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Rule # 1: In the Middle East, it is always the Arabs who attack first, and it is always Israel that defends itself, in what is called "retaliation".
Rule # 2: The Arabs, whether Palestinians or Lebanese, are not allowed to kill Israelis. This is called "terrorism"
Rule # 3: Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians; this is called "self-defence", or these days "collateral damage".
Rule # 4: When Israel kills too many civilians, the Western world calls for restraint. This is called the "reaction of the international community".
Rule # 5: Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to capture Israeli military, not even a limited number, not even 1 or 2.
Rule # 6: The Israelis have the right to capture as many Palestinians as they want (Palestinians: around 10000 to date, 300 of which are children, Lebanese: 1000s to date, being held without trial). There is no limit; there is no need for proof of guilt or trial. All that is needed is the magic word: "terrorism"
Rule # 7: When you say "Hezbollah", always be sure to add "supported by Syria and Iran"
Rule # 8: When you say "Israel", never say "supported by the USA, the UK and other European countries", for people might believe this is not an equal conflict
Rule # 9: When it comes to Israel, don't mention the words "Occupied Territories", "UN resolutions", "Geneva Conventions".
Rule # 10: Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why we let them speak out as much as possible to explain rules 1 through 9. This is called "neutral journalism".
Rule # 11: If you don't agree with these rules or if you favour the Arab side over the Israeli side, you must be a very dangerous anti-Semite. You may even have to make a public apology if you express your honest opinion.
