Indifference to Reality

Universities in various cities in Europe and North America routinely sign on to hosting "Israeli Apartheid Week" as an annual rebuke to Israel for its occupation of the Palestinian Territories. As though it might be unknown to these institutes of higher learning that there is a Palestinian Authority governing the West Bank, and Hamas governing Gaza. From both territories violently hostile and deadly activities have emanated resulting in the deaths of Jewish civilians, the elderly, women and children.

Israel, as a self-protective move to which all nations and their people are universally entitled, has taken action. And those actions appear to insult the perceptions of justice and fair play of the international community. From building a protective wall between the assaulting West Bank communities to military check-points at border crossings and imposing a blockade of Gaza in an attempt to ensure that weapons are not transported wholesale into the territory to further arm the Palestinian militant groups dedicated to Israel's demise.

The response to which has been 'humanitarian' ships manned by Palestinian sympathizers purporting to bring to Gaza humanitarian goods to aid the suffering people of Gaza, by breaking the blockade as a sign of solidarity with their plight. Israel is accused by impassioned protesters of her perceived brutality toward the Palestinians, of being guilty of 'genocide' and of being an 'apartheid state'. This, despite that within Israel all its population regardless of origin, ethnicity, culture, religion have equal status under the law.

The country's military strikes back when militants launch mortar bombs across the border into Israel. The country seeks out the murderers of its citizens to see that they face justice. Countries like Iran and Syria smuggle advanced weaponry reflecting the latest technology into Gaza for the use of Hamas against Israel. A family of two adults and three children, the youngest an infant was murdered in the last week. Hamas and other militants have lobbed some 50 barrages of mortars into Israeli border communities in the last few days.

No universities and colleges appear to have been moved to launch appeals for reasonable debate, nor condemnation of these attacks against a civilian population. The Palestinian Authority, while denying that it incites its population to violence against Israel, at the same time that it refuses to sit at the negotiating table for a peace settlement, has decided to name a town square to honour one of its 'martyrs', a female terrorist responsible for an attack that killed 35 Israelis. The terrorist, Dalal Mughrabi, has had previous post-mortem honours bestowed upon her, honouring her devotion to 'resistance'.

Oddly enough, those who declare they have the right and the obligation to express their dissatisfaction with the State of Israel, and that to do so does not implicitly make them anti-Semitic, have little interest in making themselves knowledgeable about the complexities of Israeli-Palestinian history and disagreements. The venom they vent through slander and divestment-boycotts seem to satisfy a deep-seated antipathy. Nor do they evince any interest whatever in the atrocities that are delivered by Palestinians to Israelis. Nor do they express any hint of reproach toward the Palestinians.

Obviously judged by a far different standard. One of low expectations, presumably. And the Palestinians appear eager to affirm that these are the standards they are capable of recognizing and conforming to.