Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (soc dem) Tuesday sternly spoke out against Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi on Saturday. Tuomioja writes in his website that Rantissi certainly is guilty of horrific crimes against humanity but that this does not make a second unlawful execution a just nor a wise act.
"Far better to let him continue what he was doing. What's a few dead people? There's lots of people in the world. Eventually they'll all be dead, won't they?" | The minister points out that the murder took place immediately after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Washington visit. From this Tuomioja infers that the act got -- at least an indirect -- carte blanche from the United States.
It came three hours after the Erez Crossing boom. Y'don't think that might have had something to do with it? | "One should not wonder if this kind of action by one of the two leading military mights in the world leads to a situation where hundreds of Palestinians and Muslims want to share Rantissi’s martyrdom -- as they see it -- by committing acts of terror on innocent people", Tuomioja writes.
"Best not to antagonize them. It'll just make them more murderous..." | Rantissi’s murder nor any other factor does not, however, justify a single terror attack or other form of violence, he adds.
"Violence, as we all know, is very bad..." | Those who commit such deeds should be treated as criminals in accord with principles of jurisprudence, said Tuomioja.
I must have missed it when they swore out the warrant for Rantissi... | "But also those who use means at odds with the tenets of international law and jurisprudence are in part responsible for terrorism", he nevertheless retorted.
"Really. You bring it on yourselves, y'know?" | "At the moment the events in the Middle East and Iraq can only increase terrorism, surely according to Osama Bin Laden’s wishes."
"And then the Terrorists Will Have Won™..." | Tuomioja has gained notoriety as a vocal critic of Israel’s policies. An earlier comment where the minister compared Israel’s methods to those used by Nazi Germany provoked diplomatic uproar and a subsequent official apology to Israel was issued. Tuomioja’s article was also published as a column Tuesday in daily Hufvudstadsbladet. |