As I said, kidnapping civilians is a far greater crime than abducting soldiers. The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is brutal and illegal.
The suggestion has been made that something I've said demonstrates a "double standard". Instructively, no example was given to demonstrate the validity of the claim.
On the contrary, the double standard is to "gloss over", to borrow the phrase, Israeli crimes and blame everything on Palestinians, while offering no constructive solution.
The first step towards a solution is simple. The occupation must end. That's a prerequisite for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
I also regard it as a moral truism the principal of universality, which says that standards must apply equally, rather than in hypocritical fashion. This is the "first remove the plank from your own eye" doctrine of the Bible.
I am an American. I do not support Palestinian crimes, such as suicide bombings or the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel. I do, however, by virtue of being an American, support Israeli crimes. We support Israeli crimes financially, militarily, and diplomatically.
It's a moral and intellectual coward who can criticize the other and place sole blame on them while failing to hold oneself to the same standard and recognize one's own fault and responsibility.
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Then are the families of the militants, who hide and feed them and thus help them carry out their terror acts, also combatants?
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No. No more than Israelis or Americans who pay their taxes and support the crimes of the Israeli government.
You, yourself, support Israel's crimes. Therefore, if you want to do something about the violence, there is something you can do, which would be to stop supporting criminal violence. Wailing about the criminal violence of others while supporting far worse crimes yourself is the height of hypocrisy.