The Jewish Transcript, Seattle
April 25, 2003 | OPINION – Letters
General Similarities
To the editor:
Thanks for printing Albert Feldman’s 4/11 letter in response to my 3/28 letter.
I didn’t address the charge against Sharon in Belgium, since they have received plenty of media coverage.
The Kahan Commission found Sharon responsible “for not ordering appropriate measures for preventing or reducing the dangers of massacre…” in regard to the Sabra and Shatilla 1982 massacres.
In 1953, the Sharon-led IDF Unit 101 engaged in actions that would today be called ethnic cleansing. In August his troops assaulted the El-Bureig Gaza refugee camp; between 15 and 50 refugees died, including women and children.
In October 1953, he led Unit 101 on the Jordanian village of Qibya. Israeli and Jordanian historians alike documented the deaths of 69 villagers, including women and children.
In 1970, as head of the IDF Southern Command, he leveled the Palestinian Beach Camp. Family members of suspected terrorists were exiled to Sinai, then under Israeli control. In August 1971, troops under his command destroyed 2,000 Gaza homes and uprooted 16,000 people. Hundreds of men were deported to Jordan and Lebanon; 600 relatives of suspected guerillas were deported to the Sinai. Over 100 guerillas were reportedly assassinated. While Sharon’s similarity to Gen. Westmoreland is debatable, his similarity to Lt. Calley, the principal murderer at My Lai is clearer.
The article by Israeli Foreign Ministry staff lawyer Arthur Lenk can be read online in the Forward’s website and was published on Feb. 28, 2003.
Akiva Segan
Seattle