Selective Outrage

Read this article:

Israel suspends soldier in shield case
By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - The Israeli army said Friday that it was suspending the commander of troops seen using two Palestinian youths as human shields, the latest evidence that its soldiers still protect themselves with civilians in violation of international and Israeli law.
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Note the moral outrage at the Israeli's actions. The Israeli soldiers are routinely bombarded with rocks and stones from Palestinian children, who are taught to hate Jews. In an effort to stop the attacks, an Israeli Soldier asked a Palestinian child to ask their friends to stop throwing rocks at them. The child willingly stood between the soldiers and the mob of anti-Semites. Peace activists and the press are now blaming Israel for using the child as a human shield in violation of international law.

Now read this story:

Unconfirmed report says BBC journalist slain

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - A previously unknown Palestinian group said Sunday it had killed a British journalist kidnapped over a month ago by gunmen in Gaza City, but the claim could not be confirmed.
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Note the lack of outrage. No moral condemnation of the group. No moral condemnation of a people who believe that taking hostages and murdering them is an acceptable form of political/religious expression.

The peace activists and the press are eerily silent when it comes to the actions of Palestinian militant groups who brainwash children into blowing themselves up, kidnap journalists and murder them, etc. But when Israeli's ask a civilian, even a child, to try and help stop the violence, the Israeli's are "violating human rights."

Isn't there a difference between using a civilian who volunteers to be a shield and one who doesn't?

I don't know if I fully support the Israeli use of a child, even a willing participant; but it's not like they took children against their will and brought them into a gun fight. They didn't force the child to stand in front of their vehicle. Besides, don't the Palestinians routinely surround their top commanders with women and children? Why no outrage over that?

Why no outrage at a people who take an unwilling civilians hostage. Why no outrage over the ritualistic murder of Westerners and Jews?

How exactly is it that the press and the peace movement find the Palestinians to be morally superior and unworthy of criticism, but Israel and the West are somehow blameworthy for all sorts of human rights violations? What is is that I am missing?