Until Sept. 11, 2001, and the war on terror, the support of
Israel was always a liberal cause on college campuses. When
prominent Israeli legislator Michael Eitan spoke at the UCLA Hillel
on Monday, he reminded us why.
By contrasting Israel’s concern for civilian safety and
human rights with the United States’ actions in Iraq, Eitan
provided a model that the United States should adopt in fighting
terrorist groups without worsening the conditions that can increase
terrorism.
Eitan, the chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice
Committee of the Israeli Knesset, spoke about the efforts Israel
has made during the current intifada to protect both the rights of
prisoners of war and the lives of civilians. These actions include
giving Palestinians access to the courts and sending troops into
dangerous areas to root out terrorists rather than bombing
civilians.
This United States, on the other hand, uses less care regarding
civilians when rooting out terrorists, Eitan said, adding that
Israel provides more adequate legal rights to its prisoners of
war.
Over the past nine months, suicide bombings in Israel have
dramatically decreased as Israel’s war on terror continues.
Meanwhile, the terrorist cause has been growing in Iraq.
The United States is losing credibility on its assertion that it
holds the moral superiority in the war against terror.
America’s recklessness concerning civilian bystanders, along
with the human rights violations of prisoners in Abu Ghraib and
Guantanamo Bay, are undermining our attempts to discredit
terrorism.
Israel has significantly reduced the ability of terrorist groups
such as Hamas, Hizbullah and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade to send
suicide bombers into Israel over the past years. Currently, the
Palestinians are moving closer to statehood as Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon builds support for his disengagement plan in
hopes that the terrorism will subside.
Meanwhile, even the U.S. Democratic Party is resigned that U.S.
forces will remain in Iraq for another 10 years. And the bombings
in Iraq continue.
“What Americans faced after Sept. 11, Israel has dealt
with for generations,” Eitan said. How has Israel dealt with
terror?
The bombing of civilian-inhabited areas to root out terrorists
has resulted in a high civilian casualty rate in Iraq. Eitan said
he believes it is important to be more sensitive to the rights of
civilians; one cannot use all available force when dealing with
terrorists embedded in a civilian population.
The Israeli army sends soldiers on foot to pinpoint and root out
the terrorists, risking the lives of its men to minimize civilian
casualties. However, the terrorists make no such effort. “The
terrorists specifically target innocent civilians to terrorize all
the people,” Eitan said.
Prisoners of war also have to be treated fairly. Eitan spoke
critically of the United States holding soldiers at Guantanamo Bay
indefinitely without trial, as well as the use of military
tribunals instead of trials. In Israel, Palestinians have access to
the courts and to a fair and speedy trial.
In addition, the Israeli courts intervene against the Israeli
army. The Israeli army is subject to the scrutiny of the law, and
soldiers know that they will be held accountable for any illegal
actions. Israel has committees that, with the help of human rights
groups, monitor the army’s actions. “Every six months,
all the cases are brought before humanitarian councils and we make
sure every case is investigated,” Eitan said. Palestinian
casualties are investigated, and cases are often brought against
soldiers who operated outside the bounds of legality.
Israel’s openness to the media’s reports in the
midst of war has had detrimental effects on public opinion of
Israel. Israel’s public prosecution of its soldiers for
transgressions magnifies such acts in the media. None of this has
discouraged Israel from keeping its operations open to the media
and human rights groups. They feel the people have a right to know
what is going on, even if it is not pretty.
Maybe we’re too open, too liberal, Eitan said.
Karlin is a second-year Jewish studies student. Schuster is
a second-year biochemistry student.