Who Do We Fight?

As oil surges over $77 a gallon and world markets tumble, Prof. Tanya Reinhart asks a timely question: What Are They Fighting For?

Whatever may be the fate of the captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the Israeli army’s war in Gaza is not about him. As senior security analyst Alex Fishman widely reported, the army was preparing for an attack months earlier and was constantly pushing for it, with the goal of destroying the Hamas infrastructure and its government...

To control the West Bank, Israel needs full control [of] Gaza. The new form of control Israel has developed is turning the whole of the Strip into a prison camp completely sealed from the world...

With the green light for the offensive given, the army's only concern is public image.

And where did this "green light" come from? Over to a recent article by Dahr Jamail:

Now that the U.S. military/Rumsfeld (who was just in Baghdad) and Khalilzad have declared war on the Shia Mehdi Army, accusing them of terrorism, all bets are off. Of course, the timing of this with Israelis attacks against Hezbollah couldn't be more perfect. Coincidence?

And with all the media now saying that Israel's new offensive is a response to the kidnapping of two more soldiers, please let us not forget that family of innocent Palestinian civilians who were killed on a Gaza beach (video here) way, way back on June 9th. That IDF air attack, which Israel first ignored, then denied, then ridiculously blamed on Arab terrorists, is what triggered the latest wave of violence in that particular region.

As Justin Raimondo said back then:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict isn't about land anymore. It is about who is human, and who is not.