generalspeaking

"This Atrocious Incident"

No nation, no country, no ethnic, religious or ideological group is immune from hosting in their communities those whose actions are an embarrassment to the traditions of the greater community.

"This is an act which is against the values of the state of Israel, which places supreme importance on freedom of religion and freedom of worship." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's internal security service, the Shin Beit, has characterized "Price Tag" attacks as having "terrorist aspects". That is a difficult admission for a country that prides itself on fairness and just treatment of all its citizens to have to concede. There is a belief now that small, organized cells of like-minded people have come together to plot 'revenge' against the tormentors of Jews. Trouble is, of course, that taking the law into their own hands, and in effect, behaving in a manner quite like those whose behaviour so revolts them does not result in a positive outcome.

In targeting a mosque, a Muslim holy place, which one rabbi described as an 'embassy of God', for retribution against atrocities that Palestinian Arabs bring to the Jewish community, those who display such contempt for the religious beliefs of others are proving in a most practical manner that they're no better than those whom they despise. Even while it is true that these thugs represent an extremist minority, the damage they do to the state, and to the entire population, is enormous.

A Bedouin village within Israel where settlers believe that some within the village may have targeted innocent travellers, pelting rocks at them, causing them to lose control of their vehicles, and in one recent instance, causing the death of a young father and child has seen the sanctity of its mosque desecrated. That Jewish sacred places have also and frequently been desecrated may be cited as a reason for pay-back, but it ill behooves those who reason in this way, since once again, they have become equal with their tormentors.

And usually it is the innocent who pay the price. Not those whose actions have spurred others to behave as they do, but people who tend to go about their business taking little heed of the ill actions of others. It's an instance of people becoming psychologically demented in their reasoning, feeling they are justified in taking action that reflects the atrocious actions of those whom they view as the 'other', the enemy.

Attackers, clearly fundamentalist Jews who believe it is their right to settle in the West Bank because of biblical antecedents, visit upon Palestinians trials and tribulations that they insist have been done to them. Burning cars belonging to Palestinians, and destroying crops, and uprooting olive groves, are all activities that diminish the humanity of those who practise them in righteous anger over what they believe has been done to them.

This is vicious anti-human-rights behaviour-through-the-looking-glass. Not to be countenanced, but to be condemned outright. Which is precisely what President Shimon Peres has done, along with Israel's chief rabbis: "I feel nothing but shame over this atrocious incident", said Mr. Peres, viewing the burned-out interior of the Tuba-Zangariya mosque and the spray-painted messages on its exterior.

Labels: Human Fallibility, Human Relations, Islam, Israel

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, October 04, 2011