EnglishTranslationImage121-1I have many misty, watercolored memories from my time as an IDF Lone Soldier, back in the 1990s. And there are few memories I can recall as clearly as the feeling of riding the bus home from my tank base, on the Fridays when we weren’t scheduled to spend Shabbat on our base, ‘somewhere’ in the Negev Desert.
idf egged
On your base, on patrol, on guard duty, on the border, you feel like a soldier. You wear your heavy-duty “bet” uniform that is designed to take a beating – the uniform whose job it is to get anointed with a layer of tank grease and mud, and then ask for seconds.

On the bus, you finally start to feel like yourself – like a kid who only recently was in high school (or in my case, college). You’re still wearing a uniform, but it’s your “alef” dress uniform with the colored beret you earned by completing your masa kumta (one of many long overnight marches), and all of the unit tags and insignia pins you are issued as you gradually earn the right to call yourself a “pazamnik” over 3 long years. Of course you also get to rock your favorite pair of sunglasses, asserting just a little bit of your personality, amidst the soldierly sartorial sameness.
egged highway
On the bus, you’re not yet home, but in your mind, you’ve already begun to make the mental transition. As you slide into your seat, you can almost taste your mom’s special chicken or cholent/chamin or jachnun or chraimeh or kubbeh soup or shakshuka or sabich or schnitzel or kababim (or in my case, the grilled chicken and Marzipan rugelach I bought for myself at Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market on the walk to the apartment I shared with 2 other Lone Soldiers) that she knows is your favorite. As she watches over the simmering pots, she looks up at the clock, beyond excited that in a few short hours, she’ll see her baby walk through the door. She can’t wait to shower you with love. Love in the form of hugs and kisses. Love in the form of a full plate, a full belly, and a full bed.

On your base, on patrol, on guard duty, on the border, your guard is up. You are perma-tense. Awake. Aware. Anxious.

On the bus, you begin to let your guard down. There are weeks during combat training that allow you only a precious few hours of sleep. So when Friday comes and you nestle your head in the crook between your seat’s headrest and the bus window, your body seems to sense that you don’t need to be quite as vigilant as you were just a short time ago. Your eyelids seem to sense that they are suddenly much heavier than they were just a short time ago.

You are bone-weary and finally, deliriously, blissfully, on the way home – just another kid who wants to tell mom and dad about his week. You picture yourself walking through the front door of your family home in just a few short hours, as you’ve done thousands of times in your short life. Your senses are attuned not the sounds of gun or tank fire and the smell of cordite and diesel, but to the comforting sounds of the voices of family and friends, and the comforting smells of your favorite comfort foods.

And then you are asleep – a deep sleep that will only be interrupted by the sounds of the bus arriving at its destination, the sounds of your fellow passengers rising to gather their belongings and get off the bus.

F131113ASY06

Unless you are Eden Atias (HY”D) of Nazrat Illit.

Eden Atias who was only 19 years old.

Eden Atias who was only 3 months into his army service.

Eden Atias whose alef uniform hadn’t yet had the opportunity to earn any insignia.

Eden Atias whose alef uniform still probably had the crease from the factory.

Eden Atias who never got to walk off the bus under his own power.

Eden Atias who was buried tonight.

atias1-e1384345518861

Would Eden Atias still be alive if our government stopped letting terrorist murderers out of the prison they earned the right to inhabit for so much longer?

Would Eden Atias still be alive if John Kerry had kept his wishful-thinking, flotilla-supporting, intifada-threatening mouth shut?

Would Eden Atias still be alive if we worried less about confidence-building measures and Palestinian ‘dignity’, and more about keeping ourselves safe?

Would Eden Atias still be alive if we worried less about the ignorant, hypocritical, morally relativist ‘world opinion’, and more about asserting our legal and moral rights to live proudly in our homeland?

 

As I try to sleep tonight, I will be thinking about these questions.

As I try to sleep tonight, I will be thinking about Gal Gabriel Kobi.

As I try to sleep tonight, I will be thinking about Tomer Hazan.

As I try to sleep tonight, I will be thinking about Eden Atias.tumblr_mw9u0fBsbY1s4lolfo1_1280

May G-d comfort the family of Eden Atias among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. And may we know no more sorrow.

