Maybe, one could argue, Paulin's comments were not a good occasion to discuss the difference between legitimate and illegitimate violence. The problem is that, apparently, nothing is. Consider this: on November 15, Islamic Jihad launched a successful attack against an Israeli army unit, killing 13 armed soldiers and security personnel. Israeli sources lied about the incident, describing it as an attack on worshipers, allegedly, a "sabbath massacre."

There was no massacre, only a lengthy battle, and it had nothing to do with worshipers. Yet the American media, as well as Bush, Powell, Kofi Annan, and others, bought into Israeli propaganda and condemned the "shocking and reprehensible attack."

The fake "Sabbath Massacre" was a perfect opportunity to discuss the legitimacy of armed struggle. After all, by misrepresenting the attack, Israel implicitly acknowledged its legitimacy. Alterman and Hentoff could have praised Islamic Jihad for their choice of target, or for the zero collateral damage operation. Listening to the sound of the media silence, one fears the notion that brown people have a right to fight off their oppressors has become incomprehensible in the U.S.

Gabriel Ash
YellowTimes.org is an international news and opinion publication. http://www.YellowTimes.org

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Please also see the series on the Palestinian Olive Harvest in our Economics section.