Excellent to hear from you. I didn’t have to work very hard on this translation; talented writers tend to make an impact in any language.

L.

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!

Muslims Against Sharia call on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to shut down Al-Hayat al-Jadida, Al-Iyam and Al-Quds as terrorist mouthpieces that glorify homicide bombings. Failing to do so will show that Palestinian Authority’s quest for peace is nothing more than empty words.

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

They might try to learn to slow down a little and become just a little more considered in their reactions.

They can always promote the guy tomorrow or the next day – after checking, talking, thinking … but no, the streets have to be clean by then, and all traces of the event have to be cleaned up, physically, and organizationally. So the guy has to be declared a hero and promoted all at the same time and now.

Because tomorrow, there might be another scandal, murder, suicide, event, rapist caught, etc., and we will need then, too, to react immediately, and without due consideration or reflection.

We have become an instant society, where we package events into news slots or days. There must be no spillover to tomorrow’s news – we bury fast, clean up fast, sweep under the carpet, and then rearrange the carpet with lightning speed, so that no one will ever suspect that there is or was anything under the carpet.

Anyways – loved the post, as usual, and the Assaf Schneider article is indeed excellent. In the midst of the madness, it’s always good to know that there are people who remember a few of the basic things – “respect for the dead no matter who they might be”, and respect to the sensitivity of others (the viewers, in this case).

I used to think that Israeli television was averse to showing dead bodies — am I mistaken, or does that only apply to Israeli bodies?

In any event, with this shooting – which I just watched on Youtube (twice in a row) I feel we’re steadily heading towards a world where, like in Stephen King’s “Running Man”, live killings will help sell television ads.

now i still wish it hurt me, but i also thought “oh, just one killed,” when i saw the internet headline. i had to force myself to think what-if-it’s-someone-i-know-i’d-better-check to even click through to the story. it wasn’t. i never thought it would be. i don’t think i know anyone in dimona, or anyone who travels there regularly.

but i felt a tug then, like i do again reading your post, that i should be there, i should be more israeli, i should be inside.

sigh.

Was thinking… Could it be that our society’s casual violence serves as perfect alibi for the psychopaths amongst us?

xxxxx

Took to heart most your point that the footage didn’t even come with a sensitivity warning. It’s all a day in the Middle East here, folks. A little bloodshed, then let’s move on.