 

UPDATE: If it seems like I wrote the name Eden Atias a few times too many, perhaps it’s to make up for the fact that so many media outlets either couldn’t be bothered to include it at all, or only deigned to do so in the context of Israeli evildoing. Just another example of the media at its perfidious finest.

79 thoughts on “Sleeping On The Bus”

  1. Eden Atias would still be alive, if his “gang” the IDF, didn’t torture children, rape women, bulldoze homes, and destroy the lives of Palestinians.

    His death is regrettable, but no more so then the Palestinians who are killed by the IDF.

    1. Palestinians and all Arabs are quite safe from terror when riding busses in Israel. And apparently you did not read the criticism of the IDF for NOT raping women. Kid you not: the critic said it showed Israeli/Jewish superiority. (I don’t have the cite, maybe another reader can supply it.)

          1. Where is the proof that “anything” from Monfoweiss is a lie?

            I don’t trust Mondoweiss, or any other website. However, Mondoweiss actually links to where they pull their information from, so I can double check and see if they are lying. They weren’t.

            Where is the proof that I am a “jew-hater”? That’s a pretty serious claim.

            1. As things stand the Israel is condemned for its very existence by you and your ilk.One can only imagine the din that would have ensued had the IDF “raped women” and “tortured children” in addition to the assorted crimes that you have mentioned.

              Yes, the IDF does bulldoze homes,but these are reactions to the crimes of Jihadists’ seeking perpetual coital bliss.

              So far as ‘destroying the lives of Palestinians’ go, they are doing a better job of it than Israel can ever hope of doing.

            2. As things stand,Israel is condemned for its very existence by you and your ilk.One can only imagine the din that would have ensued had the IDF “raped women” and “tortured children” in addition to the assorted crimes that you have mentioned.

              Yes, the IDF does bulldoze homes,but these are reactions to the crimes of Jihadists’ seeking perpetual coital bliss.

              So far as ‘destroying the lives of Palestinians’ go, they are doing a better job of it than Israel can ever hope of doing.

              1. Wow, thanks for deciding my beliefs for me. I don’t condemn Israel’s very existence. I, like most countries in the world, want Israel to thrive in peace and security. They just need to do so on land they actually own (Not Gaza or West Bank).

                The IDF DOES rape and torture, and this is confirmed by both Israeli sources and “neutral” sources (Human Rights/UN).

                What do you mean by “coital bliss”?

                1. Eternal coital bliss is what the Jihadis are promised in return for their murderous rampages.Can’t help but wonder whether the Islamists see Allah as the manager of a brothel.

                  Care to mention who these “neutral” sources are?From your interpretation of the word, I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn out to be the local press corps of Hamas or the propaganda wing of the PLO.

        1. if the Palestinians aren’t happy, they can easily move to one of the other 21 arab countries. i’m SURE they’d live happily and safely away from the heathen jews in Egypt, Jordan and Syria!

          The IDF wouldn’t have to “rule with an iron fist” if the palistinian leaders didn’t incent their people to hate and kill. perhaps if they valued life instead of loving death, in order to escape their own self-created problems, we’d have peace.

          why are you so afraid for the Palestinians to take responsibility? so you justify the killing of one teenager by another? You’re just a sick fool. to the Palestinians you’re just another useful idiot, I.e., another Rachel Corrie! good luck with that!

          1. Nice logic. So its okay with you if America expels all Jews tomorrow, and if they complain, we can tell them to just find their way to Israel?

            Nobody is saying that the Palestinians don’t share blame in this situation, but it only goes so far. What have the Palestinians possibly done, that lead to the IDF torturing children, raping women, and demolishing Palestinian homes for Jewish only settlements?

            1. Torturing children and raping women? That is an outright lie and vile propaganda. Try something like that again and you can say goodbye to commenting on here.

              Regarding house demolitions, there are a number of reasons, including deterrence, illegality, destroying hideouts and weapons posts, forcing out terrorists, and clearing out paths for tanks and APCs. Know your facts before making such ridiculous comments.

    2. Kane: your comment is vile, you have a heart filed with as much hate as the man who stabbed a sleeping person.

      We don’t delete negative comments but it can’t stand without this note alongside it.

      1. My comment is not vile and hate-filled. The young Palestinian who stabbed the IDF soldier was vile and hate filled.

        However, rational people must ask WHY he was vile and hate filled, and the answer is obvious.

        He was vile and hate filled due to his experiences with equally vile and hate-filled IDF soldiers committing atrocities on a far large scale.

