Sticks and Stones

Some Palestinian “journalists” have responded to the recent murders in Jerusalem with something less than condemnation. One article in particular, by “Khalid Amayreh in Occupied East Jerusalem”, left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. The title, which fairly sums up the piece, reads “Soldiers (not innocent students) killed at settler center”.

It seems that the writer wishes to enter a discussion as to who is a civilian. According to his logic – that all Israeli citizens are legitimate targets due to compulsory military service – a citizen of any society that has conscription is a viable military target. Such as, say, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia. We’ll bear that in mind next time we’re engaged in hostilities with those nations, Khalid.

But let us not forget that this yeshiva was (apparently) the headquarters of the Jewish settlement movement. Aha! They therefore deserved to die. That clears that one up. Except civilised people do not condone acts of violence – or, in this case, murder – in response to political beliefs. If we did then, presumably, retribution against the Palestinians who, in a 77% voter turnout, elected Hamas to 76 out of 132 parliamentary seats, would be equally justified. Or who were seen dancing in the streets, cheering and distributing bon-bons (yes, bon-bons), in celebration of cold-blooded murder.

Amaryeh, in the interests of journalism, moreover seems to deem it relevant that “Yitzhak Rabin’s killer, Yigal Amir, is reportedly to have studied at the Merkaz Ha’rav”. One wonders: is he sure he wants to go down that route? Unsurprisingly, he does not pursue this line of thought.

Of course, as was to be expected, the “Zionist-influenced or Zionist-controlled American media” did not stray from the official Zionist “propaganda”, shallowly portraying the innocent civilian victims as…well, as innocent civilians. But our mate Khalid knows better. They were, as “paramilitaries” (though not engaged in hostilities), anything but innocent. But, if that applies, then how much more was the assassination of Imad Mugniyah justified? And if we take this to its logical conclusion, then the attack, which was “probably to avenge [his] murder”, was in fact unjustified, as the original killing was justified. No?

Amaryeh also dismisses the claim that the IDF “doesn’t murder Palestinian civilians deliberately”, forgetting to note the fact that while the Israeli Army, in the interests of clarity, wears full military uniform when engaged in hostility (I hardly need mention that neither the victims of the shooting, nor the shooter himself, was wearing any such thing) – militants, if they are in an obliging mood, may deign to wear towels on their heads. But let us not forget that the murderer was a civilian himself until he decided to pick up a rifle and kill other civilians. This episode, if anything, perfectly demonstrates the dilemma facing Israel in terms of knowing who the enemy is.

After the horrific Baruch Goldstein massacre of almost exactly 14 years ago, Rabin described it as a “loathsome, criminal act of murder”, and the Israeli media unanimously condemned it in similar terms. Hamas have taken a slightly different approach, being so proud of the attack that they even claimed responsibility for it. In my view, that pretty much tells you all you need to know.

1 Comment

In Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, a religious school for Torah study, a group of terrorists opened fire with an automatic weapon, murdering in cold blood 8 civilians and injuring many more besides, before thankfully being killed by an Israeli paratrooper on the scene.

Rabbi David Simchon, director of the yeshiva, bravely declared that “No terrorist will succeed in stopping our faith, our values, the justice of our cause or what we teach here at the yeshiva.” Whilst the moderate Mahmoud Abbas rightly condemned the attack due to its targetting of innocent civilians, in Gaza, Hamas asserted that they “bless the operation. It will not be the last.”

Hamas ask the world to give them financial aid. They ask to be considered at the negotiation table for a future peace settlement. They demand that they are taken to be serious political players due to their democratic mandate. Yet they practice the mantras of their charter; their unwillingness to recognise Israel’s right to exist and in so doing support the most heinous of crimes against the most innocent of young religious Jewish men who have dedicated their life to Torah study. They are terrorists since the only bargaining chip they use is the tool of coercion, through which innocent lives are needlessly lost.

If Hamas want peace, if they want a Palestinian state, if they want to be taken seriously as politicians and not criminals, and above all, if they want to continue to exist they must rapidly change. Terrorism will only cause more deaths, not least their own. I guess we can hope.

Editor: The world continues to be full of ignorant prejudice, and unjust hatred. Sticks and Stones does not lay claim to educating the world on all that must be highlighted, but we endeavour to shine our spotlight on what we can. Today marks 100 posts at Sticks and Stones but we will not be celebrating, because we are in mourning. 8 innocent people died today.

