Even-Handedness

Submitted by J Schonman (Israel), Jun 11, 2003 at 11:54

I agree that it is appropriate for the US Administration to be even-handed in ensuring that both sides comply with the requirements of the "Roadmap", as a failure to do so would result in a repetition of the Oslo disaster.

However, the principle of even-handedness should certainly NOT apply to actions taken by the Israelis to protect themselves. The US condemnation (even though it was not very strong) of the attempted assassination of Rantisi is entirely out of place. After all, Hamas is even listed by the US as a terrorist organization. Furthermore, the US also targeted several individuals in the recent Iraq war.

I think an appropriate reaction from the US should not have been condemnation. Nor silence. The US should have said "The man was a terrorist and thus a legitimate target".

It's about time that leaders in the western world stopped being 'politically correct fence-sitters'. The only way to tackle terrorism is to identify it, acknowledge it, and then destroy it.

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