Spot The Extremist

Israel Gears Up For Burst Of Far-Right Anger, New York Times, February 20, 2005.

Asked this week by Israeli television if he considered violence against Israeli politicians legitimate, [ far-right campaigner] Mr. [Noam] Federman replied: “I didn’t take out Rabin. I didn’t weep when he died, but I didn’t wipe him out.”
“It’s very possible that someone will take out Arik Sharon,” Mr. Federman said, referring to Mr. Sharon by his nickname. But he added, “it will not be from me or my close friends. We have our own plans on how to struggle.”
Mr. Federman said that when the evacuation date drew near, the more militant opponents might try to sow chaos throughout Israel, rather than focus on Gaza, which will have a huge security presence.
Graffiti in several places around the country describes Mr. Sharon as a “dictator” and a “traitor.” “Hitler would be proud of you,” said one spray-painted message, along with “Lily is waiting for you,” a reference to Mr. Sharon’s wife, who died five years ago.
Several of Mr. Sharon’s ministers have recently received death threats directed at them and their families.
“You will attend the funeral of your children,” said a letter addressed to Israel’s transportation minister, Meir Sheetrit.

Militant Urges Restraint as Lebanese Chafe Under Syria’s Grip, New York Times, February 20, 2005.

“God forbid, if the roof collapses, it collapses on all of us,” Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, told tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims gathered for Ashura, the most solemn event in their calendar.
“Today we are responsible for a nation that came out of the civil war,” he said, “but we face acute problems, especially this year and in the past few months. As Lebanese, we have no choice for remedying our crises and problems except to discuss and meet, even if we are angry and tense. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

I was struck this morning by the juxtaposition of these two quotes. One, from a militant settler, who growing up in a free and democratic country ought to be better than the vitriolic extremist quoted here. And the other, a leader of a militant organization which thinks it can achieve its aims down the barrel of a gun, talking “peace” and “calm”. Of course, Nasrallah has his own reasons for not wanting to upset the status quo in Lebanon, but does that make Federman’s opinions any less despicable?