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Source: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/09/bz-follow-the-sequence-of-mideast-violence/#
Follow the Sequence of Mideast Violence
[Tampa Tribune] Ofer Bavly - There is no symmetry between Israel and Palestinian extremists. There is no Israeli action followed by a Palestinian reaction. There is no egalitarian share of the blame and responsibility, and the sooner this fact is understood by the international community, the better. There is no similarity between a robber who attacks his victim, and the policeman who attacks the robber in order to arrest him. Sure, both may use violence. But are they equally responsible for it? In the Middle East, there is a sequence of events, not a cycle of violence. It is a continuum which can be stopped at a moment's notice, by the Palestinians, should they choose to do so or should they feel the necessary international pressure to do so. Do not call it a cycle of violence. The violence will end when the Palestinian terrorists stop attacking us. If they renounce violence, there will be peace. If we renounce self-defense, Israel will cease to exist. No symmetry. The writer is Israel's consul general in Miami.