Wednesday 2 June 2010

O Israel! O israel!

I hope (but doubt) that the rulers of the state of Israel prayed Psalm 4 this morning
Sons of men, how long will you turn my glory to my shame :
how long will you love what is worthless and seek after lies?
Psalm 4:2 (Prayer book Version)
As once again we see one of the most highly trained armies in the world claiming that it acted in 'self-defence' when it killed people during its aggressive attack on a boat which appeared to be in international waters. And which presumably they, therefore, had no right to board.
That luminary Andrew Bolt (not surprisingly) is able to rationalise this (see here) suggesting that all this is a plot to discredit Israel. This is exactly, he suggests, what Hamas wanted to happen. Seemingly suggesting that Israel had fallen into a carefully laid trap.
Tthere is interesting commentary (no doubt 'left wing' in Bolt's terms) from Crikey here.
BUT it just doesn't add up.
Once again we see that Israel reacts in a totally disproportionate way. The loss of 1 person nis bad enough...but 9.
It is the soldiers who you see toting the automatic weapons and dressed in full battledress. It is they who are the agressors and who have all the training to do what they like.
Israel can and only does act like this because the U.S., its benefactor and strongest ally, will never hold them to account. So, with Netanyahu at the helm, they are able to go unchecked.
As one commentator observed on TV the other night..."I am a supporter of Israel but sometimes they make it bloody hard to keep on supporting them".
I would concur

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