel withdrew from large areas of Lebanon to positions south of the Awali River. In 1985, it completed its withdrawal from Lebanon, except for a narrow security zone just north of the Israeli border. That too was abandoned, unilaterally, in 2000. After signing peace agreements with the Palestinians and a treaty with Jordan, Israel agreed to withdraw from most of the territory in the West Bank captured from Jordan in 1967. A small area was returned to Jordan and the rest was ceded to the Palestinian Authority. The agreement with the Palestinians also involved Israel's withdrawal, in 1994, from most of the Gaza Strip, which had been captured from Egypt in 1973.</p>
<p>*Myth 4: Israel is attacking and killing hundreds of Lebanese civilians. *</p>
<p>Fact: Why are civilians dying? Because Hezbollah is hiding among civilians, using villages, mosques and even private homes to store and manufacture weapons caches that include 12,000 missiles.</p>
<p>This creates a conundrum for the Israeli military, where Hezbollah wins either way: If the IDF shies away from attacking because of the proximity of civilians, Hezbollah's terror infrastructure remains in place. And if the IDF attacks, no matter how carefully, there will be collateral damage -- triggering condemnation in the media, and emboldening Hezbollah to operate from civilian areas.</p>
<p>Following the missile strike that killed civilians in Qana, Israeli officials showed aerial footage taken two days earlier of Katyusha rockets being fired near houses in Qana, and of a Katyusha launcher firing missiles and then being driven into Qana and hidden inside a house. Further, two days before the strike, the Israeli military's Al-Mashriq radio that broadcasts into southern Lebanon warned residents their villages would be "totally destroyed" if missiles were fired from them. Leaflets with similar messages were dropped in some areas one day before.</p>
<p>The link: <a href="http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3283794,00.html%5B/url%5D%5B/color%5D">http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3283794,00.html</a></p>
<p>Myth 5: Israel is needlessly targeting Lebanon's civilian infrastructure.</p>
<p> Fact: Prior to the fighting, Lebanon was recovering from a long, destructive civil war. Last year's "Cedar Revolution" against Syrian occupation gave the world high hopes for the possibility of a new Lebanon. Tourism was on the rise, business was improving, and national infrastructure was being rebuilt.</p>
<p>Hezbollah has now used this infrastructure to support its own violent agenda. For years, weapons shipments passed through the capitol's international airport, across the Beirut-Damascus highway, and through various coastal ports. That's why Israel has been forced to bomb the transportation network, to hinder the arrival of arms from Syria/Iran, and to stop Hezbollah from moving the kidnapped Israelis out of the country.</p>
<p>Other Israeli strikes have targeted telephone links used by Hezbollah to communicate, Hezbollah offices, banks that handle their money, and TV transmitters from which Hezbollah's Al-Manar station is broadcast. (they're the ones who spread the story that 9-11 was an Israeli plot -- a version of events now accepted by majorities throughout the Muslim world). </p>
<p>Myth 6: Hezbollah has a justified grievance and is being provoked by Israel.</p>
<p>Fact: Charles Krauthammer said it best:</p>
<p>
[quote]
What's the grievance here? Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely in 2000. It was so scrupulous in making sure that not one square inch of Lebanon was left inadvertently occupied that it asked the United Nations to verify the exact frontier defining Lebanon's southern border and retreated behind it. This "blue line" was approved by the Security Council, which declared that Israel had fully complied with resolutions demanding its withdrawal from Lebanon.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>In the meanwhile, Hezbollah has created a mini-state inside of Lebanon -- with territory, weapons and soldiers. Over the past six years, Hezbollah has launched dozens of attacks across the internationally-recognized border on both civilian and military targets within Israel. </p>
<p>The current crisis began on July 12, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli towns and cities in an unprovoked attack, and then crossed the border killing eight Israeli soldiers engaged in routine patrol and kidnapping two more.</p>
<p>Hezbollah "claims" that it is fighting over Shebaa Farms, a small tract of land where the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria converge. The UN maintains that Shebaa Farms was captured from Syria in 1967, and is subject only to Israeli-Syrian agreement.</p>
<p>Shebaa Farms is a thin smokescreen. Hizbullah's goal is the total destruction of Israel, plain and simple. (Read the Hizbullah charter, and Hezbollah's goals in their own words.)</p>
<p>Even Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have now chastised Hezbollah for its "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts."</p>
<p>Myth 7: Lebanon bears no responsibility for the actions of Hezbollah.</p>
