Proxy Fight

One James Easton has been arrested in connection with the shootings of three young Palestinian men who were headed to one of their grandparents' home in Vermont for dinner.

According to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad, "in this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime." I, however, would beg to differ. It's not particularly difficult to look at what went down, and conclude that Mr. Easton (presuming that he is, in fact, the assailant) was not motivated by hatred of Palestinians. Given the frequency with which Americans turn to violence as a means of dealing with things, the shooting can just as easily be interpreted as a show of support of Israel. After all, if Israel doesn't do a particularly good job of making the distinction between Palestinian resistance and Hamas terrorism, why should the American public necessarily be any better about it? And while vigilante action is sometimes viewed as a hate crime (especially in cases where there is a difference in race), it isn't always, and there's nothing inherently hateful about people taking the law (or their own morality) into their own hands.

As much as both Israelis and Arabs/Palestinians see themselves as the victims of hate crimes, it may be more accurate to say that this is simply how a certain subset of the American public takes sides in this conflict. It's simply another problem where violence is seen as a solution.