Thousands march against Israeli attacks

[Laura]

If everybody would take to the streets... something might change. Time to wake up people! When this goes nuclear, it's gonna be on American soil too!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060722/ts_nm/mideast_protests_dc;_ylt=Aip4ryBKoJVgeUm3k8yM3rxZ.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

By Gideon Long 19 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators marched through London and hundreds more gathered in Amsterdam on Saturday to protest against Israeli attacks in Lebanon and the refusal of the U.S. and British governments to condemn them.
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Police said around 7,000 people joined the London protest as it snaked from the banks of the Thames to Hyde Park, first in brilliant sunshine and then in torrential rain.

Many carried red and white Lebanese flags and placards condemning "Israeli crimes in Lebanon."

"We are all Hizbollah. Boycott
Israel" read one. "Axis of evil: Bush, Blair, Olmert," read another, referring to the political leaders of the United States, Britain and Israel.

"Having seen the devastation on our TV screens in recent days, it's impossible to view the Israeli response as anything other than a gross over-reaction," said Yasmin Ataullah, spokeswoman for the British Muslim Initiative, one of the groups behind the rally.

Hundreds more protesters took to the streets of Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield.

In Amsterdam, around 700 people gathered near Dam Square to condemn the Israeli assault, which has killed 349 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, in the past 11 days.

"We will win against the biggest terrorists in the world," said Ali Nasraka Afyouni, a 23-year-old who left southern Lebanon for the Netherlands seven years ago.

The protest came two days after around 2,000 pro-Israeli demonstrators gathered in Amsterdam.

A similar show of solidarity with Israel is planned near London on Sunday evening and will be addressed by Britain's chief rabbi.

"Israel has the right to defend itself against unprovoked attacks on sovereign soil," said Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Much of the anger on Saturday's London protest was directed at the British government for its refusal to openly condemn Israel's actions and call for an immediate ceasefire.

"We're disgusted by the way the U.S. and Britain have isolated themselves from the rest of the international community," Ataullah said.

Speaking in Beirut, Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells made the strongest criticism yet of Israel by a British government minister.

"These have not been surgical strikes. It's very, very difficult to understand the kind of military tactics that have been used," he told reporters.

"You know, if they're chasing Hizbollah, then go for Hizbollah. You don't go for the entire Lebanese nation."

 

[Keit]

There were also thousands of demonstrators in Tel aviv.
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3279752,00.html (in hebrew)
I can't find translated version of this article.

 

[Redrock12]

This is very encouraging. If anyone reading this is Canadian,(well, not only Canadian but especially Canadian),I would implore you to go to www.radicalpress.com and read the e-mail that Arthur Topham sent to Stephen Harper regarding his complicity in this latest of horrors. And more importantly, he has the e-mail addresses of Harper and Peter Mackay, the Minister of International Trade and Foreign Affairs (I think that's his title anyway), and fire off a message to one or both of them expressing your feelings to this latest American/Israeli atrocity.

 

[brainwave]

This is good news in one sense. It helps to see this. I've spent a lot of time alternating between crying as I see the images from Lebanon, and getting quite angry with the apologists for zionism that one can easily find in my neck of the woods. Unfortunately I get stuff like what is below in my college mailbox often. There is always some rally or another in support for Israel and the ones in support of palestinians are very rare.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Please Forward!*

Show your support for Israel

Rally against terror and in solidarity with the government and people of Israel.
Demand the release of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

Monday, July 17th, 2006
Across from the United Nations
First Avenue at 42nd Street
12:00 noon / Rain or Shine
Subways: 4, 5, 6, 7 to Grand Central Station

Speak out now in support of Israel's right to self-defense and to assure the security of its citizens.

Israel was attacked across
an international border in
an ongoing series of barbaric terrorist attacks. Two more
of its soldiers were seized.

More than 1,000 rockets, missiles and other attacks recently have been
launched against Israeli cities from
Gaza and Lebanon.

Sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
and Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
In cooperation with UJA-Federation of New York

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rally took place but one faculty member with conscience tooks serious issue with this flyer and respectfully condemned it. Only three responded in support of her. Keep in mind this is the institution that Norman Finkelstein did not have his contract to reach renewed because he made his collegues uncomfortable (ie he was anti-zionist and wasn't quiet about it) . You can read about him here: http://www.counterpunch.org/finkelstein1.html.

The one rally to support Palestinians I attended shortly after september 11th made me witness personally how vicious some zionists and their supporters can be. There were counter demonstrators at the rally telling their young children to spit on the demonstrators while calling them animals and throwing paper etc. This is a trifle compared to what is happening in Lebanon and Palestine but it is the same mentality that allows for the genocide to occur. Imagine, grown supposedly respectful men and women in their business suits, some in religious garb, encouraging their CHILDREN to commit these acts. So vicious and humiliating it was that I feared it would incite the demonstrators to retaliate violently in the streets of NYC. Luckily at that rally, the leaders knew what was being done and why, and managed to keep the crowd from reacting. When it was shown on the news no one talked about the jewish kids and their friends being encouraged to spit on and taunt the demonstrators but I witnessed it even at the subway at the end of the protest.


As far as the US is concerned, zionists here have shown their lack of conscience regarding this issue more than any other group I've seen so far. This makes me wonder if this is a set up for the 'next batlegorund. If those in Tel-Aviv can see and protest what does it say for the US? It is America that is footing the bill for the genocide and its most rabid defenders are found here.

The reason I say this is because something similar to what happened at the demonstration happened with a friend of mine not too long ago in Brooklyn. Her brother was arrested after a self-identified Israeli guy started an argument with him. The brother was in a supermarket, speaking Arabic with his sister. We're talking about a neighborhood with a mixed population. As a guy passed him, he bumped his shoulder and called him animal in arabic. They exchanged words, the guy started yelling in hebrew then spit on him. My friend's brother punched him in return and it became a fist fight. The cops were called but HE was arrested not the suddenly " religious " guy. He claimed he was being picked on because he was jewish but it was the other way around. Then there have been a few incidents between NYPD and hasidic jews over the years that have led to protests and the anti-semitic label. Although I do think that the NYPD is anti a lot of things, a lot of people here can be anti-Arab or Muslim with no fear of punishment.

 

[Lucy]

If everybody would take to the streets... something might change. Time to wake up people! When this goes nuclear, it's gonna be on American soil too!

For those who would like to join an internet anti-war demonstration, Cindy Sheehan is asking everyone to replace their MySpace avatar with this:

 

[Third_Density_Resident]

In Australia there have also been protests:

Police warn against trouble at Sydney protest
July 22, 2006 - 5:39AM
Source: ABC
Police are warning troublemakers to stay away from an anti-war protest in Sydney today.

About 20,000 people opposed to the bombing of Lebanon are expected to march from Town Hall to Martin Place from midday.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Goodwin says there will be 400 officers on the streets ready to quickly respond to any trouble.

"We are in a situation as police where we respect democratic rights to protest," he said.

"We wish to facilitate that protest.

"We've spoken to organisers who are working in a very, very cooperative manner with police - but as I've stated we will not tolerate any anti-social criminal acts on the streets of Sydney."

While the Australian government, through the police force, will "not tolerate any anti-social criminal acts on the streets of Sydney", they will happily tolerate far worse criminal acts being committed by Israel as we speak. The Australian government, as it has always done since 9/11, has blindly supported the U.S. in virtually everything it does and says. At least 50% of the population here is completely against this atrocious behaviour.

Another article reports on the actual protests:

Thousands protest in Sydney
July 22, 2006 - 6:40PM

About 15,000 people turned Sydney's George Street into a human highway today as they protested at Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Palestine.

Waving placards with messages to the Australian government and the world that read, "We are not terrorists, we are being terrorised" and "John - save our country", the protesters carried coffins and chanted "no war" as they marched down George Street to Martin Place.

The protest was by far the largest of three across the country, with much smaller crowds rallying in Melbourne and Adelaide against the Middle East conflict.

Several thousand demonstrators began gathering at Town Hall in central Sydney about noon (AEST) today.

Joined by former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib and the spiritual leader of Australia's Muslim community, Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, the crowd quickly swelled.

