Sunday, June 6, 2010 | 2:04 a.m.
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I am deeply troubled by the double-standard that Israel continues to face in the court of world opinion.
Israel’s so-called blockade serves a vital purpose in keeping weapons and rockets supplied by Iran and Syria from a terrorist organization, Hamas, which has shown time and again that it will use these smuggled weapons against innocent Israeli civilians without provocation and without restraint. The world has shown that it will not lift a finger in assisting Israel in protecting its citizens, something every government has an obligation to do for its citizens.
Israel’s actions are aimed at blocking arms and explosives shipments to Hamas, which is at war with the Jewish state. Since Israel gave up all of Gaza in 2005 with hopes for peace, Hamas and other terrorists operating from Gaza have fired more than 7,000 rockets and mortar shells aimed at Israeli civilians.
These so-called peace activists on the flotilla, which recently tried to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, had as part of their delegation a boat full of anarchists and thugs, who wantonly and brutally attacked the brave Israeli soldiers who risked their lives and well-being trying to subdue with less than lethal force this overt and purposeful political provocation.
Those on the boat savagely attacked the brave young Israeli soldiers who boarded, beating them with sticks and machetes, stabbing them with knives, knocking them unconscious and using the Israeli soldiers’ sidearms against them — then and only then did the soldiers receive permission to open fire. Unfortunately there was loss of life.
However, to portray this unfortunate event as Israel opening fire on peace activists is disingenuous and serves to embolden the terrorists and enemies of peace who seek to consistently undermine and delegitimize Israel’s right to exist and to offer her citizens the basic rights that you and I take for granted every day.
No civilized nation, Israel included, should bow to terror.
