Last Thursday, The USCCBureaucracy’s Department of Social Development and World Peace sent a letter to every congressman on the subject of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. It includes a summary of a statement by Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, chairman of the Committee on International Policy.
It does name Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists, condemns their terrorist attacks, and says they bear the responsibility for “initiating the current cycle of violence.” However, in the next paragraph, while admitting Israel’s right to defend itself, the statement says that “Israel’s response has been in some instances militarily disproportionate and indiscriminate.” Specifically it says that attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure, blockades, and other acts of war are unsupportable. Last things first: Since when are acts of war not permissible in war?
More importantly, there is the larger question: How does a country respond when its neighbor allows terrorists to launch attacks on them from within civilian areas with impunity? Israel is apparently taking utmost care to make only surgical strikes on targets, encouraging civilians to evacuate, telling pilots not to release weapons when in doubt, and so on. Yet Hezbollah is hiding amongst civilians, even using some as unwilling human shields. Is Israel just supposed to sit back and let rockets rain throughout Israel? What of their responsibility as a government to provide for the general welfare of its citizens?
A day late and a dollar short
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