Jesus Christ turned water into wine at a wedding here, according to Biblical narrative. In 1996, the Lebanese city of Qana again drew the world's attention, as the Israelis pounded a United Nations base sheltering Lebanese civilians. More than 100 people died, with an additional 100 people injured in what the Israelis said was an offensive against Hezbollah. The Qana Massacre, as it came to be known in Lebanon, led to international condemnation and brokering a ceasefire.
Israel insisted the shelling was accidental, as its forces sought Hezbollah fighters firing rockets from nearby. But in May 1996 a UN investigation invalidated Israeli claims. Citing the "repeated use of airburst shells" over the UN compound - with shrapnel raining down, causing horrific injuries among civilians - the UN report said Israeli helicopters and a drone in the skies over Qana surely witnessed the massacre.
Qana has recently borne witness to three other brutal incidents, including Israel bombing two Lebanese Red Cross ambulances and an airstrike on Lebanese photojournalist Layal Nejib's car. Most recently, Israel bombed an apartment building, killing more than 54 civilians, including at least 34 childen. Families already displaced by the conflict were sheltering in the basement of a house flattened after a direct hit by Israeli bombs.
The action led Lebanon's prime minister to denounce "Israeli war criminals." Talks scheduled with Condoleeza Rice, the US secretary of state were cancelled.
And Israel's stated defense for the bombings? A few days ago it dropped leaflets urging residents to flee South Lebanon. At the same time, Israel kept bombing the roads, making passage difficult - even if civilians had a vehicle or financial means to leave the area. Never mind all those obstacles, the civilians should have left, an Israeli government spokesperson told reporters.
The latest tragedy in Qana follows on the heels of Israel shelling an outpost near the Lebanese-Syrian border, injuring two UN peacekeepers and killing four UN peacekeepers last week, despite repeated warnings of their location.
Israel justifies such brutal actions by insisting Hezbollah is hiding among the civilian population. But does this give Israel carte blanche to bomb any and every target of its choosing? How many more people will prove collateral damage in these senseless acts of violence?
Shame on Hezbollah for killing innocents - both in Israel, with random rockets and in Lebanon, by making civilians an easy target.
Shame on Israel for sowing a reckless path of death and destruction throughout Lebanon in the name of self-defense.
Shame on the United States and Great Britain for providing weapons to Israel, while pledging aid packages to the devastated country of Lebanon. Shame on the US and Britain for refusing to use their influence with Israel to enact a cease-fire. Shame on both countries for fueling a firestorm threatening to consume the region and for increasing anti-Western sentiment.
Shame on all who elect war, rather than seeking to further the course of peace. As I write this, the United Nations has scheduled an emergency security council session about the deteriorating situation in Lebanon. If only the principal aggressors would stop fighting long enough to listen...
Even if H is hiding in there, there is no justification in the Universe to obliterate civilians. None. Never.
Collette,
Nice thought, but terribly naive.
Posted by: Jack | 06 August 2006 at 09:39
Thank you so much for this. It's difficult to read without crying over all the wasted life. As I grow older my heart does grow hard but yet more tender and easily pained. This situation is dreadful. Thanks for being a voice in the wilderness, if only we could make straight the highways...
Posted by: samantha | 31 July 2006 at 21:49
Well written - Thanks
Thoughtful comments.
What scares me is a thought I can't seem to shake: that ALL of this unrest is being brokered & manipulated by powerful people with their own agenda about money & power. Fundamentalism in any form scares me, but not as much as the possibility of nameless/faceless, and certainly UNgodly power brokers.
And yes, I do hear the paranoia in that. ...
So sad...
Posted by: Kate | 31 July 2006 at 18:17
You cut through to the humanitarian disaster with your sharp, eloquent and pasionate words. We need you at the UN council!
Posted by: bb | 31 July 2006 at 16:37
This last attack was the proverbial straw. We needed to step up but we made it worse.
I loved "New Horizons" picture and haiku. Happy moves :)
HUGS
Posted by: Tammy | 31 July 2006 at 16:31
Thank you for this post, Tara. I just came from a weekend with family where my two nieces, 6 and 4, were quizzing me about God and how God answers prayers. I don't have kids so I'm wasn't prepared for this line of discussion so I mumbled several incoherent answers wondering what I could say that would possibly hold up to their scrutiny when they are old enough to get a view on things like this.
How can we hold our heads up when this is the world we are creating for this little ones.
Shame.
Posted by: Laura Young | 31 July 2006 at 16:24
Scott, thanks for pointing out that I forgot to mention the shameful behaviour of those countries who supply Hezbollah with weapons and money.
Posted by: Paris Parfait | 31 July 2006 at 15:49
I guess annihilating all forms of life would bring a certain and lasting peace. There's always a price.
Posted by: Jemima von Schindelberg | 31 July 2006 at 11:32
Yes, they should all feel shamed. But it seems all any of the involved parties are interested in doing, is pointing fingers and playing the blame game; like a bunch of overgrown 8-year olds, "He started it!" - "He threw it first!" etc, ad nauseum. Unfortunately, the stakes are much, much higher; and they can't even be trusted to take a time-out.
