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By Li Hongmei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-01-12 18:43

With its further incursion into the heartland of the Gaza Strip, Israel and its military tactics that have thus far caused heavy civilian casualties, have already created an international uproar, both in the Arab world and the West. People all across the globe are appealing for an immediate cease-fire, ant in the meantime, a question is also popping up in connection with the root cause of the unfolding war. A recent wave of Website debates seems to be set up by an article entitled ‘Israel is absolutely a noble nation’ by Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor at People’s University.

Prof. Zhou highly touted Israel in his article, and described it as a noble nation with the greatest humanitarian concerns and the lofty philanthropy by citing a very heart-touching episode, in which two Chinese immigrants, both natives of Fujian province, were found dead among the ten victims in a bus explosion a few years ago in Jerusalem.

Later it was ascertained that the two were illegal immigrants who had sneaked across the border into Israel. To settle this, the Israeli government summoned a special meeting, at which it decided any innocent blood shed on the Israeli land should be paid equal tribute to, through whatever channels into the country. Israel finally granted them the citizen treatment as ordinary Israelis, sent representatives to their home town and paid the amount of compensations up to $700,000 to each family. This, according to Prof. Zhou, used to spur a rush to Israel in the year among the local migrant workers.

A nation, whose conduct is guided by the compassion and reverence for the deceased, is definitely worthy of respect and praise, Zhou writes in the article. Once published, Prof. Zhou’s points have already made the netizens widely divided into generally two camps featuring distinct pros and cons. 454 among the 1347 postings support for Zhou deeming Israel is defending its citizens in a fighting provoked by Hamas, while 893 postings blame Israel for the escalation and expansion of the war.

Some criticisms are also directed at the U.S, who is supposed to back up the latest Israeli urban-war strategy enlarging the danger to noncombatants, and others point to the impotent cliché terms used by some Western countries accusing Israel of ‘disproportionate’ and ‘excessive’ use of force, as used in the 2006 Lebanon war and most recently spoken by the French President Nikolas Sarkozy and U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in response to Israel’s Gaza offensive.

These buzzwords are thought of to be a puzzling accusation of Israel. Some posted opinions asking whether the international community truly prefer a proportionate or equal response, which means if Hamas launches three crudely-fashioned rockets into Israel, should the Israeli government respond with three equally crude rockets? Obviously, the notion of ‘proportional’ response lacks both merit and logical support.

No peace-loving people would sooner see a symmetrical but prolonged war than expect it to be put to an as early as possible end. In war, there are winners and losers, but even the militarily superior belligerent will never stand to lose little. Since the unfolding of Israeli ground offensive and urban war in Gaza, the ordinary Gazans and Palestinians have gradually ceased to be that hostile to Hamas and the Islamic extremists. Instead, they poured more grievances upon the blockade of life necessities imposed by Israel on the currently war-torn Gaza. A Gazan father was shot in the news footage sobbing with the body of his 11-year-old daughter in arms, and swearing to a small gathering of people around him, ‘from now on, I am Hamas.’

With the ongoing war escalated and situation further exacerbated in the Gaza Strip, More and more civilians will be deprived of life and home. It is high time the fighting parities opened up a channel acceptable to both for negotiation. Otherwise, the militarily superior Israel might be able to dismantle Hamas’ military structure as it wished, but will probably lose the battle for world opinion.   

As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘take care of one’s own children first and then extend the same care to the other’s children.’ Israel, if the above case cited by Prof. Zhou illustrating its great care about human life is perfectly real, should for now shift its attention to the calls from the ordinary Palestinians. And if Israel wages the war for the sake of the safety of its own citizens and children, isn’t it desirable to extend the same concerns and care to the Palestinian citizens and children? No country and people, in good conscience, would expect the tit-for-tat war to further spell a cascade of disasters for both ordinary Palestinians and Israelis.