        IF you want to stop a problem, you look at the root cause of a problem, as opposed to letting emotions sway you to irrationality.

        1. Kane, if I say that the so-called “IDF atrocities” are due to constant terrorism, and that if you want to stop “IDF atrocities” you look at the root cause of it, a.k.a terrorism, then what do you say? Chicken and egg? Who initiated the violence on earth?

          Additionally, it’s not difficult to imagine such a case, where the father is a criminal therefore is put into jail by the police. Then his young child aged 16 hate the country and seek revenge on the society. This scenario doesn’t really require that 16 year old boy being a Palestinian.

        2. It is always so sad to me when someone talks out of his butt like you are doing right now. Every piece of information that you know about Israel and its army is completely inaccurate. Israeli soldiers are too busy protecting the country from Palestinian men who bomb the south day and night, to run around “torturing” the children of Gaza and (gag) raping Palestinian women. The only torture those people suffer is from their fascist government run by Hamas. You need to get your information from acceptable sources, you need to be able to analyze what it is you’re reading, and you need to open your eyes to the reality, not the propaganda that you so eagerly slurp up like a baby with a bowl of oatmeal. Your idea of analysis is “why did he do it?” Do you ask that of any common murderer in your little corner of the world? Or are you implying that this young man deserved to be murdered in his sleep? But I guess when you want a fight with someone, you sucker punch them before the fight even begins. When a friend beats his wife, do you say, “well she obviously deserved it She burned his dinner last week!” THAT KID did nothing to deserve this kind of death. He was asleep on a bus next to a guy who was in Israel ILLEGALLY! How dare you try and justify this! And I will address your rabid anti-semitism some other time. I am too annoyed by people like you.

          1. 1.) I never said the IDF soldier “deserved” it, but that just like in any murder case, we question the killers motive to prevent future crimes from happening. That is something this blog is avoiding, as it incriminates Israel (IDF).

            2.) My information about the IDF isn’t false, and is common knowledge everywhere in the world, except for apparently Israel.

            Israeli sources admit and even researched the IDF raping Palestinian women. I linked to it above, and there are quotes from IDF soldiers discussing their attack of Palestinian women.

            Likewise, both the UN and Human Rights Organizations document the IDF torturing and in some cases killing Palestinian children.

            This hate by the IDF engenders brutality by the Palestinians in response, and unless you are willing to consider both sides of the equation, you will never solve the problem (math pun intended).

            1. Kane, I saw you’re willing to respond to any comments pointing to you. Could you also comment on what I said to you earlier?

              1. Sorry, I thought I already had.

                I’m not sure what the point in your above comment was, but I don’t disagree with anything you said.

            2. Please post these videos of IDF soldiers torturing Palestinian kids. Then I will show you a Palestinian man running with a 10 year old boy, dragging him and holding him up as a human shield, while he tries to protect himself from the rocket his friend is firing towards Israel. Oh, and the video of the Hamas lackeys dragging the dead bodies of “collaborators” behind their motorbikes. Or are you going to tell me they were simply taking the bodies to the cemetery?

              1. I don’t think there are any videos of the IDF torturing children. There are a few reports however.

                http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4395048,00.html

                IDF not only tortures Palestinian children, but use them as Human Shields. Indeed, there is more evidence for IDF using Palestinians as human shields, then Hamas doing so.

                I don’t understand you regardless. So if you can find somebody else doing evil, its okay if the IDF do it?

                1. While there might be some cases of torture, it is not a sanctioned act, and any soldiers committing abuse are dealt with by disciplinary tribunals. In contrast, the palestinians actions are ultimately encouraged and supported as part of a wider culture of incitement, hatred and support for heinous terrorist acts, including the use of their own people as human shields.

                  And I will add this, Kane. Your disingenuous attempt to appear even-handed is rather transparent. The focus of all your comments, like the above, is to criticize Israel and the IDF. Do not insult my intelligence and the intelligence of the readers here.

    3. He would be alive if the IDF did any of the things you accuse them of. He would be alive if we didn’t arrest terrorists, but shot them on sight. He would be alive if in 1967 instead of installing plumbing, electricity, and democracy in the West Bank we had expelled every Arab who lived there, like the Arabs did to every Jew they didn’t kill in areas they captured. He would be of people like you took the time to actually learn about the subject instead of relying on media, and your Palestinian friends for “facts”. WHy not actually read a history book, or newspapers from the ’30s-’60’s from the area?

