Scolding Israel
Steve Malzberg
Tuesday, Mar. 23, 2004Once again Israel has defended herself and the world can’t take it. Reaction to Israel’s targeted killing of Hamas founder and leader Ahmed Yassin via a helicopter missile strike in Gaza City on Monday has yielded the usual condemnations from the usual sources. Unfortunately, one of those usual sources is the United States State Department.
We have come to expect it from the European Union, France, Germany, the United Nations Secretary General, and even England. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Israel, “Is not entitled going for this unlawful killing, and we therefore condemn it.” Now we have come to expect it from Washington too.
On Monday in Washington, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher did what he has done on so many occasions in the past. He scolded Israel for having succeeded in doing what the United States has been attempting to do since going to war in Afghanistan in 2001.
“We are deeply troubled by this morning’s events,” said Boucher. Deeply troubled over the fact that Israel had managed to take out the man that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called, “The mastermind of Palestinian terror,” and a, “mass murderer who is among Israel’s greatest enemies.”
Just imagine if the United States knew that Osama bin Ladin would be at a certain spot at a certain time. Do you think President Bush would be pleased with a missile strike resulting in bin Ladin being delivered dead.
Remember Mr. Bush’s revelation that he wanted Osama ,”dead or alive”. I wonder what Mr. Boucher would think of such a result in our hunt for the man responsible for 3000 dead American’s on our own soil?
As for the White House, while they made no public condemnation, Fox News reported that those remarks did come from staffers, off the record. On the record National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice told NBC, “Let’s remember that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that Sheik Yassin has himself, personally, we believe, been involved in terrorist planning.” It sounds like she could be talking about Osama! So what gives here?
It’s up to President Bush. He must come out and say that Israel has a right to defend herself against terror and a right to go after terrorists and their leaders as they fight their war on terror. He must say that leaders of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist groups are as legitimate a target for Israel as Osama is for the U.S.
One more thing. Now that Hamas has vowed to avenge Yassin’s death by targeting both Israel and the United States, shouldn’t we have already heard from President Bush? Shouldn’t he have already reminded us that a terrorist is a terrorist. Shouldn’t we have already been targeting Hamas wherever they are, to assure that they will not succeed in hitting the United States? The answer to all of the above is a resounding, yes.
Well said, Mr. Malzberg. Please get off your vacation and come back on the air!