About 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, The Israeli army lost 116 soldiers. 43 Israeli civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A new concept
Accountability. Ever heard of it? Apparently it is a word that has lost its meaning and its practical applications in the United States. Our president certainly doesn't seem to grasp it. But in a country like Israel it still has value. The head of the Israeli army just resigned over the disaster that was the latest incursion into Lebanon, which only managed to make Hezbollah stronger. People are demanding that Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister, and Amir Peretz, the Defense Minister, resign too. Whether that happens or not, Israel is a society, regardless of what its enemies think, that holds its leaders accountable. Perhaps it's because their enemies (and you will never ever in a million years see any of them be accountable for anything) are in their own backyard, or perhaps because it is more of an active democracy than ours. The recent Lebanon conflict lasted 34 days. According to the BBC:
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My heart aches with it. How do we awaken the sleeping giant and let loose the voices of outrage? Has cynicism won the "Best Dressed" award this year? Is it just too uncool to think that ordinary people can change the course of a country? People made such fun of Sean Penn for speaking out against this war. I'm curious to go back and read what he was saying back then when it all began -- how many would disagree now? I love your blog. Kvetch on (Kvell on?) (said the shiksa, aware that her use of Yiddish is woefully inaccurate, at best).
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