A Warranted Strop

Everyone's favourite Latin American semi-demagogues are at it again! At least that's what one would think from the headlines saying that both Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, and Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, have expelled their respective Israeli ambassadors from their countries and broken off normal diplomatic relations with them. This seems like just the sort of stunt they would pull, along with condemning the USA for their inability to establish a socialist utopia, or the sogginess of their cereal.

But it is warranted. Israel's actions should make it an international pariah, and in these circumstances, Venezuela and Bolivia are the only executives acting with a modicum of sanity. Having normal diplomatic relations with Israel is tantamount to agreeing that the actions of the government are justified, or that they constitute a technical difficulty (Will Hamas stop firing bottle rockets with no houses? No children? No hands?), rather than a moral wrong.

Hats off to them, for noting that this conflict, which has killed over 1000 Palestinians and four Israelis, was not only completely unnecessary, and entirely counterproductive. Importantly, it was also very, very wrong.