You can't just blame one side for Gaza killings
When Hamas terrorists fired a rocket into Israel last week and killed a little Israeli girl, I didn’t hear any Palestinians screaming about the massacre of innocent civilians. But when Israeli responded in their brutal and excessive manner by killing as many innocent Palestinians as possible, suddenly the Palestinian outraged reared its ugly head.
Let me say something. I am ashamed of the Palestinians who think that killing an innocent Israeli girl is okay but that killing Palestinians is wrong. It’s shameful and it reflects the moral corruption of those in the Palestinian and Arab world who support the Hamas terrorists. Hamas wants those dead Palestinian children. They want those dead Palestinian civilians. They want the murders by Israel and they know how to push Israel’s buttons and the Israelis are just to willing to oblige. Hamas wants the killings to fan the flames of hatred as a divide between them and Israel.
But I support principle. One principle. You CANNOT denounce the murder of a civilin when it is your civilian BUT not the civilian of the other side. To do so is morally bankrupt, unprincipled and shameful.
Here’s what I hear people tell me: Hamas ONLY killed one Israeli civilian. The Israelis have killed 60 or more. My response: Are you saying that Hamas only killed one Israeli little child because that’s all they wanted to kill? Or, the truth might be that they would have massacred 600 Israeli civilians if they could but they can’t because those pathetic Qassem rockets are not about resistance. They are about provocation. Hamas wants to destroy the peace process and every time an effort is made to negotiate a peace, they put the peacemakers between a rock and a hard place by brainwashing some frustrated Palestinian youth to blow themselves up … or they fire their worthless rockets at Israel hundredss of times hoping that one rocket might hit a little girl and blow her to pieces so that they can light Israel’s short fuse.
Israel IS GUILTY of collective punishment. It is a violation of international law to punish the innocent for the actions of the criminals and terrorists. But the Hamas terrorists are also guilty of collective punishment, too, firing rockets at Israelis hoping to kill anyone and anything. One or one thousand.
The right position is to denounce both Hamas terrorism and Israel’s excessive response. If Israelis really cared — and many of them are just as guilty of moral bankruptcy as the Palestinian supporters of Hamas — they would also denounce the excessive and intentional murder of Palestinian civilians. I don’t know how any descendants of the Holocaust can stand by and justify Israel’s criminal behavior in murdering innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, exploiting the provocation caused by Hamas.
There is no such thing a s”We accidentally killed Palestinians. The Hamas terrorists are hiding among the civilians.” Israel’s settler terrorists are also heavily armed and hiding among civilians, too.
There is one principle. And, if you fail to apply that one principle fairly to BOTH SIDES, then you are NOT principled. You are morally bankrupt. Don;t denounce Israel and remain silent on Hamas terrorism. Don’t denounce Hamas and be silent on Israel’s government war crimes. Israel is a state with a formal military. The Hamas leadership is a collection of religious thugs, terrorists anmd criminals. Youe xpect criminals to behave as criminals. But is is not worse when a so-called government acts like a thug, too?
One principle. One law. One justice. One standard. Apply it to both sides and we see that both sides are guilty. And those who take sides and refuse to apply one standard are complicit in the moral bankruptcy that has consumed both the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Pathetic.
Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com
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well thought out argument, i agree with you 100 %
Ray,
I wish more people thought that way and I hope this correct way of thinking and analysis could prevent the loss of innocent lives from the both sides, people who need a peaceful life more than any other person.
Ray,
Bold comment and I agree with you but I doubt you’ll get much support.
I agree as well and wish that what Ray said in this essay would be repeated more often in the mainstream media. Ray, have you thought about sending this to a “letters to the editor” page, maybe to the New York Times? I think theres a very good chance they would publish it.
I’ve sent this column to the mainstream media … the editors prefer conflict not moderation … Jewish editors, Christian editors and Arab editors … I give the Arab News of Saudi Arabia credit for being one of the only newspapers in the Middle East willing to publish the essay I wrote …
I’m tired of hearing extremists on both sides point a finger at the other and say they are at fault and thenc lose their eyes to what they have done … people who do that are complicit in the murder of little children and innocent civilians on both sides, don’t you think?
I do think most Arabs and Jews agree with this and only the bullies in our communities, the ones who point a finger of blame at the other and never accept their own blame do all the oublic screaming. Supporters usually are quiet and low-key to avoid the haters and extremists out there … but I have a longtime immunity to the extremists, an internal resistance. It’s called reason and common sense and principled fairness
And I thank all of your comments for encouraging that view
We’ll have peace one-day when the extremists are pushed out of the way, when violence no longer holds Arabs and Jews hostage, and when the majority of people stand up and say the right thing. Of course, it would help if our leaders were held accountable, but accountability is not something that is a virtue of politics.
Ray Hanania
http://www.RadioChicagoland.com
Excellent essay Ray! Hits it right on the head! Here’s an idea: I wonder if one could start a political party in both Israel and Palestine that would essentially be one party but with both Jewish and Arab candidates, and would be committed to the above principles, treating all the violent players EQUALLY like criminals instead of militia. Such a party could emphasize the importance of human and family necessities, like shelter, property rights, health care, education, employment, and one fair and impartial legal system for all.
Usually with two mutally hostile societies, this kind of thing comes about only after a brutal war, but wouldn’t it be nice to avoid the hundreds of thousands of dead, mutilated and traumatized for a change?
I agree w/ this but just hate the unfortunate kill ratio b/w the two
they both die but the way their deaths are used for causing more deaths.. shameful
but when added to the current suffering of the Gazan’s they r bound to get the sympathy of the muslim world
same w/ the jews.. the stupid rockets get more coverage in their circles
BTW I’m longtime reader of arabnews.. but dont think any of ur articles have appeared in a while rite?