How difficult can it be to acknowledge some basic facts about Israel & Palestine?
Well, if you’re a columnist writing in America, it seems like you have to make all kinds of excuses in order to downplay the cruelty of what is happening on the ground.
Take this article by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times, entitled ‘Were My Criticisms of Israel Fair?‘:
There is no doubt that Hamas committed war crimes in shelling Israeli civilians. But most scholars believe (with not quite the same certainty) that Israel also committed war crimes with its attacks on Gaza that were far more lethal to civilians than attacks by Hamas.
I mean, seriously? Think about that for a second.
Most scholars believe (with not quite the same certainty)…
First of all, I’d love to meet these scholars who are, you know, still on the fence about the legality of launching rockets at civilians.
Secondly, what kind of powerful stuff is this guy smoking that he can actually combine the phrases ‘Most scholars believe (with not quite the same certainty)’ and ‘far more lethal to civilians than attacks by Hamas’ in the same sentence? Dude, whatever it is you’re smoking, gimme some of that!
Sure, it’s bad that Hamas are shelling Israeli civilians. But come on, how many innocent Palestinians have to die before these ‘scholars’ can finally be certain that Israel’s attacks on Gaza (that are ‘far more lethal to civilians’, mind you) represent something worse: modern-day oppression against an impoverished population by a militarily and technologically advanced nation.
Contrary to popular (American?) belief, most Muslims don’t actually want to see the annihilation of Jewish people. I know…shocking, right? The vast majority of people around the world, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, just want peace. But how can there be peace when the most powerful nation on Earth continues to give unconditional, no-questions-asked, financial and military support for Israel?
How?
Imran Idris 