Soccer Dad

Hamas and its boosters

Ethan Bronner of the NYT reports opines at the end of his recent report (via memeorandum):

There is palpable satisfaction at the moment in the Israeli government and the military because the operation so far is seen as a success. Few have focused on the fact that at this stage in the 2006 Lebanon war, there was the same satisfaction -- before things turned disastrous.

True, it could backfire, but let's go over a couple of things. For one, the current war against Hamas is being run by an actual general not a self-important political appointee. And Israel aware of the role the media plays in handing victories to terror organizations is being more careful in cultivating the media this time. Taken together with apparently careful planning, things are less likely to go wrong this time. Why it almost seems if Bronner is rooting for Israel to fail.

If he were, he wouldn't be alone.

When you read leftists writing about Israel's attacks against Hamas there is really only one conclusion you can reach: They support Hamas. Plain and simple.

In a withering attack on J-Street, Mere Rhetoric observes:

So I'm wondering: if you're objectively more anti-Israel than countries that officially want to wipe out Israel - to the extent that you go out of your way to condemn the Israeli government and the Israeli electorate when they won't - does that mean that you can't call yourself a "pro-Israel organization"?

But it's not just J-Street. Here's Ezra Klein (via memeoarandum).

There is nothing proportionate in this response. No way to fit it into a larger strategy that leads towards eventual peace. No way to fool ourselves into believing that it will reduce bloodshed and stop terrorist attacks. It is simple vengeance. There's a saying in the Jewish community: "Israel, right or wrong." But sometimes Israel is simply wrong.

This isn't about Israel being wrong, it's about whether Israel has the right accorded every other nation in the world to defend its citizens. If you don't believe Israel has that right, you are not just wrong: you support Hamas. That's it Mr. Klein. Don't pretend that you mourn for Jews being killed by terrorists. You are using your perch to defend those terrorists. You are wrong and you are anti-Israel. You also hold a view that is morally indefensible.

Q and O follows Klein's logic to its absurd, immoral conclusion.

Of course the fact that Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and certainly weren't lobbing those missiles into Israel as an act of harassment, but as an earnest attempt to kill Israelis, isn't factored into the condemnation. Somehow, because Hamas has lousy killing machines, Israel must be constrained in their destruction of them and their capability until, I guess, they show marked improvement in killing Israelis. Then, perhaps, Klein and other would find Israel's reaction "proportional".

Similarly The Other McCain rips apart Glenn Greenwald and his ilk:

Are there no innocent Israelis, no "numerous children" imperiled by the haphazard Hamas rocket and mortar attacks of recent days? Did not Israel warn Hamas that a continuation of the attacks would not be tolerated? It seems to me that one must either justify the Hamas attacks or else admit Israel's right to act in self-defense. Greenwald and other critics might argue that Israel had a right to act, but has overreacted. However, in doing so they seek to make themselves arbiters of Israeli defense policy.

Noah Pollak administers the same treatment to Daniel Levy.

Let's be clear, if you feel that Israel is wrong to defend its citizens, you support Hamas. And at least as Mere Rhetoric suggests, have the common courtesy not to call yourself pro-Israel if you do.

Crossposted on Yourish.