Citizens’ Resolution

Richard Cohen

If there is such a thing as a citizen’s arrest, then there ought to be such a thing as a citizen’s U.N. resolution. That being the case — columnists can make anything the case — I propose a resolution condemning the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad for using naive and addled children as suicide bombers. I am waiting for France, Spain, Russia and other European governments to sign it.

Those are some of the nations that were quick to sign the U.N. resolution condemning Israel for the targeted assassination of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the so-called spiritual leader of Hamas. As is almost always the case with anti-Israel resolutions, it was vetoed by the United States in the Security Council. Still, there can be no doubt where most of the world stood on this matter: Israel did the wrong thing.

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So, I offer my own U.N. resolution. I want the United Nations to condemn Palestinian terrorism, specifically suicide bombers and, most specifically, the use of confused and sad kids for that purpose. It’s pretty simple: If you cannot condemn the murder of innocents, especially by children, then you have no business condemning anything else. In the undiplomatic language of my old neighborhood, put up or shut up.

An additional bonus of this suggestion is the fact that the phrase “citizens’ arrest” reminds me of Gomer Pyle, who would certainly be an improvement over most of the current delegates to the U.N.

Hat tip: Stephen Green

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.