If the military action by the IDF was predictable – for months, Israel had been warning Hamas that Israel would take action to defend its citizens from the rocket attacks and that if Hamas refused to take action, Israel would – even more predictable has been the reaction.

Israel has dared to do what any sovereign state would do – defend its citizens from terror on its border. And how has the UN reacted? With screams that Israel must stop.

Typical of this was the ‘analysis’ by the BBC’s Middle East Editor, Jeremy Bowen. On Saturday, he shared his wisdom with viewers: “The failure of Israel, with its hi-tech army, to stop relatively crude rocket fire has become a political embarrassment for Israeli leaders”.

So that’s what it’s all about: embarrassment. Terrorised, murdered Israelis are nothing to do with it.

The ‘received wisdom’ has it that bloodthirsty Israelis look for any excuse to bomb and attack Palestinians.

Yet this is the precise inverse of the truth, which is that not one air raid would have taken place had Hamas not sanctioned the non-stop rocket attacks. Not one. Responsibility lies solely with Hamas. But then we know from every action taken by Israel to defend its citizens from terror that special rules are applied to Israel. Unlike other sovereign states, Israel is held not to be allowed to defend itself.