Thursday, July 20, 2006

Hizballah's Katyushas hit Nazareth

Two Katyushas dropped on Nazareth yesterday at approximately 1400 GMT, directly striking and killing two kids - Mahmood 'Abd il Raheem Taluzeh, 3, and his brother, Rabee' 'Abd il Raheem Taluzeh, 7. Allah yer7amhum.

How much blood needs to be spilled before we approach the negotiating table? Why is Israel so adamant to continue its onslaught of Lebanon, where more than 300 civilians have been killed to date; and why then does it question Hizballah's Katyusha fire?

It is well known that Hizballah was striking an army weapons depot in Nazerat Illit, overshot, and hit Nazareth instead. So contrary to what you would expect, the people here are not turning on Hizballah. Instead, they're blaming Israel and asking how many more casualties before Israel gives diplomacy a chance?

4 comments:

Nasrawi said...

I don't have to apologise for them.

Abu Taluzeh himself said he wanted his kids' names added to the list of Lebanese casualties. If you experience what it is to be Arab in this Jewish State first hand, and particularly so in Nazareth, then you may understand why.

J. said...

I have two questions for you:

1. Do you honestly think, as you said in one of your previous posts, that Hizbullah's katyushas will do anything to improve the plight of Arabs in Israel?

2. Could you fathom working in an NGO in southern Lebanon that is openly critical of Hizbullah, blames it for Israeli casualties and all of this at a time of war?

I'd be really curious to hear more about your NGO in any case... I hope you're not working with Shatil, but I wouldn't put it past them... My guess is you're with abna' al-balad.

You're right that I have not had the experience of being Arab in Israel. I do have the experience of being someone from the outside, who is very much on the inside in Israel. It's still not the same as being a real insider - we still perceive things differently. Please keep in mind, although you may call yourself a nasrawi, INTE MIN BARRA, MISH MIN DAAKHIL. You have that tendency to see hyper-politicize everything and to see a reason for resistance and struggle in things to which Arabs in Israel are more reconciled.

Nasrawi said...

1) The current system doesn't work for Arabs in Israel. Palestinian citizens here want change, they need it. Maybe it will come with Hizballah, but even more likely not (because it seems unlikely that the current conflict will overthrow the establishment). Nevertheless, how can Arabs champion Israel when the State systematically discriminates against them?

2)Hizballah only started firing its rockets on the second day of Israel's assault. I work in human rights, but human rights (frankly) is not working in the world. The international community with all its conventions and agreements as regards Israel has done nothing to stop the killing of innocent civilians.

w 7abibi, 9abr shway. shu t3arf 3an il 7ayat il-na9rawiyya? wala shay. agoolik marra thanya wala shay. How can you predict which way I tend? I know people here who are very apolitical and don't hold my views. But I write from what I see - and the current Israeli government is pushing for a Judaisation of the country and the erasing of its Arab past. And they've even appointed an official to the post of the State's Judaisation, Vice Premier Shimon Peres.

J. said...

Well, sorry to tell you, the current system doesn't work for a lot of people in Israel, not just Arabs. There are many population groups that have their own grievances. Your depiction of the Israeli state is too monolithic! As if its only goal is to screw over the Arabs. Are you totally unaware of the changes that have taken place in Israel with regard to the Arab minority? Peres is the Minister of "Judaisation" ? Well how do you explain the development budgets that are now being extended to Arab communities following the Jewish Agency's decision to include them in development projects? How do you explain all the advances in education in the Bedouin sector in the Negev in the past decade? To me, it seems more like your vision of the all-powerful, all-discriminating Israeli state serves as a rational excuse for your opposition to the idea of a Jewish state.

What I'd like to know is how you would improve the lot of Israel's Arabs. Is your answer revolution and an overthrow of the "establishment"? What exactly do you propose the Arabs in Israel do? You sound like a real Che Guevara to me. Do you have any realistic ideas? Are you advocating a civil war? If so, then you have no right to use the cover of human rights/NGO worker. But I'll stop speculating at this point. I'm just curious to hear from you. Is there any substance to your rhetoric? Any concrete thought?

su2aal illak: aish inte bita3rif 3an al-mujtama3 al-yahudi al-isra2ily , kif widdak tifham shey 3an syasaat isra2il bidun at-ta3arrof al ma6lub?

let's hang out one of these days :)