Israel did the right thing and should say so

Submitted by Paul Graf (United States), Aug 2, 2002 at 14:07

I'm surprised that Mr. Pipes believes that Israel made a mistake. Surely, as a Middle East scholar, he is aware that Salah Shehadeh, like Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War, never stayed in the same house two nights in a row. Somehow Israel obtained intelligence that would only be useful for a very short time. Under the circumstances, and not knowing the tactical situation on the ground, the IDF made the correct choice. It certainly saved Israeli lives and may very well have saved Palestinian lives as well. (Anyone who has watched "Black Hawk Down" knows what can happen to a botched extraction in an urban environment.)

One can feel pity for the human shields this animal was using while, at the same time, feeling fully justified in doing what was done to make sure that he was killed.

Israel's apology, I believe, should be understood in this context and in the context that it believes all human life to be sacred.

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