The question is asked because f the way the media seem to be treating the latest terror attacks by Hamas against Israel. The justification Hamas gives for their actions is not important. I have no difficulty in listening to their complaints. But I cannot abide them using ANY complaint as a justification for indiscriminate violent attacks on anyone. For anyone who may not now, I’m talking about the current wave of incendiary balloons sent by Hamas from Gaza to cause fires (or worse) in Israel. I don’t see any difference between an unguided rocket and such devices. Both are intended to cause harm or injury. Both are products of a belligerent that lacks the ability to produce more sophisticated weaponry. I fail to see why that lack of ability should, in any way, be an excuse for not condemning the use of such weapons as totally outside the boundaries of accepted international agreements on the conduct of war.
War is simply a way to use violence as a substitute for words in trying to achieve political objectives. Hamas is clear about what the object is; destroy Israel. When they use violence against a civilian target they ought to be treated like any other criminal. They have already been branded as terrorists. The follow-up to that should be to hunt them down and either kill them or bring them before a court so they can be imprisoned.
Too many reporters for international media present them as if they were a “real” government with real issues to be dealt with. They are the de facto rulers of Gaza and can even claim they were elected. That does not excuse their actions. In Chicago of the prohibition era Al Capone was a popular figure. He and his gangs ruled the underworld crime empire there, and everyone was afraid to accuse him of anything. The same can probably be said of today’s Hamas leaders. Reporters who are allowed to be in Gaza don’t dare say anything bad about Hamas activity. Reports, and photographs, coming from Hamas territory are all censored. Some of the censorship can be self imposed by media organizations in order to preserve access to “sources”.
I submit that the basic issues in need of solution to the Palestinian-Israel Conflict are all quite well known. Using violence in order to either influence perceptions of those issues, or even simply focusing attention on their existence, is simply a criminal act. It should be treated as such, and the people who use it need to be punished. The media needs to stop presenting the “Palestinian Cause” and promote the idea of a negotiated settlement. Recognition of Israel as a rightful country is an obviously necessary preliminary to any such negotiations. The failure of Hamas and other groups to take that step should never be rewarded with any positive reinforcement. That includes providing them with a platform for making any case regarding what the outcome of such negotiations should be until they have done so. Meanwhile, their violent criminal actions against any party should be reported on only for what it is, Terrorism.
Wetherhorn 