Robert Gee of Cox News went on a tour of the Temple Mount last week. On his blog at the Austin American-Statesman he makes this perceptive observation:
Inside the third holiest site in Islam, a glass case displayed tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops there.
There was symmetry to the moment. Israelis keep hundreds of homemade Palestinian rocket casings on display at the police station in Sderot, which has been pummeled by Gaza militants over recent years. The collection is largely for the benefit of visiting journalists and diplomats and often serves as a backdrop for televised statements by dignitaries.
Gee is right that both sides want to score P.R. points with the MSM. Perhaps there are two additional points to consider:
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Tear gas cannisters represent a non-lethal form a riot control, whereas Qassam rockets are indiscriminately fired in the hopes of killing people.
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The number of times Israeli security has fired tear gas onto the Temple Mount is pretty limited, compared to the daily rocket barrages coming from Gaza since the disengagement.