Addressing the huge gathering, organiser Ibrahim Constantine said peace was the only way forward for the embattled region.

"We are marching today, Christian and Muslims united as one, marching to give peace a chance," Mr Constantine said.

"This is a war that Israel will not win. This is a war that no one will win.

"We ask the international community to give peace a chance."

Toddlers and young children wearing t-shirts with slogans like, 'Stop killing the babies' were escorted by parents carrying Australian and Lebanese flags.

A Lebanese-Australian woman who gave her name only as Diana, cried as she spoke of her family in Lebanon.

"They are murdering children and burying them under rubble," she said.

"Something has to be done about this.

"I've got my mum and dad in Lebanon, my grandfather up in the mountains and my brother and his family were lucky to escape.

"It's very horrifying."

A young man who wanted to be known only as Mohammed, said he and his friends had given up part of their weekend to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

"We are just here to say that the Lebanese blood is not worth less than Israeli blood," he said.

"Our blood is blood, whoever it comes from, and all we want is peace from both sides."

Organisers predicted up to 20,000 people would attend, but police placed official numbers at about 15,000.

At the start of the demonstration, organisers stressed the protest would be a peaceful one and warned demonstrators not to burn flags.

Police praised all involved, saying their cooperation ensured the event was peaceful and without incident.

No one was injured during the protest and no arrests were made.

The protest wound up shortly after 2pm and crowds were dispersed by 3pm.

Smaller protests also were held in Melbourne and Adelaide today.

In Melbourne, several hundred people turned out for the Rally for Peace and Justice in Lebanon.

Australian Arabic Council deputy chairman Taimor Hazou told the rally the Australian government had failed to pressure for a ceasefire.

"The inability to pressure for a ceasefire is a perfect illustration of the failure of our Middle East policy," Mr Hazou said.

In Adelaide, about 500 people gathered on the steps of state parliament to protest at the conflict.

I watched on television this morning a panel program with four people discussing the crisis in Lebanon. Despite some of these panelists being supposedly "left-wing", not one of them had the guts nor indeed the perspicacity to come out and condemn Israel. Like America, the Australian political system has become just as uniform and unvaried from the so-called "right" to the so-called "left". Our Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, was speaking on the same program and basically said that everything would stop if only Hizbollah would stop its "acts of terror". I was so disgusted by what was said I could barely continue watching.

 

[Vulcan59]

Way down here, there was a protest on Saturday afternoon as reported by NZ Herald. Sad to learn that there were only "more than 200 protesters" involved. I wasn't there personally so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the numbers. The evening news carried a report about the protest march but not much else. I wish the organisers had publicise the protest march more widely; I would definitely have taken part in it.

This morning I was really both angry and sad when I saw thepictures of children and the ordinary people, killed in Lebanon. How can anyone put up with this? I found myself asking what can I do in the face of such wanton destruction and massacre. I realised that as long as psychopaths ruled, and the normal people are not aware of this deviant creature in our midst, we are doomed.

I tried talking to my collegues at work and somehow, they seem not at all interested. When I bring up the war in Lebanon, the usual response I get is, "Yeah, hope Israel gets rid of those terrorist"!!! And when you try to discuss who the real terrorist are, they seem not interested at all!! People just want to go on with their living and not be bothered about events that are happening so far away. What can I do when people display such apathy?

 