      1. The first half of your response is somewhat difficult to follow.

        Yes, the IDF soldier would likely be alive if you simply killed every Palestinian you ever came across, but that’s not a very viable solution. I mean, if we simply killed every poor person in the world, we would end poverty, but that isn’t really a solution.

        I don’t rely on the “media” or “Palestinian friends” for facts, although I don’t trust Israeli sources either. I get my facts from the most impartial sources available, including the UN, World Court, International Court of Justice, and Human Rights Organizations.

        1. If you think UN is impartial and unbiased, you’re a moron. Antisemites have two hundred votes and Jews have only one over there.
          Go fuck yourself and smash your head against a wall.

          1. Is the UN perfectly impartial? Of course not. However, it is MUCH more impartial then daily press clippings from either Israeli or Palestinian news sources. Regardless, it is the most representative judicial body in the world, and commands respect.

            Anti-Semites? Really? 200 nations in the world are all antisemitic? So is your position that the only country in the world not antisemitic is Israel, and everyone else who disagrees with them are all hopelessly racist?

        2. The UN is impartial? Hahahahahahahaha *deep breath* hahahahahahahahaaaa.

          You know, at first I thought you were just intellectually dishonest and hateful. But now I see that you’re just not very intelligent. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

          1. Go, DeeDee! I’m liking your style. And I’m thinking that all of this information is just wasted on this moron. So self-righteous! So smart! If he were that smart, the whole world would be waiting with bated breath for the pearls of wisdom to just fall from Kane’s mouth, and then all our problems would be solved. Only we know what Kane’s solution would be and it would not favor Israel or even treat Israel fairly. Thankfully, you and I both know that people like Kane are like dead autumn leaves — eventually the wind blows them away. Israel will triumph and they will do it without the need to slaughter 3 month old Pal babies. Am Yisrael chai and kol tuv!

        3. Every single one of those institutions has displayed outright anti-semitism and anti-zionism. You’re an IDIOT if you look to them for the truth.

          1. Really, can you give me an example showing these esteemed organizations displaying “out-right antisemitism”?

            Keep in mind some of the worst atrocities committed by the Israeli Army are documented by Israeli Human Rights Organizations.

            1. “Atrocities” of the Israeli army. Massacres. Wanton murder. Israelis are the new Nazis! Genocide! Torture! Apartheid! So racist, they won’t even rape Palestinian women! Israel is the worst example of humanity!

              We know the drill, Kane.

              1. Well instances of IDF “atrocities”, including both rape and torture, are well documented by both Israel and neutral agencies.

                I think Israel as an Apartheid state is debatable, thought I personally don’t use that descriptor.

                The ‘New Nazis’ isn’t accurate at all, as clearly the Nazi’s are in a league of their own, and it would be rather insensitive to call the IDF “Nazis”, as we are talking about the Jewish state.

            2. Israeli human rights organizations are made up of a bunch of leftist, self-hating Jews whom the rest of us find more objectionable than a fly in our soup. If you would like, I can give you a list of all of the UN’s resolutions that are against Israel since it was formed. There are so many of them with such nonsensical subject matter, that it becomes very clear that the UN was, is and always will be, anti-Israel. Would you like me to go ahead and do that for you? Would you, Kane? I’m happy to. But you’ve already made up your mind who’s the guilty party here. Smart guy like yourself, you’ve got it all figured out, dontcha? No one can prove you wrong. But like I said, I’m happy to post it, even though the truth is always available to you on the internet. You just need to want to look for it. You really are a putz. You know what that is, right? It’s Yiddish for what we would call someone like you: a dickhead.

              1. What?! So the Israeli Jews who criticize Israel by documenting IDF atrocities are SELF-HATING-JEWS? Do you hear yourself?

                So you think the UN is anti-Jewish or anti-Israel, because there are a lot of resolutions against them?

                Have you ever paused to consider that maybe the reason Human Rights Organizations, the World Courts, and the UN (every country in the world) criticize Israel, is because they do something wrong?

                Or is every criticism of Israel an anti-semetic conspiracy?

        4. The UN have condemned Israel more than a few other states togeher, including DPR Korea, Kingdom of Saudi-Arabie, Myanmar (aka Burma), Iran, Pakistan and the list of countries included there goes on.

