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Last update - 10:11 21/01/2008
Strong in numbers
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Sderot, Gaza, Qassam, Israel

Here we have the yardstick for security success: the number of Palestinians killed. As in the most primeval wars, the heads of the defense establishment are boasting about the number of people Israel has killed. Their job is to ensure protection for the residents of the state. And, as we know, the residents of the "Gaza perimeter" are not receiving this protection. So the death toll has become the measure of their success.

Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin briefed the cabinet last week about the "achievements" of his organization: 810 Palestinians killed during the past two years. His predecessor, Avi Dichter, once appeared before the editorial board of Haaretz and proudly presented a sophisticated slideshow from his laptop computer: a pie chart of Palestinian casualties, in several colors. Last week, the brigade commander in Gaza, Colonel Ron Ashrov, defined the operation in the Zeitun neighborhood as "very successful." Why? Because his troops killed 19 Palestinians in a single day and further inflamed the conflagration in the South. How depressing, morally and in practical terms, to think that this is the measure of success.

Has the daily mass killing in Gaza improved the security situation? No, it has only made it worse. Has it reduced the number of Qassams? No, it has led to their proliferation. So why are we killing? We need "to do something" and there needs to be "a price tag." These are hollow cliches. A review of recent newspapers presents a clear picture: As long as the U.S. president was still in the country, Israel refrained from liquidations, and the number of Qassams decreased. When George Bush left, we resumed killing and, as a result, Sderot has faced the most difficult days it has ever known. The burning question that arises is: What are we killing for? Someone must answer this.
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The distinction that Diskin and his ilk make between "armed" and "unarmed" Palestinians also does not change a thing. Whether 600 armed men were killed (the number cited by the Shin Bet director) or only 455 (according to Haaretz's calculation), this does not justify the scope of the killing or serve as an indication of its effectiveness. Not every armed person deserves to die. All of the killings, of armed and unarmed, have only led to an escalation of the violence on the other side. For every "senior Jihad commander," for every Qassam launcher killed, seven others immediately emerge. The killing is useless, and the defense establishment boasts about it only to satisfy public opinion.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak should understand this better than anyone. He has certainly read a book or two about history, and he knows that it is impossible to forcefully extinguish a determined and protracted struggle for freedom, like that of the Palestinians. He is also the person who once said in a television interview, courageously and frankly: "If I were a Palestinian, I would join a terror organization." He is the one who is now orchestrating the sowing of death in Gaza.

One's heart goes out to the residents of Sderot, but one should also remember that they bear the same responsibility for the situation as do all Israelis. If a survey were conducted in this battered city, it would show that there is also a majority in Sderot in favor of continuing the occupation and siege, as everywhere else in Israel. And despite all the suffering they are experiencing, the situation of their neighbors to the south is much worse.

Haaretz presented a mirror image last week on its front page: a crying toddler in Sderot and a crying toddler in Gaza, both in the arms of their fathers. The other newspapers deemed it sufficient to print pictures of the weeping in Sderot on their front pages. But in recent days, Israel has killed dozens of residents of the besieged, blacked-out and starved Gaza Strip. This information cannot be ignored, with all due sympathy for Sderot.

The continued killing in Gaza is leading nowhere, except for exacerbating the situation in Sderot. It will not weaken the Palestinians' struggle for freedom and will not bring security for Israel. The yearning for a "large-scale military operation" in Gaza, as described by warmongering generals and commentators, is also infuriating. This operation already started a long time ago - just listen to the death figures of Diskin and his colleagues. We have killed over 800 Palestinians in two years, and it is appalling that some take pride in this. And what have we solved?
