One of the most tragic acts of terror occurred forty-four years ago today. Twenty-two school children were killed in an attack in Ma’alot. A total of 31 were killed by the “Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.” It began as a hostage situation when three members of the DFLP entered Israel from Lebanon. They attacked a van killing two Israeli Arab women, then entered a building where they killed a couple and their four-year-old son. They then entered a school taking 115 people (105 children) hostage. The terrorists demanded the release of 23 Palestinian militants from Israeli prisons. If that didn’t happen, they said they would kill the students. On the second day of the standoff, an Israeli SWAT team entered, and when they did the perpetrators used grenades and automatic weapons killing the children and injuring 68 others.
That was four decades ago. There have been numerous other terrorist attacks by both Palestinians as well as those from other Arab countries. I must say, while Israel is not pristine, I don’t recall a situation in which children have been used as either targets or bait. Yet when there is fighting in Gaza, for example, those “brave” citizens of the Strip will gather women and children – their OWN women and children – in target areas. The armed Gaza’s cower behind them or leave altogether knowing the Israelis will not willingly engage if they are aware of the innocent people. As a matter of fact, Israel will announce ahead of time for women and children to leave a specific area to do their best to avoid killing or injuring those other than fighters.
I’ve written before how backward thinking these people are.
First of all, if your mind is focused entirely on one goal that will not be realized, namely, driving Israel into the sea, what do you do to create something of a decent future for your people? Believe me, the leadership is not starving, but their charges are living under terrible conditions!
Second, mutual cooperation leads to mutual advancement. Don’t they recognize the difference in their economies? Israel is a world leader in the high-tech industry. As someone once wrote, after the Arabs gave the world our numerical system hundreds of years ago, their contributions virtually stopped. Honestly, progress other than warfare came to a screeching halt while in Israel, yes, they defend themselves mightily, but their day jobs involve the creation of many things that have been a boon to humankind across, what?, 72 years!
Third, creating martyrs who have murdered children, blown up cafes with their victims being the young, targeting the innocent on buses as they blow themselves up, might for a moment give them posthumous glory at home, but then what? OK, 70 virgins in Paradise. Yippee!
Sorry, this has rambled a bit but while I’m sorely disappointed in so much of what’s going on in Israel today, the history of Palestinian terrorism and the wars against Israel in general, continue to make me scratch my head wondering of what good has it done these people?
(Speaking of Palestine, Adi Khalefa, a Palestinian stand-up comedian told this one: He got on an El Al plane at Ben Gurion Airport and noticed a sign on the bathroom door reading “Occupied.” He said, “Not just Palestine is occupied, the bathroom on the plane is occupied?” He then said, “From the river to the sea, our bathrooms will be free!” Hmmm, I guess you had to have been there)