I have sympathy for the children of Gaza, and who wouldn't. But after that things get a little more cloudy.
As we a constantly reminded, Hamas is the democratically elected power in Gaza. Whether or not the west likes that fact, is moot. When the Palestinians elected Hamas, they put their confidence in Hamas's hands.
Moreover, they elected Hamas knowing full well what Hamas's stand on Israel is, as they have every right to do.
So it does then get a bit difficult to heap sympathy on a people who elected a militant extremist organisation to represent them both politically and militarily.
As long as Palestinian wives, sisters and mothers encourage (or, at worst, fail to discourage) their husbands, brothers and sons from engaging in violent action for the purpose of targetting innocent Israeli civilians, the bloodshed will continue and the conflict will not be resolved.
It's all well and good to rage against the US and Israel for violating international law, and engaging in questionable military tactics. But they are not alone in acting in this way.
The Palestinians have had their land stolen and their culture eroded. They have been victims of abuse for generations. But nowadays, in this era of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and so on, they are becoming the authors of their own destruction.
I have sympathy for the children of Gaza, and who wouldn't. But after that things get a little more cloudy.
As we a constantly reminded, Hamas is the democratically elected power in Gaza. Whether or not the west likes that fact, is moot. When the Palestinians elected Hamas, they put their confidence in Hamas's hands.
Moreover, they elected Hamas knowing full well what Hamas's stand on Israel is, as they have every right to do.
So it does then get a bit difficult to heap sympathy on a people who elected a militant extremist organisation to represent them both politically and militarily.
As long as Palestinian wives, sisters and mothers encourage (or, at worst, fail to discourage) their husbands, brothers and sons from engaging in violent action for the purpose of targetting innocent Israeli civilians, the bloodshed will continue and the conflict will not be resolved.
It's all well and good to rage against the US and Israel for violating international law, and engaging in questionable military tactics. But they are not alone in acting in this way.
The Palestinians have had their land stolen and their culture eroded. They have been victims of abuse for generations. But nowadays, in this era of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and so on, they are becoming the authors of their own destruction.