Why are you silent?
Hanoch Daum writes open letter to UN chief in wake of lethal US bombing in Afghanistan
Dear UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
We hope that you are doing well, and that you are not overly disturbed by what is going on in the Middle East. We understand that the terrible injustices that are taking place around here are making you lose sleep.
After all, the report prepared by the organization you work for in respect to Operation Cast Lead noted that Israel killed innocent civilians. Your report does not address, of course, minor matters such as the fact that Israel targeted terrorists who were firing on civilians with the declared aim of hurting them. There is also no mention of the fact that in some cases, only because the terrorists were hiding in crowded civilian sites, there were mishaps. But nevermind, we are already used to it.
This is not why we wanted to disturb you, Mr. Secretary General. There is something else. We are interested to know whether you perhaps heard something, somehow, maybe as a side-note, about the fact that coalition forces killed dozens of innocents in Afghanistan in one bombing.
You are the United Nations’ secretary general, so you would be updated about these types of cases, no? After all, we cannot believe that you would ask to be updated only about things that happen around here, in Israel. It is impossible that people being killed in other locations worldwide shock you to a lesser extent, right?
Because somehow, Mr. Secretary general, we did not hear you or officials in similar positions to yours talking about the dozens of children and women who were hiding in their homes during the American assault, while hearing the shells whistling above them and standing there helpless, with no way to protect themselves, and without ever hurting anyone.
We also did not hear anyone speaking on your behalf and saying that he objects to the killing of innocents, that caution must be taken, and that there is a limit to the use of force.
And we are wondering, Mr. Secretary General, is a 9-year-old child from Afghanistan less important than a Palestinian? Or is it about the fact that you tend to criticize us faster than you would other states. We would be grateful for your answer.
