We’re always amused by articles that begin with the phrase, "While no one can deny that Israel has the right to defend itself…" Typically, the rest of the article denies that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Which brings us to today’s Toronto Star op-ed by Michael Lynk, who claims Israel is acting "fiercely and disproportionately" while he describes violence against Israel with the Arab euphemism "armed resistance."
Lynk, an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario who we’ve criticized in the past, seems to view the Middle East exclusively through the prism of the Palestinian issue. He claims (perhaps naively) that one of Hezbollah’s motives in attacking Israel was "to retaliate against Israel’s large-scale bombardment of Gaza since the beginning of June." He also claims that Israel’s goal in responding to Hezbollah’s attack is "the imposition of a unilateral settlement of its conflict with the Palestinians."
What do you think of Lynk’s op-ed? Let us know in the Comments section below, or write to the Toronto Star at lettertoed@thestar.ca.
