"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." Article 1 of the UN Charter of Human Rights.
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." Article 3 of the UN Charter of Human Rights.
In the current war of attrition that is being fought in southern Lebanon, the UN official count of dead Lebanese civilians stands at 548 confirmed deaths. On the other side of the Lebanese border, 19 Israeli civilians have been killed in rocket strikes by Hezbollah. The stark difference in civilian deaths on each side of the border brings into question who poses the biggest threat in this conflict: Israel or Hezbollah. These numbers also cast a dark veil of suspicion over the tactics of Israel and the mentality that underlies these tactics.
The Israeli strategy in southern Lebanon has so far been similar to the US tactics during the second invasion of Iraq: Maximum force through air strikes. This strategy is fraught with gross misjudgement and consequent heavy civilian loss. It reeks with blatant hypocrisy that borders on reckless. Why hypocrisy? Because Israel, a member of the UN and by implication a consignee of the UN Charter of Human Rights, makes a farce of Articles 1 and 3.
As stated at start of this post, all humans are regarded equal and therefore have equal right to life and dignity. Lebanese civilians are as rightfully deserving of dignity and life as Israeli civilians. Yet, it would seem a moot point lost on the Israeli military and political leadership. Apparently regarding their own civilians of more than equal in their rights, this leadership chooses to send in air strikes with devastating yet indiscriminate results. In most cases so far, Lebanese civilians paid with their lives.
Instead of sending in ground troops that can confirm where Hezhollah fighters really are located before engaging the target, Israel opts for armchair warfare. This strategy is therefore not only hypocritical, but also reckless. The political leadership of Israel, lacking the necessary integrity, is not willing to respect Lebanese civilians by sending in ground troops in the first place. The risk for the political fall-out over undeniably higher death toll amongst Israeli soldiers seems to outweigh the obligations of Israel under the UN Charter of Human Rights.
But herein lies the folly of war of any kind. One side will always minimise the risks of war to its own and in doing so invariably leave the bill for that choice to the other side.
In a guerrilla war, which in reality this war is, one may not escape engaging the enemy any other manner than on foot. When the enemy has embedded itself into the civilian population, there is no other responsible option but to risk ground troops in order to avoid civilian casualties. Area bombing against suspected guerrilla strongholds is both reckless and in violation of the Geneva Convention.
But such a view assumes an inherent respect for all life, including the other side.
Lebanese conflict sources: ABC, BBC, Google
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