freedom from imperialist occupation

Hezbollah is an occupying force. How can I mention them without mentioning Iran, their biggest supporters and funders? They are directly affiliated. Iran also funds Shiite militant behavior in Bahrain, in an effort to reclaim this country back – physically and ideologically. How do you know that in 10 years this country will also not be under a fierce occupation by Iran and their militants? Or is it only those “imperialists” that we have to worry about? Hezbollah poses equally dangerous threats in this region. The mission of Hezbollah is essentially Iran’s. If the future is in their hands, I have no hope at all for future generations, who will be smothered in blood.

I find it very odd that you have a story about freedom that can be won without militants, when no “free” country in the world believes otherwise. In fact, it is a uniting theme in all “free” countries in the world that militancy in fact created, maintains, and safeguards their freedom.

But in all of this discussion you are ambiguously referring to different kinds of “freedoms”: freedom from imperialist occupation is different from freedom for individuals or citizens to do things without being harassed, imprisoned, etcetera, by local authorities. You are confusing the “freedom” which is local sovereignty with the “freedom” that refers to individual rights. They are in fact different, and are not necessarily tied to one another. Saying that it’s impossible for Iran to support freedom, meaning Palestinian independence from Israeli apartheid, because it does not support individual freedoms for its citizens might appear to point to a hypocrisy, but it is in fact an oversimplification of very complicated relationships and a collapsing of two different kinds of freedom with one another: of course it is in Iran’s interest for Iraqi, Lebanese, and Palestinian sovereignty not to be subverted by the United States and Israel. That interest is related to its own security and sovereignty, and is unrelated to individual rights or freedoms.

The key point here, though, in respect to Ray’s article, is that he believes Israeli court claims for no apparent reason and with no evidence. He already accepts the characterization of Kuntar as a monstrous militant based on nothing but the perception that has been spread by Israeli and Western media.

Here is another take on Kuntar’s conviction:

Now, if Quntar did what he was accused of, then he is no doubt a monster. But did he? The facts leave ample room for doubts. Quntar maintains he did not kill either of his two alleged victims. How much value should one place on his word? I’m not sure, but had Quntar been so consumed with hatred as to smash the skull of a child, would he then care to deny it? That sound to me somewhat unlikely. And Quntar had nothing material to gain from his denial. He also killed a police officer, which he didn’t deny, and for which he would have been given a life sentence anyway. Furthermore, Quntar maintained his version even in private.

According to Quntar’s version, his mission was to take hostages, not to kill people. This is credible since that was the modus operandi of the Palestinian guerilla at the time. The whole trial, amazingly, was sealed and the records kept “top secret”. Only now parts of the file have been made public. The record shows he was convicted on the say so of the security forces who botched the mission to rescue the hostages.

However, in court, prosecution witness no. 4 testified that he saw Danny Haran stand up and shout, “Cease your fire, don’t shoot. My little girl is here.” Immediately thereafter he saw Danny shot by Kuntar. Testimony was also given in court by a doctor who ruled that Einat’s death had been caused by a direct blow with a blunt instrument, something like a stick or a rifle butt.

“Kuntar went over to Einat Haran and hit her head twice with the butt of his rifle, with the intent of killing her,” wrote the judges in their verdict. “The other defendant also struck her head forcefully.”

Why no mention of forensic evidence regarding the distance from which Danny Haran was shot? And why would Quntar, under fire, for whom the hostages represent his best chance to survive, kill them? And how did BOTH he AND his mate find the time, while police was closing in upon him with guns ablaze, to hit the girl repeatedly, and in few view of the police? And finally why were the police shooting in the direction of Quntar, knowing that he had or might have had hostages with him?

In the end, it comes down to Kuntar’s word against the word of unidentified police officers and a physician who works for the Israeli government. Quntar seems to have had no reason to lie. The police who botched their mission and might have been responsible for the death of the hostages did have a reason to lie. He was then convicted in an Israeli kangaroo court that makes the Guantanamo justice system look good in comparison, and the whole trial was so convincing that it was made “top secret.”

Israel is a country which arrests Palestinians on a daily basis and holds them without charge for months, and often convicts them in secret trials without a fair procedure.

I don’t see anyone denying the fact that this happens. Pro-Palestine, staunch anti-Israelis, can still be strongly against Hezbollah and their tactics. Why can’t people respect that?

You say Israel arrests innocent civilians, which is true, but Iran does that on a daily basis too, and they just so happen to fund Hezbollah. The IRI is by far one of the most criminal governments in the world. Do you think that they would fund justice? Is their agenda bigger than what they seemingly want for Palestine? What is your take on that? You seriously think their mission is freedom for Lebanon and Palestine without the slightest political and religious bias that may put other innocent Arab and Muslim lives at risk? (let’s say, those in the opposition.)

If they don’t want freedom for their own civilians I cannot imagine them wanting freedom for Palestinians, so why are they funding the “freedom fighters” here?

Do you trust that freedom can be won in the hands of militants?

And when it comes to “explaining” why people “appear” to show support for Arab heroes or popular figures that the West and Israel hate, why is the response consistently that the Arab masses are stupid and un-educated, and that they are happy in the streets only because they are being “tricked” by getting what they “want to hear?”

No, Esra’a, except for a small minority, you don’t follow sheep. You follow rabid dogs.

Once again, Omri exemplifies the extent of his brain by “supporting” his sorry excuse for an argument by providing nothing more than an insult.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the educational level of the followers of Hezbollah. These are the kinds of people who support them.

Hence the Kuntar celebrations.

they are just feeding the crowd with what they want to hear

Yes. The crowd wanted to hear that he is a hero. The crowd wanted to hear that an Israeli murderer is just a murderer, but a Hezbollah murderer is a hero. I wonder just how many people worldwide stood and cheered when Kuntar promised to carry on the fight? How many people are there who really do think this guy is a hero, and want to be like him?

What do you mean “not a hero”? Look at the celebrations! Look at the Arabic language web!

He is a hero, and a perfect hero for you! Enjoy him!

What the Arab world considers a hero is pathetic and sad. I like how you defend his heroic title by insulting those who don’t share your ill-informed opinions.

Look at the Arabic language web!

They are just feeding the crowd with what they want to hear, everyone knows that this is how the Arab media operates.

He is a hero, and a perfect hero for you!

No, unlike you, the rest of us actually have values and standards. We don’t follow sheep.

Anyway, a well-written article. Thank you.