Friday, January 20, 2006

Is Collective Punishment Permitted?

Collective punishment is seen as a crime if done purposefully.

Collateral damage is usually glossed over.

What is Israel to do in this case:

Sami Antar, 21, in his second year of physical education studies at An Najah University here, left the apartment at 8 a.m. Thursday. In the afternoon, he blew himself up on behalf of the militant group Islamic Jihad in Tel Aviv, in a zone of shops and restaurants, but killed only himself. About 20 Israelis, ordinary people going about their daily business, were wounded, one of them seriously.

Sami's brother Samer came out, his eyes red, to tell journalists that the family would not speak of what had happened, and said, "This is an honor, not just to the family of Antar, but to the whole neighborhood. Israel, the West and the Palestinian Authority will condemn Sami Antar's act as terrorism, the effort to kill innocent civilians. His neighbors and family call it a tragedy, but also resistance, struggle and martyrdom."

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