Never mind the Olympic flame. A clearer picture of the human spirit is this little fella taking on an Israeli tank somewhere in the West Bank.
The line is if you criticise Israel, you're no better than a Treblinka camp guard - but how does the Israeli National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer get away with threatening the destruction of Iran when in 2006 the President of that country was internationally excoriated for 'saying' Israel should be "wiped off the map"? When in fact he didn't.
Komrades over here put it like this, "Ben-Eliezer singled out Tehran, declaring: “An Iranian attack will lead to a harsh retaliation by Israel, which will lead to the destruction of the Iranian nation.” While saying that Iran “will not attack Israel so quickly because they understand the ramifications”, he added: “Nevertheless, the Iranians are provoking us through their allies Syria and Hezbollah, [providing] them with much weaponry, and with that we have to contend.” "
Again, it sounds so reasonable. Don't hit us, we won't hit you - but on closer examination this is a stainless steel copper bottom unconditional threat. After all, "provocation" is a matter of interpretation. Like Blair's forty five minutes it can be sexed up. Israel is doing nothing to reduce the state of tension in the region at a time when its recent actions (the recent savage foray into Gaza that left over 100 civilians dead and its failed, but more bloody, disastrous invasion of Lebanon in 2006) have created a potential for a major conflict.
Fighting talk like this - backed by Bush and his chimps does not provide evidence against the once 'unthinkable' idea (so suggested Jack Straw before he was sacked for saying it) of military action against Iran. If this began to look imminent, I wonder if the peace marches would have a bigger effect than last time - when it all just felt like chucking rocks at on coming tanks.
|