Guardian comment;Israel's death festival

Such unabashed glee is disrespectful and dangerous

Daphna Baram
Friday November 12, 2004
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1349616,00.html

>>On November 5 1995, I went as usual to my office in East Jerusalem, next door to the Orient House, where the Palestinian leadership had its headquarters. I worked for the human rights advocate, Lea Tzemel. Lea and myself, two Jewish Israeli women working in a Palestinian neighbourhood, were already a familiar part of the street's scene. But this morning was different. When I went into the corner shop to buy cigarettes, the owner, Izzat Fraytah, greeted me with a grave face. "My condolences," he said. It took me a few seconds to realise he was conveying his sympathy for the death of the prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, who had been assassinated the night before by a rightwing radical.

>>Izzat was a sympathiser of the Islamist opposition organisations, and an opponent of the Oslo accords signed two years earlier by Rabin and Yasser Arafat, but his feelings were genuine. "It's a sad day for you," he said, "and for us." During the day, dozens of the street's residents climbed the four floors to our office to express their sorrow. Clients who came to inquire about the fate of their family members were apologetic for troubling me on this day of mourning.

>>All these memories came back to me as Yasser Arafat lay on his deathbed, unaware of the glee expressed by most Israelis. The Israeli government announced, as soon as he was flown to Paris, that he would not be allowed to be buried in Jerusalem. Inbal Gavrieli, member of the Knesset, shouted at Ahmad Tibi, an Arab member of the Knesset, that Arafat was "a dog". Many Israeli politicians followed suit with insults directed at the dying Palestinian leader. Israeli comedians, who nowadays shy away from political satire directed at their own leaders, have been mocking Arafat with the most degrading impersonations. A festive atmosphere has taken over the country.

>>"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth," says the Old Testament, but too many Israelis are blinded by hatred and self-righteousness to remember these beautiful words. The consequences of Arafat's death festival will haunt us for years. And for this cruel folly Israelis and Palestinians are likely to pay in the currency of innocent blood.<<

· Daphna Baram is author of Disenchantment: The Guardian and Israel

what follows Arafat may be worse, not necessarily in a man but in whatever cohesiveness in Palestinian society exists that was centered on him.

of a young israeli man handing our candy in celebration. It was sickening. Karma's a bitch.

is the karma...

:)

:hi:

Assuming you are referring to the concept of Karma in its essence, then you probably are wrong. See, Karma is eternal (unless of course the spirit has reached union with the Godhead). So your assessment is partially correct, the young man handing out the candy could be interpreted as an insult to arafat's memory, well deserved I might add. But his action also sets in motion the infinite series of thoughts and events that would reverberate back to him, bless his soul.

cycle of karma...

I bet this author didn't whine when scuds were falling in Israel and
the palestinians were dancing in the streets.

And i;m soooo sure she scolded the palestinians for celebrating and passing out candy EVERY SINGLE TIME a bus or pizzeria was blown away
MURDERING innocent people.

This authors tunnel vision is amazing.

What a pos article.

...this author of this article is full of malarkey. She needs to be reported to honestreporting ASAP. :thumbsup:

http://www.honestreporting.com/a/Submit_an_Article.asp

already sent it!

Hey Kettle,how's the Pot doing?