(Ha'aretz) Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie - The Palestinian national movement is one of the most stupid, murderous and bloodthirsty in all of human history. I said this in June 2001 when I expressed my profound regret that Palestinian voices of reason and moderation had not appeared in response to the peacemaking efforts of Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000 and 2001. Those words came back to me this week as I watched videos of Palestinians racing through the streets of Jerusalem, looking for Jews to kill. Once again, the leaders of Palestinian nationalism have led their people down the long, cruel path of violence, suffering and death. Palestinian diplomats and politicians have proclaimed that Israeli security forces are to blame when they shoot at Palestinian killers and would-be assassins. The events of recent weeks cannot be justified or explained away. To excuse Palestinians from normal standards of moral judgment is to patronize them. Palestinians marauding through the streets of Jerusalem with knife and gun in hand is not acceptable, now or ever. I know that more force will probably be necessary to bring quiet. That is unfortunate, but there is no alternative. Israelis will not tolerate such a situation: the whole point of the Jewish state was to create a place on this earth where Jews do not have to fear attacks from hoodlums and killers when they walk down the street. The terror must end, and Israel must do what is necessary to end it. The writer is a former president of the Union for Reform Judaism.
2015-10-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive