A few Palestinians get it

About 600 Palestinians demonstrated against "extremists" (AP's term) who launched rockets at Israel from their homes and orchards, resulting in an IDF crackdown.

Hundreds of residents of Beit Hanoun burned tires and blocked the main road Tuesday in a rare burst of anger at extremists who have prompted Israeli incursions by firing rockets from the town at Israeli targets.

Israeli troops withdrew from Beit Hanoun earlier Tuesday, after a five-day takeover during which they flattened orchards, demolished 15 homes, knocked over garden walls, tore up streets and damaged the sewage, water and electricity systems.

The Israeli military said much of the destruction, especially of homes and orchards, was aimed at depriving extremists firing rockets of cover.

In an unusual protest, about 600 Beit Hanoun residents blocked a main thoroughfare with trash cans, rocks and burning tires to show their anger at the extremists and Palestinian Authority officials.

“They (the militants) claim they are heroes,” Mohammed Zaaneen, 30, a farmer, said as he carried rocks into the street. “They brought us only destruction and made us homeless. They used our farms, our houses and our children ... to hide.”

We've seen what happens when one or two Palestinians dare to stand up against the genocidal fanatics who've infested their society. (They tend to find themselves murdered, and their bodies hung from a post in the town square, while PA security forces look on.) But a crowd of 600? Even Hamas or Islamic Jihad wouldn't try to kill them all. (Though if they did, you can be sure the Arab media would ignore it. Killing is only wrong when the evil Jooooooos do it.)

Posted by damian at May 21, 2003 06:09 AM