No Comments

It was with considerable audacity that Pervez Musharraf told the world that today’s elections in Pakistan would be “the Mother of all elections.” In fact, since the assassination of Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto, it has been eminently clear that this would far from be the case.

Following Bhutto’s death, rioters took the streets in droves and estimates place the death toll from political violence at over 450 thus far. On Saturday a suicide bomb attack left 46 dead and only yesterday a candidate for Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party was shot and killed in Lahore.

We should not be surprised to hear then, that fewer than 35% of Pakistani voters are thought to have ventured to the polls today. In one province in Lahore, for example, where 800 women were registered to vote, by midday, only three had arrived to do so, leaving the presiding officer of the polling station to reflect, “God willing, the ladies will come out after they’ve finished their house work.”

But it is not just widespread violence (or ‘house work’) that is to blame for voters’ reluctance to queue up at polling stations; fears of extensive rigging seem also to have stymied many. Aside from prevalent reports from the two main opposition parties of electoral corruption, Human Rights Watch also claim to have a telephone conversation featuring Pakistan’s Attorney-General, Malik Qayyum, boasting that the election would be “massively rigged” in favour of Musharraf’s party. Stories of Police firing at journalists and roadblocks set up outside polling stations (to keep out voters in opposition strongholds) will do nothing to dispel such reports.

In the event of a vote in which each of the main parties placed their confidence, a hung parliament would seem the most likely outcome, with the possibility of the two main opposition parties mounting a formidable opposition to the incumbent’s regime. However such political concord in Pakistan seems wishful thinking. More likely, dissatisfaction and frustration will see Pakistan’s streets once again ablaze and Musharraf’s pledge to see that “nothing of the sort will be allowed” will only serve to exacerbate violence.

The Mother of all elections? Perhaps not. But Pervez Musharraf kindly reassures us that he will nonetheless co-operate with whoever is elected ‘harmoniously’. It’s just a shame no-one believes him.

2 Comments

Were it not for the constant media attention, one could very easily forget that Britain is currently engaged in not one but two wars, on a different continent and motivated indirectly (at best) by our self-preservation. We haven’t had any serious terrorist threat since 7/7, and the perpetrators of those were homegrown.

Yes, some of those reading this know people who know people who went to Iraq or Afghanistan. A few of you might even know people who died there. Very few indeed will have themselves been to these places. Almost none will themselves have died there. For the rest of us, however, the fact remains that unlike most of the wars in the past, the propagation of these wars have had next to no impact on our day to day lives.

My grandfather can remember being rationed several years after the end of the Second World War; the only possible reason for rationing these days is childhood obesity. He used to carry out exercises at school involving air raids and bomb shelters; most of us roll our eyes at having to do a fire drill. In certain countries, such as Israel, the threats they face are such that every eligible young man is conscripted into the army for three years; teenagers from our shores are more likely to find themselves playing football with orphans in Malawi before going to university.

The happy fact of the matter is that if we hadn’t been told almost none of us would know that this war was even going on. No sacrifices have been asked of us. All of the soldiers fighting in these wars (on our side at least) are brave men and women who are there of their own accord, having joined the army voluntarily. We are lucky to be living in an age and a nation in which this is the case.

P.S. Before anyone mentions it, yes, it is disgraceful that there are troops without adequate equipment. What do you want me to do about it?

2 Comments

Imad Mughniyeh, a top leader of terrorist organisation Hezbollah has just been killed in a bombing in Damascus. Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the attack, who have denied any involvement. I will take them at their word. But even if Israel had killed him, so what?!

He was on both US and Israeli most wanted lists. Responsible for hostage takings in the 1980s in Lebanon. The leader of a terrorist organisation who would happily, and has happily targeted civilians in attacks to try and coerce the Israeli government into withdrawing from Lebanon (which they did in 2000 - Hezbollah carried on firing rockets into Northern Israel though!). This was a truly awful man, and the world is better off without him, just as it is better off without other terrorists who have met similar fates at the wrong end of an Israeli missile.

Get rid of all those who inspire extremism, perpetuate hatred, and help administer bloodshed.

The message is clear; Israel will not stand for terrorist activity against its civilians, and nor should they. Good riddance Mr Mughniyeh.

No Comments