The expression “whose ox is being gored” comes from Scripture, Exodus:21:35. Nowadays, the phrase is often used in politics to describe how different people in similar circumstances are often treated quite differently depending on the relative “importance” of the individuals.
Important people, which often means rich and powerful people, get better treatment by society and government than those in poorer circumstances. Why? Because the rich and powerful are better positioned to reward those that help them than the poor. It’s not a particularly noble phenomenon, but it reflects human nature and reality.
One would hope that this form of discrimination would not apply to children who are not old enough to be responsible for their circumstances especially in war. Not so. There is a huge difference in how children, babies even, are treated depending upon who they are and who killed them.
Let’s compare Ukraine 2022 and Gaza 2014.
The war in Ukraine started February 24, 2022. I watched a significant amount on TV. Saw the footage of buildings being destroyed residential, commercial, mixed use. It looked like a horror show. Whole portions of ten story buildings falling to the ground.
On March 16, 2022, around 6PM, Wolf Blitzer of CNN announced that 103 children had been killed in Ukraine by the Russians since the beginning of their invasion.
I was shocked. With the film clips showing whole buildings leveled, and the agitated tone of the CNN crew I was expecting five or ten times the 103 reported deaths. No level of killing of children is in any way “acceptable” but the constant drumbeat of CNN, pushing each guest to define Putin as a “War Criminal” and the fact that the fighting was taking place in an urban area, the 103 number was a relief especially when compared to the much more gruesome statistics Israel has inflicted upon the citizens of Gaza, an open air prison about one tenth the size of our smallest state, Rhode Island.
The last full scale “mowing the lawn” (Israeli slang for killing the residents of Gaza) was 2014. It began July 8, 2014 and ended August 26, 2014. The residents of Gaza are literally “locked in.” Unlike in Ukraine, there is no train out of harm’s way. Israeli officials can increase or decrease food products coming in sometimes joking about putting the citizens of Gaza “on a diet.”
In the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, 2,251 citizens of Gaza were killed and 73 Israelis. Israel pounded Gaza from a safe distance. Hamas fighters fired pathetic “rockets” which were swatted down by Israel’s billion-dollar “Iron Dome”, a technological marvel (bought and paid for by American Taxpayers) that made the weapons of Hamas an annoyance but not a threat. Hamas fighters were able to tunnel into fighting range and attack Israeli soldiers in a firefight killing 67. Israel lost six other citizens, no children.
Of the 2,251 residents of Gaza killed by Israel an Israeli civil rights organization classified 1,462 as Civilians (non combatants). A Turkish civil rights organization described 547 of the deaths in Gaza as “Children.” An Israeli civil rights organization said 500 of the deaths were children.
I’m not qualified to describe those who authorized and directed the 2014 Gaza Slaughter Operation as War Criminals or say that they weren’t.
Comments are welcome at tomc[at]wednesdayswars[dot]com. Comments will be addressed in subsequent posts.