Posted by: tinker | 31 July 2006 at 10:17
Yes...shame.......SHAME
Thanks again for these posts Tara
Posted by: Catalina | 31 July 2006 at 08:51
Powerful post. I think Israel might have misjudged this time with all this weapon power, since civilan death was exactly what Iran wanted when they originally pushed Hezbollah to kidnap the soldiers and send missiles into Israel. This way, the non-Arab Iranians can gain favor with the Arab world, turn international attention away from them, and coax Israel to kill civilians near Hezbollah targets -- making the Israel military look inhumane. Israel needs to stop letting other countries set the agenda, yes -- even with Iran providing Hezbollah with such sophisticated weapons that can reach Tel Aviv. Israel should be embarrassed for the civilian death. Hezbollah should be ashamed for having so little disregard for the Lebanese people. The Lebanese are the victims again of a power struggle between Iran and Israel that is not going to end soon.
Posted by: Neil | 31 July 2006 at 05:19
T....you missed one "shame on" which would be shame on the people who supply Hezbollah. This would balance your great story perfectly.
It is a shame. Israel/United States are looked at as the "big bullies" and cowardly. Yet, when you use your own innocent people as shields, you don't have much room to cast stones.
This latest aggression has woken me up to see a little better as to whom aligns with whom in the world. Little did I know that the board game "Risk" that I played at a child so accurately depicted the way the world operates.
While I don't know if this will be the start, I have little doubt that I will see World War 3 in my lifetime. I don't mean to seem pessimistic but the west will not tolerate it's people being terrorized. The militant terrorist's agenda has nothing to do with religion...it is pure hatred. Hate is one of the lowest forms of consciousness and I don't know what needs to happen for the hatred to be replaced. It's a nasty Catch-22 that the world is in.
Posted by: Scott | 31 July 2006 at 03:18
Both sides believe their actions to be just because they are responding to violence from the other side - but such arguments will never bring peace. There is no victory in murder, there is no victory in power. There is only victory in the transformation of hatred into love. Killing the "enemy" will never accomplish that. Only by "becoming peace," and leading by example, can an adversary's hatred be transformed. Sounds crazy and impossible - but the only winner in this conflict will be the one that first chooses to lay down their arms and refuse to kill even one more human being - be they innocent or not.
Posted by: twitches | 30 July 2006 at 22:50
Just dreadful and appalling.
Shame on them all.
Posted by: Gemma | 30 July 2006 at 22:45
Senseless acts of terror violence and destruction..very
overwhelming and sad to hear and see in the news!Yes SHAME!
Let there be "Light".
Posted by: naturegirl | 30 July 2006 at 22:35
shame on them all.
shame, shame, shame
Posted by: miss*R | 30 July 2006 at 22:04
Brilliant post. I had to link.
Posted by: erin | 30 July 2006 at 21:27
I love your unflinching
voice - and shame on this
war by proxy and deceit.
Posted by: Sophie | 30 July 2006 at 20:36
I want to have hope that each side will take personal responsibility for what they are each doing to make the whole situation any worse than it already is but I also think fundamentalists on all sides make it hard. Whats most surprising to me, and too little known, is that the VAST majority of Israelis are secular and liberal. The fact that this time even they are supporting actions against Hezbollah says that hope is definitely hard to come by everywhere.I read something on Salon too about how Beirut was at last coming into its own. What kills me the most is that for the last six years Bush completely ignored the Israeli conflicts with their neighbors. Clinton was so engaged and truly passionate about helping seek a resolution until Arafat walked out on negotiations. But even then he didn't give up. None of this had to happen if we had been more involved and had envoys consistently facilitating a dialogue between all sides. I do hold Bush and Cheney partially responsible for whats happening.
Posted by: Alexandra | 30 July 2006 at 20:06
It appears the Israel has refused a 72-hour ceasefire so that emergency supplies can be gotten to the Lebanese in dire need of help. Again, I am speechless.
The most sickening thing is how Israelis and their supporters are actually justifying this and the Qana Massacre. Even if H is hiding in there, there is no justification in the Universe to obliterate civilians. None. Never.
Posted by: Colette | 30 July 2006 at 19:19
I had wondered at the killing of Layal Nejib ... I had a terrible time finding enough information about her death to post on it.
Thank you.
I've followed the stories of both international photographers and peace activists killed by Israel, curious to know how they avoided bringing the world down on their heads.
Have you visited the site of Breakingthesilence ... a group of Israeli soldiers who have come together and are working at speaking out about what they have done ...
Posted by: Di | 30 July 2006 at 18:03
It is so refreshing to read an informed post about current events! I am sickened as well by the US' perpetual appeasement of Israel and Israel's unjustified aggression towards Lebannon. Have you read the poem "I Am Waiting" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti?
http://www.think-ink.net/visit/waiting.htm
Posted by: Lara | 30 July 2006 at 16:59