Root Causes - By Naomi Ragen

I don't condone violence. I certainly do not condone violence against Israeli soldiers, whether it is coming from Palestinians or Israelis,secular or religious. But what I want to talk about is the double standard,that has become almost laughable. In Mumbai, we have a terror attack of vicious barbarity leaving hundreds dead and injured. We have the murder and torture of a pregnant Rabbi's wife and Rabbi, and the desecration of a house of worship and holy Torah scrolls, and yet, we are still being bombarded by those who want to understand the 'root causes." David Hirsh, the leader of the Green Party in the U.K., said the following about Mumbai:

"If we are to defeat extremism then we have to go to the root causes of it -we have to look in particular at how marginalised communities are being treated, we have to look in particular about countries like Palestine.

"All during the Intifada, we were subject to a plethora of "root cause"theories about the despicable behavior of Palestinians.

But now, faced with violent, despicable behavior on the part of some Jews in Hebron, there is suddenly nobody with a "root causes" theory

.It's not that 'root causes' are lacking. I think all you have to do is look at the disengagement, and the present state of the brave inhabitants of Gush Katif, and how they and their children were thrown out into the street, and are still living in tinny caravans that boil in the summer and freeze in the winter. All you have to do is look at the rockets falling on Sderot,Ashkelon, Ashdod, etc. and see the infuriating lack of response of elected government officials, as an incentive to take the law into one's own hands.All you have to do is look at the murder of yeshiva students that has gone unpunished, the house of the murderer still standing. If you want to find 'root causes' I can give you plenty more.

Let me make it clear: I am not a supporter of the 'root causes' theory.There are no excuses for despicable behavior. Not for Muslim terrorists, or Palestinians or Jews. I just can't stand the hypocrisy of the Leftist media in Israel who vilify Jews, and weep over the "poor" Palestinians for similar behavior.

So let me understand this, when infuriated Palestinian youths throw rocks and blow people up, they have 'root causes' and we must try to solve them?But when equally infuriated Jewish youths throw rocks, we don't look for root causes? We react with maximum hatred, violence, and repression? Have I got that right? It will be interesting to see if that solves the problem.And if it does, one wonders why the same solution shouldn't be used for Palestinian youths.