Two Little Boys

There is news this morning out of the Middle East that Palestinian militants fired two rockets into southern Israel, violating an informal truce even as Israeli and Hamas leaders meet to iron out details for a longer, formal cease-fire agreement.

This continued provocation of Israel by Palestinian thugs, and Israel’s eventual and inevitable response is analogous to my own experiences growing up with older brothers. Naturally, being the youngest, best-looking and brightest of the brood, I was often the target of repression by my jealous older brothers. When these dust-ups occurred, I ran screaming to the sheltering arms of my mother, who promptly meted out her own brand of wooden spoon justice.

After awhile, I found it easier and perversely entertaining to play up the physical and psychological damage inflicted upon me, or to make it up altogether. But after a time, my mother grew impatient with my constant whining, becoming less and less sympathetic to my cause.

Eventually, one of us got the crap kicked out of us when out of earshot of my mother. Can you guess who that was?

Now can you guess who the Palestinians are in this little analogy?