          So if the UN was perfectly impartial, how come that Israel gets more often condemned than not onyl any of the above listed countries but more often condemned by all those countries added up?
          Myanmar holds the record for one of the longest ongoing civil wars. You think that there would be some rape & torture involved as well.
          Saudi-Arabia – I can’t even think of any human right that is not systematically violated there. Women are treated as property, have no rights, need their husbands permission for everything. Furthermore Nonmuslims have no rights there either, they’re legally barred from entering at least one city. The only reason why Saudi-Arabie has such a low official rape rate is that a woman needs 4 male Muslim witnesses to prove rape. Forensic evidence, the testimony of Nonmuslims or females is not permitted.
          Saudi-arabia executes gay people and women found guilty of adultry (that’s what happens when she can’t prove a rape charge by providing 4 male Muslims as witnisses).
          you’d think that such a country would head the bill when it comes to condemnations, wouldn’t you?
          DPR Korea is a giant prison disguised as a state. There are no human rights in DPR Korea but there are larges prisonor camps in which political prisoners are kept. It is only due to sattellite images and one or two escapees from theose camps that we now about those.
          You’d think that a state like DPR Korea deserves some condemnation.

          Pakistan is a country that infliced a civil war upon the Indian part of Kashmir just because Pakistan couldn’t accept the Republic of India (after all it’s a mjority Hindu state). Furthermore the Pakistani secret service instructed the Mumbai terrorists and there’s also evidence that Pakistan supports other Islamic terrorist grpoups to carry out attackes against India.
          So why isn’t Pakistan condemned for its actions?

          Other countries that has gotten far less condemnations than Israel but I’m not certain whether those were included in the add-up list include is Indonesia despite the very brutal occupation of East Timor. So is torturing people in East Timor a lesser crime?

          Or Eritrea. A country with about as much freedom of Press than DPR Korea. It is also know for its routine torture of prisoners. Working as a journalist in Eritrea means being in danger of loosing one’s life. Furthermore there has been an ungoing armed conflict with its neighbour Ethiopia where both sides did not always adhere to the geneva convention. The conflict lasted jsut over two years and depending whom you ask both countries may have managed to pile up as many as 150 000 dead bodies on each side.
          Does this sound as if the UN should be silent about eritrea?

          Why hasn’t Sudan which still hasn’t abolished slavery and appears to love to rape & torture Christians living in the South (now mostly independant South sudan). So why isn’t Sudan condemned for its behaviour? Is it less of a crime when blacks do it to other blacks?

          So now after I’ve presented you with some countries that deserve condemnations way more than Israel but the UN has conemned Israel more then some of those nations combined, does it appear that the UN is impartial?

          Furthermroe look at who worked to condemn Israel most often. It was mainly the Muslim states and during the cold war also many communist countries who were against Israel because it was an ally of the US plus of course the communsit states could get support from the Muslim states for this behaviour.

          Looking at the Muslim states (which are form a formal group which changes the name frequently but was at some point named along the lines Cooperation of Islamic states or so) you notice that some of the world’s most brutal regimes are included. Among very destinguished members is Pakistan. After all guilty for sponsoring terror against Indian civilians and stirring up violence & terror in Kashmir. Indonesia guilty of brutally occupying East Timor.
          Turkey whilst having a parliament and having carried out the Armenian genocide (which still Turkley won’t admit) it is also still actively occupying Cyprus. The occupied part is known aas the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In this sham country only recognised by Turkey homosexuality is still illegal and people are still being put on trial for it despite the fact that TRNC repeatedly promised to abolish the law criminalising homosexuality. Another lovely feature of TRNC was at least up until 2012 the fact that citizens who are not ethnic Turks and who are not Muslim don’t have the right to vote.

          Now look at all those states again and think again whether UN looks biased against Israel but also consider where the bias may come from.

          Another funny feature of the UN is the fact that Iran (or waas it Saudi-Arabia?) was tasked with the protection and advancement of womens’ rights. Any organisation that even considers this gross travesty of justice and human rights should never be thought of as “esteemed”.

