Posted on 08/21/2006 8:30:25 AM PDT by APRPEH
The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) has called on Israel to reevaluate its military rules of war in light of Hizbullah's "unconscionable use of civilians, hospitals, ambulances, mosques and the like as human shields, cannon fodder and weapons of asymmetric warfare."
The RCA made the statement at the end of a three-day solidarity mission last week in conjunction with Emunah, the modern Orthodox women's organization, during which a contingent of RCA rabbis toured the North and South, visiting the injured and gathering impressions of the extent of the damage caused by the warfare.
Rabbi Basil Herring, executive vice president of the RCA, said the statement was not a halachic decision but rather "our understanding of traditional Jewish values."
Herring said that from reports and talks with injured soldiers and doctors, it appeared the IDF may have unnecessarily endangered its forces out of moral considerations.
"Like Jews everywhere, we as members of the RCA have always admired the unparalleled moral standards of Israel's armed forces in their military engagements, including sensitivity to the suffering of civilians and other innocents who find themselves caught up in the entanglements of war," said the RCA statement. "Today, however, there is at the very least a need to discuss the response to an enemy such as Hizbullah."
According to Herring, the new combat realities of fighting an enemy that uses its own civilians as human shields dictate a rethinking of IDF military ethics.
"Our traditional sensibilities tell us that it is not right to risk the lives of our soldiers to minimize civilian deaths on the other side," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
This clear thinking and sound logic will not stand.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
The west (Europe and America too) is just going to have to accept that killing terrorist means killing several innocent civillians also. Look, in the end, it's the responsibility of terrorist and not the west for such loss of life. Once we simply accept this fact, we can move quicker and get the job done faster....or simply let ourselves be defeated.
The west needs to put the word out to Lebanon, the Iraqi's, the Syrians, the Iranians and their proxy terror groups that we aren't feeling sorry for their innocent civilians anymore...as much as hurts us to say that
It's called collateral damage and it has happened in every war fought in history. Sh*t happens. Just try to stay out of the way.
The "Useful Infidels" will be howling!
There. I fixed it.
No terrorists can ever hide among "innocent" civilians without their indifference or consent.
It's about time someone made a statement like this.You can't fight with both hands tied behind your back.Anyone notice that at least 80% of the coverage of this "war" was regarding the pali's displaced,wounded,or killed by Israeli's?IMO this was controled and manipulated by the msm and governments hostile to Israel from day one.
"the unparalleled moral standards of Israel's armed forces in their military engagements..." which are not being reciprocated and are thus rendered obsolete.
Wait a minute, I thought secular people were rational and religious people were nuts?
I agree. Flattening a place with overwhelming force will most likely save more lives in the long run. It will also give a great incentive for civilians not to tolerate terrorists among them.
Israel was founded on religious principal. Why is it rabbis in America have to speak to this? America is giving $230 million to rebuild Lebanon... this is insane.
Defeating Islamic terrorism will not come with military or police action. It will come with conversion to Christianity.
I concur. The responsibility for the unwanted deaths is solely on the shoulders of the Hezbos and those who support them. They don't care about the civilians anyway. When the IDF drops leaflets telling you to leave, you may want to consider doing so. I realize that the Hezbos forced some to stay but plenty of others did of their own accord. This leaves them in the terrorists' camp. Sorry.
Actually, Israel was founded by secular people who were somewhat anti religious in their orientation. That is one of the key problems facing Israel. If one does not believe in Judaism per se then Israel does not have a strong philosophical foundation. When you ask people to fight fanatics and risk their lives and suffer for something that is hard to define you have trouble getting people excited to do that.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
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Glad to see this...sorry that such a statement needed to be made, however (wish there were no Islamic terrorists).
I wonder where these nice Jewish ladies place Arik Sharon's West Bank hilltop civilian security settlements/"facts-on-the-ground" with respect to placing civilians in harm's way. If the West Bank hill tops were a strategic imperative why not hold them with the IDF as opposed to civilian "facts-on-the-ground"?
Good they're finally reanalyzing the situation to recognize what the situation really it. One avoids civilian harm as possible, but not through sacrificing ones own troops. Who are the civilians in any case? Go, rabbis!
So, "...Israel was founded by secular people who were somewhat anti religious in their orientation." You also proclaim that, "...Israel does not have a strong philosophical foundation." You are truly a genius! You should consider a position at the U.N.
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