Violent peace demonstration

The peace activists who launched a violent attack on PM John Howard in Perth today because of his support for Israel deserve contempt not tolerance. They are not participants in a 'debate' and nor are they taking advantage of democracy to 'express views'. They are violent, immature thugs. Some were Australian-Palestinians and Australian-Lebanese, the latter presumably including some of the super-snivellers who attacked the Australian Government so vehemently over the last two weeks for not getting their compatriots out of a dangerous Middle East combat zone quickly enough:

Protesters punched, kicked and threw projectiles at Mr Howard's car as police struggled to keep them at bay. One managed to break the flag on the bonnet of the Prime Minister's car.
Protesters shouted: 'We want Peace' while carrying pamphlets saying: 'Cluster bombs are used by Israel to burn our families in Lebanon. Is this fair?'

This last statement about cluster bombs might be true. But the outrage seems hypocritical when Israel's enemy Hezbollah is launching guided missiles from civilian areas in Lebanon into Israeli civilian areas. Hezbollah as new heroes for the left? The 'Party of God' which targets Israeli civilians and uses its own civilians as hostage protection from attack and as paydirt should attacks from Israel injure or kill them.

I wonder how does Australia's left would have wanted Israel to respond to Hezbollah? With flowers? With recordings of Allen Ginsberg singing Hare Krishna mantras? The latter would presumably be a Zionist provocation. Or perhaps they want Israel to just to walk away - take our country from us enlightened terrorists, its yours...

What is happening in Lebanon is terrible and emotions will run high. But the cause is Hezbollah not Israel.

Thanks to Week-by-Week for cover of the Howard demonstration.