Bombing and Revenge
Today a reporter came and asked whether the homicide bombings in Israel would “derail the Road Map” or whether “the process would continue.” He wanted to know how JINSA viewed the Palestinian claim that the bombings were “revenge” for the death of “Hamas bomb makers” in Nablus, and whether the bombings proved Israel’s concept of a “security wall” a failure. It’s not altogether the reporter’s fault; he was just repeating what he heard. Secretary Powell did say today, “We will continue to move forward on the road map … We will not be stopped by this kind of violence.”
Today a reporter came and asked whether the homicide bombings in Israel would “derail the Road Map” or whether “the process would continue.” He wanted to know how JINSA viewed the Palestinian claim that the bombings were “revenge” for the death of “Hamas bomb makers” in Nablus, and whether the bombings proved Israel’s concept of a “security wall” a failure. It’s not altogether the reporter’s fault; he was just repeating what he heard. Secretary Powell did say today, “We will continue to move forward on the road map … We will not be stopped by this kind of violence.”
But two Israelis have been stopped, permanently, so the fallacies here require exposition.
1) The so-called “cease fire” has led to some diminution in the level of violence against Jews – from 50 or more security “incidents” a day to somewhere around 18-20, according to IDF sources. That includes people being stabbed, blown up and shot. In real terms though, this cease-fire exists because the IDF has been largely successful in stopping terrorists, not because terrorists have stopped trying.
2) The Road Map sets out a variety of requirements for the Palestinians, including not only security control and disarmament of terrorists, but also democratic reform. The summary execution in the street of yet another Palestinian accused of “collaborating” with Israel is one sign that a process cannot continue that has not yet begun.
3) And what about the “wall”? The security fence is not a violation of the Road Map; it isn’t mentioned. The fence is a reaction to Israeli citizens demanding that their government protect them from terrorists. If Abu Mazen would meet the security requirements of the Road Map, if he would dismantle the terrorist organizations, there would be no wall. This is not chickens and eggs – more than 800 Israelis had already died before the fence became an issue.
4) The “revenge theory” is just disgusting; who calls a 42-year-old father doing his grocery shopping a legitimate target? And here, anyhow, is the rest of that story. Last week, Israel sent soldiers to Nablus to arrest a wanted man. Met with shots coming from the building, the IDF returned fire – but the building housed a bomb factory, which blew up killing four Palestinians.
But don’t discount the utility of revenge; it may yet save the “process.”
Two Israelis were killed today, but so were two underage Palestinian boys – pushed by their elders into murder and death. Yusra Qteishat demands revenge. According to the news, the mother of bomber Islam Qteishat rejected those who came to call her son a “martyr” and screamed, “I’ll kill whoever dispatched my son.” To the extent that Palestinian mothers and fathers reject the abduction and brainwashing of their children; to the extent that they make the perpetrators of death pay; to the extent that they turn their anger on Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and Arafat, hope lives.