Israel, Vatican and Terror

Alright, enough levity—now it’s time to get indignant Jew on y’all:

Half a century ago the Vatican yawned while Europe's Jews were being exterminated. Since then they have done much to mend relations with the Jews, and that is laudable. Yet I can't help but to be terribly disappointed by this latest episode. I thought the Vatican was going to backtrack on their terrorism gaff, but it looks like they aren't budging. When it comes to the Jews, the Vatican takes two steps forward and one step backwards. In this case, it’s a really big step backwards.

The following three articles sum up my own sense of indignation:

The Vatican's Terrorism Omission

Money quote:
Let us now try to understand the Vatican’s bizarre policy on terrorism. Recently Pope Benedict XVI condemned terrorist attacks against civilians in Great Britain, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey. In a pregnant omission – very pregnant in light of the Vatican’s long history of silence in the face of attacks against Jews – the Pope omitted any mention of the country that has suffered the largest number of terrorist attacks against civilians since 9/11, namely, Israel. When the Israeli government understandably protested the omission, the Vatican’s position became even more troubling. It singled out Israel for criticism, saying that that beleaguered nation’s responses to attacks against its civilians was “not always compatible with the rules of international law.” It then went on to say that the Vatican could not protest every Palestinian attack against Jewish civilians if Israel did not always follow international law.

Let’s try to understand what this means. Unless a country is absolutely flawless in its response to terrorism, the Vatican will not condemn terrorism against its civilian citizens. This seems to justify the killing of civilians as a protest against violation of international law. If that “moral” position is not bizarre enough, let us turn to the actual facts. Egypt’s response to terrorism is far, far more violative of international law than Israel’s. Egypt routinely tortures – I mean really tortures to death – suspected terrorists, to say nothing of mere dissidents. Turkey’s record is not all that much better. The U.S. and Great Britain have killed many more civilians in responding to terrorism in Iraq than Israel has done. So even if the Vatican’s statement of principle were morally acceptable – which it surely is not – that principle would in no way justify leaving Israel off a list that includes many worse violators of international law.

The Vatican's flawed conscience

Ancient prejudice guides Vatican

This last article makes some good points, but is wrong on a couple of accounts. First of all, Great Britain is not in Iraq in violation of international law. Secondly, the author seems to have forgotten that, in fact, many Catholics have absolved the Jews for the death of Christ. See: Nostra Aetate, 1965: the Church starts to reverse its old claims about Jews. Nevertheless, this latest episode would seem to be a victory for the hardcore type of Mel Gibson-like Catholics who have never recognized Nostra Aetate in 1965.