The American Friends Service Committee weighs in on the events in Gaza, and makes clear where its allegedly pacifist sympathies lie:

We urge you to take all steps necessary to end the Israeli attacks against Gaza, which have as of this writing taken more than 370 lives, injured thousands, and destroyed many homes and properties. The military strike is in addition to a two year-old siege imposed by the Israeli government, and supported by the U.S. government, that has severely restricted the importation of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods necessary to maintain the well-being of more than 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip.

The disproportionate Israeli siege and military assault continue a policy of collective punishment. The time has long-passed to end this policy.

As usual, we have the wailing about “disproportionate” Israeli action, as well as the meme about “collective punishment.” This is the contention that the Israelis have been mistreating the people of Gaza–the ones who voted for Hamas, in full knowledge of what that organization stood for and the tactics it preferred–by squeezing them economically. This is an approach that the Israelis have adopted rather than continue to occupy the Strip, or using military force on a constant basis. Sanctions are usually the preferred liberal alternative to military action, but apparently Israel isn’t supposed to respond in any way when attacked.

At the same time, we recognize that Hamas’s decision to launch rocket attacks into Israel has threatened the safety of Israeli civilians and incurred tragic consequences for the people of Gaza.

I’m so glad they recognize that.

So the cycle of violence deepens. Even today, Hamas threatens to increase the number of rockets fired into Israel in retaliation for the Israeli siege and air strikes. Israel justifies the siege and the attacks because of the rocket attacks. It’s an untenable situation that need not continue.

Yet another Middle East meme–the “cycle of violence.” The AFSC is apparently unaware that during the truce, there was little violence between the two sides. It was only when Hamas decided to take another tack, and dig tunnels that would allow it to kidnap Israeli soldiers to hold for ransom, that Israel responded, and then only to destroy the tunnels. That’s when Hamas started shelling Israeli civilians again. Is it really so impossible to see that there is neither a “cycle of violence” nor moral equivalence involved here?

Violence must be replaced with negotiations. Both the air strikes and the embargo should end immediately. Israel should engage in diplomacy with the Palestinians, including Hamas as elected leaders of the Palestinian legislature. And every effort should be made through the good offices of the Arab states to urge Hamas to re-establish the cease fire and put forth a good-faith effort to end the current violence.

The AFSC may believe in moral equivalence, but they certainly don’t believe in equivalence in practice. Regarding Israel’s actions, they are utterly unequivocal: the “air strikes and the embargo should end immediately.” Regarding Hamas, they only want more talk: Arab states should make “every effort” to “urge” Hamas to make a “good-faith effort” to stop trying to kill Israeli civilians. What a “good-faith effort” would look like is anybody’s guess, but it doesn’t really makae any difference.  No matter how much the AFSC talks the Quaker talk of pacifism, in fact they are far more concerned about certain kinds of violence than others. If it’s done by Israelis in defense of civilians, directed against an organization with a genocidal program, that’s beyond the pale. If it’s by Palestinian terrorists against innocents, that deserves a stern finger-wagging and a “good-faith effort” to stop.

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