Meaningless and unpronounceable, unless of course you happen to be a Welsh youth. If you are, then you are probably on a school break right now and one of the 100,000 youngsters lucky enough to have been at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey, North West Wales. You undoubtedly enjoyed all the attractions of one of Europe's largest youth festivals, which took place there beginning last week. And perhaps you came across leftist groups using building-site fences to symbolize Israel's counterterrorism wall, complete with actors dressed as Israeli soldiers.
I imagine it must be great fun to be a carefree youth in Wales; therefore, let me take this opportunity to share with you some stories about the youth in the country I live in, Israel.
I would think there are many similarities. Like Wales, Israel is a free Western democracy. In fact it is the only one in this region of the world. Our youth enjoy the latest fashions, they listen to the latest music and they have all the benefits of living in a society that rejoices in life. We take pride in our children's achievements, both academically and by instilling in them the very important human values of tolerance and respect.
Some of Israel's children, unlike those attending the festival in Wales were unfortunately never able to fulfill their potential.
Let me tell you what happened to some of them.
On June 1, 2000, many young Israelis between the ages of 14-18 stood in line to go into one of Tel Aviv's popular discos. 20 of them didn?t make it inside. They were blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. 100 more were wounded. A mother of one of the young girls cried with anguish at her 16-year-old daughter's funeral that all she wanted was to see her daughter's face one last time.
On December 1, 2001, a 14-year-old boy named Adam called his parents from downtown Jerusalem. He was enjoying a night out with his friends. Shortly before midnight, he called his parents to tell them he was fine and having a good time. It was the last time he ever spoke to them. Shortly after that call, he was blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. Ten more young people, all of them under 21, were also killed and 180 more were wounded.
On August 9, 2001 the parents of 15-year-old Malki were given back her mobile phone. It had been pierced by a one inch nail. Their daughter had been enjoying a pizza in Jerusalem when a Palestinian homicide bomber entered the restaurant and detonated an explosive belt packed with nails. Malki was blown to pieces together with 14 others. Seven of the dead had been children under the age of 16. Three of the children had been murdered along with their parents. 132 more were wounded.
On August 18, 2003, 22 people were killed and 136 wounded on a bus in Jerusalem. Eight of those killed were under the age of 20. One of them was a defenseless little baby of three months. They had been blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. Some of the bodies were impossible to identify and had to be sent for DNA analysis. 136 more were wounded. Many of them were children.
On October 4, 2003, a female homicide bomber was able to walk undetected across the border into Israel, penetrate a popular beach restaurant in Haifa, kill 21 people and wound 45 more. Four of them were children under 12. Two of them were from the same family. They were blown to pieces along with their parents and grandmother. An eye witness later told reporters he watched with horror as one of the children was literally splattered across the restaurant wall.
On May 2, 2004, four Israeli children between the ages of 2-11 were made to witness the horrendous murder of their very pregnant mother. She had been gunned down at point-blank range by two murdering Palestinian youths. When the youths had killed the mother, they turned their guns on the petrified children and shot each one of them at least three times through the head. The two-year-old was still strapped in her car seat.
These are just some of the very tragic horror stories.
Of course, it must be impossible for youngsters in Wales to understand that such horrendous events could happen to defenseless children in any country, especially one with similar values and lifestyles as their own. However, in Israel, events like this are all too common and more than 100 children have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
These terrorists are churned out by a society that cares nothing for the dignity of human life. Their leaders have for years kept these people in blind ignorance and poverty, deliberately and systematically developing an evil death cult among them. They incite hatred 24/7, preach intolerance and demonize their children to such an extent that the only value they have to their dehumanized society is by their deaths. Terrorist organizations like Hamas have been allowed to flourish, encouraging their youth to long for death through noble martyrdom and the indiscriminate murder of as many innocent Israelis as possible.
I am appalled that the venue of a youth festival would be used to show such utter disregard for over 100 dead Israeli children, who have had to lose their young lives through Palestinian terrorism. The intention to use actors dressed up as Israeli soldiers to show how difficult it is for a Palestinian to travel because of the wall is farcical. It is all the more disgraceful to use a youth festival, packed with impressionable young minds, to make a mockery of a country that has been forced to take measures against these savage acts of barbarism.
