Thursday, September 23, 2004
Why I have a cell phone
I was leaving the university on Mount Scopus yesterday about 4, and my usually silent phone began ringing. I had three calls: my daughter called to make sure I was all right, since a bus I often take goes through the French Hill neighborhood; my co-worker who was still in the office called to make sure I was all right, too; my friend Elana called for the same reason.
As it happened, the bombing was at the trampiada -- a Border Police checkpoint about a block away from the bus route I use -- and I couldn't help but think of my neighbor's daughter who is in the Border Police now. I don't know if she works at the checkpoints or has some other job.
Go to Dave's site, Israellycool to read his stark analysis of the deed.
May the families and friends of Menashe Komemi and Mamoya Tahio, who gave their lives to save others, be comforted from Zion. May their memory be forever honored.
Wasted
John Kerry's presidential campaigns has raised memories of the Vietnam War years for many people. One of the most depressing usages that came out of that war was the term "wasted." Guys would come back from a patrol, and someone would ask, "Where's Bill?" and the reply would be, "He got wasted." It meant he had been killed. If Vietnamese had been killed, "We wasted them."
So. Here I am, a pacifist who thinks there are times you have to fight. The reason I'm a pacifist is that I think armed conflict is a terrible waste of people's time and energy. So many problems in every society are crying out for solutions, for energy and funding, and optimism for the future, but it all gets put on the back burner once the fighting starts. The Palestinians have wasted all the good will that people like me had for their cause. They have wasted the hard-earned taxes paid out by Europeans and Americans that went into their coffers and was diverted to pay for terrorist acts. Ilka Schroeder is still trying to get the European Union to do a proper investigation of where European funds actually ended up after being transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Intelligent young men and women, having already gotten their education at their parents' expense, have thrown it all away in order to commit murder. More than a thousand Israelis have lost their lives -- some of the brightest and best of our society, some of the most dedicated to helping others -- and for what?! So "Arab honor" can be assuaged?
...and they accuse us Jews of arrogance.
I have a friend who is very committed to "peacemaking." I put it in quotes because I find the subject so exasperating. It's very fine to print posters that say "Peace" and to go to grassroots level meetings with likeable people who talk about negotiation, getting to know one another, building bridges, uniting to work on common projects for the public good, etc. It is incredible to me that there are many grassroots organizations that still exist and work in Israel, bringing Israelis and Palestinians together to discuss issues of common interest.
But the sad fact remains that it would take the placing of thousands of peace posters in the Palestinian cities, and people coming out in droves to demonstrate for reconciliation and a return to negotiation that would lead to future coexistence and cooperation between Israel and Palestine. I don't see any of this happening any time in the near future, barring the arrival of the messiah.
And so we have to build the fence that defaces the countryside (how could it be anything but ugly to reflect the ugly reality for which it is being erected?). And we depend on the skills and dedication of young men and women in the army, navy, air force, and border police, not to mention alert citizen, to protect us. Maybe in my lifetime I won't see peace. I can only pray that it might somehow become the reality for my children and grandchildren.
I was leaving the university on Mount Scopus yesterday about 4, and my usually silent phone began ringing. I had three calls: my daughter called to make sure I was all right, since a bus I often take goes through the French Hill neighborhood; my co-worker who was still in the office called to make sure I was all right, too; my friend Elana called for the same reason.
As it happened, the bombing was at the trampiada -- a Border Police checkpoint about a block away from the bus route I use -- and I couldn't help but think of my neighbor's daughter who is in the Border Police now. I don't know if she works at the checkpoints or has some other job.
Go to Dave's site, Israellycool to read his stark analysis of the deed.
May the families and friends of Menashe Komemi and Mamoya Tahio, who gave their lives to save others, be comforted from Zion. May their memory be forever honored.
Wasted
John Kerry's presidential campaigns has raised memories of the Vietnam War years for many people. One of the most depressing usages that came out of that war was the term "wasted." Guys would come back from a patrol, and someone would ask, "Where's Bill?" and the reply would be, "He got wasted." It meant he had been killed. If Vietnamese had been killed, "We wasted them."
So. Here I am, a pacifist who thinks there are times you have to fight. The reason I'm a pacifist is that I think armed conflict is a terrible waste of people's time and energy. So many problems in every society are crying out for solutions, for energy and funding, and optimism for the future, but it all gets put on the back burner once the fighting starts. The Palestinians have wasted all the good will that people like me had for their cause. They have wasted the hard-earned taxes paid out by Europeans and Americans that went into their coffers and was diverted to pay for terrorist acts. Ilka Schroeder is still trying to get the European Union to do a proper investigation of where European funds actually ended up after being transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Intelligent young men and women, having already gotten their education at their parents' expense, have thrown it all away in order to commit murder. More than a thousand Israelis have lost their lives -- some of the brightest and best of our society, some of the most dedicated to helping others -- and for what?! So "Arab honor" can be assuaged?
...and they accuse us Jews of arrogance.
I have a friend who is very committed to "peacemaking." I put it in quotes because I find the subject so exasperating. It's very fine to print posters that say "Peace" and to go to grassroots level meetings with likeable people who talk about negotiation, getting to know one another, building bridges, uniting to work on common projects for the public good, etc. It is incredible to me that there are many grassroots organizations that still exist and work in Israel, bringing Israelis and Palestinians together to discuss issues of common interest.
But the sad fact remains that it would take the placing of thousands of peace posters in the Palestinian cities, and people coming out in droves to demonstrate for reconciliation and a return to negotiation that would lead to future coexistence and cooperation between Israel and Palestine. I don't see any of this happening any time in the near future, barring the arrival of the messiah.
And so we have to build the fence that defaces the countryside (how could it be anything but ugly to reflect the ugly reality for which it is being erected?). And we depend on the skills and dedication of young men and women in the army, navy, air force, and border police, not to mention alert citizen, to protect us. Maybe in my lifetime I won't see peace. I can only pray that it might somehow become the reality for my children and grandchildren.
