I don't have any words, I told Noorster, Jill and Stephanie, who were all equally horrified. As is Sarah and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's daughter, Dana. I feel as though I should write something, I said, but I am blocked.
I would like to say to the people who are using Hadeel's tragedy to score political points, to call for violent revenge and to condemn an entire nation: please stop it.
And I would like to say to the people who attempt to mitigate the horror with relativism, by drawing up a list of violent tragedies that have been visited upon Israelis in this conflict: please stop it.
A 7 year-old girl just saw her parents and siblings killed. She is an orphan. She is traumatized for life. Can't we just respect her grief with compassion and dignity? Must we watch the horrible video footage of her weeping near the body of her father over and over, making her grief into pornography?
Amongst the Arab bloggers who wrote about what happened yesterday, the only one I could relate to was this one, from Ahmed. The rest were
predictably disheartening. Just like so many of the posts written by Israeli and Jewish bloggers after a suicide bombing - the ones that demonize the entire Palestinian people for the actions of a few.
Today I received this email from Ramzi Sfeir, a Palestinian from Bethlehem:
Dear All ,
After the horrible attack that took place yesterday in Gaza, and after all the violence that has been stealing the lives
of thousands of innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel for the last
few years, I felt that I had a national, moral and human obligation of
doing something and speaking out. Therefore , i am sending you this
Frank Scott poem that , according to me, holds a good message for all
of us! Enough VIOLENCE, BLOOD and TEARS! Another way is possible!
Ramzi Sfeir
From Bitter Searching of the Heart
by Frank Scott
From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.
This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart.
We loved the easy and the smart,
But now, with keener hand and brain,
We rise to play a greater part.
The lesser loyalties depart,
And neither race nor creed remain
From bitter searching of the heart.
Not steering by the venal chart
That tricked the mass for private gain,
We rise to play a greater part.
Reshaping narrow law and art
Whose symbols are the millions slain,
From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part.
From Bitter Searching of the Heart
by Frank Scott
From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.
This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart.
We loved the easy and the smart,
But now, with keener hand and brain,
We rise to play a greater part.
The lesser loyalties depart,
And neither race nor creed remain
From bitter searching of the heart.
Not steering by the venal chart
That tricked the mass for private gain,
We rise to play a greater part.
Reshaping narrow law and art
Whose symbols are the millions slain,
From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part.
