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From: steinber@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Louis Steinberg)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Terrorism
Message-ID: <4168@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 18:23:40 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.4168
Posted: Wed Nov  6 18:23:40 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 21:06:33 EST
References: <215@gargoyle.UUCP> <7800595@inmet.UUCP>, <343@whuts.UUCP> <404@houem.UUCP>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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> Nick Tsolas ihnp4!houem!niko:

> It is very easy to judge other's people actions and
> critisize them if we haven't experienced their problems. [...]
> But I was curious, HOW all of you anti-Palestinians
> would have reacted if you were in their position.

As you say, it's hard to know for sure how I would behave in circumstances
I have never really experienced, but let me point out Zionists reacted
before the State of Israel existed.  (Yes, I know the circumstances
are not identical, but the comparison is still revealing.)

The Jewish underground did engage in violence, but only against legitimate
military targets including the British Army and various armed Arab groups.
There were at most a few deviations from this policy on the part of small
sub-groups.  These few cases (i.e. attacks on innocent bystanders) were
strongly denounced by most of the underground and denied by those groups
accused of them.  There was an explicit ideology, "tohar haneshek", i.e.
"purity of arms", against targeting the innocent.

The PLO, on the other hand, has made innocent bystanders (children on
a school bus, an American tourist in a wheelchair, etc.) their primary
targets.  The groups involved in these attacks proudly take credit,
and are never denounced by anyone connected in any way with the PLO.

Thus, in circustances that were at least as trying, the Zionist
underground was able to refrain from the sort of tactics used by
the PLO.  These tactics are evil and **even if you sympathize with
the plight of the Palestinians**, the actions of the PLO deserve
condemnation.