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  1.   Hats off to mr Levy 10:21  |  Eleni 21/01/08
  2.   Who benefits from all the violence? 10:28  |  Natallie Durson 21/01/08
  3.   In return for HOURLY targetting of Israeli civillians Pal.hit&run 10:34  |  PETER SM 21/01/08
  4.   Levy levitates on hot air 10:35  |  Star of David 21/01/08
  5.   We kill to "to satisfy public opinion. " 10:39  |  Laura Heintze 21/01/08
  6.   ISRAEL HAS BECOME A MURDER MACHINE: IT CAN`T DO ANYTHING ELSE 10:49  |  TrippleJump 21/01/08
  7.   Strong in numbers 11:00  |  JL 21/01/08
  8.   I am not accepting Israel`s right to exist as such 11:36  |  Dutch 21/01/08
  9.   800 islamofascists less, excellent 11:43  |  maurice 21/01/08
  10.   As Churchii was used to say, "with the ennemies... 11:46  |  maurice 21/01/08
  11.   The US learned in Vietnam and has relearned 11:47  |  spyguy 21/01/08
  12.   Hear, hear 11:51  |  Outsider 21/01/08
  13.   Israel needs to go back into the pages of history .. 11:54  |  Dutch 21/01/08
  14.   WHAT WOULD YOU DO, MR. LEVY? 11:58  |  Zvi 21/01/08
  15.   Natalie #2 12:09  |  Gabe 21/01/08
  16.   Levy is a lousy journalist, good propagandist 12:34  |  Joe Sittizen 21/01/08
  17.   Fantastic opinion piece from Levy 12:37  |  Johnboy 21/01/08
  18.   Dutch loves his Palesitnian war criminals 12:39  |  Joe Sittizen 21/01/08
  19.   Nothing new,Levy`s Dad was against allied offensive against the N 12:45  |  Absolute Sweden 21/01/08
  20.   Dear outsider, why not visit inside and find the reality? 12:46  |  Joe Sittizen 21/01/08
  21.   TRIPPLE JUMP SCREAMS IN RAGE,NO FREE KICK FOR HIS BROTHERS 12:47  |  PETER SM 21/01/08
  22.   THE PRIDE OF AVI DICHTER 13:36  |  indrajaya 21/01/08
  23.   PETER SM#21: YOU SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED! 13:37  |  TrippleJump 21/01/08
  24.   gazans 13:42  |  habakook 21/01/08
  25.   # 16 Levy is a lousy journalist 13:45  |  Arnold 21/01/08
  26.   TRIPPLE JUMP IF YOU CANNOT ACCEPT PARTITION OR PEACE 13:52  |  PETER SM 21/01/08
  27.   TRPPLE JUMP You ARE very concerned its not going to plan 14:12  |  PETER SM 21/01/08
  28.   Mr. Levi, what do you suggest we should do about the Kassams? 14:17  |  David 21/01/08
  29.   Respect for this article 14:30  |  Bob 21/01/08
  30.   Levy : very strong in number 14:39  |  Nathan from Rehovot 21/01/08
  31.   THE IDF SHOULDN`T BE PROUD OF 800 14:46  |  Robert 21/01/08
  32.   Gideon Levy should go live in Sderot 15:02  |  Free Gilad Shalit 21/01/08
  33.   Starvation? Not according to the UN 16:06  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  34.   Levy hates Israel 16:32  |  Elke M 21/01/08
  35.   to JL #7 16:42  |  zeev 21/01/08
  36.   What mass killing? 16:42  |  Pssd off American. 21/01/08
  37.   1: But he needs his hat firmly on his head (2nd try) 16:50  |  David Teich 21/01/08
  38.   Levy: ThereAre Enemies. And There Are Sworn Enemies. 16:52  |  Stash 21/01/08
  39.   # 23 Tripplejump...no, and your gov is in 16:52  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  40.   17: JB likes it because it is opinion, not fact 16:54  |  David Teich 21/01/08
  41.   # 6 Tripplejump. ...reality is the signs of 16:55  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  42.   Bad luck, we didn`t raze Gaza like the russian did in Grosny 17:02  |  maurice 21/01/08
