"Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, the pair of bankrupt politicians heading a collapsing cabinet, are desperately trying to achieve one more week or month in power through nationalist demagoguery, an appeal to a sinister lust for revenge, destruction of innocent families' homes for a crime they did not commit and the throwing of young children to the street" accuses the Gush Shalom movement. "Solely the criminal should be punished for the crime – not the criminal's parents, spouse or children; this a basic and fundamental principle of any democratic and enlightened judicial system. It is also a basic principle of Judaism, though many Israelis who claim to be religious seem to have forgotten it. Collective punishment is a clear and severe violation of International Law and of international conventions to which Israel is a signatory. A high level committee of the IDF has determined unequivocally that demolition of families' homes does not constitute any kind of deterrent to attacks on Israelis, and clearly recommended not to use this measure. All this is well-known to Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and the rest of the demagogues – but it seems all is fair in the hope of making dubious political capital for the shortest of terms. It is to be hoped that the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, against which this government is waging an all-out war, would act with courage and determination to throw the demolition orders to the garbage can where they belong."

Contact: Adam Keller, Gush Shalom spokesperson adam@gush-shalom.org