I was wondering when it would happen. Nine months after the last suicide bombing in Israel, another bomber struck — this time in Eilat, a southern resort town on the Red Sea which has never experienced a suicide attack. Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Brigades both claimed responsibility for the attack, in an attempt to send a message to their people that internecine fighting should be redirected at their common enemy — Israel.
The reactions were predictable: the internationals condemned it (maybe we should run a story about how the sky is blue), Hamas condoned it as a “natural response to the occupier’s crimes against our people,” and Fatah slammed it because bombings “blacken the image of the Palestinian people.” Even the pragmatic old guard cannot bring themselves to mention the humanity of the victims — for them, it has always been about expediency. Who is right? Everyone.
It’s monstrous to blow people apart who are baking bread. However, the bombing is a natural response to Israel’s predations against the Palestinians and rejection of their very legitimate gripes. But as the Abbas camp maintains, violence is completely counterproductive toward the goal of gaining the sympathy, respect, and help of the world and moderate Israelis.
What of the individual bomber?
“Islamic Jihad identified the bomber as Mohammed Siksik, 20, from the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Relatives said Siksik was an unemployed laborer who was despondent over the death of a newborn daughter from disease and driven to avenge his best friend’s killing in fighting with Israel.”
As long as this unfathomable level of desperation is experienced by such a high number of Palestinians, the reckless fringe will have all the volunteers they can brainwash.
This is not going away until Palestinians gain the right to return to their land. A violent invasion born of terrorism stole their country, there is no way to avoid this historical truth. This is not fundamentally an ethnic or religious question, but one of individuals and their property. Unfortunately any expectation for an honest resolution is based on the assumption that the Israeli government operates in good faith — an assumption that is naive at best.