Fighting in Lebanon

I'm sure most of you have heard about the violence in Lebanon. My friend Zeina has family in Beirut, so this latest outbreak of fighting has me particularly worried. I'm following the lead of Steph and mamacita and providing a link to this petition to end the violence against Lebanese civilians. Please sign it, and please pray for peace. I'm not sure how much good either one will do, but they sure can't hurt.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Just a quick note. The petition you have linked to is committing the logical fallacy of “Joint Effect”. The petition is implying that because Israel is bombing Lebanese civilian infrastructure, then it follows that Israel is targeting civilians. This is simply not true and by stating such, the petition helps foster the combustible environment that fueled the current crisis. I am a firm defender of Peace and I am in no way stating that Israel is innocent in their actions; however, it is neither fair nor accurate to state that Israel is acting as the sole aggressor in the current crisis. In fact, the current US administration’s policies are coming home to roost. We (and yes I do mean we, even if you didn’t vote or support the man, because that is part of being a democratic-republic) have told the world (i) that democracies are good and (ii) that nations have the right to protect themselves. The problem in Israel is that both Lebanon and Palestine have democratically elected parts of their government that use terrorism. Sooooo, we find a situation where our policies are coming back to haunt us (surprise, surprise). Lebanon is right in that their sovereignty is being punished because of the actions of a terrorist organization with support from foreign nationals, but Israel is also right that it has been provoked by illegal act of war from a sovereign nation. For too long we have had an administration that has tried to paint the world in black and white. The current crisis is far from simple and as such we must act as responsible citizens and supporters of Peace by not committing the same evil of painting the current situation in a false dichotomy of black and white.

Roy
2:42 PM
Suze said…
Roy, thanks for your thoughts. I don't think there's any black and white in the matter. I signed that petition, not because I support one side's right to bomb the other, but because any time civilians die in the crossfire of acts of war, it is just wrong, no matter the justification for the bombing.
2:57 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree it is wrong. Extremely wrong. What I disagree with is the erroneous comments on the petition that are designed to inflame. There are enough legitimate concerns and horrors that there is no need to sensationalize. Israel is not targeting the entire population. The actions of Israel is not in violation of Article 33 since Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese government. Also statements like “Israel does not seem to be capable of approaching any problem outside the realm of the military power bestowed on it by the government of the United States of America and other western governments,” helps foster the hate that is too prevalent in today’s world.

Do I think that Israel was justified in their actions? No.
Do I think that Israel is aware that innocents are going to suffer? Yes.
Do I think that Israel is willing to sacrifice said innocents? Yes.

What the world needs now more than ever is clear rationale dialogue that is not emotional or inflammatory. If we are ever going to achieve Peace it will be through honesty and not propaganda.
3:24 PM
ann said…
Prayer, done correctly, is honest, and can lead to peace. I love Suze.
3:45 PM
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