A large number of Arabs still apparently have no concept of cause and effect. Not that this is any big surprise. For years, the standard MO in the region is to provoke someone then cry outrage when they respond. The Palestinian abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is a perfect example.
He was abducted by Palestinians who then attempted to extort Israel into releasing Palestinian prisoners. As expected, Israel didn't respond to those threats and instead moved on the Gaza Strip, putting military pressure to bear in the hopes of finding the young man. What do you think happened next?
Anger flared across the Middle East on Thursday over Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, and Arab governments were assailed for not aiding Palestinians. The Egyptian government's top rival, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, urged Egyptians to gather at pro-Palestinian demonstrations Friday, the day of weekly Islamic prayers.Egyptian officials urged the Syrian-based political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, to obtain the release of an Israeli soldier whose abduction set off the confrontation.
Mashaal, meanwhile, sought help from Arab leaders to stop Israel's incursion, a statement from his office said.
"This situation demands that Arab officials and the international community take a tough stance," Mashaal's top aide, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told Al-Jazeera television. "They should pressure Israel to withdraw from the middle of cities and stop shelling civilians."
Unbelievable. I'm going to suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Palestinians might want to stop abducting and murdering people for a start. You know, if they got a little more civil about things, maybe Israel wouldn't have to keep laying the smack down on them.
Of course, what reason would they have to be outraged then?
technorati tags:Israel, Gilad+Shalit, Arab, Protest, Palestinian, Hamas, Mashaal, Egypt
