Real Lessons from “Jewish Terror”
A fanatic attacked a Jerusalem gay pride parade and a militant group firebombed a Palestinian home, killing a toddler. Critics of Israel point to such incidents to assert moral equivalence: there are Jewish terrorists and Arab terrorists, so neither side deserves sympathy or support. But incidents of Jewish violence remain rare and isolated, earning universal condemnation. The attacker at the gay pride parade had just been released after serving ten years for a similar attack; now he should spend the rest of his life in prison. No one in Israel—not the rabbinate, or even the most right-wing elements in government—defends such senseless acts.
By contrast, leaders throughout the Arab world, and the official Palestinian TV channel in its broadcasting for children, glorify “martyrdom operations” and terrorist attacks. Brutality can occur anywhere, but there’s a big distinction between societies that strive to stop it and governments and religions that promote it.