Dimona Attack

[eumelia]

Well, Hamas claims responsibility for this mornings suicide bombing in Dimona, even though the Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigade and the PFLP also claimed that they did it.

Three dead people (Israeli woman, the two Palestinian Bombers).
Thirty (at least) wounded.

It's not a fun place to be, let me tell you.
The terrible humanity of it all, I know it sounds trite, but it really is.
It's so easy not to care and to shut out the whole thing, saying "Those Arabs only understand violence", it would be a tempting view to hold, but it would be dismissing the motivation behind why the extremists do what they do. I don't think anybody could justify the methods the Palestinians use, but you can't ignore the place they are coming from. To just see them as pure killers is to ignore the injustice done by Israel and to ignore the situation which brought them to this despair.
No matter how much Israelis suffer because of the conflict, we are stronger and we have better weapons and we don't die as much as Palestinians do.
That's a fact.
Does that give them the right to put on a bomb belt, walk into a mall and intend to kill innocent civilians? No.
But when all Israelis mean to them is a big block of Occupation force... are we even human to that kind of mindset?
Just like the view of "Violent Arabs", in that mindset, are they human?

I just noticed I'm using the dichotomous separation of "we, they"... I find that so incredibly sad and... kinda weird.

This is a difficult view to hold, I think. It requires a hell of a lot of self examination and criticism and the knowledge that what you believe is different from the status quo.

Despite it all, I still feel hopeful that one day, hopefully during my life time, this place won't be this hell-hole that it is and that people can be people together, even if we aren't the same people.

Comments

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

I promise that the first thing that crosses my mind when there is a suicide bombing in Dimona is not a generalization about Arabs. It's HOLY SHIT NUCLEAR REACTOR.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Well, the town and the reactor are a little far apart and a bomb belt wouldn't really cause a meltdown... I hope... Oh GD, the scenarios now running through my head!
*shakes head to clear*

[kalaam.livejournal.com]

Interesting that you noticed the separations you were using (us v them). I've been lurking for a bit but I think this is an interesting observation to make.

Dimona Bombing

[(Anonymous)]

Muslims Against Sharia condemn the murderers responsible for the homicide bombing in Dimona as well as degenerate perpetuation of the culture of death in Gaza.

Our prayers are with the victims of this atrocity. We send our condolences to their loved ones.

May the homicide bomber rot in hell for eternity. May his accomplices and animals who celebrated this horrendous act join him soon!

http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/02/first-suicide-bombing-in-israel-in-year.html (http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/02/first-suicide-bombing-in-israel-in-year.html)

[talibah-nazahah.livejournal.com]

i know what you mean about self-examination... and it takes strength at a time like this to hold onto all that youve built through that self-examination. you are closer to the situation so i'm not going to say that you and i are on an equal footing with this struggle (jihad.. hahaha!)

i am very pro-palestinian as you know (which also means pro-israeli peeps like you) and when i hear of stuff like, not to mention the clashes between the palestinians and egyptian forces, it really tests my desire to stand behind the whole thing. unlike you, i have the option to backout. to throw up my arms and say "f it, im done with this justice for palestine, peace in the middle east crap." but i dont want to.

and... i wish more people examined the roots of this behavior rather than saying that arabs are violent sub-humans. my dad pulls that sh*t and it disgusts me. it's irrational and it's an easy way out.

my heart goes out to your countrymen and women. my heart goes out to the palestinians who condemn this and my heart goes out to the children on both sides.

i love your optimism about you, in your lifetime, seeing a better society. i'll fight for that for you. i swear.

peace my sister.

[lifeofresearch.livejournal.com]

Since I am an American I have some history and maybe a ray of hope. Our country was formed in 1776 depending on what you mean formed. However, by 1861 we were in one terrible civil war over many issues including slavery that divided a nation. Before and after that time we displaced the Native Americans to put it nicely and made them go to reservations. Most of them died with disease that the "White" man already developed immunity to centuries before in Europe. Therefore my point is it takes many years to develop a country where most are respected. You have been at it since 1948 technically and the Middle East is still having issues about democratically elected governments. For the west it took two world wars and one cold war to settle the score. So I honestly think it will happen in your lifetime because with your sense of fair play a deal could be stuck. That is why I still encourage you to be prime minster or in some form of government.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I am seriously considering changing my major from Lit to Poly-Sci, but I want to see how I do this year... it's never too late to change what you want to do.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

It's always a test, of course, to live up to the principles that you hold and not back away from what you know is Right and True, because somebody else tried to destroy something.

I dunno what's going to happen now, except that there have been more arrests in the West Bank and Qasam's have fallen in Sderot again.

The Palestinians have such crappy leaders it would be funny... but only if my leaders were any better :/

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

The "us, them" thing?
Yeah, it's an almost automatic categorisation in the brain, unfortunately.
But yeah, even though it still happens one has to be aware and acknowledge what that kind of mindset can do.

I'm glad you find my LJ interesting, the more readers the better :)

[talibah-nazahah.livejournal.com]

my leader is an illiterate frat boy. totally depressing.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

What kind of separation would you recommend?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

In this context, none, seeing as I was talking about Humans of which there is one species.

What do you recommend, since I think you're asking in a more generalised and not just contextual way?

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Well, in the first place I don't have much trouble with we/they.

I find barriers and edges are what define things :)

Second, in the context you used, Human (or Humane) may refer to that which is, or should be, characteristic of human beings. In thus describing characteristics, human may refer to good and bad traits of a person.
(dictionary.com)

This is actually the context I thought you were using.
i.e. You were asking "Is the the way people should be acting", rather than "Are they homo sapiens?"

Two comments on my comments
1. They are rather obviously human because the use of fire is a strictly human ability.
2. The groups which object to Evolution and the categorization of humans as a species of animals are probably very similar to the groups which object to the use of "homo" to describe said animals :)