The rush to grab that linked article!

One of the most laughable headlines currently online is this one: "Just Remember, Hamas and Hezbollah are No Boy Scouts. What is Happening is a Tragedy, but Israel Didn't Start This One."
First off, not knowing Hamas or Hizbullah's policy on gays, we'd never think to compare them to Boy Scouts. Second of all, the armed aggression in Gaza isn't dealt with in the article linked to. Guess you have to ignore Gaza and a lot of other things to argue "Israel Didn't Start This One"?
As Juan Cole has noted: " Besides, there wouldn't be any Hizbullah if Israel had not invaded Lebanon in 1982 and occupied the south for 18 years."

The rush to grab an article to link to and write a headline appears to have taken a one-sided, simplified article and strained it down to even more simplifications. Let's not the linked article, Kenneth R. Bazinet's "An Act Of War" (New York Daily News).

Israel sent tanks into Lebanon and bombed roads, bridges and Beirut's airport after Hezbollah militants killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more, dramatically raising tensions in the region.

In an article that starts off with civilian targets (airport) and infrastructure of a war torn country, probably not the best thing to link to while singing "Don't Blame Israel." Even if the 'journalist' won't make the connection, some readers will. Some readers will be aware of what qualifies for a target (under Geeneva) and what doesn't.

Don't blame the government of Israel? Did Palestinians attack themselves for the last several weeks?

Oh, the official mainstream narrative, can't forget that. The article offers this bit of sophistry:

Much as Hamas drew Israeli troops back into Gaza 11 months after they withdrew, the Hezbollah attack sent them back into Lebanon, six years after they ended a 22-year occupation.

Poor little right-wing, Bully-Boy like, Israeli leader, drawn into this, forced to order these actions. Just like Bully Boy had no choice but to declare war on Iraq. (Remember, he tells us no leader likes to go to war.)

Lot of people giving a lot of cover for bullies while civilians die. Whether it's in Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, what have you -- stuff just happens. Apparently.

ADDED: A reader asked if we could link to a set of point Phyllis Bennis had made on the current events: "The Gaza/Lebanon Crises: Escalating Occupation & Danger of New Border Fighting." We're also adding that to our note which will go up shortly (in case any early readers miss it here).