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March 3, 2008 - Recently my attention was called to a blog on the website of a British newspaper, on which many people posted virulent comments condemning Israel for its "disproportionate" response to the rocket fire from Gaza.
Comments like these:
"I am absolutely disgusted by Israel's actions! It is an INSANE reaction to the pathetic threat of a few rockets that have only killed ONE PERSON!"
"They keep crying with crocodile tears about Darfur, and they completely turn their back to the nazi zionists crimes in Palestine. The slaughter of the Palestinians started in 1948 and the pretext of the home made rockets (a little bit bigger than firecrackers) is just an excuse. The only difference this time is that the Palestinians ,just like in Lebanon,are resisting to the zionists. The mercenary state of Israel is desperately looking for a victory to prove to their American masters that they are still useful terrorists."
"No rockets are coming out of the West Bank so why do Palestinians there still have Israel's jackboot on their throats?"
These are just a tiny sample. The blog goes on and on with the Israel-bashing that unfortunately seems to have become quite popular in the UK.
There were a few good responses. I added one, which I reproduce below, slightly modified. (Pardon the strong language, but this is the way people write on blogs):
To all of the hypocrites who condemn Israel for defending itself:
It is not "just one" Israeli who was killed. There have been several Israeli deaths and many more injuries, not to mention a total disruption of normal life.
Those are not just "firecrackers" but lethal rockets and now Grad missiles. Whatever you choose to call it, it kills.
There are rocket launching sites scattered all over Gaza. It’s not a question of taking out just one. It’s not for lack of trying that Israel so far has been unsuccessful in stopping the rockets.
Israel is being as careful as it can to target only those sites, but Palestinian terrorists insist on firing from residential neighborhoods.
Israel has already attempted milder responses. Any lesser response from Israel has been ineffective in stopping the rockets, and even this one may not be enough.
The Palestinians started and are continuing this war. If they want the Israeli strikes to stop, it is very easy for them: just stop the rockets. If you say Israel should not respond, basically you are saying the Palestinians have a right to shell Israeli cities.
The Palestinians have put Israel into a position where no less a response than this, which endangers both Palestinian and Israeli lives, can stop the terrorism. This is a moral stain on the Palestinians.
There are supposed to be peace talks going on. Let the peace talks proceed, don’t disrupt them with a rocket war that will call inevitably for a justified Israeli response. Or maybe the Palestinians don’t really want peace?
As for the West Bank, look at what the Palestinians have done in Gaza after Israel withdrew. Many Israelis support a withdrawal from the West Bank, but do not want another rocket war on an even more dangerous front.
Finally, would you be willing to subject your city to constant hostile rocket fire while your government did nothing to protect you?
Many Palestinians want the rockets to stop but are afraid to speak. The terrorists are putting the lives of those people in danger too. So if you really care about them, if you really care about the Palestinians and are not just shedding "crocodile tears," then I call upon you to put pressure on Hamas to stop the rockets. Otherwise, your self-righteous complaining is sheer hypocrisy and a moral shame.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
Peace with Realism