generalspeaking

Extreme and Shocking

It is a human condition. Afflicting people no matter their heritage, their culture, their religious or ideological convictions. When human emotions become extreme and the individuals possessing those emotions become fanatical about their beliefs and their sense of righteousness, inflicting their opinions and their violent ill temper upon others they become outriders of society. Sociopathy is never a wholesome or attractive affliction.

Yet, one would hope that those who have suffered their own historical and current physical maledictions at the hands of others with hateful agendas, would themselves have a greater empathy for others, and not wish harm upon them, knowing what it looks like, smells like, feels like. But vandals and individuals with distorted mindsets exist everywhere, and they do within some segments of the Jewish population in Israel.

People with an extreme reaction in reflection of the biblical injunction to "do unto others", with a sinister twist. It began with the so-called "price tag" attacks. Small groups of vigilantes doing 'payback' to those surrounding them, symbolically. If Jews suffered attacks, then the "price tag" arbiters would select a representative target and attack it in reaction.
Of course the problem with this is that their targets are people who are innocent of having committed any social or legal infractions themselves; they have been chosen arbitrarily, symbolically, to unwillingly and unknowingly compensate for the malefactors, so that revenge can be had by the vigilantes convinced they are doing a service to the Jewish population, protecting them from the malign acts of non-Jews wishing them ill.

No matter where the violence emanates from - Arabs against Jews or conversely Jews against Arabs, they constitute acts of criminal intent. In a small Arab-Palestinian-majority town close to Jerusalem, Abu Ghosh, residents live as neighbours, both Jewish and Arab. There is mutual respect and there is interplay and there is peace between the residents. Correction: there was, until "price tag" vandals began scribbling graffiti reading 'Racism or assimilation' and 'Arabs out'.

Six months ago a Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem was spray painted with anti-Christian messages. Mosques have been defaced with slogans insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. There have been no deaths, in contrast to the stark reality that takes place so often with Arab-upon-Jew violence, but the Israeli-Arab population of Israel is largely content to live in peace with their Jewish neighbours.

"We are very angry, but this won't change the special relations here between Jews and Arabs. We don't know the difference between Arabs and Jews here. We are brothers", said Ahmad Jabbar, a worker in a popular bakery in Abu Ghosh.

Suspicion has fallen on extremist Jewish youth, for a string of offensive incidents that have occurred in recent years. "We can no longer bury our head in the sand. We must look the bitter truth in the eye, and admit that dangerous Jewish terror exists, which endangers not only its potential victims, but also the future of the state", wrote a former Labor lawmaker and minister, Ophir Pines-Paz.

"This is a phenomenon of Jewish civilians targeting Arab civilians. The security services aren't interested, and neither is the government... this has gone on for two years. There's no serious intervention", complained Jafar Farah, director of Musawa, a group advocating for the rights of Israel's Arab minority.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld points out that the "price tag" attacks have been sporadic and unorganized, unlike most Palestinian violence. Their very nature makes the job of tracking down the perpetrators far more difficult.

But the locals insist that their human bond will not be broken: "In Abu Ghosh, Jews and Arabs are one family. They are looking for a fight. We will not give it to them", insisted 60-year-old Yousef Abdel-Aziz.

Labels: Controversy, Crime, Destabilization, Discrimination, Human Relations, Israel, Judaism, Palestinians

posted by Pieface @ Friday, June 21, 2013