Too Busy For Words - the PaulWay Blog

I am finally moved to ponder on the Israeli invasion into Gaza. Of course, I would like to see an end to the conflict and I think Israel's attack is fairly high-handed. But it seems to me to be an act of sheer lunacy for Hamas militants to fire more rockets into Israel. What's their logic? Do they think that Israel will suddenly be cowed by this display of defiance? That if they try to even up the 10:1 ratio of Palestinian to Israeli deaths in the conflict that Israel will get cold feet? That Israel will be pressured into withdrawing and then Hamas can try to get some kind of pathetic revenge? That there's far too many virgins in heaven and every Hamas militant should get their fair share? That while everyone is watching Israel a few rockets and civilian deaths will go un-noticed?

Really, it's not only stupid but actually harmful behaviour. It's the kind of moronic eye-for-an-eye retaliation that gives the lie to any claims to be the victim in the conflict. If I were in Israel's position, with a bunch of barely-controlled militant lunatics with delusions of importance and a determination to wipe my nation off the face of the earth whatever the cost, I wouldn't exactly be tippy-toeing and being polite to them in every circumstance either. The sad thing is that Palestine has brought this on itself - Hamas recieves considerable (questionable) funding, it got elected on the basis of spreading this money about, and then Palestinian civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire between their own lunatic fringe government and the hornets nest they decided to stir.

It's the same sad process of politics, really - you vote John Howard in because he said he wasn't going to put in a GST, and then he turns around and says it wasn't a core promise; you vote Hamas in because they said they were going to pay for hospitals and schools and instead they smuggle rockets and arms in and take pot-shots at Israeli civilians. And the world gets stuck with the fall-out.