Bloody Sunday, 1972; Mavi Marmara, 2010

Like with “man bites dog,” when imperialists admit a crime it is big news.

Sometimes it’s a mistake, as when German President Horst Koehler in May admitted that the German government was sending youth to die in Afghanistan to expand German economic interests. He didn’t really slip and say “German imperialist interests,” but he still had to resign.

Often something important can be learned on those rare occasions when an imperialist admits to crimes.

Britain’s new Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron finally confessed. He didn’t go so far as to apologize to the people of the six Irish counties that Britain still occupies. But he did bring up the events of Jan. 30, 1972, which has become known as Bloody Sunday.

The people of Derry in north of Ireland were marching for their self-determination when the British-led army and police opened fire and shot 26 unarmed Irish protesters. Fourteen of them, including seven teenagers, died. Now Cameron has admitted — 38 years too late — that the slaughter was completely uncalled for.

Whatever was behind this admission, it is instructive, especially if you make some comparisons. First, with what the British imperialists said back in 1972, when they were covering up their crime; then, with what the Israelis say today to cover up their murderous attack on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara on its way to Gaza. This May 31, heavily armed Israeli commandos fired on and killed at least nine unarmed civilians on board the ship as it was attempting to break through the blockade of Gaza with humanitarian aid.

Lt.-Col. Derek Wilford, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, said in 1972, “My troops behaved correctly.” (London Times, March 7, 1972) “There would have been no loss of life in Londonderry’s ‘Bloody Sunday’ last January 30 if the organizers of the illegal civil rights march had not created a dangerous situation.” (London Times, April 20, 1972) The British even said the murdered teenagers had first fired on the troops.

It was a “blame the victims” statement, just like all of those out of Tel Aviv these days. “The people on the ship were armed terrorists, linked to al-Qaeda,” they say. “They brought it on themselves.”

British imperialism lied in 1972 and kept up the lie for the next 38 years. The oppressive Israeli state is lying in 2010 and we can expect it will keep lying unless, like the German president, someone makes a mistake.

The modus operandi of every oppressor is to blame the victims and martyrs. The British oppressors did it in 1972. The Israelis are doing it now. It may be a long time before they admit they slaughtered unarmed civilians. That shouldn’t keep the rest of the world from recognizing this war crime today and mobilizing to boycott, divest and impose sanctions on the Israeli state.