Unbalanced

Egypt is busy complaining about the Quartet's latest statements about the ongoing violence in Gaza and the Israeli actions to defend itself. Egypt calls the statement unbalanced and says that it gives a green light to Israeli actions.

Egypt on Thursday blasted a prominent group of Middle East peacemakers for blaming the Palestinians for the recent upsurge in fighting and sparing Israel any criticism.

The Quartet of Middle East peacemakers, which includes Russia, the US, the UN and the EU, urged an end to fighting Wednesday between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, calling on the Palestinian government to "do everything necessary to restore law and order." The group, which met in Berlin, also urged "all Palestinians to immediately renounce all acts of violence and respect the cease-fire."

Alaa el-Hadidy, a spokesman for Egypt's foreign ministry, described the Quartet's statement Thursday as "unbalanced."

"This is tantamount to giving a green light to Israel to continue its operations in the Palestinian territories," el-Hadidy said in a statement. "The credibility of the Quartet, as a neutral side, is now at stake."

A five-month truce in Gaza unraveled earlier this month when the Hamas militant group began firing barrages of rockets into southern Israel, prompting Israel to respond with a series of airstrikes [ed: just ignore all the hundreds of rockets fired at Israel despite the so called truce]. More than 50 Palestinians, most of them militants, and two Israeli civilians have been killed.

The four countries also called for the release of British Broadcasting Corp. journalist Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped in Gaza on March 12.

"How come the Quartet demands the immediate release of an Israeli soldier and does not condemn the kidnapping (by Israel) of the Palestinian lawmakers," el-Hadidy said.

The group has seen renewed activity in recent months, though violence has continued. They plan to meet again in June, this time with Arab representatives in the Middle East. The Quartet produced the stalled road map peace plan that was to culminate with statehood for the Palestinians.

Actually, Palestinian terrorists firing rockets into Israel on a daily basis provided the green light for Israel to respond in the fashion it has. Indeed, Israel has proven to be far more restrained than many, myself included, think necessary to deter rocket fire going forward.

Some in Israel are actually pushing for a more stringent response. Yet, Hamas is still preparing to fire rockets at Israel, while Israel continues to go after the rocket launchers.

Trying to compare the arrest of terrorists with the capture of Israeli soldiers by terrorist groups is comparing apples to oranges, and a sign of the depraved moral equivalence that reeks among the diplomats, the left, and the various Arab or Islamic regimes in the Middle East.

Through all this, there are some nations think nothing of providing Hamas with money, claiming it is for humanitarian purposes. That's a big mistake and frees up Hamas funds for their war with Israel.

Norway resumed direct aid to the Palestinian administration with a $10 million transfer, after it became the first Western country to recognize the new Hamas-led coalition, the foreign minister said Thursday.

“We hope our contribution will help ease the social crisis the Palestinians are now going through,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. He said the aid will be used to pay wages for civilian public servants.

Norway recognized a new coalition, which included Hamas and the moderate Fatah party, when it took office in March, and earlier this month announced it would resume direct aid.

“The critical situation in Gaza has many causes, but social need and desperation draw in a negative directions,” Stoere said. “It is especially important for the Palestinian authorities to receive economic aid from the international community.”

There's nothing moderate about Fatah, which just as surely seeks Israel's destruction as Hamas. They're simply willing to sit back and destroy Israel through thousands of papercuts rather than the kind of aggressive terror campaign waged by Hamas.

The only thing that will end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is Hamas and Fatah laying down their weapons, releasing Gilad Shalit, and a cessation of all attacks against Israel. Only then would the money that had been formerly going to buy weapons and pay the thugs roaming the streets possibly end up going for civilian infrastructure and humanitarian purposes and only then should foreign aid resume.