Shared Opinion

10 January 2009

Why do we feel so comfortable criticising Israel, but we never mention Hamas?

What are we to make of the disquieting information that Ehud Barak’s favoured pastime, when not waging war, politicking or dressing as a woman, is the dismantling and reassembling of clocks?

‘That’s really creepy,’ I said to the wife, when somebody on Newsnight mentioned it while we were watching it in bed. ‘It makes him sound like Sylar.’

Sylar, of course, is the super-powered serial killer from the hit US series Heroes. Prior to discovering his powers, he was a watch repairman. These days, he can fling you across a room with a twitch of his hand, shoot flames from his palms, and use a finger to open your skull like a can of soup.

‘Not so,’ said the wife, who was reading a book, but had heard enough. ‘Sylar is a professional. This sounds like more of a hobby.’

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘So he’s like Proposition Joe.’ Proposition Joe, as you will know, is one of the big league gang bosses in that other hit US series, The Wire. He smuggles and deals coke and smack, arranges hits, bribes lawmen and, as a front, runs a small clock repair shop on the East Side of Baltimore.

‘Again,’ said the wife, without looking up, ‘a professional.’

‘But it’s only a front,’ I said. ‘And he looks like he enjoys it.’

‘Still not the same,’ said the wife, and I suppose she was right. And musing on this, as she settled back into her book, and Jeremy Paxman went on to be really quite unreasonably rude to poor old George Osborne, two things struck me. A bit like two gongs, if you want to keep the theme suitably clockish. The first was that I really ought to stop trying to understand the world in terms of character synopses from hit US TV series. Bong. And the second was that it is incredibly easy to make monsters out of the Israelis. Bong again.

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Martin

January 9th, 2009 6:49pm Report this comment

We bash Israel because it is safe to bash Israel... it is also fashionable and the "in" thing to do.
We don't criticize Hamas because it is not safe to do. We might get blown up or have the head cut off with a blunt instrument.
This is why !!!

A. Stewart

January 10th, 2009 3:13am Report this comment

No one is ever brave enough to say that Hamas thugs are using women and children as a shield. Ask Ms Lennox et al how they would feel if Hamas operatives lived next door to a member of their family.

The fact remains however that it will only be when the people living in that part of the world get tired of the conflict and decide to negotiate a land treaty with each other that recognises, in a pragmatic way, that neither party is going to disappear, that peace will break out amongst all those who live there.

How about it ladies? Can't you do something with your unduly belligerent "leaders"?

Andrew Hingston

January 15th, 2009 11:56pm Report this comment

We instinctively feel that something is wrong, but aren't quite sure what -- so many details, so far away, such unpleasant people all around. Hamas are unpleasant people, to be sure. But they are also democratically elected. No one expected it; few like it; but they were, and the election was certified free and fair. Israel has succeeded in the age old trick of divide and conquer, and they have added a new twist by using the tactic in the context of PR. Gaza is treated as one thing without reference to the West Bank. But the Palestinians are the victims in both places. If Scotland were attacked, one imagines the English might (just might) rush to their defence. But when the West Bank is still under oppressive occupation, the newly emancipated (in some people's minds, but not according to the facts on the ground) Gazans are supposed to ignore it. When Israel pulls back to the pre-67 borders, dismantles the fence, provides Gaza with reparations for the damage done to infrastructure over the decades, and also acknowledges Palestinian sovereignty, then they will have a right to expect their security. But under present circumstances the Gazans are not only brave but absolutely right to keep up the fight. Would that the rest of the world had a fraction of their courage.

Bart

March 19th, 2009 11:20am Report this comment

Christians have been tormenting Jews since early Roman times. It is ingrained in Christian DNA. Many Jews feel a need to suck up to their tormentors so they go along with the torch-carrying mob. It will never change.

Merlyn

March 22nd, 2009 9:02am Report this comment

Yes Andrew, the Palestinians are the victims, however had they chosen not to leave their homes in the first place, encouraged by the about to wage war Arab nations, they would not be in the predicament they are in now. Yes, they chose to leave, they were not pushed out, bullied or anything else. Their counterparts who stayed have the best lifestyle of any Arabs anywhere in the Middle East.The Israeli Government still holds deeds to properties that were left by the Palestinians for them to claim some time in the future.
The news that you get is biased all the way down the line, starting from Associated press and Reuters to the BBC all getting their news from Hamas sympathizers . But then if you don't you have a threat hanging over your head quite literally.

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