War of choice

By James Marc Leas

Like Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the war in Palestinian towns is a war of choice. This wanted war is leading up to Israel "transferring" three million Palestinians to Jordan. The ethnic cleansing is prepared politically by Palestinian outrages, such as described in the story, "5 killed as Palestinian gunman storms Israeli kibbutz," (Free Press, Nov. 11).

Similarly, the United States pressed Israel to await sufficient internationally recognizable justification before invading Lebanon in 1982. However, the PLO had not sent rockets across the border for a year.

A similar problem now is that militant Palestinian groups keep threatening to end attacks on Israeli civilians. That would reduce justification for the war and its goal, transfer. Israel therefore assassinates militant leaders when Palestinian groups appear close to such agreement.

As an American Jew, I am ashamed of this Israeli government, its war of choice, and its goal of ethnic cleansing.

James Marc Leas

Photo credits: Photos courtesy Ben Scribner, International Solidarity Movement