Quotes & Notes Corner: Did Sternhell Inspire an Attack?

(Israelnationalnews.com) On Wednesday night there was a pipe bomb attack on Prof. Zeev Sternhell in the heart of "Israeli-occupied Jerusalem." The far-left extremist Hebrew University professor was lightly hurt and there were condemnations left and right.

There's only one problem. No one actually knows what happened. But I think I do.

The attackers, you see, were readers of Haaretz and they decided to follow Sternhell's own advice. As I think he must have written somewhere in one of his articles, "There is no doubt regarding the legitimacy of the armed resistance in the territories themselves. If the settlers had a bit of sense, they would concentrate their struggle against the leftists...."

Oops. Wait a second. Sorry. I looked at a Sternhell article from Haaretz (May 11, 2001). It seems he actually wrote: "There is no doubt regarding the legitimacy of the armed resistance in the territories themselves. If the Palestinians had a bit of sense, they would concentrate their struggle against the settlements...."

Now that, of course, is a completely different thing. What was I thinking?

Much, much more seriously, I believe that the Left to which Sternhell belongs did, in fact, legitimize Arab terrorism in the service of certain goals they approve of. So, some on the Right may have been convinced by that constant far-left incitement - justifying all violence in the service of high ideals - and taken it to heart. What can we do if the goals and ideals of the far-right are different than those of the far-left?

So, Prof. Sternhell, when those who attacked you are captured, can they call upon you as an expert witness in their defense?