The Prime Minister of France at the time, Raymond Barre, was especially outraged - at the deaths of non-Jews. He said to French television station TF1, "This odious attack was aimed at hitting Israelites going to the synagogue but hit innocent French people who crossed the Copernic street."
Barre didn't consider Jews to be "innocent French people."
We're seeing a lot of that kind of thinking. Usually a little more subtle, but when Jews or Israelis are murdered by Arabs, there is always a little bit of "well, Palestinians are understandably upset at Jews" in the reactions and coverage.
If the Houthis would take Egypt's advice and only attack ships that have clear links to Israel, the world would shrug.
Because attacking Jews is normal. It is expected. And, to too many, it is deserved.
There is one epithet that was reflexively associated with Israel by modern antisemites over most of the past fifty years: "occupation." Never mind that Arabs attacked Jews before 1967, the "occupation" had turned into the evil that must be fought. Israel-haters could pretend that they had nothing against a Jewish state, but only the "occupation." Give up the land and there would be peace!
Have you noticed that the word has disappeared in the current anti-Israel discourse? It's been replaced with "genocide." There is no longer a pretense that Israel should exist in any form.
One reason is because the October 7 pogrom was not against "settlers." Previously, the Israel haters could pretend that they are against terror attacks on innocent civilians inside the Green Line, or that such attacks were rare and not supported by Palestinians in general.
But they cannot say that this time. So they have changed their entire discourse from being against "occupation" to being against Israel altogether, just to exonerate Hamas.
And they are emboldened because they were so successful with the "occupation" lie, and then with the "apartheid" libel.
Their success is partially due to the world's thinking that the Jews deserve it.
* Hamas attacks Israel first
* Hezbollah attacks Israel first
* Iranian backed Syrian groups attack Israel first
* The Houthis shoot rockets at Israel first
And Israel is still framed as the aggressor.
The Jews are always presumed guilty, even in the mainstream discourse, even if only a little.
(h/t Arnold, Avi)
