Jonathan Edelstein has pledged to match up to US$1250 in donations to Lebanon and US$750 in donations to Israel to rebuild and provide support to the civilian populations of these two countries. Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings is also matching up to $1000. The greater sum for Lebanon reflects the greater devastation, as well as the fact that there is Iranian and Saudi money ready to fill the void. We must not let Hizbollah become a state within a state again in Lebanon - and we are already behind. Money is flooding into Lebanon from Iran and the hearts of ordinary Shi'a - upon whom so much misery is always visited, who always fare the worst and who have borne the biggest burdens in these conflicts - will follow the money.
Listen to this report from NPR today: Hizbollah takes the lead in rebuilding Lebanon.
I am donating $21 each to Doctors without Borders (here) and to American Friends of Magen David Adom (here). I urge all of you to do the same. There are numerous other charities helping both sides that you can choose from.
UPDATE: I note with disappointment that Jonathan's impulse to give money to the Lebanese for reconstruction is being portrayed as "giving money to the enemy" by Israeli partisans. All too often, muslims have the same sort of attitude, which is why I made my donation to Magen David Adom the same amount as that to DWB. I don't see my giving money to the Israeli Red Star as "giving money to an enemy" and neither should anyone else.
Hizbollah is taking care of its constituents.
No comments:
Post a Comment