From: ayr1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Amir Y Rosenblatt)
Subject: Re: Israeli Expansion-lust
Nntp-Posting-Host: cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
Reply-To: ayr1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Amir Y Rosenblatt)
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 57


In article <2528@spam.maths.adelaide.edu.au> jaskew@spam.maths.adelaide.edu.au (Joseph Askew) writes:
>In article <1993Apr13.002118.24102@das.harvard.edu> adam@endor.uucp (Adam Shostack) writes:
>>In article <1993Apr12.184034.1370@bnr.ca> zbib@bnr.ca writes:
>
>>>IMHO, it does not really matter who started any individual battle within
>>>the Arabs/Isreal war context. The real question is who/what  started the
>>>War. Does anyone have any doubts it was the creation of Israel on Arab
>>>land ?
>
>>       Huh?  A war was started when several armies invaded Israel,
>>vowing to drive the Jews into the sea.  Most Jews wanted to live in
>>peace, and the Arabs who stayed in Israel were granted citizenship.
>
>It depends entirely on how you define 'war'. The actual fighting largely
>predates the Arab invasions - after all Deir Yassin happened in midApril
>well before the Arab invasion. As I have said elsewhere Lt Col Lorch has
>said that Hagana forces were fighting well before the Arabs invaded as in
>months before. As for Jews wanting to live in peace that to is entirely
>arguable. I think it is easy enough to show that the Labour party leadership
>had no such intention at all. As for the Arabs who 'stayed' don't you mean
>those who were not expelled? Even some of those who did 'stay' were not
>granted citizenship but expelled after the fighting had stopped anyway.
>
>Joseph Askew
>

How do you define war?  Do seiges and constant attacks on villiages
count as acts of war, or is that only when the Jews do them?
January, 1948: Arab Liberation Army attacks Kfar Szold
               1000 men attack Kfar Etzion, 14 miles south of Jerusalem,
                    after cutting off the supply lines to it.
Attacks on Yehiam (Western Galilee) and kibbutz Tirat Tzvi.
By Mid-March, The Jewish settlements in the Negev had been cut off from
      land links with the rest of the Jewish population.
         The Etzion group of villiages, near Hebron, had been cut off,
            while 42 members of a convoy trying to supply Yehiam were
            slaughtered, cutting off the villiage.
Jerusalem was under seige, being cut off from its supply route from
     Tel Aviv (the bombed out supply trucks have been left on the side
     of that road to this day in memoriam).  By this time, 1200 Jews 
     had been killed.

Of course, this isn't war, since it's only the Arabs attacking.
Just like last week when the Fatah launched Katyusha rockets
against Northern israel.  Where does uprising end and war begin?
Will it still be 'Intifadah' when the PLO brings in tanks?


>-- 
>Joseph Askew, Gauche and Proud  In the autumn stillness, see the Pleiades,
>jaskew@spam.maths.adelaide.edu  Remote in thorny deserts, fell the grief.
>Disclaimer? Sue, see if I care  North of our tents, the sky must end somwhere,
>Actually, I rather like Brenda  Beyond the pale, the River murmurs on.


Amir
