Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying that Hamas must condemn suicide bombings (shyeah, that’ll happen). I read through it with great interest, finding all the right words, and thinking that finally, finally, HRW had gotten it right.
Human Rights Watch called on the Palestinian government led by the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, to state unambiguously that attacks targeting civilians constitute grave crimes no matter what the circumstances. The Palestinian Authority must take concrete steps to prevent such attacks and bring those responsible for them to justice.
“In forming a government, Hamas took on the responsibility to prevent unlawful attacks against civilians by its own forces and other Palestinian armed groups as well,†said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division.
Great stuff! Unequivocally telling Hamas what to do! Yes, HRW, you’ve finally got it!
Well, no, they don’t. The news release ends with this:
Under international law, neither self-defense nor violations by an adversary can ever justify attacks that target civilians. Even in the face of Israeli violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, Palestinian armed groups have a duty to refrain from reprisals against civilians, and the Palestinian government has a responsibility to try to prevent such reprisals and punish those who engage in them.
Because of course, HRW couldn’t possibly condemn palestinian atrocities without also blaming Israel for something.
Still Meryl, it is useful to keep this in mind, because they don’t justify terror even against someone as inherently evil as a settler. Most of the MSM don’t seem to have grasped this.
Still Meryl, it is useful to keep this in mind, because they don’t justify terror even against someone as inherently evil as a settler. Most of the MSM don’t seem to have grasped this.
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