A violent street gang, over the course of months, randomly fires bullets at houses in a populated residential area. For months, the city asks politely for them to stop. Over time, the mayor begins to suggest that the gang has gone too far. Eventually, the police move in and strike at the leaders, and begin to return fire on gang members who are seen firing weapons into neighborhoods. Local college students protest against the city and the police.
On the southern border of the United States, a paramilitary organization based in Mexico begins firing explosive projectiles into the southern areas of New Mexico and Arizona. Some shells land in highly populated areas of Tuscon, killing more than a few civilians. This goes on for months. The governments of the affected states and the United States tell them to stop. Eventually, after thousands of shells have been fired, the US Military moves across the border and takes action against the group, killing their leaders and anyone found operating the weapons in question. Protesters across America come out to protest the US actions against the killers.
To think that someone would protest against the city or the US for striking back in the above situations seems stupid on its face. Why would anyone protest against those who are trying to stop the attacks on innocent civilians?
Hamas fired over 2600 explosive missiles from the Gaza Strip into Israeli populated areas over the course of months. Israel worked diplomatically to try to bring it to a halt, but with no effect. Finally, they respond in kind, attacking the military leaders of Hamas responsible for the rocket fire. If they find caches of rockets, smuggling routes for the rockets, or anyone firing a rocket, they move against them as well. In response, protesters around the world are chanting anti-Israel slogans and calling for Israel to stop its actions.
If you try to think about the protests as being about what’s right and wrong, it will cause headaches. Somehow, I think it’s more about the fact that it is Israel than about the actual situation.
This stuff has been going on for many years. Israel has been asking its neighbors to be allowed to live in peace. Hamas and its allies have been asking Israel to die. I know which one I want to win. If the protesters want peace, then they should be protesting Hamas, not Israel.
Do they really want peace?