Sunday, July 02, 2023
Elder of Ziyon
Israel’s pursuit of terrorists into the Palestinian Authority city of Jenin this week echoes the Biden administration’s ongoing policy of sending US troops into other countries in pursuit of terrorists.Israel’s leaders know that US forces killed Bilal al-Sudani and 10 other ISIS terrorists in Somalia on January 25. “This action leaves the United States and its partners safer and more secure,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.Secretary Austin was absolutely right. Whether terrorists are in Jenin, three miles from Israel’s border; or Somalia, 7,000 miles from America, they must be pursued.Israel was watching when the US carried out airstrikes on Iran-backed terrorists in Syria on March 23, killing 11 of them. US President Joe Biden said the airstrikes demonstrated his commitment to the principle that the US government must be “prepared to act forcefully to protect our people.”Biden was right. Whether the terrorists are in Syria, 6,000 miles from the US; or in Jenin, 10 miles from the Israeli city of Afula, every government must act forcefully to protect its people.Israel surely was paying attention when a US drone strike in northwestern Syria killed ISIS terrorist Khalid Ayyd Ahmad Al-Jabouri on April 3. A Pentagon statement said the killing was justified because it “will temporarily disrupt the organization’s ability to plot external attacks.”Which, of course, is exactly what Israel is doing when it sends its troops into PA cities such as Jenin. Disrupting enemy attacks saves lives.
Flatow notes that US Centcom counted 38 anti-terror operations in May - more than one a day.
What Flatow doesn't mention is that sometimes, US forces kill civilians as well.
In May, the US announced the assassination of a major Al Qaeda leader - but they had actually killed a 56-year old sheep-herder and father of 10. As far as I can tell, the US has not yet admitted that they made a mistake, claiming that the man was also Al Qaeda without providing a name and any evidence.
Another civilian was killed in a US-led coalition airstrike in February of this year. And in the past, the US has been involved in massacres - 10 civilians including 7 children in Afghanistan in a single airstrike in 2021, to give one example of many.
Like the US, Israel is targeting terrorists. Like the US, sometimes innocent people are killed. Like the US, Israel tries very hard to minimize civilian casualties.
Unlike the US, Israel is dealing with terrorists on its very doorstep. Unlike the US, ordinary Israeli civilians are in clear and present danger from these terrorists, who would attack Israeli civilians within days if Israel wouldn't stay on the offensive. And unlike the US and UK, Israel is far more transparent in its investigations and admitting mistakes.
And Israel is subjected to far more scrutiny and media attention for civilian deaths than the US and UK are - by US and UK media!
No one wants civilian casualties except for the terrorists themselves. No one works harder to avoid those civilian casualties while balancing them against real, imminent danger of terror attacks than Israel does.
The US and UK should spend at least as much time criticizing their own actions as they do Israel's.
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