“Now, a question of etiquette – as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch?” – An analysis of the recent actions taken in the Israel-Palestine conflict

I was almost afraid that the only current event I would have to write about is the World Cup and the stellar elderly Brazilian fan whose sadness was only surpassed by his mustache.  But unfortunately, things never seem to settle down in the middle east, as one of the most hotly debated conflicts escalated further.  This is of course in reference to the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine where Israel seems to be caught between a rock and a very hard place.  Said Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri, “The Khan Yunis massacre … of children is a horrendous war crime, and all Israelis have now become legitimate targets for the resistance.”  We’ll get to that in a moment.

Israel retaliated with striking some 50 sites in Gaza.  Is Israel’s response to this threat a reasonable one?  Here I won’t speculate as to what will happen to Israel or other states had other action been taken, but rather I’ll make an appeal to history.  Douglas Murray, quoting a holocaust survivor while talking about Israel’s relationship with Iran, “When someone says they want to annihilate you, believe them.  Don’t think they’re joking.  Don’t think they don’t mean it.”  For all the criticisms and apologies you make, you can never deny Israel this; they have reason to take threats seriously.  That being said, the murder of children is never excusable, and I don’t pretend to back Israel for these crimes, no matter what their state or how much they stare destruction in the face every day.

Despite that capitulation, it becomes clear that Israel is justified in this response.  Israel needs to take these threats seriously.  The rockets and mortars that are launched from Gaza every day are not a joke.  The Hamas threat that “all Israelis have now become legitimate targets” is something one cannot say without consequences.  You cannot purposely target innocent civilians, this is so far below the threshold for basic morality.  This is not North Korea beating it’s chest, these people can and have and do kill people, and try to dozens of times per day.  Israel has a right to defend their people.

Questions/Comments?  Feel free to weigh in.

Sources:

Hamas Declares All Israelis Targets – Deutsche Welle

Israel and Nuclear Iran – Douglas Murray