When journalists are a legitimate target?
In an earlier post, I reported that two 'journalists' who were killed in an Israeli air strike during Operation Pillar of Defense were
not journalists, but terrorists. But what if they had been journalists? Would they have been legitimate targets? According to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and NATO,
the answer to that question could be yes (if Israel were not involved). This is from 1999.
Nato leaders yesterday scrambled to justify the bombing of Serbia's
state television station in an attack which killed a number of civilian
workers and marked a further widening in the scope of targets now
considered legitimate.
The attack on the building in the centre of
Belgrade - which contradicted an apparent assurance by Nato this month
that only transmitters would be hit - was condemned by international
journalists' organisations, representing both employers and unions.
...
Tony Blair, in Washington for Nato's 50th anniversary summit,
insisted that bombing television stations was 'entirely justified' since
they were part of the 'apparatus of dictatorship and power of
Milosevic'. He added: 'The responsibility for every single part of this
action lies with the man who has engaged in this policy of ethnic
cleansing and must be stopped.'
At a heated press briefing at the
Ministry of Defence, Clare Short, the international development
secretary, said: 'This is a war, this is a serious conflict, untold
horrors are being done. The propaganda machine is prolonging the war and
it's a legitimate target.'
Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, chief of
joint operations at the ministry of defence, said Mr Milosevic's
'propaganda machine consists of transmitters but also the studios from
which the information is transmitted. That makes it part of the overall
military structure. Both elements have to be attacked.'
Nato's
military spokesman, Air Commodore David Wilby, two weeks ago described
RTS, the Serbian state broadcasting station, as a 'legitimate target
which filled the airways with hate and with lies over the years'.
Read the whole thing.
By this standard, we should have destroyed al-Aqsa television completely regardless of who was inside, and during the next war with Lebanon, we should target Hezbullah's al-Manar network. Hmmm. Is the IDF listening?
Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Hezbullah, Lebanon, media outlets, Operation Pillar of Defense, Serbia
Finally: Israel to publish incitement index
Some of you may recall that four months ago, Israel announced that it had developed an
index to measure 'Palestinian Authority' incitement against Israel and Jews. The index was quietly buried, probably to avoid infuriating the 'international community' by pointing out their obtuseness in insisting that the 'Palestinian Authority' is interested in anything resembling real price.
Unfortunately, now that five innocent people have paid the price of the government's cowardice, the Netanyahu government now says that it will
publish the index.
The Security Cabinet decided Sunday to establish an index that would monitor Palestinian Authority incitement against Israel and the Jewish people. The "Culture of Peace and Incitement Index" was developed by professional Government and security establishment elements.
The announcement is linked to the horrific massacre in Itamar, which the government sees as resulting from PA incitement. Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Sunday that continued PA incitement would makes any agreement signed by it worthless.
The Index considers four main issues: Explicit incitement to violence, encouraging an atmosphere of violence and terrorism, incitement to hatred and demonization, and the failure to prepare people for positive processes.
It was agreed that the Index would be constantly updated and presented in various forums in order to influence the Palestinian Authority to stop its ubiquitous incitement to, and education for, violence.
The high-profile establishment of the Index could signal a shift in official Israeli policy vis-a-vis the PA. Israelis who favor appeasing the PA tend to ignore incitement activity, focusing instead on actual terror acts. These are usually not officially authorized by the PA, and are often carried out by groups whose connection to the PA leadership is difficult to prove. Moving the focus to incitement lays the blame for terror directly at the PA's doorstep and could put an end to the terrorist's shell game regarding responsibilty for the actual attacks.
Actually, it is far more likely that Israel will use the index to show why talking to the 'Palestinian Authority' is futile and that is a far better use than trying to influence the 'Palestinian Authority' to stop incitement. At this point, the incitement is so deeply ingrained in the 'Palestinian' populace that fifty years without it would not help - and that's without considering incitement they would continue to see by satellite from Hamas, al-Jazeera and other Arab networks.
Unfortunately, when our government claims that the 'Palestinians' are a 'peace partner' and are ready to make peace, the only ones it is fooling are those who are inside the government itself.
Labels: Fogel family massacre, incitement index, Itamar, media outlets, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinians
Israel to publish incitement index meter
Israel is to publish a new
index that measures incitement against Israel and Jews by the 'Palestinian Authority.
The meter comprises four central components: clear incitement to violence; an atmosphere that encourages violence and terror; incitement to hatred, demonization and failure to create an environment for positive progress.
The ratings are based on analysis of institutionalized Palestinian media and Palestinians schoolbooks and remarks of senior Palestinian Authority officials.
The cabinet decided during its deliberations on Tuesday that the meter should be regularly updated and presented in various forums in order to influence the Palestinian Authority into curbing incitement and education yielding violence.
Maybe they can trade it on Intrade.
Heh.
Labels: incitement index, Intrade, media outlets, Palestinians