<p>Fact: According to UN Security Council Resolution 1559, it is the responsibility of the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and to assert Lebanese sovereignty in southern Lebanon. </p>
<p>The Lebanese government has completely failed in this regard, standing by while Hezbollah has assembled weapons stockpiles and entrenched itself in Lebanese towns. </p>
<p>Further, Lebanon cannot claim disassociation: Hezbollah is actually part of the Lebanese coalition government, holding two seats in the cabinet!</p>
<p>The irony of all this is that most of the world -- including the Lebanese population -- hopes that Israel will succeed in doing the job that the Lebanese army has not: liberating southern Lebanon from Hezbollah rule, and giving it back to the Lebanese.</p>
<p>Let's all do our part to promote the facts, and to help Israel win its battles on all fronts.</p>
<p>Myth 8: Israel is no better than Palestine/Lebanon/other Arab states.</p>
<p>Fact: The Israelis and the Palestinians are not morally equal
Israel is the only free country in a region dominated by Arab monarchies, theocracies and dictatorships. It is only the citizens of Israel - Arabs and Jews alike - who enjoy the right to express their views, to criticize their government, to form political parties, to publish private newspapers, to hold free elections. When Arab authorities deny the most basic freedoms to their own people, it is obscene for them to start claiming that Israel is violating the Palestinians' rights. All Arab citizens who are genuinely concerned with human rights should, as their very first action, seek to oust their own despotic rulers and adopt the type of free society that characterizes Israel.</p>
<p>Myth 9: The land does not belong to Israel</p>
<p>Fact: Israelis have a right to the land
Only Israel has a moral right to establish a government in that area - on the grounds, not of some ethnic or religious heritage, but of a secular, rational principle. Only a state based on political and economic freedom has moral legitimacy. Contrary to what the Palestinians are seeking, there can be no "right" to establish a dictatorship. </p>
<p>As to the rightful owners of particular pieces of property, Israel's founders - like the homesteaders in the American West - earned ownership to the land by developing it. They arrived in a desolate, sparsely populated region and drained the swamps, irrigated the desert, grew crops and built cities. They worked unclaimed land or purchased it from the owners. They introduced industry, libraries, hospitals, art galleries, universities-and the concept of individual rights. Those Arabs who abandoned their land in order to join the military crusade against Israel forfeited all right to their property. And if there are any peaceful Arabs who were forcibly evicted from their property, they may press their claims in the courts of Israel, which, unlike the Arab autocracies, has an independent, objective judiciary - a judiciary that recognizes the principle of property rights.</p>
<p>I shall add more if needed. I have to credit my sources, without which the above list would be rather hard to compile. </p>
<p>Myths 1-3: <a href="http://www.raptureready.com/rr-israel.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.raptureready.com/rr-israel.html</a></p>
<p>Myths 4-7: <a href="http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/middleeast/Lebanon_Myths_and_Facts.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/middleeast/Lebanon_Myths_and_Facts.asp</a></p>
<p>Myths 8-9:
<a href="http://www.israelismoral.com%5B/url%5D">www.israelismoral.com</a></p>
<p>Supplemental reading:</p>
<p><a href="http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4751%5B/url%5D">http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4751</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4739%5B/url%5D">http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4739</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4740%5B/url%5D">http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4740</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4738%5B/url%5D">http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4738</a></p>
<p>After reading:</p>
<p>"Fact: Israelis have a right to the land
Only Israel has a moral right to establish a government in that area - on the grounds, not of some ethnic or religious heritage, but of a secular, rational principle. Only a state based on political and economic freedom has moral legitimacy.</p>
<p>As to the rightful owners of particular pieces of property, Israel's founders - like the homesteaders in the American West - earned ownership to the land by developing it."</p>
<p>I decided I'm not gonna bother arguing this topic; this thread borders on absurdity.</p>
<p>Didnt even bother to read that. Just looked at the URLs. Rapture ready, Israel is moral. Sounds unbiased to me.</p>
<p>Its not the websites that matter its the facts presented. I challenge you to find one innacuracy in these facts.</p>
<p>I'm not gonna prove/disprove any of the facts on the articles (the 1st one, for starters) but I gotta ask, firewalker.
