|
Trending Topics
|
No, Israel Does Not Target Palestinian Children
(Detroit News) Ido Levy - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) grabbed headlines in May when she tweeted that Israeli forces "unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families." Stating or implying that Israelis intentionally target Palestinian children goes well beyond a display of genuine care for children and crosses a clear line into anti-Semitism. First, blaming incidents of child casualties exclusively on Israel requires a willful blindness to culpability on the Palestinian side. In Gaza, Hamas indoctrinates, arms and orders adolescents to conduct terrorist operations. The Palestinian Authority encourages children to become "martyrs." In reality, Israel's military goes to unprecedented levels to reduce casualties. Former U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has praised Israel's measures to reduce civilian casualties. To suggest that Israel purposefully and maliciously targets innocent children is plainly anti-Semitic.