[CarpeDiem]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/220718/1/.html

LONDON - Thousands of people around the world bashed drums, brandished placards and chanted slogans on Saturday to demand an end to Israel's offensive in Lebanon and Gaza.
The biggest rally took place in London where thousands of demonstrators urged British Prime Minister Tony Blair to stop what they described as his support of the conflict and join international calls for an immediate ceasefire. "Peace for Lebanon!" rang the chant as the march weaved its way through central London, past the US embassy and on to Hyde Park, watched all the way by the police. "Stop the killing, stop to the bombs. Israel out of Lebanon," shouted the peaceful protestors, many draped in Lebanese or Palestinian flags, while others yelled: "Hezbollah is here to stay. Zionism go away." Betty Hunter, general secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, one of the groups that organised the event, said it was vital to reject Israel's two-pronged campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. "The main purpose of this demonstration is to say to Tony Blair and our government that we are ashamed of the position they are taking which is basically to collude with the war crimes of Israel," she told AFP.
Israel's 11-day air offensive in Lebanon has left more than 350 Lebanese and 33 Israelis dead, while more than 100 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have died in Gaza.
The operation was sparked when the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight on the Israeli-Lebanese border on July 12.
Disgust at the toll spurred people, young and old, some immigrants from the Middle East others born and bred Britons, to join the rally in London.
Police put the number of participants at 6,000 to 7,000, while organisers said turnout was between 20,000 and 25,000.
In Sydney, a 10,000-strong crowd waved Australian and Lebanese flags and carried coffins and placards saying "No War" as they made their way through the city centre, escorted by about 400 police. "They are murdering children and burying them under rubble," a Lebanese-Australian woman, who gave her name only as Diana, told Australian Associated Press

Even in Tel Aviv, 1,000 Israeli Jews and Arabs turned out to denounce their country's actions, gathering in Rabin Square and brandishing placards reading "war is disaster" and "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies."
Israeli-Arab MP Mohammed Barrakeh told AFP: "This war is a catastrophe. We can prevent this catastrophe through negotiations that would save the lives of Arabs and Israelis."
Barrakeh said however that he saw little hope for the fighting stopping any time soon. "The war won't end soon but we won't stop protesting either," he said.
Indeed, a recent opinion poll showed that a massive 95 percent of Israelis support the military offensive and the popularity of Prime Minster Ehud Olmert has shot up since it began.
In Stockholm, where 2,000 marched to the Israeli embassy, several hundred protestors clashed with police, throwing stones and objects at police officers. Two people were arrested.
Other smaller demonstrations took place Geneva, Paris, Strasbourg (eastern France), Warsaw and a number of cities around Britain.

In Geneva, 500 people marched in silence behind a coffin representing the death of the conscience of the United Nations "We have chosen a silent march to show that there is no word to qualify the unqualifiable," . said Anouar Gharbi, president of the Rights for All association that organised the protest

At the same time during Miss Universe Pageant miss Israel refused to be photographed with miss Lebanon. This world is going insane. But see how "fair and unbiased" Yahoo news presented the event:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060721/ennew_afp/afpentertainmentwomenuniversemideastconflict_060721215531

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Peace reigns at least at the Miss Universe 2006 contest, where beauties Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel are the "best of friends" despite the bloody fighting between the two countries back home, their companions said. Even as Israel has bombarded Lebanon in the wake of a missile barrage by the Hezbollah militia in the country's south, the two women -- Gabrielle Bou Rached of Lebanon and Israel's Anastacia Entin -- have struck up a friendship ahead of Sunday's tough competition to see who is named the world's most beautiful woman.
"I think the perpetrators of the current Middle East crisis could learn a few lessons from Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel, who are the best of friends here," said Miss Germany Natalia Ackerman.
The contest doesn't allow much room for warring, with contestants from 86 countries this year all crammed into the same Los Angeles hotel for a month with a rigorous schedule of rehearsals for the show. Mostly in their early twenties, the women become friends mainly based on geographic nearness and shared languages.
Entin and Rached have been pulled together by the force of shared cultures, whatever is happening back home, smiling, posing for pictures together, even though Rached's presence sparked a protest by some 20 Lebanese Muslims Wednesday in front of the downtown Los Angeles hotel.
The protest had no effect and the organizers avoided talking about it, but some contestants said the two Middle Eastern beauties' friendship set an example for the world. "The fact that Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel can be friends ... people can see that it sets a wonderful example," said Miss Canada, Alice Panikian. "Something similar happens between Miss Greece and Miss Turkey, whose countries also do not get along," she pointed out.
Rached, 20, is a 1.8 meter (five feet nine inches) tall brunette with dark Arab looks born in Beirut. She is studying for a masters degree in language interpretation, hoping to work for the
United Nations one day.
Her blonde Israeli counterpart Entin, 21, originally came from Ukraine and emigrated to Israel when she was 13. She plans to enter university next year and is interested in psychology. "They are so lovely, and they don't have any problem," said one of the early favorites for the Miss Universe crown, Miss Australia Erin McNaught.

