[lit-ideas] Re: bombing for sex

  • From: Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 05:39:36 -0800 (PST)

--- carol kirschenbaum <cskir@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>  Having lived in Israel for
> > seven years, I think that I have got the right to
> form
> > some opinions.
> 
> And nobody else here does, according to you--unless
> they agree with you.
> Your claim to objectivity, based on this oft-stated
> credential (having lived
> in Israel), has worn thin. 

*I have not claimed objectivity, read my lips, I have
only claimed familiarity with both sides of the case.
I have not claimed that I view them both with an equal
amount of sympathy or give them equal weight.

We all have a "right" to
> voice our opinions here.

*My objection was not to you expressing your opinions,
but to your manner of doing so selectively, only on
those occasions when you are certain to hold a high
moral ground, as you are doing here.

> Most of the people you label pro-Israel--all of them
> on this list, to my
> knowledge--are deeply sympathetic to the human
> suffering on all sides. I
> doubt that there's anyone who is "anti-Palestinian"
> on this list.

*Your beatiful souls aside, the very title of this
thread strikes me as being nearly racist. The violence
that comes from the Palestinian camp springs not from
daily suffering under the occupation, or even from
their political ideals, but from some alleged sexual
pathology inherent to their society. If that is not
"anti-Palestinian," I wonder what would be.

O.K.


> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Omar Kusturica" <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 4:57 AM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: bombing for sex
> 
> 
> > Here is another pro-Israeli poster who only chimes
> in
> > when there is an easy ball to hit. As for me, I
> don't
> > hide my pro-Palestinian sympathies, and yes, my
> > dislike of some elements of the Israeli political
> > constitution and society. Having lived in Israel
> for
> > seven years, I think that I have got the right to
> form
> > some opinions. In the same time, I still read
> Israeli
> > media, apart from Jerusalem Post, and I am
> familiar
> > with the Israeli point of view about the conflict
> > first hand. Those who rely on the MEMRI for the
> Arab
> > point of view about Israel get an extremely
> distorted,
> > indeed twisted picture, being sold under the
> pretense
> > of cool objectivity.
> >
> > O.K.
> >
> >
> > --- Stan Spiegel <writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > I am sorry that some pro-Israeli posters here -
> and
> > > I
> > > definitely include you in this description, for
> I
> > > haven't got much faith in the MEMRI-style of
> > > one-sided objectivity - are only prepared to
> have a
> > > discussion on their own terms. O.K.
> > >
> > > Omar:
> > >
> > > Are you saying that, unlike pro-Israeli posters,
> you
> > > are prepared to be
> > > objective? I for one don't hear the objectivity
> you
> > > claim in your
> > > commentary. I only hear an anti-Israeli
> viewpoint
> > > everytime you send a note.
> > > While I'm pro-Israeli, I admit there's a lot to
> be
> > > criticized about Israel.
> > > As a pro-Palestinian, you never acknowledge
> what's
> > > problematic about the
> > > Palestinian side of this war. Your
> black-and-white
> > > vision doesn't do the
> > > conflict justice.
> > >
> > > Stan Spiegel
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Omar Kusturica" <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
> > > To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 9:56 PM
> > > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: bombing for sex
> > >
> > >
> > > > Julie,
> > > >
> > > > I posted previously an article that discussed
> this
> > > > incident, which you ignored and posted your
> own
> > > report
> > > > instead. The article corrected some plain
> > > inaccuracies
> > > > found in the report you post (for example, the
> boy
> > > was
> > > > 16 not 14) and more importantly brought to
> light
> > > some
> > > > contradictions in the Israeli version of the
> case.
> > > For
> > > > example, it is extremely curious that the IDF,
> > > which
> > > > is not normally eager to have the proceedings
> at
> > > the
> > > > checkpoints televised, had TV cameras on the
> ready
> > > 2
> > > > hours ahead of time. It's also contradictory
> that
> > > the
> > > > boy allegedly accepted 100 shekels (about 20
> US $)
> > > to
> > > > commit suicide, though this may be explained
> by
> > > his
> > > > apparent mental retardedness. The boy's
> parents
> > > said
> > > > that it was 'wrong to use childen in this
> way,'
> > > but
> > > > exactly who used him is far from clear.
> > > >
> > > > I am sorry that some pro-Israeli posters here
> -
> > > and I
> > > > definitely include you in this description,
> for I
> > > > haven't got much faith in the MEMRI-style of
> > > > one-sided objectivity - are only prepared to
> have
> > > a
> > > > discussion on their own terms.
> > > >
> > > > O.K.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- JulieReneB@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > > > > Anyone know what the American currency
> > > equivalent to
> > > > > a shekel in Israel is
> > > > > these days?  Here we have a political
> ideology
> > > > > attempting to make inroads by
> > > > > paying a kid and promising him after-life
> sex,
> > > in
> > > > > exchange for blowing himself
> > > > > and a bunch of other people up.  Interesting
> > > > > variation on prostituting minors.
> > > > > Whole new pathologies are being born.  Do
> the
> > > > > Palestinians really consider
> > > > > this defensible???  Does the Arab world in
> > > > > general????
> > > > > <<"Blowing myself up is the only chance I've
> got
> > > to
> > > > > have sex with 72 virgins
> > > > > in the Garden of Eden," a
> 14-and-a-half-year-old
> > > > > Palestinian boy told his
> > > > > Israeli investigators after being caught
> wearing
> > > an
> > > > > 8kg explosives belt.
> > > > >
> > > > > Husam Muhammad Bilal Abdu from Masahiya
> > > neighborhood
> > > > > in Nablus was captured
> > > > > Wednesday afternoon by IDF troops near the
> > > Hawara
> > > > > roadblock near Nablus, the
> > > > > same place an 11-year-old boy was caught
> with a
> > > bomb
> > > > > last week.
> > > > >
> > > > > "They told me that this was the only way,
> and
> > > they
> > > > > promised that my mother
> > > > > would get one hundred shekels if I did
> this,"
> > > Husam
> > > > > told his captors.
> > > > >
> > > > > The Fatah Tanzim claimed responsibility for
> > > sending
> > > > > the would-be bomber,
> > > > > Channel One reported Wednesday night.
> > > > >
> > > > > The boy aroused suspicions when he reached
> the
> > > > > Hawara roadblock. Soldiers
> > > > > from the Paratroopers 202 Brigade aimed
> their
> > > > > weapons at him, and he
> > > > > panicked.
> > > > >
> > > > > Seeing that the boy was "unusually swollen"
> > > around
> > > > > the chest area, he was
> > > > > checked by soldiers at the roadblock, who
> > > ordered
> > > > > him to lift his t-shirt,
> > > > > where they discovered a large gray suicide
> bomb
> > > belt
> > > > > on his chest with a
> > > > > detonation device attached to it. Soldiers
> > > > > immediately jumped behind a
> > > > > concrete barrier and trained their weapons
> on
> > > the
> > > > > boy again.
> > > > >
> > > > > The area was shut down and sappers were
> brought
> > > in
> > > > > to neutralize the
> > > > > explosives belt. A remote- controlled robot
> was
> > > sent
> > > > > out with a pair of
> > > > > scissors to the would-be suicide bomber, who
> was
> > > > > instructed by sappers to
> > > > > begin cutting the belt off of his chest.
> > > > >
> > > > > He cut off part of it and struggled with the
> > > rest.
> > > > > "I don't how to get this
> > > > > off," he said.
> > > > >
> > > > > After he dropped the vest, soldiers ordered
> him
> > > to
> > > > > take off his undershirt
> > > > > and jeans, to ensure he had no other weapons
> on
> > > him.
> > > > >
> > > > > The belt contained 8kg of explosives, and
> was
> > > > > detonated in a controlled
> > > > > explosion after it was taken off the
> Palestinian
> > > > > child.
> > > > >
> > > > > Lt. Tamir Milrad, an officer at the
> checkpoint
> > > said,
> > > > > "We saw that he had
> > > > > something under his shirt."
> > > > >
> > > > > "He told us he didn't want to die. He didn't
> > > want to
> > > > > blow up," Milrad added.
> > > > >
> > > > > Channel Two news reported that the boy
> received
> > > 100
> > > > > NIS for carrying the
> > > > > belt and exploding near Israeli targets.
> > > > >
> > > > > Following the incident, IDF erected a
> blockade
> > > > > around Nablus. Channel 2
> > > > > reported that security services have
> warnings of
> > > a
> > > > > wave of terror attempts
> > > > > emanating from Nablus, a hotbed of Fatah
> Tanzim
> > > > > activity.
> > > > >
> > > > > The boy's brother, Hussam Abdo, said he was
> > > mentally
> > > > > slow.
> > > > >
> > > > > "He doesn't know anything, and he has
> > > intelligence
> > > > > of a 12 year old," his
> > > > > brother, Hosni, said.
> > > > >
> > > > > The incident was the latest in a series of
> > > foiled
> > > > > terrorist attacks
> > > > > involving young Palestinians.
> > > > >
> > > > > "No matter how many times Israel learns of
> the
> > > use
> > > > > of children for suicide
> > > > > bombings, it is shocking on each occasion,"
> said
> > > > > Dore Gold, an adviser to
> > > > > Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
> > > > >
> > > > > "Israelis do not understand how Palestinians
> are
> > > > > willing to sacrifice their
> > > > > own children in order to kill ours."
> > > > >
> > > > > Last week, Fatah Tanzim terrorists in Nablus
> > > sent an
> > > > > 11-year-old boy to
> > > > > smuggle a bomb through an IDF roadblock on
> > > Monday,
> > > > > and tried to detonate the
> > > > > bomb when soldiers stopped him.
> > > > >
> > > > > The men gave the boy a bag containing a
> > > seven-to-10
> > > > > kilogram bomb stuffed
> > > > > with bolts. They promised him a large sum of
> > > money
> > > > > if he would carry it
> > > > > through the roadblock and hand it to a woman
> > > waiting
> > > > > on the other side.
> > > > >
> > > > > Since 2001, more than 40 other minors who
> were
> > > > > involved in planning suicide
> > > > > bombings have been arrested by security
> forces.
> > > > > Since May 2001, 22 shootings
> > > > > and bombings were perpetrated by minors.>>
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=20210
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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