Saturday, November 14, 2015

TERROR AND RESPONSE: AN INCONSISTENT MATTER

All decent people mourn the death and destruction caused by the terrorists in Friday’s attacks in Paris.  French President Hollande has identified the attackers as ISIS.  These are truly evil people.

The Washington Post of Nov. 13 reports:  'According to reports, Hollande declared there that France was "going to lead a war," presumably against Islamist militants. He said his country's response would be "ruthless."'  President Obama and other world leaders are offering their full sympathy and support. 

This is in sharp contrast to the response when Israelis and Jews are the victims of terror.  I am waiting for the U.S. State Department, the UN, and the EU to call on all parties to "exercise restraint" to end "the cycle of violence," to not use “excessive force” in responding, and to not use “disproportionate force.”

This is their usual mantra when Jews are killed in Israel and the territories due to terror.  Are Jewish lives worth less than the lives lost in the terrible attack in France?  Does not the murder of Jews by terrorists deserve the same response that Pres. Hollande now calls for?

When the Western world advocates a different response to terror by Palestinians because it somehow believes the Palestinians' alleged grievances are credible, or because the victims are Israelis or Jews, it gives a green light to terror elsewhere. In ISIS' thinking, its grievances are every bit as legitimate as those of the Palestinians, if not more so.

 If terror is justified or excused, or if the victims are admonished to limit their response because of the alleged legitimacy of the attackers' grievance, terror becomes a legitimate tool for any allegedly aggrieved party. 

Trying to pick and choose when terror is a legitimate tool is counterproductive and self-defeating.  Excusing it or trying to mitigate the victims' response when the victims are Jews but not in other instances, demonstrates bigotry and immorality.   

(Originally published in The Times of Israel)

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8 comments:

  1. Now someone will seek to blame Israel.

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  2. wonder if this wake up call will will change policy or thinking in europe

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  3. Every day terrorist attacks are happening in Israel and most of the world blames Israel. Why not to blame French authority at least for not learning from Israel how to provide security for their citizens.

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  4. It is an upside down world. When Jewish lives are killed it doesn't matter. Only when it hits home. Let us hope Hashem saves us, but letting the world see what we are up against..
    We are the canary in the coal mine.

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  5. Could have waited a day before turning these deaths into a complaint about how Israel is treated unfairly.

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  6. A world we call alma dishikra, yet still hard to fathom the hypocrisy. Good article !

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  7. In addition to the double standard articulated so well here — let’s add the UN and its focus on Israel while doing nothing in Syria and Africa nations being brutal and brutalized — let’s question the US response to theatre (Denver), schools (Connecticut) (Oregon) and so many more shootings in the USA. Response anyone? Guns everyone?

    Yes, the Paris massacre is criminal in every respect. And I take nothing away from the world’s response. But, where was/is that response when Americans are murdered by domestic terrorists whose only allegiance is to the NRA?

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