    4. actually-there was a study done by one of the haters of israel where she accused israeli soldiers of NOT RAPING arab women-ever-cause she claims exactly what u claim- our wonderful soldiers r so racist that they find arab women disgusting and hence DO NOT RAPE THEM….funny ha:):)

      1. I’m not sure what study this is, if you have a link I would be interested.

        The link I provided from Monodweiss which links to works by Israeli’s and Israeli supporters (Alan Dershowtiz) seems to contradict this claim, as IDF soldiers and Israeli researchers alike admit that rape of Palestinian women occurs.

        1. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124674#.UoVd_iTlH4g

          “The paper further theorizes that Arab women in Judea and Samaria are not raped by IDF soldiers because the women are de-humanized in the soldiers’ eyes.”

          “I do not have the entire text in front of me,” Gurevitch said, when contacted by Arutz-7, “and I don’t think we can jump to conclusions based on partial sentences, but I can say the following: This was a very serious paper that asked two important questions: Is the relative lack of IDF rapes a noteworthy phenomenon, and if so, why is it that there are so few IDF rapes when in similar situations around the world, rape is much more common?

          1. If I could I would give you a high five!! An actual source!!!

            As we can see from the bolded text, its clear that the IDF rapes Palestinian women, they just may do so at a lower rate then other armies.

    5. Wow, Kane. You are just a horrible person. He would still be alive if the Palestinians preached co-existence, peace and did not fill their children with lies about destroying Israel and all it’s people.

  2. If you come here to engage thoughtfully, then we will respond in kind and engage right back atcha.

    If, however, you come here to state a slanderous blood libel (or is it libelous blood slander?) as fact, if you are incapable of or unwilling to distinguish between the intentional, savage murder of innocents by Israel’s enemies, and the accidental killing of innocents who are thrust into the line of fire by Israel’s enemies, then you’re not worth the time.

    1. I don’t think its slanderous blood libel to state the truth. We can debate the issues if you want, but resorting to ad-hominem isn’t really a debate.

      You imply that the only time the IDF murders Palestinians is by “accident”?

      So the IDF soldiers “accidentally” rape Palestinian women in the occupied territories?

      The IDF “accidentally” bulldozes Palestinian homes in the West Bank to make way for Jewish only settlements?

      The IDF “accidentally” tortures children in Israeli prisons, where they are held without charge/evidence?

      By the way, the Human Rights Organizations and UN ALL looked into Israel’s claim that the Palestinians use Human Shields, which you are referring to. NOBODY has found any evidence that this happens consistently. The ONLY source this comes from is Israeli officials, who refuse to supply evidence to major outlets or the World Courts.

        1. They aren’t “my facts”, they are the findings of the UN, World Courts, International Court of Justice, and Human Rights Organizations.

          If you think the most esteemed justice organizations in the world mean nothing, fine that’s your prerogative.

      1. Kane, I am tolerating your vile comments only because you are being made an example of. Once I am satisfied your ass has been handed back to you on a platter enough time, your propaganda will no longer be kept on here. Kapish?

        1. Wow, so you plan on deleting comments simply because you don’t like them?

          Also, I am still waiting to be made an “example of”. Thus far the opposition to my comments has consisted of, “every country, court, and organization outside of the state of Israel is anti-semetic”. If that’s what passes as cogent argument around here, maybe it would be better if I did leave.

          One of the reasons Israel is losing the popularity battle, and thus ranks as one of the world least popular countries, is this very reason. Its supporters are unable/unwilling to engage critics on an intellectual/academic level, and resort to ad-hominem name-calling to avoid the issues.

          1. Kittycat of Zion

            “One of the reasons Israel is losing the popularity battle, and thus ranks as one of the world least popular countries, is this very reason. Its supporters are unable/unwilling to engage critics on an intellectual/academic level, and resort to ad-hominem name-calling to avoid the issues.”

            You’re right Kane….people who are reacting with shock and pain to a senseless murder are overreacting, aren’t they? Goodness me, what are they thinking, feeling empathy for a bereaved family, outraged at an innocent young man being slaughtered in cold blood, while sleeping. They should put their emotions aside and completely intellectualise the event. I’m sure this will make Eden Atias’ (z”l) distraught parents and family feel SO much better, once they’ve rationalised the situation on an intellectual/academic level, they will come to realise that their son’s murder was really due to “IDF brutality”, and it will bring them as much self-righteous comfort as it has clearly brought you.

            In fact, maybe Eden’s parents should go over to the murderer and apologise for their son’s presence on the bus that so ruined his day that frustration overwhelmed him and he had no choice but to stab him to death.