  43.   to David #28 17:02  |  zeev 21/01/08
  44.   jewish and pals beliefs had penetrated the 17:08  |  bozhidar balkas 21/01/08
  45.   1,2 BILLION PEOPLE BEHIND THE PALESTINIANS 17:17  |  indrajaya 21/01/08
  46.   Levy DEFENDING War Crimes 17:21  |  B 21/01/08
  47.   Further proof 17:25  |  M.O. 21/01/08
  48.   to Zvi #14 17:34  |  zeev 21/01/08
  49.   I remember three years ago, when it was said that going after 17:44  |  Jacob Blues 21/01/08
  50.   Thanks 18:40  |  Pal 21/01/08
  51.   # 45 Indy...I don`t think so.......it is important 18:57  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  52.   # 2 Who benefts from violence ? 18:59  |  Margot in Asnieres 21/01/08
  53.   It is scarry 19:15  |  Danite 21/01/08
  54.   Levy a lousy Journalist no 16 19:15  |  Shmaryahoo 21/01/08
  55.   Just One word for all .... 19:33  |  Mary Boskin 21/01/08
  56.   total war 19:37  |  Michael 21/01/08
  57.   What is Genocide....Remember Warsaw 19:52  |  Jim Zoghby 21/01/08
  58.   Pride goes before fall 20:06  |  Kris 21/01/08
  59.   to Michael #56 - wrong analogies ... 20:13  |  zeev 21/01/08
  60.   18 Wilful killing has no place in today`s Huma Rights world 20:17  |  Dutch 21/01/08
  61.   45When you count the Christians with the Jews you`re out-numbered 21:12  |  Reality 21/01/08
  62.   To Zeev #43 some questions 21:18  |  David 21/01/08
  63.   # 60 Dutch that also goes for the Islamic fascists 21:19  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  64.   # 53 Danite...very astute 21:21  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  65.   46 B, It may surprise you-militants aren`t always terrorists 21:21  |  Dutch 21/01/08
  66.   46 B, It may surprise you-militants aren`t always terrorists 21:21  |  Dutch 21/01/08
  67.   # 55 Mary Boskin ...what genocide? 21:24  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  68.   Dutsh re 60 21:27  |  Margaret 21/01/08
  69.   no end of leftist loons! 21:36  |  Moshe 21/01/08
  70.   #64 Dutch - does the Kassams lack of success justify their firing 21:50  |  Lior 21/01/08
  71.   It may not surprise us re # 64 21:58  |  Sullam M 21/01/08
  72.   Levy is brilliant - Futile attempt at 22:00 HT 22:00  |  BBSNews 21/01/08
  73.   #8 Dutch, who cares if you except or not 22:21  |  TOMY 21/01/08
  74.   to David #62 22:25  |  zeev 21/01/08
  75.   Hamas holds the people of Gaza in a strangle hold 22:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/01/08
  76.   Targeting terrorists is the best way to control 22:26  |  TOMY 21/01/08
  77.   Read your Sun Tzu again 22:41  |  tadchase 21/01/08
  78.   #65 doris and total confusion about terrorists 22:45  |  v hardman 21/01/08
  79.   Dutch is not much, offend true face of Islam on TV! (Part 1) 22:55  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/01/08
  80.   Dutch is not much, offend true face of Islam on TV! (Part 2) 22:56  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/01/08
  81.   The solution is to retake Gaza FOREVER! 22:57  |  Chaim 21/01/08
  82.   Dutch is not much, offend true face of Islam on TV! (Part 4) 22:59  |  Genuine Tosefta 21/01/08
  83.   #45 indrajaya,there are 1.2 billion muslems 23:06  |  TOMY 21/01/08
  84.   Levy is brilliant - 2nd Futile attempt at 23:09 HT 23:09  |  BBSNews 21/01/08
