"Two dead in Is-ra-el ..." No, not as catchy as "Four Dead in Ohio"
April 13, 2006 ~ 12:08 p.m.
Maybe it's because Israel frequently can do no wrong in my eyes that blinds me to the cause du jour of two Brits shot by Israel defense forces in 2003. But, to be honest, although the murders were awful�as most killings tend to be�I can think of more pressing things to be angry about.
When I was asked recently what I thought about it, that was my brutally frank answer. Regrettable, but life goes on. At the moment, I'm a lot more concerned about rapists and wife-beaters being let out of prison while fare-dodging gets taken much more seriously�but, hey, that's just me. Maybe I'm underestimating the utter lawlessness, grevious bodily harm and breach of human dignity caused by skipping a fare, but such is life in the hazy-crazy world of Ken Livingstone's London.
Easy for you to say, was the response from my interlocutor. You wouldn't be saying that if it'd been one of your own. By "one of my own," I assume she was referring to Americans. To which I respond, actually, yes I would. And, yes I did.
Back in 2003�man, what a bad year for "peace activists" in Israel!�a young American woman was crushed by Israeli tanks near a Palestinian camp when she tried to make them stop. OK, kiddies, what can we learn from that? I think it's something along the lines of, when tanks are heading toward you, you get the fuck out of the way! Young peace activist gets steamrolled by Israeli tank? Darwinism in action, if you ask me. When a heavy armored vehicle is about to descend on you, it's generally ill-advised to re-enact Tianammen Square. Far from being exorcised over this unfortunate bit of stupidity, I didn't know whether to yawn or consider it unworthy of the effort of my jaw muscles. Next please ...
One month later, a righteous dude posthumously known to the world as one Tom Hurndall was shot by an Israeli soldier while acting as a human shield for future suicide-bombers ... er, Palestinian children. Then, a month after that (May 2003, if you're taking notes), filmmaker James Miller was shot dead when he asked a group of Israeli soldiers if he could safely exit the dangerous Rafah camp. It is alleged that Miller waved a white flag to signal his lack of malfeasance. In Miller's case, perhaps the Israeli soldier in question was far too trigger-happy, I'll grant you that. But when you consider that many suicide bombers posed as peace activists it's easier to understand the soldier's paranoia.
Maybe I'm just sick to death of the whole "Free Palestine" bullshit. I've no patience for it anymore. Arafat dicked President Clinton around (you'll pardon the pun here), throwing away the biggest chance for a legitimate Palestinian state in the process, and in the freest elections those people have ever had, they usher Hamas into office. Lovely. But I suppose we could expect no less from the type of people who held spontaneous street parties the moment news of 9/11 reached them�those camels must have been pretty tired�and who carry on as if the world owes them a living.
Meanwhile, Jewish settlers in Gaza and the West Bank are being kicked out of their homes to make way for a people who have made it clear that they're not serious about peace. Who never were serious about peace and who will, for all I know, never be serious about peace. Does the world's hearts bleed for them? Do you have a bridge you want to sell me?
When Iran drops its nuclear bomb�and they will because America is reeling from setbacks in Iraq and the UN/EU is too chickenshit to do anything serious about it�it will probably have the words "FREE PALESTINE" emblazoned across it. In that funky Arabic script, of course. Tehran will tell us it said "From Iran, With Love." Signed by Cindy Sheehan.
But I digress. I suppose the furor over the killings is justified. I simply maintain that I still have greater concerns to get worked up over.
I suppose it's asking too much for an Israeli tank to run over Justin Raimondo?
� M.E.M.
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Copyright � 2001-2007 by M.E. Manning. All material is written by me, unless explicitly stated otherwise by use of footnotes or bylines. Do not copy or redistribute without my permission.
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