Apologists Like Mr. Cohn's Can’t Blame Hezbollah for Everything
Last week in the Toronto-Star, columnist Martin Regg Cohn drafted a hawkish op-ed justifying Israel’s recent terrorist attack on Lebanon by conveniently blaming Hezbollah, while ignoring the fact that Israel is holding our entire nation hostage.
At the start of the piece, Mr. Cohn asks his readers a ridiculous question: “Can Israel justify booby-trapping the pagers and walkie-talkies of thousands of Hezbollah militants, imperilling innocent Lebanese bystanders?”
Let’s explore why this is a laughably hollow question.
Through what cannot be perceived as selective amnesia, Mr. Cohn conveniently seems to forget that since October 2023, over 7,400 cross-border attacks have occurred between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel responsible for the overwhelming majority of them, according to the BBC.
It’s true that Israelis in the north have been displaced, but so too have the Lebanese in the south. Israel’s relentless airstrikes have led to the mass displacement of Lebanese civilians with nearly 100,000 people forced from their homes. These airstrikes have also killed children. Actions that Human Rights Watch rightly identifies as war crimes.
Israel has also used white phosphorus in its attacks in densely populated towns which is restricted under international humanitarian law. White phosphorus is prohibited in civilian areas because of its indiscriminate nature. In southern Lebanon, Israel’s phosphorus bombs sparked over 134 forest fires and injured more than 100 people.
Yes, Hezbollah retaliates, but let’s not pretend Israel is the sole victim or that the state’s actions are somehow justified or remotely proportionate. Israel’s advanced military unleashes large-scale destruction on Lebanon while also violating international law without care. Hezbollah’s capabilities, while destructive, pale in comparison.
Israel has caused immeasurable suffering to all of Lebanon, not just Hezbollah militants, yet Cohn and the Star see fit to ignore this fact about the misery of my people.
So back to the original question of Mr. Cohns piece. Can Israel justify its actions?
No of course not.
Booby-trapping the pagers and walkie-talkies of thousands of Lebanese civilians is a war crime. It’s horrifying that Cohn would even attempt to excuse such atrocities. A terrorist state like Israel doesn’t need apologists washing the blood off its hands.
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst,
Lebanese-Canadian Advocacy Journalist for Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)