Tuesday, February 13, 2007

MoreToys, Shoes and hezbollywood


A few days ago LittleGreenFootballs posted a new angle on the famous Qana baby, with an interesting picture, followed up by a reminder from EUreferendum. Having never heard (mea culpa) of this photographer and/or panos photos before, thought I'd take some time to explore the site. And to be honest, I was not disappointed.


LEBANON Tyre (Sur) The head of a child's toy doll lies in the rubble of an apartment building which was bombed by the Israeli air force. 23 people were killed. Date 26/07/2006
Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans (How many more toys remain unaccounted for?)

LEBANON Beirut A high-heeled shoe amongst the rubble of Hareth Hreik, a Hezbollah (Hizbollah) stronghold in the south Beirut suburb of Dahiya which had repeatedly been bombed by the Israeli military. Date 23/07/2006 Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans (Spotless brand new cinderella shoe amidst all that rubble. )

ISRAEL Nazareth Civilians with shrapnel collected from the scene of a missile attack by Hezbollah (Hizbollah). The militants fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon, as Israel retaliated for the capture of two of its soldiers by attacking Lebanon. Date 19/07/2006 Photographer Ahikam Seri (Over on the Israeli side, people started collecing the ballbearings, sometimes as many as 10k in one single rocket. Oftentimes contaminated with feces or poison).

ISRAEL Meiron Two women comfort each other minutes after a Katyusha rocket hit their home and killed two members of their family. Hezbollah (Hizbollah) militants fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon, as Israel retaliated for the capture of two of its soldiers by attacking Lebanon. Date 14/07/2006 Photographer Ahikam Seri (The attack on Meron was a pretty vicious one - a woman and her grandson were killed as they were sitting down to eat Friday night dinner. Can you imagine the what the papers would have looked liked had it been an Israeli missile landing in Lebanon? How many internet entries would have exposed and condemned the Zionist aggression? The UN General Assembly and Security Council, the Spanish Foreign Minister sporting a kaffieh, the public chorus - Israel's response should be proportionate. but when Israeli civilians get killed - deafening silence).

ISRAEL Meiron A woman comforts her two children, minutes after a Katyusha rocket hit their home and killed two members of their family. Hezbollah (Hizbollah) militants fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon, as Israel retaliated for the capture of two of its soldiers by attacking Lebanon. Date 14/07/2006 Photographer Ahikam Seri (Imaginary, sometimes real victims in Lebanon generate hundreds of pictures of bloodstains, torn limbs, grieving relatives, wailing Shiite mamas, with duly ensuing violent rioting of bellicose pacifists burning flags and effigies, vowing to commit suicide bombings and destroy Israel and all the rest of well-meaning rhetoric spewed by the religion of peace. A little boy and his grandmother go to their graves largely unnoticed).

ISRAEL Kiryat Shmona A child cries out in fear after the building he resides in was hit by a Katyusha rocket fired by Hezbollah (Hizbollah). The militant group fired dozens of rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon, as Israel retaliated for the capture of two of its soldiers by attacking Lebanon. Date 07/08/2006 Photographer Ahikam Seri (how many pictures of suffering Lebanese children has the world been treated to? Yet a million and a half Israelis forced to spend 34 days in stifling bomb-shelters ... well, after all they are war criminal occupiers, aren't they. )
ISRAEL Kiryat Shmona A man inspects the damage to his apartment after it was hit by a Katyusha rocket fired by Hezbollah (Hizbollah). The militant group fired dozens of rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon, as Israel retaliated for the capture of two of its soldiers by attacking Lebanon. Photographer Ahikam Seri Date 07/08/2006 (Thousands, perhpas tens of thousands of houses and apartments were damaged during the conflict. In Israel, not in Lebanon. Even Israeli media would not report or even admit to the destruction inflicted in Israel. We are too proud to whine and ask for compassion. Perhaps we do not want to provide our enemies with a pretext to celebrate the damage they inflict on us.)LEBANON Bent Jbail A Hezbollah (Hizbullah) truck with a Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on top, hidden and camouflaged in a field near Bent Jbail. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 01/08/2006
Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans (Rare, but excellent evidence of what Israel had been claiming all along - that the Hezbos were hiding and operating from orchards, fields, actually civilian infrastructures. IDF and IAF were not trying to destroy Lebanon or to cause unnecessary civilan victims. They were trying to neutralize the rockets that were causing so much intentional damage and suffering in Israel).

LEBANON Bent Jbail A Hezbollah (Hizbullah) truck with a Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on top, hidden and camouflaged in a field near Bent Jbail. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 01/08/2006
Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans

LEBANON Bent Jbail A Hezbollah (Hizbullah) truck with a Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on top, hidden and camouflaged in a field near Bent Jbail. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 01/08/2006
Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans

LEBANON Bent Jbail The hydraulic system of a Hezbollah (Hizbullah) Katyusha rocket launcher, mounted on a truck that was hidden and camouflaged in a field near Bent Jbail. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 01/08/2006 Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans (hundreds of rockets A DAY, amounting to nearly 4 thousand rockets landing in Israel during the 34 day war. Misleading wording there, preceding weeks - not the weeks preceding the conflict, but as of July 12th, the day Hezbollah mounted the attack against Israel, killing eight soldiers, kidnapping two, and raining rockets against Northern Israel)

LEBANON Bent Jbail A destroyed Hezbollah (Hizbollah) truck with a Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on top in a field near Bent Jbail. The weapon had been hit by the Israeli army, but 100 metres away another rocket launcher was still intact, hidden by camouflage. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 31/07/2006 Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans

LEBANON Bent Jbail A destroyed Hezbollah (Hizbollah) truck with a Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on top in a field near Bent Jbail. The weapon had been hit by the Israeli army, but 100 metres away another rocket launcher was still intact, hidden by camouflage. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans Date 31/07/2006

LEBANON Bent Jbail Tubes (3 of the original 4) of a destroyed Hezbollah (Hizbollah) rocket launcher in a field near Bent Jbail. The weapon had been hit by the Israeli army, but 100 metres away another rocket launcher was still intact, hidden by camouflage. The village in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, had come under sustained attack by the Israeli military in preceding weeks. Hezbollah had fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Date 31/07/2006 Photographer Jeroen Oerlemans (so you see, the Israeli forces were trying to destroy the rocket arsenal Iran and Syria-backed Hezbollah put together behind the back of the Lebanese government and army, possibly with their silent approval).