Notice the way the two incidents are treated by UK officialdom:-
Gunmen blow up British cemetery monument in Gaza
Thu 3 Apr 2008, 16:33 GMT
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian gunmen blew up a monument in a British-run cemetery for foreign soldiers in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Thursday, witnesses and British diplomats said.
Witnesses said gunmen blew up the two-metre (6.5-foot) high stone monument in Britain's Gaza War Cemetery in central Gaza. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
A statement issued by the British Consulate General in Jerusalem said the Gaza War Cemetery contains graves of British and other foreign soldiers who were killed in conflicts in the region from as early as World War One.
Many tombstones in the graveyard are marked with a cross or star of David, indicating that both Christians and Jews were buried there.
"The history of this region is complex. But the right of the dead to lie in peace and dignity is simple and should be respected by all," the statement said. "We hope that the authorities in Gaza will make every effort to apprehend those responsible."
Fury as Israelis damage war cemetery
Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 15/11/2006
Britain has issued a formal complaint after Israeli forces caused significant damage to the Commonwealth war cemetery in Gaza City, the last resting place for thousands of troops who died fighting the Ottomans in 1917.
One of the damaged headstones at the Commonwealth war cemetery in Gaza City. The cemetery is the resting place for 3,686 Commonwealth servicemen, mostly British infantrymen
The British embassy in Tel Aviv wrote to the Israeli government four months ago after six headstones and a perimeter wall were destroyed by an Israeli army bulldozer but has not yet received an answer.
More damage was done last week during an Israeli operation in the nearby town of Beit Hanoun, when an attack helicopter used its cannon to fire at one of the cemetery's larger group memorial stones.
Two dozen other headstones have been pockmarked by shrapnel from Israeli artillery and several have been completely destroyed.
British diplomats are understood to be increasingly frustrated at Israel's unwillingness to discuss the issue.
"In spite of the representations, nothing has been heard back: it's all rather exasperating," a diplomat said.
Where'd the 'fury' go?
Posts
1 comment:
Funny, that you’d think it a double standard. Do you really expect them to treat Israel – a strong, democratic country - and IDF in the same way as some unidentified Palestinian thugs? On the contrary, I am glad they are more demanding and outraged at Israel, since this confirms that they expect a much better behavior of Israel and are right to do so, especially when we Jews are the first ones to shout about us being the “light unto the nations” on every corner. Or do you think this responsibility comes with no price attached?
On the other hand it is disconcerting (but only too typical) that Israel was “unwilling to discuss the issue”. Such chutzpah! Instead of talking to them, expressing regret over inadvertent (we must hope!) damage to the cemetery during operation, they simply snubbed them. Not too good for ones image and the oft-talked Hasbarah… unless, of course, one actually has something to be ashamed of.
Post a Comment