  85.   Pinpointing the terrorrists is a perfect way 23:13  |  TOMY 21/01/08
  86.   #73 Kohn seeks eternal war 23:19  |  Labhras 21/01/08
  87.   Danite, the expert on Hamas... 23:30  |  Ibrahim 21/01/08
  88.   " Are we becoming a Genocidal Society" ? 23:31  |  Stephen. 21/01/08
  89.   Lynn 23:34  |  Danite 21/01/08
  90.   David, answer to your question (c) 23:34  |  Ibrahim 21/01/08
  91.   # 82 Aayan Hirsi Ali has a fatwa on her head 23:44  |  Lynn 21/01/08
  92.   # 45 Indrajaya 23:50  |  Alphonso D 21/01/08
  93.   Spyguy You are at the mercy of Israel now 23:51  |  Aby 21/01/08
  94.   joe sittizen does the arithmetic 23:59  |  hollingsworth 21/01/08
  95.   Levy`s Supposed Eloquence 00:06  |  Ron 22/01/08
  96.   # 56, MICHAEL 00:28  |  indrajaya 22/01/08
  97.   # 61, REALITY 00:42  |  indrajaya 22/01/08
  98.   #75 Cipora, Gazans are not victims of Hamas 00:44  |  dutch 22/01/08
  99.   My appolgies for spyguy 01:00  |  Scharker Yid 22/01/08
  100.   slaves to hamas 01:13  |  DesertEagle50 22/01/08
  101.   But they are both enjoying it so much 01:27  |  Mark Lincoln 22/01/08
  102.   Does God own a laptop? 01:31  |  Maureen Ann 22/01/08
  103.   are they really struggling for freedom? 01:35  |  maria 22/01/08
  104.   This is not Mass Killing - Mass Killing is When you win Wars 01:38  |  J 22/01/08
  105.   Indy - #12 01:40  |  J 22/01/08
  106.   indrajaya.....the jews are outnumbered,but who always 01:40  |  maria 22/01/08
  107.   The numbers & their `fortune tellers` P1 02:06  |  TonyL 22/01/08
  108.   To Disgusted Dutch 02:12  |  Proud IDF `thug` 22/01/08
  109.   The numbers & their `fortune tellers P2 02:13  |  TonyL 22/01/08
  110.   MarkhabaMurine,Murine my little tambourine sitting on you forever 02:13  |  Jalal Shahid 22/01/08
  111.   Durson #2 02:18  |  Proud IDF `thug` 22/01/08
  112.   The numbers & their `fortune tellers` P3 02:22  |  TonyL 22/01/08
  113.   # 92, MARIA 03:36  |  indrajaya 22/01/08
  114.   Always Been About Casualties 03:49  |  Ron 22/01/08
  115.   to David #62 -- (1) 04:35  |  zeev 22/01/08
  116.   1,2 BILLION PEOPLE BEHIND THE PALESTINIANS 04:43  |  Aft 22/01/08
  117.   1,2 BILLION PEOPLE BEHIND THE PALESTINIANS 04:49  |  Aft 22/01/08
  118.   NDURSON"thugs"Hamas thugs who threaten,beat&worse Gazans who 05:01  |  PETER SM 22/01/08
  119.   For unemployed bloggers 05:29  |  Steve 22/01/08
  120.   gaza casualties 05:34  |  Iche Behr 22/01/08
  121.   to David #62 -- (2) 05:36  |  zeev 22/01/08
  122.   The uncanny prescience of Hannah Arendt 05:37  |  Ben Alofs 22/01/08
  123.   Gideon, why do you have to lie and say `MASS` killings? 06:28  |  Steve Randolph 22/01/08
  124.   Ben Alofs - 1st try 06:30 HT 06:30  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  125.   To TrippleJump: Don`t LIE. Israel is not a `killing machine` 06:30  |  Steve Randolph 22/01/08
  126.   Dutch, no one gives a crap if you reject Israel`s very existence 06:31  |  Steve Randolph 22/01/08
  127.   Ben Alofs 06:34  |  Danite 22/01/08
  128.   idf terrorists 06:36  |  sev 22/01/08
  129.   Preoccupied by self-defense? #117 06:37  |  Steve 22/01/08
  130.   Adopt democracy, reject apartheid 06:37  |  Links 22/01/08
  131.   We will never accept a multinational state in any of 22 countries 07:01  |  ARAB APARTHEID 22/01/08
