Qana: “their own fault”

Daniel Dor laid out the basic categories into which fall most apologetics for Israels actions.

I picked out a small sample of the endless excuse-making that can be found at IsraelForum on the topic of the Qana bombing, and you can see how they fit into Dors classification;

1. Counter-blaming (the other side is guilty, therefore I am not)

It should be of no surprise - that Hizb'Allah would plan, detonate and destroy a building filled with innocent civilains.

They are casualties of their own fault; their state could not uphold its own laws

I don’t think it is a big stretch to think that Hezbollah fighters would sacrifice some crippled children to further the noble goal of punishing the Zionists.

…….civilians are dying on both sides because terrorists are putting them in harms way.

Israel too kills civilians but that's a byproduct of their actions against the terrorists who bear the real responsibility……

2. Disqualifying the source of the blame (they have no right to judge me)

After the Qana attack, the entire world was disturbed and came to a halt. As if this was an unprecedented tragedy. The reaction is selective outrage, as the world doesn't react with the same emotions to terror by Hezbollah and other Arab groups!

3. Blurring intention (I did not mean to do that, it happened by mistake)

people CAN leave, but the fact that Hezbollah intermingles with them isn't the IDF's fault. It is part of Hezbollah's strategy of keeping civilians in the area as shields.

israel has every right to attack when being attacked!, yes ofcource civilen will die when militants use lebanons city's around lebanon as there armybase or battleground

……a tragic accident in war. You know, armies do make mistakes……

……a tragic accident of war.

4. Coercion (I was forced to do what I did).

The entire northern part of Israel is not functioning at this point …………We can’t survive like that. We have NO choice.

Israel has tried everything. Negotiations, peace for land offers, unilateral withdrawals but it seems that all it's efforts are to no avail.

These categories apply to all pro-Israeli apologetics, no mater what the event. The Intifada, the Six Day War, you name it, they are an all-purpose range of tactics with the same purpose – to absolve Israel of blame for its action. Following on from this, Israel bears no responsibility for events and so no change in behaviour, on its part, is required.

But it also answers a question I have long pondered; do Israels' apologists truly believe the lame rubbish they spout?

According to Dors’ theory the answer is, no. If guilt is the motivating factor, then what creates guilt is an internal acceptance of wrong doing. Hence, even as these apologetics represent an attempt to suppress guilt they are an acknowledgment that the criticisms of Israeli actions are justified.