Murder in Israel underscores a culture of deceit

[Scurrilous]

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"A short article posted on the Web site of Israel’s most popular newspaper, Yedioth Ahronot, described the killing of a Jerusalem resident. According to the article, the man, a young father of two, was shot down by police after he tried to run over one of the officers. Following the killing, his enraged friends and neighbors filled the streets, burning tires and torching a parked car.

The readers’ reaction to the news item was immediate. Within hours there were 150 responses on the Web page, almost all of which reiterated a similar viewpoint: “Come on police, take care of them” (signed Zionist); “Hit them without delay” (an Israeli with high blood pressure); “No mercy” (a Sabra); “Bomb the rioters with a few missiles, it’s not France here”; and finally, “Arabs beware, Israel is not Europe.”

The readers’ reactions were not surprising considering that the dead man’s name was Samir Ribhi Dari and not, for example, Joseph Cohen. The actual killing did not even warrant a response, since incidents like this have become routine. It was only the spontaneous protest that drew the readers’ attention. Angry Arabs in the streets? We must respond rapidly and with force, “bomb them with a few missiles.”

The readers, however, were right about one crucial point: Israel is neither France nor Europe, since in Israel police violence toward Arabs tends to be much more lethal. Indeed, both Samir’s killing on Nov. 9 and the readers’ responses reflect some of the most disturbing and dangerous aspects of contemporary Israeli culture. Most prominent among these is the deep-seated racism that encourages violence."


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