  132.   Randolph on new math - 1st try 07:16 HT 07:16  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  133.   # 1 to eleni in london; i`ll second that! 07:35  |  eric 22/01/08
  134.   116 07:40  |  Ron 22/01/08
  135.   "God of Israel is with them" 07:53  |  Rick 22/01/08
  136.   Mass Killing? More lies from Senile, irrelevant Gideon Levy 07:58  |  Mark Hamil 22/01/08
  137.   is sderot REALLY a sacrificial lamb? 08:11  |  eric 22/01/08
  138.   B.ALLOFS.Are you totally ignorant in your own profession ?or-? 08:18  |  PETER SM 22/01/08
  139.   Ron on hostility - 1st try 08:19 HT 08:19  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  140.   # 111 to aft in CANADA 08:36  |  eric 22/01/08
  141.   #3 PETER SM..PROOF OF THE PUDDING! 08:37  |  PADDY 22/01/08
  142.   Hamil on children - 1st try 08:50 HT 08:50  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  143.   #105 Placing the thugs & murderers in the IDF& Shin Bet on Notice 08:51  |  Dutch 22/01/08
  144.   #75 CI. JU. KOHN - WHAT???!!! 08:54  |  PADDY 22/01/08
  145.   #119 dr ben and more black jokes 08:54  |  v hardman 22/01/08
  146.   STRONG NUMBERS 09:17  |  HM 22/01/08
  147.   Eric on who... - 10:20 HT 10:21  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  148.   Sderot, Gaza- Israel, Palestine 10:26  |  Samar Qutob 22/01/08
  149.   Number One Journalist . 10:45  |  Dangalil 22/01/08
  150.   148: What Samar the liar never addresses 13:43  |  David Teich 22/01/08
  151.   147: Ahh, run and spew BBS appears again 13:48  |  David Teich 22/01/08
  152.   to Samar Qutob #148 14:00  |  zeev 22/01/08
  153.   death toll the last resort of the tactically inept 17:21  |  Machiavelli Spinoza 22/01/08
  154.   contd 17:22  |  Machiavelli Spinoza 22/01/08
  155.   on David Teich #150 - 2nd try 18:23  |  zeev 22/01/08
  156.   Teich on cowardice - 1st try 18:27 HT 18:27  |  BBSNews 22/01/08
  157.   Stop the Killing of Palestinians and firing of Rockets 00:27  |  BIG 23/01/08
  158.   # 147 to bbsnews in charlotte (another try) 09:30  |  eric 23/01/08
  159.   155: Zeev, why lie when it`s so easily disproven? 13:06  |  David Teich 23/01/08
  160.   Poor BBS. Still whining rather than answering 13:11  |  David Teich 23/01/08
  161.   Eric`s another fleeing puppy. Welcome back 13:16  |  David Teich 23/01/08
  162.   Teich on running - 2nd try 18:34 HT 18:34  |  BBSNews 23/01/08
  163.   Teich on lying - 2nd try 18:52 HT 18:52  |  BBSNews 23/01/08
  164.   Teich on Haaretz - 2nd try 18:56 HT 18:56  |  BBSNews 23/01/08
  165.   # 161 to teich re: "massive and repeated peace offers" 04:52  |  eric 24/01/08
  166.   to David Teich #159 - 2nd try 05:23  |  zeev 24/01/08
  167.   Eric... 06:31  |  Silvienne 24/01/08
  168.   Wow, BBS, three posts to prove my point. Thanx! p1 16:20  |  David Teich 24/01/08
  169.   Wow, BBS, three posts to prove my point. Thanx! p2 16:28  |  David Teich 24/01/08
  170.   Eric: Do you think that`s poetry? 16:34  |  David Teich 24/01/08
  171.   # 170 no teich, i don`t...lol...did you? (3rd try!) 06:23  |  eric 26/01/08
  172.   171: At least the "likes of" me think, eric 13:24  |  David Teich 26/01/08
  173.   # 172 your "facts", david teich? (last try) 02:39  |  eric 28/01/08
  174.   173: ROTFL, eric! 11:06  |  David Teich 28/01/08
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