Islam is far from a barbaric religion, but some of its adherents are. The murder yesterday of four rabbis at prayer and one guard is especially detestable for the use of a kitchen utensil, a meat cleaver, to hack at the bodies of the rabbis. We can only guess at what mixture of politics, religion and extremism motivated the two Palestinians who committed the awful murders. What is particularly disturbing is their cry of “God is Great” as they slashed and shot the rabbis. This was not Islam, this was not the word of the Prophet, thus was barbarity wearing the false guise of religion.
The reaction to these gruesome murders was both mixed and usual. Netanyahu quickly announced that the murder of Jews would be avenged; PLO President Abbas denounced the killings while pointing out Israeli provocations. But the most unsettling reaction was the cheers and dancing in the streets of Gaza. This reaction by Hamas is disturbing on two levels: First, as a commendatory reaction to gruesome murders; but second, because the cause of Palestinian/Israeli peace, never strong, has been set back once again. Peace does not walk in when the ground is covered in blood
What we are left with after the murders is the weary recognition that peace in the Holy Land, once again and for so many times, is set back. This is a continuing disaster for the millions of Palestinians and Israelis who want nothing more than to raise their families without the fear of violence.