The death of civilians at Kafer Qana, July 30, 2006
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During the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, eleven Israeli sportsmen
were murdered by Arab terrorists of Black September(*) organization.
They had murdered one or two at the Olympic Village, and took the rest
(as hijacked) to Munich airport, where they were to go out of Germany.
At that point, when the terrorists and the Israeli sportsmen were
together in a helicopter, the German police (or special forces
- I do not remember) started shooting at the terrorists.
The terrorists were killed - and so were the Israeli sportsmen.

Later investigation has revealed that the Israeli sportsmen were all
killed by the bullets of the German forces.  That was very unfortunate
that the German forces could not hit only (or mostly) the terrorists.

Nevertheless, there was no word from Israel - not by a single person
(official or unofficial) - that had blame the Germans for the death
of the Israeli sportsmen (there were critiques about their poor
performance (some said: incompetence), but that's all).
Everyone in Israel knew that the only party to blame is the Black
September terrorists, who used the Israelis as a living shield.


As sad as it may be (the loss of civilians lives, especially children),
the same moral should be drawn during the fighting in Lebanon:
As long as the terrorists of Hezbollah are using their fellows Lebanese
(including women and children) as living shields, there will be
civilians that are hit and killed - unintentionally - by Israel
(but intentionally by the Hezbollah).

In fact something more can be said:  [added Aug. 2nd]
If these Lebanese civilians were held hostages by Hezbollah
- then their killing is just like that of the Israeli sportsmen.
However, if they stayed their by their own will (whether just
did not care to be shoulder to shoulder with terrorists,
or actually because they support them morally or physically)
then the sorrow for their death should be lessen.

Therefore, the only address for any accusations and blaming is Hezbollah.

(*) Black September was named for September 1970, when Hussein,
    the King of Jordan, sent his troops against the Palestinians
    in the North-West part of his kingdom, killing thousands of them,
    after realizing that they were threatening the well-being of Jordan.
    The Palestinian forces were (illegally) well-armed, and the fighting
    took many days.
    [see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan]



          Fourth Geneva Convention (1949)
	  -------------------------------

See the link    http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/380?OpenDocument

Art. 28. The presence of a protected person may not be used
         to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.
    [This does not permit targeting civilians on purpose - like Hezbollah
    - it only says that civilians are not a shield for the fighters (YMK)]

Art. 29. The Party to the conflict in whose hands protected persons may be,
         is responsible for the treatment accorded to them by its agents,
	 irrespective of any individual responsibility which may be incurred. 
    [So what do you say about Hezbollah actions from civil areas, especially,
     _preventing_ civilians from fleeing from the combat areas? (YMK)]

Some food for thoughts:  why does international media ignore it?
Yechiel