[Jerusalem Post] Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon - For eight years, while Hamas indiscriminately shelled Israeli civilians with rockets provided by its patrons in Iran, the UN stood silent. Only when Israel, after years of restraint, moved to put an end to the terror, did the Human Rights Council act - by condemning Israel. The resolution adopted last Friday by the Council perverts the reality of Hamas criminality, blaming the victim, rather than the true perpetrator of war crimes in Gaza. The resolution also undermines moderate Palestinians who are interested in peace with Israel. In our neighborhood, everybody loves a winner. So when an international body upholds Hamas' atrocious behavior and exploits it once more to bash Israel, Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority loses face, moderate Arab states lose ground, and the Hizbullah-Syria-Iran axis gains strength. A new form of warfare has emerged, in which terror groups launch attacks against "enemy" civilians from behind a shield of "friendly" civilians. This resolution grants immunity to the terrorists and prevents law-abiding states from defending their citizens. With the blessing of the HRC, this tactic will be repeated by terrorists throughout the world, to the detriment of all other democracies struggling against terrorism, putting millions of innocent civilians in danger.
2009-10-23 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive