[Peace-discuss] Punch a lefty, save the homeland: Israel rediscovers political violence

[David Johnson via Peace-discuss]

Punch a lefty, save the homeland: Israel rediscovers political violence

As the army fights Hamas in Gaza, ad-hoc right-wing militias organized 
through social media take to the streets to fight the 'war at home.'

Article:

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.606848

By Gideon Levy | Jul. 24, 2014 | 8:50 AM

That’s the number, as of Wednesday: 155 children. On Wednesday morning, 
another three were killed. Ten children per day, on average. According 
to the UN, it’s more than the number of Hamas combatants that were 
killed. The Al Mezan Center For Human Rights has published the names of 
132 of them. The Telegraph, a British newspaper, published a death 
chart, in which it included the names of children, the dates of their 
death and their ages. It included babies in diapers, children, and 
youths. Each child and the name given to them by their parents. 
Four-year-old Bitul, three-year-old Suhila, six-month-old Bissan, 
four-year-old Siraj, two-year-old Nur – these were toddlers from among 
the 25 members of the Abu Jama’e family, killed alongside 127 others.

The chart doesn’t lie: “Protective Edge” is “Cast Lead 2,” and it will 
overcome its predecessor in the amount of horrors. The chart wasn’t 
printed in Israel, nor will it be. There’s no place for it. We’re at 
war. Hamas is guilty of their deaths. Israel Air Force pilots did not 
mean to kill them.

But don’t fear: if the chart were to be published, it would be received 
with unfeeling, or even, it’s hard to believe, outright joy, by the 
brainwashed public in this country. “Even Hitler was a child,” reads 
graffiti currently sprayed near the entrance to Netivot.

The website “Walla!” published talkback comments on an article about the 
four children killed on the Gaza beach. Shani Moyal: “I couldn’t care 
less that Arab children were killed, too bad it wasn’t more. Well done 
to the IDF.” Stav Sabah: “Really, these are great pictures. They make me 
so happy, I want to look at them again and again.” Sharon Avishi: “Only 
four? Too bad. We hoped for more.” Daniela Turgeman: “Great. We need to 
kill all the children.” Chaya Hatnovich: “There isn’t a more beautiful 
picture than those of dead Arab children.” Orna Peretz: “Why only four?” 
Rachel Cohen: “I’m not for children dying in Gaza. I’m for everyone 
burning.” Tami Mashan: “As many children as possible should die.”

 >From their names and accompanying pictures, all the commenters are 
women. They shop in the stores near your homes, they go to the same 
movies and vacation spots as you. They’re Israeli. No one would think of 
firing them from their jobs, like they are doing now to Arabs and 
left-wingers. No one will condemn them, no one will attack or threaten 
them. They’re normal, according to the Israeli norms at least, where 
compassion for the other side is considered treason, and beastly 
criticism is considered patriotism.

But why blame the talkback ladies? Listen to the remarks of generals, 
politicians and analysts, as they all speak the same words, ever so sweetly.

Such diabolical talk would not be heard in any other nation. Even the 
most extreme remarks are sufficient in expressing the current 
atmosphere. Not many Israelis will try to imagine the 155 dead children 
as just that, children. They won’t try to see them, to think of their 
fate, to reflect on their sad lives and their deaths.

Israeli soldiers are fighting and dying in Gaza now, and the people’s 
heart is full of worry and fear for them. Nothing is more understood, 
human or natural. The rockets also continue to fall. But aside from 
those fears, there exists a complete lack of compassion for the victims 
on the other side, even for those children, dying in gruesome numbers, 
which will go down as a new record of shame, even in the Israeli record 
book.

The pictures coming out of Gaza – and not in the Israeli media, which 
begrudgingly posts them to fulfill its obligation – should upset every 
Israeli. It’s possible that Gazans would be happy to celebrate dead 
Israeli children, and despite that happiness, there haven’t been any. If 
we were to witness such a phenomenon, we would be shocked, and rightly 
so. But we can ignore the wholesale killing of dozens of Palestinian 
children, day after day, or perhaps even celebrate it. After all, “Even 
Hitler was a child.”

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4 Haaretz Thursday, July 24, 2014

Punch a lefty, save the homeland: Israel rediscovers political violence

As the army fights Hamas in Gaza, ad-hoc right-wing militias organized 
through social media take to the streets to fight the 'war at home.'