With the glaring exception of the United States, which tacitly approved Israel’s air raids on Gaza, almost every country has harshly criticized Israel for its disproportionate use of force against the Palestinians, but somehow German Chancellor Angela Merkel also decided to join the U.S. in the hall of shame when she said Hamas is to blame for the carnage in the Gaza Strip.

In a telephone call on Sunday evening, Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “agreed that the responsibility for the development of the situation in the region clearly and exclusively lies with Hamas,” spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters at a press briefing.
“Hamas unilaterally broke the agreement for a ceasefire, there has been a continuous firing of… rockets at Israeli settlements and Israeli territory, and without question -- and this was stressed by the chancellor -- Israel has the legitimate right to defend its own people and territory,” Steg said as carried by AFP.
Merkel’s position may represent the stance of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), but definitely does not represent the views of the entire German government, especially their coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
It is true that Hamas supporters have fired rockets into occupied territories, but Israel has committed an outrage.
Yet, Mrs. Merkel apparently deems it appropriate to turn a blind eye to the living hell that Israel has created in Gaza, with its horrific scenes of civilian casualties, including women and children.
Has Merkel not seen the world’s reaction to the Israeli blitzkrieg? Has she not considered how her indiscreet remarks besmirch Germany’s reputation as an upholder of human rights?
The German chancellor should have thought about the repercussions of her actions before she decided to stand up for the war criminals in Tel Aviv.
A person in a high position like Angela Merkel should not let personal prejudice blind her to reality.
If Merkel believes Israel’s brutal response to a few Qassem rockets, which mostly did not cause any damage, is appropriate, then how does she believe the Palestinians should respond to the Zionist regime, which has occupied their homeland and driven millions from their homes?
Attempting to justify Israel’s relentless attacks on a defenseless, besieged, and starved nation only discredits the person who makes such remarks, and their nation, too, if they are a government official.