Jerusalem attack: can you blame the Palestinians?

Damn right you can, if you're an Israeli, (Netenyahu has warned of dire consequences, and you can be sure they will not be long in coming) or come to that a Brit or a Yank. Around the world of Israel supporters, there has been a great cry of outrage at the murders in Jerusalem. Yet these voices were mute during the genocidal violence committed in Gaza just a few brief months ago. I am no supporter of violence, but I can at least go some way to understanding the circumstances which led to the attack.


Have you wondered what's been happening in Gaza since the bombing stopped? The answer is absolutely nothing. The blockade remains in place, meaning that no new building materials have been permitted to enter that stricken area. So those parts of Gaza which by the end of August resembled nothing so much as Berlin at the end of World War II, remain in exactly the same condition as they were when the Israelis decided they had achieved their ends and ceased their bombing campaign. In the West Bank the illegal settlement building programme goes on unabated, despite the agonised protest of the Palestinians who are being pushed aside to make way for them.
 In Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities continue their extremely provocative posture of claiming the right to worship on what they call the Temple Mount, despite this area being for many centuries the domain of Islam. Anyone with any knowledge of the situation there will tell you that this is a deliberate and cynical provocation on the part of the Israelis. They want to goad the Palestinians into a response, and look at that! They got one. Now they can use that good old argument of "See?  We're dealing with a bunch of murderous terrorists here. Now let us handle the situation in whatever way we see fit, to keep our people safe."


The defence of "extreme provocation" is rightly seen as exculpatory in the judicial systems of many civilised countries. Hence we should use extreme caution before condemning the actions of some angry and desperate Palestinians, determined to strike back against a regime which has dominated and subjugated their people for over sixty years.