Why don't we hear more about the Israelis saving the Palestinian leader from assassination by Hamas?

Obviously, this report is very uncomfortable for those "cycle of violence" types who insist on finding moral equivalence in the Palestinian/Israeli violence. It's also another unpleasant slice of reality for supporters of democratizing the Middle East to observe, yet again, that the Palestinians have freely chosen a government of incorrigible murderers (to replace the last bunch of incorrigible murderers). But it is what it is — Hamas plotting to kill Abbas is a big deal.

Imagine what the coverage would be like if the PA security forces (such as they are) had stopped a terrorist attempt to kill a high Israeli official. (I know, I know — but remember, I said "imagine".) Would there be enough space in all of media for the resulting laudatory stories?

I read about this yesterday, and I find it rather amusing. One of the proposed explanations on the mailing list where I encountered it was that the Israelis weren't acting out of the goodness of their hearts, but wanted to keep Hamas and Fatah sniping at each other, which a living, and vengeful, Abu Mazen would help ensure.

A Pali civil war means they're blowing each other up rather than Israelis (or Americans for that matter), so it sounds like a good tactic to me.

Which only goes to show that, for the Left, it is not only vital to do the right thing, but to do it for the right reason.

Do the right thing for the wrong reason, and you get zero credit.

I've long believed that this was why the Left is so fixated that Bush lied. Because it's not enough that he got it wrong (and as the Chimpster, one would expect him to get it wrong, wouldn't you?). No, it's vital he did it for nefarious/underhanded reasons, so that he gets no credit for it, even if the outcome is good.

"Obviously, this report is very uncomfortable for those 'cycle of violence' types who insist on finding moral equivalence in the Palestinian/Israeli violence."

I found that report uncomfortable too, but for a much different reason: what were the Israelis thinking? There are three good reasons why Israel should just leave Hamas and Fatah to fight their civil war:
1) "red-on-red" violence is A Good Thing in and of itself
2) as Jason said, the more they attack each other, the less they attack Israelis
3) once the SOBs have killed each other off, maybe--just maybe--some civilized human beings can take over in the Palestinian Authority and make real peace with Israel.

> Which only goes to show that, for the Left, it is not only vital to do the
> right thing, but to do it for the right reason.

No, it is vital to do the wrong thing, for the left reason.