The Palestinians themselves have built the wall, through four years of terrorism against Israel. To glorify it is not the kind of performance that belongs on a windy Welsh hillside before 100,000 Welsh youths.
I imagine it must be great fun to be a carefree youth in Wales; therefore, let me take this opportunity to share with you some stories about the youth in the country I live in, Israel.
I would think there are many similarities. Like Wales, Israel is a free Western democracy. In fact it is the only one in this region of the world. Our youth enjoy the latest fashions, they listen to the latest music and they have all the benefits of living in a society that rejoices in life. We take pride in our children's achievements, both academically and by instilling in them the very important human values of tolerance and respect.
Some of Israel's children, unlike those attending the festival in Wales were unfortunately never able to fulfill their potential.
Let me tell you what happened to some of them.
On June 1, 2000, many young Israelis between the ages of 14-18 stood in line to go into one of Tel Aviv's popular discos. 20 of them didn?t make it inside. They were blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. 100 more were wounded. A mother of one of the young girls cried with anguish at her 16-year-old daughter's funeral that all she wanted was to see her daughter's face one last time.
On December 1, 2001, a 14-year-old boy named Adam called his parents from downtown Jerusalem. He was enjoying a night out with his friends. Shortly before midnight, he called his parents to tell them he was fine and having a good time. It was the last time he ever spoke to them. Shortly after that call, he was blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. Ten more young people, all of them under 21, were also killed and 180 more were wounded.
On August 9, 2001 the parents of 15-year-old Malki were given back her mobile phone. It had been pierced by a one inch nail. Their daughter had been enjoying a pizza in Jerusalem when a Palestinian homicide bomber entered the restaurant and detonated an explosive belt packed with nails. Malki was blown to pieces together with 14 others. Seven of the dead had been children under the age of 16. Three of the children had been murdered along with their parents. 132 more were wounded.
On August 18, 2003, 22 people were killed and 136 wounded on a bus in Jerusalem. Eight of those killed were under the age of 20. One of them was a defenseless little baby of three months. They had been blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. Some of the bodies were impossible to identify and had to be sent for DNA analysis. 136 more were wounded. Many of them were children.
On October 4, 2003, a female homicide bomber was able to walk undetected across the border into Israel, penetrate a popular beach restaurant in Haifa, kill 21 people and wound 45 more. Four of them were children under 12. Two of them were from the same family. They were blown to pieces along with their parents and grandmother. An eye witness later told reporters he watched with horror as one of the children was literally splattered across the restaurant wall.
On May 2, 2004, four Israeli children between the ages of 2-11 were made to witness the horrendous murder of their very pregnant mother. She had been gunned down at point-blank range by two murdering Palestinian youths. When the youths had killed the mother, they turned their guns on the petrified children and shot each one of them at least three times through the head. The two-year-old was still strapped in her car seat.
These are just some of the very tragic horror stories.
Of course, it must be impossible for youngsters in Wales to understand that such horrendous events could happen to defenseless children in any country, especially one with similar values and lifestyles as their own. However, in Israel, events like this are all too common and more than 100 children have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
These terrorists are churned out by a society that cares nothing for the dignity of human life. Their leaders have for years kept these people in blind ignorance and poverty, deliberately and systematically developing an evil death cult among them. They incite hatred 24/7, preach intolerance and demonize their children to such an extent that the only value they have to their dehumanized society is by their deaths. Terrorist organizations like Hamas have been allowed to flourish, encouraging their youth to long for death through noble martyrdom and the indiscriminate murder of as many innocent Israelis as possible.
I am appalled that the venue of a youth festival would be used to show such utter disregard for over 100 dead Israeli children, who have had to lose their young lives through Palestinian terrorism. The intention to use actors dressed up as Israeli soldiers to show how difficult it is for a Palestinian to travel because of the wall is farcical. It is all the more disgraceful to use a youth festival, packed with impressionable young minds, to make a mockery of a country that has been forced to take measures against these savage acts of barbarism.
The Palestinians themselves have built the wall, through four years of terrorism against Israel. To glorify it is not the kind of performance that belongs on a windy Welsh hillside before 100,000 Welsh youths.