What sort of human beings are you, you Palestinians, that you initiate, support, applaud and revel in these brutal, inhuman, suicidal attacks? What kind of society is yours that breeds this phenomenon and what kind of entity do you have that embraces this feature with such revolting delight and adoration? What kind of people are you who feed themselves on unbridled, exulting, sobbing, stuttering, hysterical and venomous hate?
The suicide bombers, which you produce from among you in such numbers, are the example and the moral lesson. He is you, all of you as a society. You are a suicidal, hate-crazed society with a self-destructive dark-mindedness and a revulsion for compromise. A suicidal society with an urge for the absolute, wanting to get it all or nothing at all -- existence, life, everything. A society ready to take down with it to destruction everything that stands in its way, trumpeting maniacally all the way to its violent doom.
The suicidal bombers are the example and you, all of you, as a society, are the moral. A suicidal society that wants to embrace and explode itself upon us in order to destroy itself and us together. But although there is an alternative between life and death, between hope and despair, between construction and ruin, you have chosen ruin in despair and death and you want to take us there with you.
You, as a society, as an entity, are all responsible. Not only because most of you aid, support and identify with every diabolical deed of this kind, but because those of you who do not agree and do not identify, lack the integrity and courage to rise up, to condemn, to denounce and even do something about it: to castigate these evil beings from among you, to persecute them, jail them and indeed dispose of them.
How can it be that until this very day, after so many lives destroyed, not one moral cry has ever gone up from among you?
Even the few of you who yesterday dared to publish a reservation regarding these attacks, did not reprimand them morally, but merely expressed the opinion that the attacks are not helpful to Palestinian interests at this stage. How can it be that until this very day, after so many suicide attacks, so many lives destroyed, so many scenes of atrocities, not one moral cry has ever gone up from among you, just a moral and crystal clear one, representing the many, which would declare -- our friends did not spill this blood, it was done only by the hands of the reprehensible, inhuman few. How can it be that a whole society of millions cannot mobilize from among itself, even though suffering the conditions of occupation, deprivation and struggle -- half a million, a hundred thousand, fifty thousand men and women who would march, demonstrate, proclaim, write, do interviews in order to state: we are not partners to this immoral atrocity.
The test of a society is not to abandon dignity especially under trying conditions and all of you have resoundingly failed this test.
Yes, it is not easy being a Palestinian, it is even very difficult and at times very harassing, but the test of a human being, the test of a society, is not to abandon dignity especially under trying conditions and you, all of you, have failed this test -- a resounding, scorching failure.
This debased barbarity, for the type of which you are all responsible, must not be justified or excused because of reasons of despair, hopelessness, land quarrel and dispute over several kilometers. The moment a person or society loses its human spark, the background and causes are totally erased and what is forever left, naked and ugly, is the deed itself with all its horror.
Indeed, you are a suicidal-terrorist society. And from now on, when we need to defend ourselves by major actions against you, no one can complain about us from any moral standpoint, if we take special care to protect ourselves and less caution about your human dignity and lives, which you yourselves have been eliminating for such a long time.
No, even now we won't be emulating your example, we won't go after the innocent citizens, the aged, the women and the infants to attack them in broad daylight and murder them with a cruel madness. Yes, it seems that even if we again must return to your cities and villages and battle there. We shall not seek the easy way, killing the righteous together with the criminal, but again apparently our soldiers will be forfeiting their lives in order not to carry out mass attacks, and will be singling out the actual terrorists so as to target them only. But if the worst happens, the blood of the innocent is upon your heads, on the heads of all of you, because you are all to blame as a society.
(14) miked, October 10, 2006 3:26 PM
words
If you are so resolute to condemn an entire society who is rightly afraid angry why don't you condemn all of the world. You do nothing but hate and pat yourself on the back for expressing your opinion. Who taught you to think that way?
This is good that you express yourself but come on, you cannot condemn a whole society for not doing anything when you know damn well there are people on all sides trying to work it out. They are just failing and afraid. Hatred and violence seems to be an easier way to solve a problem than dealing with the root issues. Blowing up the problem along with ones self is easier than trying to work out a peaceful solution. But lets have options and positivity. Lets have ideas instead of sterile debate.
(13) Rex Rambo, July 5, 2002 12:00 AM
In the silence of dissent, the Palestainian society is responsible for these evil suicidal attacks.
No cause justifies these evil attacks. It takes courage to stand up to evil, but the rewards are infinate. I strongly recommend that they speak out forcefully now against these sick haters.
(12) Anonymous, July 3, 2002 12:00 AM
hard but true...
really hard position... really ethic position...
Ethic do not know compromise...
politics is made for, with compromise.
we need voices to tell clearly the truth, the reality... and we already know that politics will act differently... renouncing to something and conceeding something more... but we know politics and ethic will never go together... not even in Israel.
thanks.
(11) Anonymous, July 3, 2002 12:00 AM
Answer for "Palestinian civilians must be targeted to stop the suicide bombers"
You are no better than what you are denouncing.
In keeping with this article, I will not let your evil, inhumane and stupid comment pass without my saying that not only I disagree, I stand up to all of you who think that turning ourselves into what we are fighting (senseless killers) or eternalizing our rule over such people, will bring us salvation and redemption.
