Natan Explains The Difference

Natan Sharansky has a very short, pithy explanation as to why the Middle East conflict is not a "cycle of violence".

Natan Sharansky, the former Soviet dissident now a minister in the government of the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, explained to reporters with the confidence of a politician the difference between the innocent dead in Jerusalem and in Gaza.

"None of our operations target innocent people. If we harm the innocent, it is a failure for us. But the terrorists target the innocent.

"For them, this is a success - the goal of the operation," Mr Sharansky said. "There is no choice but to pursue the war on terror."

Of course, the few Palestinians against the murders seem to do so for tactical, rather than moral and ethical reasons.

Abdel-Hayy Abd-Rabbo, a farmer, said after burying the three that the Hamas military wing should not fire their missiles from populated areas, since this was bound to bring Israeli retaliation down on the innocent. "We are asking them to stop firing rockets from areas near our houses, because Israel uses this as an excuse to shell us and causes daily tragedies," he said.

"We support the jihad and the resistance but not shelling from around our homes. Hamas must fire its rockets from other areas."