The president of the European Union (EU) parliament and an American Jewish associate editor have offered opposing views on what is a "proportionate response" to terror.
Hans-Get Poettering, speaking at the opening of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, France, declared that "a state's inviolable right to protect itself does not justify violent acts which affect first and foremost civilian populations." He criticized Israel for the all-out counterterrorist operation and also blamed Hamas for rocket attacks on Israel.
The senior legislator reiterated the long-standing EU policy that peace negotiations are urgent for the creation of a new Arab state in place of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and headed by the Palestinian Authority.
"The peace process must be resumed and intensified," Poettering maintained, "There needs to be a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine as two sovereign states in secure borders…. As responsible politicians we must contribute resolutely to a lasting exit from the spiraling violence."
Israel's response actually has been disproportionate because it has been too mild, argued Jonathan Mark in the Jewish World Review. Mark, who also is associate editor of the New York Jewish Week, wrote, "Perhaps a proportionate response would have Gaza's leaders fearful of being killed every day for the next two years, as Gilad Shalit has been terrified of torture and death every day for the last two years in his solitary Gaza dungeon.
"A proportionate response would so intimidate Hamas that they will grovel and, as a 'gesture,' send cocoa and jam into Sderot, the way Israel has groveled in response to rockets from Hamas sending cocoa and jam into Gaza. Imagine Churchill sending cocoa and jam into Berlin as a humanitarian gesture after - during - the bombing of London.
"A proportionate response would be one that will convince Hamas there is no military solution, no solution but surrender. They can then call surrender a 'peace process,' if they like.
Mark also took aim at the political process, stating that a proportionate response to the PA demands that Jews be expelled from Judea and Samaria would be that Arabs be removed from Tel Aviv. "Horrible to contemplate? Fine, let there be a proportionate negotiation," he added.
He concluded, "A war (and Hamas has repeatedly said this is war) is never won if you are disproportionately kind to someone who wants to destroy you and, failing in that, demands with indignation that you not destroy him."