Excuse me for a written pause, as I must hold myself back. "From what?" you may ask. From the overwhelming desire to make a moral equation. What are the components of this equation?
Bombing of innocent Israelis hotel guests = Bombing of innocent non Israeli hotel guests. Or perhaps: Killing a bride the day before her wedding = Destroying a wedding in progress.
But then again, I have never been good at math, and it would seem that I am in very good company.
The tragedy in Jordan last week was the result of a despicable act carried out by despicable people. The world media have zeroed in on the pain and suffering of these victims. I do not recall such coverage when Nava Appelbaum and her father were killed by a suicide bomber the evening prior to her wedding. Nor do I remember such outrage following the Passover Hotel bombing in Netanya.
The Jordanian people have rightfully risen in protest against the cowards who kill and maim in the name of their common religion. The shame is that the protest is too little and too late. For many years, the Arab world, including Jordan, has condoned and even justified terror against innocent Israelis, with the excuse that the "frustration" of the "occupied" Palestinian people has brought on these acts. All Israelis and Jews were and are understandable targets. The infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion is widely popular in Jordan, a "peace partner" of Israel. Although there is peace on paper, the hearts of many Jordanians speaks differently.
Unfortunately, the Arab world ignored a crucial irony in the message sent by the murderers. No one has immunity to the plague of Islamic militant terrorism, not even Muslims and Arabs. Tolerance of terror for any motive only breeds more of the same. Judaism teaches: "One who has compassion for the cruel will come to be cruel to the innocent." Had Jordanians protested the killing of innocent Israelis, perhaps they wouldn't need to mourn now.
The equation here is quite simple. Treat every cowardly act of terror as evil and condemn it no matter who the victim might be.
A relative of some of the victims of last week's bombings said: "Oh my God, oh my God. Is it possible that Arabs are killing Arabs, Muslims killing Muslims? For what did they do that?"
The famous words of a German cleric come to mind (and I paraphrase):
Bombing of innocent Israelis hotel guests = Bombing of innocent non Israeli hotel guests. Or perhaps: Killing a bride the day before her wedding = Destroying a wedding in progress.
But then again, I have never been good at math, and it would seem that I am in very good company.
The tragedy in Jordan last week was the result of a despicable act carried out by despicable people. The world media have zeroed in on the pain and suffering of these victims. I do not recall such coverage when Nava Appelbaum and her father were killed by a suicide bomber the evening prior to her wedding. Nor do I remember such outrage following the Passover Hotel bombing in Netanya.
The Jordanian people have rightfully risen in protest against the cowards who kill and maim in the name of their common religion. The shame is that the protest is too little and too late. For many years, the Arab world, including Jordan, has condoned and even justified terror against innocent Israelis, with the excuse that the "frustration" of the "occupied" Palestinian people has brought on these acts. All Israelis and Jews were and are understandable targets. The infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion is widely popular in Jordan, a "peace partner" of Israel. Although there is peace on paper, the hearts of many Jordanians speaks differently.
Unfortunately, the Arab world ignored a crucial irony in the message sent by the murderers. No one has immunity to the plague of Islamic militant terrorism, not even Muslims and Arabs. Tolerance of terror for any motive only breeds more of the same. Judaism teaches: "One who has compassion for the cruel will come to be cruel to the innocent." Had Jordanians protested the killing of innocent Israelis, perhaps they wouldn't need to mourn now.
The equation here is quite simple. Treat every cowardly act of terror as evil and condemn it no matter who the victim might be.
A relative of some of the victims of last week's bombings said: "Oh my God, oh my God. Is it possible that Arabs are killing Arabs, Muslims killing Muslims? For what did they do that?"
The famous words of a German cleric come to mind (and I paraphrase):
They (the Nazis) came for the Jews, but I wasn't a Jew so I didn't protest.If you justify any terrorism under the principle of "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter," then you justify all terrorism. Moderate Muslims must take heed and protest against all, and I mean all, forms of terrorism. Or, as we saw in Jordan, there may soon be no one to protest for them.
They came for the workers, but I wasn't a worker so I didn't object.
They came for the Communists, but I wasn't a Communist so I didn't stand up.
When they came for the clergy, there was no one left to stand up for me.