"The pope deliberately failed to condemn the terrible terror attack that occurred in Israel last week."At least that was the take of the Israeli Foreign Ministry after hearing Pope Benedict's latest condemnation of terrorism following Sunday's Angelus. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom has since recanted a bit by backing off the idea that the omission was deliberate.
In light of the prominent outreach by the pope to Jews during his first 100 days, it is a bit disappointing to see the Israeli government slip into standard victimology dress over a perceived slight. Regardless of whether the pope did not mention a suicide bombing on July 12 in Netanya by mistake, or he really was only focusing on the terrorist attacks of the previous few days, or he was thinking of attacks that were out of the norm and represent an escalation beyond that which is all too common in daily life in Israel, first, today's media climate required a mention during Sunday's remarks, and second, Israel has become as Predictable as the rest of the West.
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