We’ve seen this all before. Palestinian "terrorists" or "freedom fighters" launch rockets, detonate suicide bombs, shoot up a settlement, and Israel retaliates by dropping loads of bombs, targeted assassinations, tightening check points and supply blockades, basically putting on a big balls show of force. The world condemns the disproportionate force, the U.S. affirms Israel’s right to self-defense but begs Israel to "show restraint." The root disagreements between Israelis and Palestinians continue to fester. The "cycle of violence" continues.
It’s such a fucking familiar storyline, and so incredibly sad. What’s even more incredibly sad is the simple-minded and biased discourse that goes on this site and liberal blogs like it, uniformly blaming one side or the other, usually Israel, for pretty much everything. What’s worse is the inevitable moral equivalency established between terrorism and civilian side effects. It goes something like this, "How can we really blame the poor, helpless Palestinians who have been blockaded, occupied, harassed, had their land divided up by messianic Jewish settlers, for fighting back?"
Read More
