As usual, we're the bad guys

Apparently, Israel's swift response to yesterday's unprovoked three pronged terror attack gave the New York Times the opening they needed to frame their initial coverage of the events as follows:

"Attacks near a Red Sea resort Prompted a fierce Israeli bombing raid On Gaza and escalated tensions with Gaza and Egypt."

Please note:

1. The attacks were not attributed to anyone. Apparently The Times didn't care to even speculate who might have carried out the attacks.

2. The name, and even nationality, of the resort - Eilat - was also omitted, since it is an Israeli city, and an attack on an Israeli civilian target might make a retaliation seem, what's the word... justified?!

3. The initial attack is not described using any potentially prejudicial terminology; not 'terror', and certainly not 'fierce'. The latter descriptive having been attributed only to Israel's response.

4. Although there were ample photos available from the scene of the three pronged terror attack, The Times opted to only show a photo taken in Gaza of a Red Crescent medic caring for wounded Palestinians.

5. Any time blame is assigned for tensions in the region, it is Israel which is singled out. The relentless firing of missiles at our civilian population centers should not cause heightened tensions, nor should frequent terror attacks and incitement. No, only when Israel acts is it a cause for heightened tension. To this end, the UN's Ban and Palestinian tool Erekat had strikingly similar statements immediately following the terror attack:

Ban Ki moon softened his condemnation of the terror attack by completing the breath with his concerne "at the risk of escalation and calls for all to act with restraint". In other words Israel is expected not to react, because that would be an escalation. What message does that send to the terrorists if they know that after even the most heinous attacks, the international community will try to tie Israel's hands?

Saab Erekat went even further by "warning Israel against irresponsible action in Gaza.". I've written frequently in the past about the overt infantilization of the Palestinians by the international community. They are apparently incapable of rational thought or self control, to the extent that all violence emanating from the Palestinian camp is described as 'spontaneous'. Now even one of the Palestinian' most vocal spokesmen is taking this line. A carefully planned and executed Palestinian terror attack and non-stop rocket fire on Israeli cities is not irresponsible. But any reprisal on Israel's part is. You do the math.

One thing is sure. When the issue of Palestinian readiness for statehood comes to a vote in September, nobody will hold them accountable for the type of behavior that will officially be considered state sponsored terrorism once the votes are counted.