Powerful post from Norman Geras on the attitude of some on the left and in the media to Palestinian suicide bombings.
It is indeed a feature of certain, though not of all, types of crime against humanity that they target people simply for who they are, by religion or nationality or ethnicity. Random terror against civilians in Israel may hit some others as well – as in Haifa it indeed did – but obviously its principal target is Jews. Not soldiers, not even armed civilians guarding settlements. Just Jews, any Jews: children, infants, whatever.
In Europe not 60 years after that continent became a graveyard for the Jewish people – and a graveyard from which there echoed forth the most solemn and high-sounding of statements of intent for the future – there are now members of the left and liberal intelligentsia, to say nothing of members of actual socialist organizations, ready to ‘understand’ an organized policy of murdering Jews. If it is not altogether OK to murder them, well… but you can see why it happens.
Apportioning blame, finally, speaking forthrightly against moral crimes is not a zero-sum activity. To properly condemn Hamas and their ilk, and to oppose their aims insofar as these are morally criminal or unjust, does not disbar anyone from criticizing Israel for the wrongs it has done and is doing. So the situation doesn’t even provide that excuse. For shame.
