The recent actions by Israel have been condemned by many churches and governments. Their main complaint is that the Israeli actions are out of proportion to the Hamas offenses. They imply that they would not be condemning Israel if the responses had been proportional. We need to look at this issue in light of the facts:
1. Hamas launches rockets into Israel specifically aimed at civilian targets.
2. Hamas places its leadership and military centers specifically in civilian locations
3. Hamas locates rocket launchers in or near schools, hospitals, and civilian neighborhoods
4. Israel tries to target only Hamas leadership, military, and launching sites
Given these established facts, we can only conclude that:
1. Hamas doesn’t make a distinction between civilians and combatants unless it meets its political agenda
2. This agenda places Palestinian civilian at risk intentionally.
3. Hamas wants to increase Palestinian civilian casualties because it makes Israel look bad
Given these fact and conclusions I have to conclude that the criticizing governments and churches want the following actions that would be proportional responses:
1. Israel should start lobbing rockets into civilian neighborhoods regardless of whether Hamas has facilities there
2. Israel should make elimination of any concept of a Palestinian State a part of its political goals in the same manner that Hamas has the elimination of Israel on its agenda
3. Hamas fighters captured in battle should be held without notification of their being held.
4. Bodies of Hamas fighters killed in battle should be held and implications made that they are alive and will be returned if certain concessions are made by Hamas.
Do the churches and governments really want proportional responses? If they do, they will be instrumental in perpetrating a higher level of civilian suffering than has been seen to date.
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