And here is the same news from Russian news agency:
http://www.polit.ru/news/2006/07/23/no_foto.popup.html

[...] Final of 55-th Pageant Miss Universe to be held today in Los-Angeles. [...] But an incident on political ground has already taken place: Representative of Israel Anastasia Entina refused to be photographed with Miss Lebanon.

This Miss Israel is actually is an emmigree from Ukraine, recently been serving in Israelian army. I wonder whether she had radically changed her-world view after being duped in Israeli army and school, or she left Ukraine already "well-prepared"? This starts with military toys, pistols, tanks, revolvers our kids are SO AMUSED to play with! They still don't speak but they ALREADY SHOOT! This world is insane.

 

[Laura]

Protests erupt worldwide against Israel's 'genocidal war'

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=74146

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the globe Friday to rally against the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, which one regional leader branded a "genocidal war." In Cairo, clashes broke out
in Cairo between police and protesters who had gathered after prayers at the Al-Azhar Mosque in support of Lebanon and the Palestinians.

Thousands of demonstrators shouted anti-Israeli slogans and denounced the recognition of Israel by Arab governments.

Some police officers and demonstrators were slightly wounded when riots broke out.

In Khartoum, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir accused Israel of targeting the Lebanese population as the death toll mounted. "What is taking place in Lebanon is not a war against Hizbullah but is, rather, a genocidal war in which the forces of the Israeli enemy are targeting the civilians as well as the strategic positions and utilities," Bashir told reporters.

Syria's information minister accused Israel of "state terrorism" and "war crimes" in its offensive in Lebanon.

"Israeli aggression against Lebanon aims to divide this country, break its national resistance and dominate it," Mohsen Bilal said in an interview with Spanish daily El-Mundo, according to the SANA news agency.

The Arab Parliament, which is made up of lawmakers from the 22 Arab League member states, accused Israel of crimes against humanity and called on the UN Security Council to "accept its responsibility" and end the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon.

Elsewhere in the region, senior Iranian cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani hailed Hizbullah fighters as "heroes," but rejected mounting allegations that Iran and Syria were behind the movement's conflict with Israel.

"The Hizbullah forces have done a great job and have resisted well. They and their leader, our dear brother Hassan Nasrallah, are heroes," the influential cleric and former president said in his Friday prayer sermon in Tehran.

According to state television, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also telephoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for an emergency meeting of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the "activation of the Islamic world to stop these Zionist crimes."

In Jordan, some 2,000 people marched through Amman in support of Lebanon and the Palestinians after prayers, heeding a call by Islamists and union leaders. The demonstrators shouted "much-loved Sayyed Hassan, hit Haifa and Tel Aviv."

Hundreds of Iraqi Shiites also marched in support of Hizbullah as imams led weekly prayers with condemnations of Israel, the US and many Arab governments.

More than 300 members of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's armed movement marched in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City chanting support for Hizbullah.

In a fiery sermon at Damascus' Abou al-Nour Mosque, prominent cleric Sheikh Salah Kaftaro said both the UN Security Council and the international community were attempting to "undermine our doctrine, occupy our lands and kill our people with the most sophisticated US weapons," as hundreds of Syrians took to the streets to denounce the attacks.

In Moscow, Palestinians and Lebanese demonstrators held Hizbullah and Lebanese flags and anti-war posters and shouted anti-Israel slogans as they picketed the Israeli Embassy.

Hundreds of demonstrators in Malaysia burned Israeli flags.

In Indonesia they accused Israel of atrocities against civilians. In Bangladesh marchers shouted "Down with Israel."

 

[Laura]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-22forum22jul22%2C0%2C2216844.story?coll=sfla-news-opinion

Israel will create more terrorists than it kills

By Stephen Zunes
Posted July 22 2006

The Bush administration's contempt for the United Nations Charter, the Fourth Geneva Convention and the other fundamental principles of international law has once again been laid bare by its defense of the ongoing Israeli assault against Lebanon.

