In its latest anti-Israel news story, the AP goes on about the Israeli response to palestinians shelling Israeli civilian and military targets. The headline itself is pretty damning, and the story tilts decidedly towards the Israel-as-monster theme:
Israel Threatens Response for Rocket Fire
JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel threatened a harsh response to Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza after five soldiers were hurt and did not rule out a ground attack. Israeli security officials said Thursday that Palestinians will be banned from areas near the border, especially from the ruins of the Jewish settlements.The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because there were not authorized to disclose details, said soldiers would receive orders to shoot Palestinians entering forbidden zones, a policy that would be implemented in coming days.
One rocket exploded among soldiers Thursday on the Israeli side of the Gaza border, slightly wounding the soldiers.
Several other rockets have landed in the last few days near sensitive infrastructure installations outside the southern city of Ashkelon, including a power station and a fuel depot.
Now that Israeli settlements have been removed from northern Gaza, militants can bring their rockets closer to the border fence, bringing the Ashkelon area into range.
“Certainly if the rocket fire on Ashkelon does not stop, there will be a very fierce response, and no option can be ruled out, including a ground operation,” said Vice Premier Ehud Olmert in an interview with Israel TV.
Israel has avoided sending troops into Gaza since it withdrew from the territory in the summer, responding to rocket fire with artillery barrages and airstrikes.
However, with rockets falling near a main city for the first time and others exploding among soldiers inside Israel, the government was facing increased pressure to stop the barrages. Israeli TV stations interviewed worried Ashkelon residents and angry parents of soldiers living in tent encampments along the Gaza border.
In an initial response to the rocket fire. Israel fired artillery at the empty fields used as rocket launching sites, and a Palestinian died in disputed circumstances.
(The palestinian probably died in a work-accident related bombing, by the way.)
So, overall, pretty nasty, huh? The Israelis are going to shoot anyone who comes within range, they “threaten” a “fierce response,” “ground attacks” are on the table, etc., etc. Now here’s what the AP does not tell you.
Israel only operates against Palestinian targets that threaten the country, a senior government official who is very close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Ynet Thursday evening.
“We will not be war criminals. Whoever is irresponsible, should go and face (International War Crimes Tribunal in) The Hague,” the official said in response to the demand made by a number of ministers in the past few days that the IDF should strike Palestinian population concentrations, even at the price of hurting civilians.
[…] “Israel and the IDF will operate only against targets that are threatening to Israel, as we have done in the past,” he added. “We cannot ignore the current situation (Qassam attacks), but we will act in the framework of the accepted rules.”
No, why would the AP bother to tell you that the government of Israel refuses to act in ways that would harm the very people who shelter terrorists among them, and allow them to fire mortars into Israel from their yards?
Now, who exactly is the villain again? Because I’m getting quite mixed up here.