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Moral equivalence

Reader comment on item: George Mitchell's Return to Middle East Diplomacy

Submitted by John B (Spain), Jan 25, 2009 at 16:52

Regarding establishing moral equivalence: I notice that Israel says it "will defend soldiers accused of war crimes". First this sound like a cheap journalistic technique - you get someone to make an accusation and then you get the party you want to attack to comment and then report: "minister denies rape charge" or some such, thereby getting your accusation out without risking being sued.

But, secondly it implies a moral equivalence wherein Israel has possibly been involved in war crimes when I think it is fairly well established Israel has done everything to beyond what might be normally expected to ensure there were no war crimes.

And thirdly I am flabberghasted that Israel allows this "narrative" to be established by saying it will defend those accused of war crimes rather than simply dismissing the whole concept as outrageous and a complete inversion of the reality. This dismissal could include the years of shelling of Israeli civilians from Gaza, Hamas using their own civilian population as human shields, using children as battle shields, brainwashing children in pre-primary school.

If Israel had an information department worth the name it would squash the idiocy flat. I cannot help but accept the possibility that there are some people within the governing fabric of Israel who do not want it to succeed.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (35) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Mitchell in the Middle East [93 words]mollMar 9, 2010 19:34169908
Appoinment of Mitchell [97 words]JACQUES HADIDAFeb 1, 2009 15:02149662
Yes, Jacques has it just about right [52 words]tanargFeb 5, 2009 01:53149662
Israeli's won't be fooled again, this soon [65 words]David PJan 30, 2009 11:46149528
What does "must" mean? [164 words]jzjJan 30, 2009 11:43149527
George Mitchell's Return to Middle East Diplomacy [217 words]Ms. AnneJan 30, 2009 08:33149513
Re peace in Palestine [275 words]SuzanneJan 30, 2009 02:07149505
Obama's folly [83 words]Rebecca MouldsJan 28, 2009 19:11149409
Israel-Arab negotiations [24 words]Flora SamuelsJan 28, 2009 12:55149364
Mitchell, smitchell [23 words]Doug CorriganJan 27, 2009 19:57149293
Mitchel, Smitchel, add Carter who is pro-Palestinian [125 words]Ms. AnneJan 30, 2009 08:42149293
There is a way to Palestinian Israeli peace [217 words]Ken BesigJan 27, 2009 11:04149224
Direct Talks [30 words]FredJan 27, 2009 03:29149203
16th time's the charm [9 words]davidJan 26, 2009 17:41149143
Streets of the Dead [328 words]Stephen HughesJan 26, 2009 17:31149140
George Mitchel -Special Envoy to the Middle East [94 words]vigilantJan 26, 2009 09:55149100
Don't look now, but we are in the Clinton era all over again? [477 words]VigilantFeb 2, 2009 23:36149100
Consider Lincoln's maxim [161 words]Ron ThompsonJan 26, 2009 09:44149097
100 Years of War [17 words]ZentristJan 26, 2009 22:44149097
100 years of War? [301 words]Ron ThompsonJan 27, 2009 17:28149097
George Mitchell and the Girlie Men of Gaza. [339 words]Maura CollinsJan 26, 2009 09:17149094
We should try to think like the Palistinians if peace will ever have a chance [136 words]HenryJan 26, 2009 08:36149091
promises,promises [56 words]leo solomonJan 26, 2009 04:05149075
The basis of the confrontation [40 words]John BergJan 25, 2009 22:24149058
an awareness is not enough [60 words]Steve LieblichJan 25, 2009 21:40149053
Is it going to be a merry-go-round ride or a roller-coaster ride for Mitchell? [83 words]M.D'SouzaJan 25, 2009 21:03149049
At Wit's End [120 words]ZentristJan 25, 2009 20:58149048
The string of failures is coming to an end. [202 words]MelMJan 25, 2009 20:34149047
Deluded... [89 words]donvanJan 28, 2009 21:29149047
More Silliness! [43 words]Richard B.Jan 25, 2009 20:10149045
no values free peacemakers [234 words]rodney allsworthJan 25, 2009 18:29149035
I am curious [129 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Amy KayJan 25, 2009 17:56149034
Israêl, Like a mountain facing the wind [198 words]Simon NéhméJan 25, 2009 17:53149033
Moral equivalence [217 words]John BJan 25, 2009 16:52149030
Mitchell is a Disaster [62 words]Stuart KaufmanJan 25, 2009 16:49149029

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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