Rob Dawson, on Jonathan Tobin:

You have to understand that Europeans have convinced themselves that any armed struggle against Islamist terrorists is ultimately self-defeating. They believe that killing one breeds a hundred more. It’s not clear why they actually believe this, but placating their large and growing domestic Islamic radical population is likely part of this. If you can’t fight them, all that’s left is to talk to them. This has led to the second European belief: that talking can solve all problems. This quasi-religious belief in diplomacy generally seems to involve only one side (the Jews or the West) providing concessions.

So, on the basis of the two above beliefs, Europeans believe that any action from Israel that involved violence is ultimately self-defeating, not only for them, but perhaps more importantly in their minds, for their own radical Muslim population. The notion that Israel’s response must be proportional seems all about not riling up Europe’s Muslims (after all, if violence is counter-productive, then why not make it proportional?). Add to this the notion that if Jews are now like Nazis, then what happened in Europe in those pre-enlightened days isn’t so bad, see it could happen to anyone, Europeans weren’t rotten to put Jews in ovens, there’s nothing to feel guilty about. If Jews can be Nazis then we’re really all alike, and violence against Islam is self-defeating, and talking cures everything.