A useful idiot murdered

Last week an Italian friend of Hamas who had taken up residence in the Gaza Strip was murdered by Islamists to whom the concept of useful idiocy is foreign. Consider the case of Vittorio Arrigoni, whose body was found early Friday by Hamas security officials. An al-Qaida aligned group had threatened to kill Arrigoni if its demands were not met.
Saeb Erekat, an aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called Arrigoni’s killing “a dark page in Palestinian history.” Hamas also deplored Arrigoni’s murder. Hamas and the PLO have their differences, but on this they agree. They usually prefer not to kill their supporters before their time.
Daniel Pipes, however, adds this twist: “Palestinians murder their supporters.” Pipes cites previous murders and comments: “These murders neatly sum up the frenzy and depravity within Palestinian society, surely the sickest on earth, what with its suicide factory, its celebration of terrorists, and its cult of death. Consistent with this morbidity, it also devours its admirers.” Pipes also adds an update pointing out a basic error in the New York Times story on the murder.
Reuters describes Arrigoni as “an Italian pacificist and blogger.” I don’t think that quite covers the case, but I do think it suggests that Reuters regrets his murder. According to Reuters, Arrigoni had gone to Gaza to support the Free Gaza Movement in its campaign against Israel’s blockade of weapons to the Gaza Strip.
Arrigoni’s murder was a decidedly low-tech affair. He was abducted and strangled. But I’m sure that Arrigoni’s murderers had the weapons necessary to suggest to disinterested observers that he did not die in vain.

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