The silence is deafening.
Two Israeli boys, murdered as they were standing on the side of the road. Aviad Mantsur, 17, and Avichai Levi, 16, were shot down as they were waiting for a lift from Bet Haggai. No government official showed up at either funeral. No in-depth press report showed up in the Israeli media describing these two boys in a fashion we have become so painfully accustomed to after such terrorist murders.
Everything was muted. Nothing was allowed to heat up the growing anti-Disengagement passion. Two Jewish families brutally wounded by painful loss. Two more families added to the long list of sadness, while Yevgeni Raider's family was still sitting shiv'a over his shooting murder several days earlier, near Baqa Al-Sharkiya.
Yet, everything was muted and silenced. We waited to hear a semblance of human, heartfelt concern and sympathy. Yet, everything remained silent.
Hebron Brigade Commander Lt. Col Moti Baruch, who attended the funerals, said that the terrorists succeeded in their mission because the army had lifted travel restrictions on the Hebron Arabs as a "good-will gesture." The good-will gesture implemented by the Sharon government as a "gift" to visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice enabled the murder of two young, promising boys. Yet, the Sharon government could not even carry out the simple "human gesture" of offering their condolences to the grieving families.
Instead, we hear a painfully loud silence. Yet the blood refuses to be silent. "And G-d said: 'What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground." (Genesis4:10)
The Martyr Massoud Iyad cell of the Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades took credit for killing these children. The Fatah, connected to Palestinian leader Abu Mazen, continues to kill, and still the Israeli government remains silent. The Hamas promises more terrorism after they receive their free gift from Sharon's government. At the same time, Abu Mazen makes it clear that he will do nothing against Hamas. Sharon is still silent.
Avichai Levy is buried in a bloodstained orange Gush Katif t-shirt that says on it, "We have Love and Love will triumph". Avichai and his family believed in love and the Jewish people, but as hundreds of people brought Avichai to his final resting place dressed in orange t-shirts, Ariel Sharon and his people offered no words.
Aviad Mantsur was traveling to Be'er Sheva to buy a huge anniversary cake for his parents, decorated with a picture of the family, and saying: "A memento from the children. Congratulations to Mom and Dad." The cake, which was to be eaten on Shabbat, remained untouched. His death replaced the celebration, and still the government remained silent.
Prime Minister Sharon will soon realize the power and extent of the will of the people. He may try to ignore the sea of orange ribbons that is engulfing this country. He will continue to claim that the majority of the country stands with him, while being afraid to take the question to the people. Sharon may choose to disregard the predictions of a terror war, voiced by most military analysts. He may ignore the declarations of the Palestinian terrorists that this Disengagement proves the victory of terrorism. Instead of dealing with the enemy of doom, he resorts to firing the messengers of gloom. Sharon and his media cheerleaders may try to avoid looking into the eyes of parents burying their children and he can try to ignore their cry coming from the earth.
But the people of Israel cannot ignore it. They cannot block their ears from hearing, "the voice of their brother's blood crying out from the ground." It is that cry that will bring hundreds of thousands of them out onto the roads and highways for the "March to Gush Katif" on July 18. G-d also is listening to that cry, and it is His Presence that will be with us all on that march.
Two Israeli boys, murdered as they were standing on the side of the road. Aviad Mantsur, 17, and Avichai Levi, 16, were shot down as they were waiting for a lift from Bet Haggai. No government official showed up at either funeral. No in-depth press report showed up in the Israeli media describing these two boys in a fashion we have become so painfully accustomed to after such terrorist murders.
Everything was muted. Nothing was allowed to heat up the growing anti-Disengagement passion. Two Jewish families brutally wounded by painful loss. Two more families added to the long list of sadness, while Yevgeni Raider's family was still sitting shiv'a over his shooting murder several days earlier, near Baqa Al-Sharkiya.
Yet, everything was muted and silenced. We waited to hear a semblance of human, heartfelt concern and sympathy. Yet, everything remained silent.
Hebron Brigade Commander Lt. Col Moti Baruch, who attended the funerals, said that the terrorists succeeded in their mission because the army had lifted travel restrictions on the Hebron Arabs as a "good-will gesture." The good-will gesture implemented by the Sharon government as a "gift" to visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice enabled the murder of two young, promising boys. Yet, the Sharon government could not even carry out the simple "human gesture" of offering their condolences to the grieving families.
Instead, we hear a painfully loud silence. Yet the blood refuses to be silent. "And G-d said: 'What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground." (Genesis4:10)
The Martyr Massoud Iyad cell of the Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades took credit for killing these children. The Fatah, connected to Palestinian leader Abu Mazen, continues to kill, and still the Israeli government remains silent. The Hamas promises more terrorism after they receive their free gift from Sharon's government. At the same time, Abu Mazen makes it clear that he will do nothing against Hamas. Sharon is still silent.
Avichai Levy is buried in a bloodstained orange Gush Katif t-shirt that says on it, "We have Love and Love will triumph". Avichai and his family believed in love and the Jewish people, but as hundreds of people brought Avichai to his final resting place dressed in orange t-shirts, Ariel Sharon and his people offered no words.
Aviad Mantsur was traveling to Be'er Sheva to buy a huge anniversary cake for his parents, decorated with a picture of the family, and saying: "A memento from the children. Congratulations to Mom and Dad." The cake, which was to be eaten on Shabbat, remained untouched. His death replaced the celebration, and still the government remained silent.
Prime Minister Sharon will soon realize the power and extent of the will of the people. He may try to ignore the sea of orange ribbons that is engulfing this country. He will continue to claim that the majority of the country stands with him, while being afraid to take the question to the people. Sharon may choose to disregard the predictions of a terror war, voiced by most military analysts. He may ignore the declarations of the Palestinian terrorists that this Disengagement proves the victory of terrorism. Instead of dealing with the enemy of doom, he resorts to firing the messengers of gloom. Sharon and his media cheerleaders may try to avoid looking into the eyes of parents burying their children and he can try to ignore their cry coming from the earth.
But the people of Israel cannot ignore it. They cannot block their ears from hearing, "the voice of their brother's blood crying out from the ground." It is that cry that will bring hundreds of thousands of them out onto the roads and highways for the "March to Gush Katif" on July 18. G-d also is listening to that cry, and it is His Presence that will be with us all on that march.