Are all civilian casualties "innocents"?

For the last two weeks Israel has been pounding Hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon. TV reporters bent on editorializing instead of providing all of the facts have joined European nations, pro-Arab Kookie Koffi Annan, in decrying the civilian casualties in Lebanon. The word brandied about is “disproportionate response”

I would agree with those reporters if they mean that much of the terrorist Hezbollah response to has been disproportionate to the Israeli actions. Of course most TV hosts would disagree with me. But this is a world where people like Wolf Blitzer, the son of holocaust survivors, finds a moral equivalence between a nation trying to protect its civilians and the terrorists that that target those innocents. If FDR could have prevented his parents being sent to concentration camps by destroying the Nazi infrastructure, I wonder if he would have talked about too much destruction in Treblinka. Yet many of the TV news talking heads Wolf’s and TV shows argue that Israeli has gone overboard in its attacks against Hezbollah. They talk about the innocent civilians but they don’t make a differentiation between innocents civilians and civilians.

Israel is targeting ammunitions and rocket launchers. Hezbollah hides those tools of war in people’s homes. The terrorists even PAY RENT to the homeowners for storing their bombs, and guarantee that if anything happens their homes will be rebuilt. By allowing and even being paid for storing the weapons caches in their homes these civilians are complacent in the terrorist acts. They are civilian casualties yes, innocent civilians no. I’m not suggesting that there isn’t collateral death and destruction, but I am saying that the level of “innocent” destruction is overblown.

Lets not forget the steps that Israel takes before the bombing starts; they drop leaflets warning the Lebanese what’s coming. Then they make announcements via loudspeakers; finally they make phone calls telling the Lebanese that an attack is imminent. Yes that’s right, Israel has a phone chain. (I wonder if it is the voice of a Jewish mother. "Achmad this is Mrs. Cohen, I think you should move north).

Hezbollah, on the other hand sends its rockets haphazardly into towns and cities, avoiding military targets trying to cause as much civilian death and destruction as possible. As a matter of fact, they even put ball bearings in their missiles, to act as buckshot. This has no military value, but does cause extra injury to factory workers and other innocent civilians.

As Jews we pray for peace, and ask for the full recovery of all injured, the innocents on both sides, as well as those who, for a few extra dollars aided and abetted Hezbollah terrorists.

Oseh shalom, shalom bimromav Hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu
V'al kol yisra'el v'imru amen

May the One who causes peace to reign in the highest heavens let peace descend upon us, upon all Israel, and let us say: Amen.