Balance

Last week I received several emails and a phone call from friends, asking if I was ok after they heard about the sad event here in Jerusalem when a man drove a bulldozer into a bus and 3 people were killed. Although it was good to receive that caring, I was confused at first. "Why are they asking about this? This stuff goes on all the time here?"

Then I realized that many people might not know that this stuff goes on all the time here. Depending on which "stuff" we're talking about and where "here" is. I was reminded that what really happens here is not well known outside. I've mentioned this in blogs before, but it seemed a good time to talk more about that. About how some sad events are exploited for political gain, how other sad events are never mentioned, and about how so many who we should be able to trust collude in all this.

The event in Jerusalem last week was plastered all over the internet and all the newspapers. I assume it also received TV coverage in the States, from the notes of concern I received. It was said a "Palestinian," who was immediately dubbed a terrorist, was responsible. That version feeds the mythology that some want to perpetrate, but I must tell you it's not true. The man was Arab and was an Israeli citizen living in Israel. His motive had nothing to do with politics or religion. He had a history of mental illness and was pissed at a man who owns the bulldozer company. He did what he did to get that man in trouble.

Sad isn't it? Just a sick man with revenge on his mind. No Palestinian, no terrorist, no politics, no religion. But it became so in callous, wanton deceit and the world responded dutifully as it always does. Poor, poor Israel, the beleaguered democracy under constant attack by these terrorists.

For balance, here's something else that's been going on the past couple of weeks........

There is a village in the West Bank called Ni'lin. The Wall is being built around it. (The Wall is the "security barrier" that isn't, but is a mechanism for land-grab and isolation of peoples). The construction, which was encircling and strangling Ni'lin as has been done in many other places including Bethlehem, was declared illegal by the World Court and ordered to be stopped. It wasn't. It almost never is. The Wall has been found illegally built many times, including by the Israel Supreme Court. Occasionally construction stops, usually it doesn't. The IDF (Israel Defence Force) screams "Security" and trumps the court.

For some time, demonstrators have been protesting the Wall in Ni'lin. Palestinians, internationals, and Israeli activists. Last week, the IDF declared the village a military danger zone, circled it with troops, blockaded all entry and exit, and put the village under curfew because the demonstrations had become "too violent". They cited rock throwing and rolling burning tires.

These are acts of violence, yes they are. But I'll pause a moment while you ponder about the forces of a nuclear power, armed to the teeth, finding rock-throwing too violent. And whether an appropriate response is to punish the entire population of the village.

Can you say "Gaza"?

When this happens and a village is put under curfew, which is one of the things that happens here which you don't hear about, it means house-curfew and the curfew is around the clock. In other words, while this order is in effect people cannot leave their houses. For anything. If they do, they are shot with rubber bullets, or tear-gassed, or their houses are invaded by the soldiers and destroyed. When people in Ni'lin were injured by the bullets and needed to go to the hospital, ambulances were not permitted entry by the IDF. This was corrected the next day when an activist called a member of the Knesset who ordered the soldiers to let the ambulance enter. I hope the child who had been shot in the neck came out ok.

The curfew has been lifted just now. The soldiers remain in place.

It's not the stories you usually hear from here is it - Salivating mad terrorists besieging a peaceful, quiet democracy. But these stories are the "stuff" that goes on here every day. People detained into their houses by armed soldiers, food and water running out, medical help denied, shot if they venture out. Democracy.

When you hear about the next sad event from here, and unfortunately you probably will, please remember the people you hear about in your prayers or thoughts of concern or however you note those things.

But also please remember the other people you're not hearing about. They need your prayers, too.