Bolton!!!!!!

The The Shaggy Ambassador?


United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, who was never confirmed by the Senate, made some pretty obscene remarks at the United Nations the other day where he has been very busy trying to prevent a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

"US Ambassador John Bolton said there was no moral equivalence between the civilian casualties from the Israeli raids in Lebanon and those killed in Israel from 'malicious terrorist acts'."

No moral equivalence? What the hell does that mean? Apparently he is saying that we should think of Israeli civilian deaths differently from Lebanese civilian deaths. Because Israel is trying to target Hizbollah with its state-of-the-art made in the USA precision weapons it is pounding down on Lebanon, and the hundreds of civilian deaths are apparently an accident. Hizbollah, on the other hand, targets civilians in Israel and even though their Iranian made rockets are not precision, they aim them at civilian areas and see what happens. Thus we should disregard the 300 civilians Israel 'accidentally' killed while it was bombing a major metropolitan city and care more for the 29 Israeli deaths that were intentionally killed when Hizbollah's rockets were able to hit the north of Israel.


For the record International Law does hold a moral equivalance, you are responsible for civilian massacres whether it was your intention or not. I must say I am deeply disappointed in Amir Peretz, Israel's defense minister. Peretz is the leader of Israel's Labor Party and in the last election was effectively running for Prime Minister, calling for the Israeli people to focus back on the socialist roots in which Israel was founded. When Kadima (Sharon's Likud hybrid) won the election, Perez was offered the post of Defense Minister. I dont know if his support of these atrocious actions is a way for a socialist perceived as weak to show himself strong, or a dark-skinned morrocan born Israeli to prove he loves his homeland just as much as the lighter skinned ashkenazi majority; but I had high hopes for Mr Peretz as a future leader of Israel and the left-wing groups that supported him have expressed great disappointment.

Gush Shalom (Israeli peace) sent out a protest letter the other day to those on their list serv (gush-shalom.org/english to get on it). It included an old protest song from the 80's that Israeli protesters were singing outside the Ministry of Defense this week:

"Red eleinu aviron!
Kach otanu leLvanon!
Nilachem bishvil Sharon!
Venachzor betoch aron".

or....

"Come down airplane!
Take us to Lebanon!
We will fight for Sharon!
and come back in a coffin."

Im just assuming this rhymes in Hebrew. The lyrics were followed by this humorous statement: " The problem that neither 'Olmert' nor 'Peretz' could fit into the rhyme was solved easily: 'Anyway, they are both just copying Sharon' commented a participant. "


How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace. Isaiah 52:7