Many of us are rightly disgusted by the utterly predictable displays of joy emanating from the Palestinian territories over the release of 26 craven murderers. For relatives of the now-free terrorists, a quiet and reserved happiness would make sense. But the outpouring of public euphoria at the homecoming of a bunch of people whose singular accomplishments would make them outcasts in virtually every other society on earth? Most of us either shake our heads or seethe.
Adding to the disgraceful behavior of the terror groups that dominate Palestinian life were the rocket attacks on southern Israel emanating from Gaza. And therein lies an important truth that all friends of Israel need to understand: Those rockets may have been aimed at Israel, but the other intended target was Palestinian public opinion.
In the utterly nonsensical world that is Palestinian politics, it’s a big deal that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas could deliver a prisoner release. These prisoners had been incarcerated — most of them for especially long periods of time — and convicted of especially heinous crimes. In the fever swamps of Ramallah, that’s the biggest fish you can catch. The only comparable act of bravery and honor is engaging in “resistance” and/or “martyrdom” against the Zionist enemy. So, as Abbas gets his moment to bask in the glow of a major political success, the Hamas terrorists who run Gaza launch a few rockets, threaten some little kids in southern Israel, and score some points with the masses.
The sickness here is so depraved, so backwards, that it defies description. How is Israel expected to make peace with the leaders of a society that venerates people like this? Contra U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that we’re further away from peace today than we were yesterday.
Author: Stand For Israel | August 14, 2013
Posted in:
Prisoner swaps, Terrorism
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