NO MORAL EQUIVALENCE

Israelis Don't Hold Street Parties When Innocent Palestinians Lose Their Lives - Paul Schneidereit
On Thursday, a 25-year-old Palestinian resident of eastern Jerusalem took an assault rifle and entered a Jewish religious school in western Jerusalem, where he shot dead seven teenagers and one young man aged 26. This was an attack not on a military or political target but on a group of young men peacefully studying holy texts at a religious school.

Much is often made of the fact that innocents die on the Palestinian side, as well, and in far greater numbers. The key difference is that Israelis target those who fire rockets into Israel. Israelis also don't hold street parties to display happiness when innocent Palestinian civilians lose their lives. While Abbas may publicly denounce the seminary attack, there are many Palestinians who seem to welcome such tactics. The international road map to peace has long called on the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, but - as can be seen - support for terrorism is still deeply ingrained. (Halifax Chronicle Herald-Canada)

Follow the Sequence of Mideast Violence - Ofer Bavly (Tampa Tribune)

There is no symmetry between Israel and Palestinian extremists. There is no Israeli action followed by a Palestinian reaction. There is no egalitarian share of the blame and responsibility, and the sooner this fact is understood by the international community, the better.

There is no similarity between a robber who attacks his victim, and the policeman who attacks the robber in order to arrest him. Sure, both may use violence. But are they equally responsible for it?

In the Middle East, there is a sequence of events, not a cycle of violence. It is a continuum which can be stopped at a moment's notice, by the Palestinians, should they choose to do so or should they feel the necessary international pressure to do so.

Do not call it a cycle of violence. The violence will end when the Palestinian terrorists stop attacking us. If they renounce violence, there will be peace. If we renounce self-defense, Israel will cease to exist. No symmetry.