Carter in Gaza

From CNN:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday on a visit to Gaza that he had to "hold back tears" when he saw the destruction caused by the deadly campaign Israel waged against Gaza militants in January.

Carter was wrapping up a visit to the region during which he met representatives of all sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Among the sites he visited was the American school that was destroyed by the bombings Israel initiated in response to rocket attacks launched from Gaza into southern Israel.

"It is very distressing to me. I have to hold back tears when I see the deliberate destruction that has been raked against your people.

"I come to the American school which was educating your children, supported by my own country. I see it's been deliberately destroyed by bombs from F16s made in my country and delivered to the Israelis. I feel partially responsible for this -- as must all Americans and all Israelis," Carter said at a news conference.

CNN fails at reporting this. The Israeli offensive last winter was due to the rocket attacks? Correct me if I'm wrong, but these rocket attacks, which cause almost no damage, have been going on for years and years, and the most recent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was broken by the IDF, not Hamas. Their assault was more about electoral posturing than anything else.

You always see this narrative in US media about all Israeli violence being defensive and all Palestinian violence being for the hell of it. It's pretty dehumanizing when you get down to the root of it.