A common justification of those who advocate cruel and harsh retaliation directly targeted against the Palestinian civilian populace, is that the average Palestinian "supports" terror attacks. That is a misconception based on a half-truth. The truth is that most Palestinians do indeed support attacks on Israeili military targets and on the Jewish "settlers" in the occupied territories. After all, the occupation is in direct violation of Israel's promises under UN Resolution 242, which was a condition of Israel's joining. The military and the settlers are as legitimate a target as the German occupiers in France by the Maquis.



But is there truly support for targeting civilians within Israel proper? Which is clearly immoral by any standard. To that effect, prominent Palestinians have called for halting terror attacks inside Israel in response to yesterday's horrific bus bombing:

"We urge those behind military attacks against civilians inside Israel to reconsider their positions and to stop pushing our youth to carry out these attacks, which only result in deepening hatred between the two peoples," said the group in the East Jerusalem daily.

...

"We see that these attacks do not achieve progress towards achieving our...freedom and independence," said the signatories.

...

"They give this aggressive government headed by (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon justification to pursue its harsh and aggressive war against our people and against our cities and villages," they said in the advertisement.

As Den Beste points out, the solution to the mideast conflict will not be violent response, but rather some kind of appeasement. This "general theory of terrorism" contradicts his own "solution" linked above, interestingly.