The seizure of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militiamen, apparently taken in retaliation against Israeli attacks against civilian targets in the Gaza Strip, was clearly wrong.

Israel would have a right to engage in a targeted paramilitary action to free the hostages and, if necessary, kill their captors.

[what about the right of Hezbollah to seize the soldiers in retaliation against the initiating Israeli attacks????]

However, large-scale attacks against civilian targets unrelated to the kidnapping is an act of collective punishment, a clear violation of international law.

Israel holds thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners seized within the territory of those nations by Israeli forces. Most of these Arab prisoners have not engaged in terrorism and many are non-combatants. How is Israel's seizure and detention of these people different from Hezbollah's seizure and detention of the two Israeli soldiers? Does Israel's refusal to release its hostages give Lebanon or Palestine, if they were capable of it, the right to engage in a massive bombardment of civilian targets in Israel?

Most of the targets of the Israeli air strikes have nothing to do with Hezbollah, which does not control the Lebanese government and is only a minority party in the Lebanese parliament. Israel has bombed the Beirut International Airport, the main seaport of Juniyah and even the historic lighthouse on the Beirut esplanade, none of which is controlled by Hezbollah. Israel has also bombed bridges, power stations, civilian neighborhoods and villages miles from any Hezbollah militia. And, despite insisting that the Lebanese army take stronger action against the Hezbollah militia, the Israelis have bombed Lebanese army facilities as well.

Close to 200 Lebanese civilians have died in these attacks so far, as well as over a dozen foreigners, including a Canadian family on vacation.

The European Union, consisting of 25 democracies, condemned Hezbollah's seizure of the Israeli soldiers, but also noted that Israel's military retaliation against Lebanon is "grossly disproportionate." The United States is virtually alone in the international community in its defense of the Israeli assault.

Despite President George W. Bush's claim on Monday that the crisis started because Hezbollah decided to "fire hundreds of rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon," Hezbollah did not attack civilian areas in Israel until after Israel began attacking civilian areas in Lebanon last week.

In fact, until Israel began its recent assault on Lebanon, not a single Israeli civilian had been killed by Hezbollah since well before Israel's withdrawal of its occupation forces from southern Lebanon in 2000. Virtually all of Hezbollah's military actions since then have been against Israeli occupation forces in a disputed border region between Lebanon and an Israel-occupied portion of southwestern Syria, not against Israel.

Congressional leaders of both parties have called for tough action against Syria for allowing the transshipment of rockets to Hezbollah forces, which have killed up to a dozen Israeli civilians. However, they have refused to consider suspending the shipments of F-16 jet fighters and other weapons and delivery systems to Israel. These weapons have inflicted far more civilian casualties on the Lebanese side of the border, despite provisions of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act which prohibits U.S. arms transfers to countries that use American weaponry against non-military targets.

In short, both Republicans and Democrats recognize that while arming those who kill innocent Israeli civilians is wrong, they support arming those who kill innocent Lebanese civilians. This is racism, pure and simple.

Not only is Israel's offensive against Lebanon illegal and immoral, it does not increase Israel's security or curb the threat of Islamic radicalism. In fact, it does the opposite.

Hezbollah gained popular support in the Shiite community in recent decades largely as a result of the failure of the central government to protect the population from Israeli air and naval attacks and the mass kidnapping and imprisonment of thousands of young men.

Israel's current offensive will only strengthen Hezbollah's appeal and undermine Lebanon's pro-Western government.

This is not about Israel's legitimate right to self-defense. As with the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, it will create far more terrorists than it destroys.

Stephen Zunes, who serves as Middle East editor for Foreign Policy In Focus (www.fpif.org), is a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco and the author of Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism.

 

[Nathan]

In Australia there have also been protests

Melbourne's turn out was poor today. I came across a depressingly modest group marching through the city. Unfortunately, they were promoting the "Socialist Alternative", which will probably repel more than it will attract. If I were a member of this group, the first thing I would do is remove the word "Socialist". Too many people associate this with Nazism and Stalinism.

Apologies for my frustration. I'm just annoyed at how few people are recognising Israel as the threat here. The writing is on the wall and still people cannot or will not see it. :(