'PURELY IDIOTIC'! Journo Damon Linker's take on anti-Israel violence is 'complete and utter GARBAGE'

Earlier this week, author and commentator Haroon Moghul expressed concerns that Zionism has led more Palestinian than Israeli deaths:

Haroon Moghul: "A hugely disproportionate number of Palestinians die, while few if any Israelis ever do (in this case: zero). Still Israel claims it is defending itself." via @NBCnewsTHINK https://t.co/O4eDk4ToGy

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 16, 2018

More from NBC News “Think”:

While some of these Palestinians intended harm, they have been remarkably few and far between, a minuscule percentage of the tens of thousands of unarmed protesters. That is part of a historic pattern: Israel claims it only uses force when absolutely necessary. The evidence suggests otherwise. A hugely disproportionate number of Palestinians die, while few if any Israelis ever do (in this case: zero). Still Israel claims it is defending itself.

It is a curious line of defense, one which reveals the very (troubled, and troubling) logic of Zionism itself.

Yeah … friggin’ Zionism, what with all those pesky Jews defending their right to exist in the state of Israel!

Law professor David Bernstein, for one, wasn’t exactly sympathetic to Moghul’s point of view:

https://twitter.com/profdbernstein/status/996694697853808640

So The Week’s Damon Linker decided to set Bernstein straight:

When people on both sides die, it’s a battle. When people on only one side die, it’s a massacre. Even when Jews do it. https://t.co/895X4hc59f

— Damon Linker (@DamonLinker) May 16, 2018

You sure that’s the take you wanna go with, Damon?

You might want to rethink your statement.

— The Blue Knight (@DoctorKOH) May 16, 2018

R u insane?

— Jeanna Heaster (@JeannaHeaster) May 16, 2018

So your essential argument is that if the IDF were less effective in their goal to prevent Israeli deaths and the rioters more effective in their goal to cause Israeli deaths, it would have ceased to be a massacre and become a battle? That couldn't possibly be more absurd.

— Justin Pozmanter (@jpozmanter) May 16, 2018

so Damon determines the rightful side in a conflict simply by whom suffered more losses? that's the metric? ???

— ?Doughstoyevsky? (@WutupDough) May 16, 2018

So you’d like more Israelis to die to be fair?

— Harley Kesselman (@harleykesselman) May 16, 2018

That's an idiotic definition.
When one side shows up armed and violent, they don't get to claim they're being massacred. It's really that simple

— International Man of Yitz-stery (@MeerkatYitz) May 16, 2018

This is purely idiotic. By this standard, American cops are “massacring” criminals across the country. Obviously you believe more cops should die to prevent a “massacre.” https://t.co/wb376zjz0l

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 16, 2018

So…killing OBL…a massacre?

And 9/11…was by definition a battle?

I think your definition needs work.. Sorry.

— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) May 16, 2018

Point is Israel is held to standards that we would never hold our own country to. A tweet like this would seem like utter gibberish if it were about, say, a drone strike on an Al Shabaab target, or anything from the counter-ISIS campaign https://t.co/2Il2wpQGKv

— Armin Rosen (@ArminRosen) May 16, 2018

Actually, when an incompetent, feral & murderous group of terrorists attack a professional military the outcome is inevitable. The good news is Hamas admitted that 50 of its thugs (there were no “peaceful protesters) died. But I guess you would prefer more dead Jews, yes?

— Achilles (@Agamemnon_Prime) May 16, 2018

"Sorry for defending our people while the other side sacrifices theirs."

The Jews

— neontaster (@neontaster) May 16, 2018

When people complain that Jews successfully defended themselves instead of dying, it’s call anti-Semitism

— Smiling Scottergate ? (@Scottergate) May 16, 2018

https://twitter.com/davidrosenbaum9/status/996786586133164032

You are an idiot. Get informed stupid. Would you defend yourself?

— ❌Mona Kelly?? (@KellyCreollady2) May 16, 2018

He doesn’t seem to be familiar with the concept of self-defense. So, we’re guessing no.

This is, at best, a great example of how little you understand. Sometimes, when people on only one side die, it’s called self defense.

— EG Cohen (@Elijah_GCohen) May 16, 2018