For perspective on these assassinations, regard the World War II assassination of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. In 1943, the U.S. Navy intercepted and decoded a Japanese message about the Admiral flying to Bougainville Island in the South Pacific to inspect Japanese troops. The U.S. then sent P-38s to shoot down the Admiral's plane, did so, and killed him--an assassination of a top war leader, but not illegal according to international law.

Imagine, then, in response to the assassination, Japanese outrage, anti-American demonstrations in the streets of Tokyo, and General Tojo's declaration that they would take revenge, American allies condemned the "illegal" killing of Yamamoto, and claimed it was a barbaric act. Imagine some even going so far as to say it would set back and possibly even destroy diplomatic attempts to reach a compromise settlement of the "dispute" between Japan and the United States.

Crazy? Yes, of course.

Now, consider. Hamas is at war against both Israel, and more generally, Jews, which intent is as plain as the Jewish blood it sprays on the white tablecloths of Israeli restaurants. And it has been waging this war in total disregard of the Geneva Conventions, Genocide Convention, and the International Court of Justice. It is a war of genocide, and its primary weapon is so called suicide bombings, which are more properly called genocide bombings.

In this war, Hamas thumbs its nose at all standards developed over the centuries to control war and make illegal certain military actions. Any doubt on this is erased by Hamas time and again taken responsibility for ruthlessly murdering unarmed civilians, whether men or woman, old or young, pregnant or crippled, little children or even babies in restaurants, on buses, in markets, or otherwise going about their supposedly peaceful lives.

For example, morally weigh these Hamas attacks:

1 June 2001 genocide bombing of a Tel Aviv discotheque, murdering 21 people, and wounding 120;

9 August 2001 genocide bombing of a Jerusalem restaurant, murdering 15 people, and wounding 130;

1 December 2001 double genocide bombing on Ben Yehuda Street pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, murdering 11 people, and wounding 188;

2 December 2001 genocide bombing of a #16 bus in Haifa, murdering 15 people, and wounding 40;

9 March 2002 genocide bombing of a Jerusalem cafe, murdering 11 people, and wounding 54;

27 March 2002 genocide bombing of a Netanya hotel on first night of Passover, murdering 30 people, and wounding 140;

18 June 2002 genocide bombing of a #32A bus in Jerusalem, murdering 19 people, and wounding 74;

4 August 2002 genocide bombing of #361 bus at Meron junction, murdering nine people, and wounding 50;

21 November 2002 genocide bombing of a #20 bus in Jerusalem, murdering 11 people, and wounding 50;

5 March 2003 genocide bombing of a #37 bus in Haifa, murdering 17 people, and wounding 53;

18 May 2003 genocide bombing of a #6 bus in Jerusalem, murdering 7 people, and wounding 20;

11 June 2003 genocide bombing of #14A bus in Jerusalem, murdering 11 people, and wounding over 100;

19 August 2003 genocide bombing of a #2 bus in Jerusalem, murdering 23 people, and wounding over 130;

9 September 2003 genocide bombing of a Jerusalem cafe, murdering seven people, and wounding 70;

29 January 2004 genocide bombing of a #19 bus in Jerusalem, murdering 11 people, and wounding 44.

All this having been said, Israel is entirely justified in killing the head of Hamas. It was a legitimate wartime assassination. But more so, it is a just assassination of a man who by his membership in Hamas and his acceptance of the appointment to its leadership thereby also accepted the mantle of responsibility for its past barbarism. He was a thug, a war criminal, and responsible for crimes against humanity.

For democratic leaders to condemn Israel--the victim--for taking this action is a moral perversion and a denial of the very progress civilization has made in controlling violence.

All I can say about Rantisi is good riddance. Hell should take him.