What's your beef with Israel? On the other thread you said 'That's why I won't comment on this thread' when I said that it's retarded to deny 'the existence of Israel' just because of something 60+ years ago. </p>
<p>Can you please explain what ou meant by that?
(if my post sounds incoherent, its because I haven't drank an once of water in 12+ hours in 110 degree heat, so please dont correct grammer mistakes, would you?)</p>
<p>well, just looking at the first three,</p>
<p>Well let's see...</p>
<p>First "myth" (rights for Israeli Arabs): see this. Sure doesn't sound like equality under the law to me.</p>
<p>Second one (arms race), I agree with you.</p>
<p>Third (expansionism): Israel certainly isn't "expansionist" per se, but the settlers taking land in the West Bank, with no intention of leaving, in order to achieve a</a> deluded dream of a united Biblical Judea and Samaria, are pretty darn expansionistic.Granted, the settlers are a relativey small minority (though hugely influential in the Knesset), but denying that they exist at all is wrong.</p>
<p>The point is that, whether or not it was right, Israel was created in Arab land, which brings up the point of legitimacy. I'm not saying Israel should be disbanded (I dont have any "beef" with Israel), but the cavalier attitude of some on the "pro-Israeli" side disturbs me.</p>
<p>So they were created on Arab land....point? The thing is...no one owned the land. Not the Jews, not the Arabs, not the Cristians, noone. (British) Not one nation, and no nation that exists now. If you go by that, then the only current group that got the land 1st was the Jews, whether you like it or not. Arabs got it MUCh later and claimed it to be theirs. (Christians claimed it to be theirs also) In reality, we all come from Africa. Anything past Asia was no man's land. Point is, it's nobody's. Right now Israel is the Jews. Jordan is Arab. America (whether you like it or not) is Christian. </p>
<p>i agree about the 'cavalir attitude' thing probably more than anybody on these forums. (since my parents fall into that catagory)
That doesn't mean that you have to run away every time someone mentions 'Israel belongs to the Jews'.</p>
<p>It's theirs, whether you like it or not. They did fight for it more than America did for theirs. (which belong to England) </p>
<p>Oh, and one more thing. You make it sound like there were no Jews living there...so not true. lol</p>
<p>Anyway, it's stupid to argue on the past since it's the past. What happened happened. Uness you have a time machin and failed to tell us about that. You mad scientist, you...</p>
<p>Israel is a blemish for the thinking Jews of the world. How sad my great grandparents who survived the Holocaust would be to see that Israel is not much better than their opressors of the 30s and 40s.</p>
<p>Bombing Beirut will make more trouble with Hezbollah than fix it. The only way to destroy terrorism is to destroy all the people in the world, as everyone has the potential to become a terrorist. If Israel "accidentally" bombed my home, business, or family, would I give one thought about the morality of the issue of joining Hezbollah? Probably not. And nor would many people in Lebanon now. We'll be seeing a resurgence in Hezbollah membership by people who formerly were deathly against them, just wait and see.</p>