256. Israel’s actions are not justified

In your May 27 editorial on the Palestinian issue, some of the most preposterous statements can be read. Commenting on the fact that Palestinian children ages 6 to 14 were shot at and wounded by Israeli soldiers to prevent them from throwing rocks at Israel tanks, you wrote: "there would have been no wounding if there was no rock-throwing." Even if those tanks were made of ceramics, shooting at children would not have been justified.

As usual, whenever Israel is the subject matter, your editorials turn logic on its head. The fact is there would have been no rock-throwing if there were no tanks; if Israel was not stealing Palestinian land; if Israel was not building settlements for Jews only on stolen Palestinian land; if Israel was not demolishing Palestinian homes because they were built without permits that Palestinians can never get etc.

Which is more outrageous, throwing rocks at tanks or throwing a Palestinian youth out of a speeding jeep? This is what four Israeli border policeman did earlier this month in Hebron, which resulted in the death of the youth after his head was smashed. This premeditated murder was a detail not worthy of being mentioned in your editorial.

It is a pity that your editorials consistently blame the victims, the underdogs, the vulnerable. This is understandable. Palestinians are an easy target. Criticizing Israel, however, is politically incorrect and can be very costly. Israel's lobby is omnipresent ready to throw the anti-Semitic label at any critic of Israel.