Please help us! (unless you're from Israel)

Apparently, things in Sri Lanka, where over 21,000 people have died from the killer tsunami, aren't so bad after all. The island nation on Tuesday rejected Israel's plan to send a medical, rescue, and security team to set up and operate clinics for the sick and injured.

Claiming the lame excuse of a "lack of accomodations", Sri Lanka has essentially told Israel to keep the 150-person team at home, but to go on sending "material and financial assistance".

In other words, "We don't want your kind around here. But we'll take your money and your stuff."

To Israel's immense credit, it has ignored this slap in the face by the arrogant Sri Lankan government and continued to focus on the needy Sri Lankan people.

It reluctantly cancelled plans to send the team and set up medical clinics, but a smaller, 50-member Israeli group is escorting a truck convoy delivering 82 tons of much-needed supplies, including electricity generators, tents, blankets and mattresses. Also, Israeli private charity Latet ("To Give") sent an additional 18 tons of supplies worth $50,000, at Sri Lanka's request.

Reports claimed that Sri Lankan officials had objected to the "military composition" of the 150-person team, which would have included members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). But since the 50-person group is comprised exclusively of IDF personnel, this excuse doesn't hold up.

The only possible conclusion seems to be that Sri Lanka just doesn't want Israeli medics setting up clinics in their country. If someone has a better explanation of what's going on here, I'm all ears.

Sri Lanka's self-defeating bigotry, and the U.N.'s earlier ingratitude, suggest not that the wealthy must be taught to give, but that the needy must be taught to receive.

FOLLOW-UP:
Meryl Yourish notes that the Vatican, after carefully considering the situation, has decided to criticize Israel. And Charles Johnson has more on how the mainstream media is almost completely ignoring Israel's massive relief efforts.

ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP:
Catholic World News now says its earlier report that the Vatican had criticized Israel was the result of "a crucial error in translation"; in fact, the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, criticized Sri Lanka for placing "unnecessary restrictions" on Israel's aid offer.

So the world is slightly less crazy than it previously appeared.