Palestinians: Death Penalty A Deterrent, Leftists: That's OK As Long As You Keep Killing Jews
It's telling to me that the Left supports the Arab world - which denies women even the most basic human rights, stones homosexuals, maintains government-controlled press, and makes laws based on religious icons (when its not blowing up other people's religious icons) - over Israel - which elects female Prime Ministers, holds annual gay pride parades, protects a free and liberal press, and obeys a powerful and liberal judiciary.
Since 2001, Arafat has bowed to international pressure that politely requested that he not officially order people executed, because it was making it difficult to paint him as an aggrieved poster-boy of Israeli aggression. Of course, in the process fetishism so typical of Middle East politics, everybody knew that he was still ordering his Fatah henchmen to continue executing collaborators, but the important thing was that he wasn't doing it officially (not that it matters much these guys or these guys, or this guy, who they tortured until he condemned his own mother, who they then publicly executed.
And now Arafat won't play along any more. Not content to just wink at brutal murder, he's officially bringing back the death penalty. Fair enough - its hardly the worst thing he'll do today. But check out his justification for why the death penalty is a good idea:
"There is a need for very serious measures to stop the chaos from spreading," said one official. "Executions serve as an effective deterrence."At least 10 Palestinians are on death row after being convicted of murder and collaboration with Israel.
What?!?! It's a deterrent?!?! Why isn't the ACLU protesting this? Where're my three New York Times editorials? And why isn't Mumia doing a pamphlet (The cop-killer from Philly? -- ed)
For the record, Israel has no death penalty and, whenever possible, captures even terrorists and puts them on trial rather than executing them.
Since 2001, Arafat has bowed to international pressure that politely requested that he not officially order people executed, because it was making it difficult to paint him as an aggrieved poster-boy of Israeli aggression. Of course, in the process fetishism so typical of Middle East politics, everybody knew that he was still ordering his Fatah henchmen to continue executing collaborators, but the important thing was that he wasn't doing it officially (not that it matters much these guys or these guys, or this guy, who they tortured until he condemned his own mother, who they then publicly executed.
And now Arafat won't play along any more. Not content to just wink at brutal murder, he's officially bringing back the death penalty. Fair enough - its hardly the worst thing he'll do today. But check out his justification for why the death penalty is a good idea:
"There is a need for very serious measures to stop the chaos from spreading," said one official. "Executions serve as an effective deterrence."At least 10 Palestinians are on death row after being convicted of murder and collaboration with Israel.
What?!?! It's a deterrent?!?! Why isn't the ACLU protesting this? Where're my three New York Times editorials? And why isn't Mumia doing a pamphlet (The cop-killer from Philly? -- ed)
For the record, Israel has no death penalty and, whenever possible, captures even terrorists and puts them on trial rather than executing them.
