Israel Matzav

Robert Serry and Ehud Barak

Israeli officials have blasted comments by Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in which Serry compared vandalism against 'Palestinian' olive trees (allegedly committed by Jews) to terrorism.

Serry, attending an olive harvest event with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the West Bank village of Turmus Aiya, near the Shiloh settlement, said the olive tree was a significant Palestinian symbol.

“There could be nothing more symbolic here in Palestine than to participate in the olive harvest. The harvest is an act of identity and self-reliance. It is a symbol of a people’s unyielding attachment to their homeland,” he said.

The settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers, he continued, has only served to underscore the urgency to end Israel’s “occupation of the West Bank.”

“In recent weeks in this village alone, settler extremists have destroyed hundreds of trees by poison or by knocking them down,” Serry said. “The same story can be told by villagers in many other places. I am appalled at acts of destruction of olive trees and farmlands, desecration of mosques and violence against civilians.”

He called on Israel to protect the Palestinian farmers against such violence.

“Israel states its condemnation of attacks, and I welcome this,” Serry added. “But its record in imposing the rule of law on settlers is lamentable. Israel must combat violence and terror by Israelis, as is expected of the Palestinian Authority in the case of violence and terror by Palestinians.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor responded.

“We understand Robert Serry’s condemnation of violent action by a certain number of settlers, but the Israeli government strongly condemns them and [has] instructed the law enforcement agencies to crack down on the perpetrators, even before this advice from the UN envoy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.

“As for the use of the word ‘terror,’ does he want to make believe that there are Israeli suicide bombers attacking Palestinians buses?” he asked. “One cannot understand this absurd equation. The Israeli government has acted with determination against violence directed against Palestinians, with a number of offenders brought to trial and an unambiguous approach by the Israeli justice system to this problem.”

Another Israeli government spokesman called Serry's comments 'reprehensible' and 'problematic.'

So what does Defense Minister Ehud Barak have to do with this? Three weeks ago, our erstwhile Defense Minister had this to say about a fire at a mosque that was allegedly set by Jews:

The Defense Minister said that, "Whoever did this is a terrorist in every sense of the word, and intended to hurt the chances for peace and dialogue with the Palestinians. This was a shameful act that besmirched the State of Israel and its values."

If members of the government make stupid, hyperbolic comparisons, should anyone be surprised when a representative of the UN picks up on the same stupid comments? Where were Palmor and the other anonymous individual when Barak made his comments three weeks ago?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:33 PM