France Does A Variation On 'Fiddler On The Roof'

Remember that part of the play Fiddler On The Roof--the where 2 rabbis are having an argument? Tevye listens and tells the first rabbi: You're right! Then, after listening to the second rabbi tell his side of the argument, Tevye tells him You're right! Someone hearing all this tells Tevye: They can't both be right!--to which Tevye responds: You're right too!!

Enter France:

France led international criticism of the invasion although a specially convened UN Security Council meeting failed to come to agreement on the crisis, after the US thwarted an effort by Libya to persuade the UNSC to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, called the invasion a "dangerous military escalation" that would undermine attempts to broker a ceasefire.

"France condemns the Israeli ground offensive against Gaza just as it condemns the continuing firing of rockets," Mr Kouchner said in a statement.

Leave it to the French to bravely take the lead in saying that both Israel and the terrorists are equally wrong.

And what kind of effect does France really think they are going to have in this war? Just take a look at how well they are handling things at home. Mark Hemingway from The Corner quotes from Reuters:

The French press reported that the Interior Ministry released a final "verified" count of 1,147 vehicles burned in France over New Year's Eve. The number is up 30.64% from last year's total, 878.

Excuse me if I am not impressed by the French credentials on how to control violence.

Hemingway notes the French standard on violence:

But my favorite bit from the article was this: "In Nantes, around 10 cars were torched although police in the western city said New Year's Eve had been "pretty calm.'" Burning a mere ten cars in your French town is "pretty calm"? Oy.

All in all, I would say that France is being, how do you say in French...oh yes: 'Très chutzpadick'.

More on the original article--which deals with Israel's strategy and world reaction--at Memeorandum.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hamas and Operation Cast Lead.