This just keeps getting more bizarre.
Hamas took 'credit' for attacking a school bus today with and anti-tank rocket and mortar barrage, as the Elder reports:
Hamas' Al Qassam Brigades English webpage says:
Gaza-Ezzedeen Al Qassam Briades (E.Q.B) the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas declared in a military communiqué released on Thursday April 7, 201l the full responsibility for the operation of targeting Israeli bus traveling in the nearby Israeli settlement of Kfar Sa’ad east of Gaza Strip.Unlike previous communiques, Hamas is not even claiming that this was a military target.
The operation left two Israeli settlers injured, one of them was in a critical condition and evacuated by the Israeli medical crews to Soroka hospital.
The Arabic version of the communique said they attacked "infidel Zionist usurpers."
Rest assured, no one at the UN is going to be writing up any human rights violations reports over this.
In fact, our old 'friend' British Foreign Secretary William Hague went one better..actually appearing to equate Israel's self defense with Hamas attacking a school bus:
“I unreservedly condemn today’s attack from Gaza on a bus carrying schoolchildren in southern Israel. The initial reports we have received suggest the bus was deliberately targeted and that a 16 year old boy has been critically injured. This is a despicable and cowardly act that stands in stark contrast to people’s desire for peaceful reform across the region. Violence will never deliver peace. I reiterate that Hamas must halt these strikes immediately, and rein in other militant factions in Gaza.
This attack further highlights Israel’s legitimate security concerns. As I have made clear, Israel has every right to protect its people. But it is also important that in so doing that it also shows restraint and makes every effort to avoid causing civilian casualties. I am very concerned about reports that several people in Gaza were killed and others wounded in retaliatory strikes.” ( emphasis mine)
I wonder how Mr. Hague's language of restraint would be received in Britain if someone opened up on a school bus in the UK with an anti-tank rocket?
I wonder how Mr. Hague's language of restraint would be received in Britain if someone opened up on a school bus in the UK with an anti-tank rocket?
ReplyDeletei have your answer right here.
Granted I was not alive at that time so my knowledge of what happened is based upon the published historical record. Some how I don't remember the British showing restraint when their country was under siege by Nazi Germany during WWII. In fact, they not only did not show restraint, they grabbed every thing that could kill and vigorously defended their homeland. In addition, they understood the adage "the best defense is a good offense" and at the earliest moment that they possibly could they took the fight to Nazi Germany. Wasn't the German city of Dresden fire bombed by the allies? Wasn't Germany practically laid waste by the allies? Furthermore Britian was an important part of these allies who won WWII.
ReplyDeleteThe threat Israel faces from Hamas is far greater than the threat Britian faced from Nazi Germany. The nation of Israel faces a threat to its very survival from Hamas. The threat Britian faced during WWII that, while serious, did not approach the level of the threat Israel faces from Hamas. It simply would not be realistic to expect Israel to somehow defend their country with less vigor than the British defended theirs during WWII. By suggesting such a thing Mr. Hague is either a an evil hypocrite, blinded by ideology, or is simply misinformed.
I think it unlikely he is misinformed. He has access to to much information to have that problem. I think it is probably blindness due to ideology that drives this behavior, however, there could be another explanation all together. It could simply be money. Anti-Israel attitiudes are BIG business and it is hugely profitable.