Your views expressed here are nothing but every bit as immoral as the last (hopefully not the next) suicide attack.
I'm disgusted and hurt and as far as I'm concerned, you are not part of my society, but of the reprehensible morally blind few.
(10) Anonymous, July 2, 2002 12:00 AM
Never heard it put so clear.
To hear it translated from someone who lives it. If only the whole world could read and comprehend this article, there would be no more belly-aching over supporting Isreal.
The killing will stop when the Palestinians can learn to love their own children and themselves more than they hate Jews. The devil is at work in their hearts.
(9) Anonymous, July 2, 2002 12:00 AM
Palestinian civilians must be targeted to stop the suicide bombers.
All Jews will agree, of course, that suicide bombers are inhuman and evil. But what we really must do is to come up with a solution to such horror. I have long believed that random bombing of civilians in marketplaces, schools, festivities, etc. by small guerilla units is the only way. And these units must not be directly tied to the IDF, which is considered by many to be a brutal huge monster fighting a poor, humble people--a perception that has cost us dearly in the court of public opinion. One must also remember that before there was an Israeli state, Jews fought against the British and their Arab allies by using such units whose names were Haganah, Irgun and Stern Gang.
Above all, the Palestinian terrorist leadership must always anticipate with severe anxiety our next attack against their men, women and children. Today we are only fighting against Palestinian shadows. Tomorrow they must face the horror that Israel will become the shadow force, waging an offensive war, not a defensive battle that can only prolong our misery.
(8) Anonymous, July 2, 2002 12:00 AM
Background on Amnon Dankner
Amnon Dankner comes from a religious background, attended the posh Maaleh High School. Was part of the "radical" left until recently. In light of his past, this is one great article.
(7) Ahuva Balofsky, July 2, 2002 12:00 AM
SHAME!
How can someone be so narrowminded and blinkered? Do we not here with horror - almost as often as attacks on Israelis - of the attacks on, summary executions (without trial)of Palestinians who express views contrary to the PA or terrorist organisations? Those who speak out for humainty, who call upon their leaders for justice, are treated to "justice" - death, condemned as traitors. What are these few to do but cower in their homes? Shame on you for condemning the few good with the multitudes of evil, calling cowardly what is merely survival instinct...
(6) zabri hmar, July 1, 2002 12:00 AM
great article
I was amazed by the accuracy and deep perception of this great author giving me a shiver down my cervical lumbar and dorsal spine even to s2 s3 s4 that keeps the...off the floor
(5) Lx Goodies, July 1, 2002 12:00 AM
Moral outcry
You ask the Palestines..
"How can it be that (..) not one moral cry has ever gone up from among you.."
Indeed! Yes! I fully agree with you that awareness of proper moral choices seems to lack here. This is caused by the fact that people with low schooling and low development in general keep being susceptive to manipulation by their nationalist politicians. It is time that Arafat is replaced by a more modern thinker/statesman. The question is now: who is going to be courageous enough to break the chain of violence by now? And does Israel not have a similar problem of leadership image, namely with radical Sharon? Yes indeed, islamic fundamentalists are always deaf for any argument. Anyhow, Israel will have to cope with them (like any other country in the middle east will) but.. nowadays there is so much polarisation, maybe it is already too late.
Lex
(Nijmegen, the Netherlands)
(4) Matt Wantman, July 1, 2002 12:00 AM
I disagree
How are the Palestinians who are appalled by the suicide bombers supposed to express their feelings? The PA controls the media, and anyone who speaks out in public dies very soon afterwards.
(3) sylvia Seville, June 30, 2002 12:00 AM
Palestinians
I think some of the palestinians have
been assassinated because they were a
"friend" of Israel. It must be very
difficult for a palestinian to ever
mention any support for Israelis.
(2) George Miller, June 30, 2002 12:00 AM
History; at what point are we?
There is a sickness, a madness, an inhuman element. Darkness in these peoples minds and hearts. To send ones own children strapped with High Explosvie to kill, maim and dismember as many as possible, how can this have come about, what is moving these 'things', that pose as humans, to destroy their own flesh and blood just to kill others. This does not fit any logical form of criminality as illogical as criminality is. They are depraved, absent of soul...absent of G-D. George
(1) Denis, June 30, 2002 12:00 AM
I am in full agreement!!
Hurrah for journalist Anmon Dankner's boldness, candor and forthrightness for calling a spade a spade. Only a sick, demented and depraved people and system could condone the kind of utterly senseless killings committed by these homicide terrorists/murderers. While one man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist, let's face facts - these people have absolutely no intention of allowing Israel to exist. Just look at the maps of the Middle East published in the Arab world - Medinat Yisrael is usually conspicuous by its absence. Hamas, hezbollah and the rest of arafat's henchmen are on a mission to annihilate Israel, which like any other country has the right to exist. It is distateful and hypocritical when Israel is condemned in the international arena for protecting herself and her citizens, while hardly a whimper is uttered when these terrorists blow innocent people to bits. It is said that evil exists because good people do nothing. We await the actions of the good among the Palestinian people. Am Yisrael chai!!