            “Israel is losing the popularity battle….” Wow. I mean really, wow. I’ve never seen such a good argument for bullying….hey, the unpopular kid in the playground….nobody likes him, so it’s ok to bully him….By the way, there was also a time when it was “popular” to segregate people racially in the US, “popular” to criminalise homosexuals, “popular” to enslave people…but I guess if everyone’s doing it, it must be right….

            Out of curiosity, do you also apply a similar approach when an innocent Palestinian is a victim of violence? Do you rationalise with them that they need to consider the context in which this happened, do you even mention Hamas sponsored terrorism, rockets being fired into Israeli kindergartens, homes and restaurants? Or do you immediately and conveniently jump straight to condemning Israeli occupation/oppression/apartheid/

        2. i think Kane and his vile ilk should not have a stage on this page. They r boring and we know the drill…so yes plz…erase his stinking crap asap

  3. I disagree with the main points Kane made. But some of his other claims, such as Israeli soldiers’ misbehaving, i.e. torturing, mishandling of detainees, did anyone that disagreed with him provide any concrete proofs to counter his? I see none.

    Something as ugly as war, no one can gurantee any soldier at any given moment behave according to the official code. But I do believe these are individual cases and the official policy never meant so and never tolerated them.

    While it seems that I argued for Kane a little bit, my primary response to this beautifully written post is that I felt resonant with it. I know how it feels every Thursday afternoon I check the clock every now and then subconsciously.

    Confronting such a tragedy face to face, I only want to be silent and mourn for it. In these moment, arguements seem remote and irrelevant

    1. One of the few fair responses I’ve seen.

      I don’t mind people disagreeing with me, but they need to disagree based on substance. For instance, if you honestly don’t believe the IDF commit atrocities, bring some counter-evidence that shows I may be wrong. “Everyone outside of Israel is part of an anti-semetic conspiracy”, is not counter-evidence.

      Also, I think its pretty clear official Israeli policy or Israeli citizens don’t tell IDF soldiers to rape women or torture children, but it DOES happen, and its WELL documented. These acts engender the hate-filled acts which led to a young Israeli’s death, and to close our eyes to this reality dishonors his memory.

      1. Your pseudo-intelligent remarks don’t fool me. You are an Israel-hater through and through. You’ll look for any reason to blame Israel for its problems, and now you’ve managed to do it with the murder of an Israeli citizen. There are not enough words to describe my absolute contempt for you and those who think like you. Just remember: you are in the American minority. And eventually people are going to get really sick of your idiocy and all of a sudden, you will realize that while you may be speaking, no one is listening.

        1. Israel-hater? Hardly. I am injustice hater.

          Its injustice when Hamas fires rockets on Israel, or when its citizens are subjected to suicide bombers.

          Its injustice when the IDF bulldoze Palestinian homes, and tortures/rapes Palestinian children/women.

          I am not “blaming” Israel for the soldier’s death, simply acknowledging that both parties play a role in engendering the hate that causes these tragedies to occur.

          The entire world except Israel and America share my views (via polls). America is still majority pro-Israel, but that number is coming down, as minorities become a larger part of the population, the Republican party grows even more unpopular, and American Jews grow more apathetic toward Israeli policy.

          1. No, the entire world does NOT share your view Kane. You are deluded and are a bigot. You certainly do not speak for Americans Jews–you may in your own mind. Get a hobby hater.

          2. No, you ARE an Israel-hater, despite your rather transparent attempts to appear a bit even-handed.

            The IDF does NOT rape palestinian children and women, as I mentioned in a different comment. If I hear you make that claim again on here, you will be banned. Got it?

            Comparing Hamas’ terrorism with the IDF bulldozing homes for real operational needs is also a no-no. Got it?

            Your contention that the US is still majority pro Israel but the number if coming down is a flat out lie. American public support for Israel is at its highest in recent years

            http://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-finds-american-support-for-israel-highest-in-years/

  4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Israel_and_Palestine

    Here is a full list of resolutions against Israel, which are so copious that it’s hard to believe the UN does anything else. I’d like to point out that not one of these resolutions are against the Palestinians. Not one. Not when the Fogel family was slaughtered, not for any of the bus bombing and restaurant bombings which killed so many Israelis. So tell me, where is the fair-handedness of this venerated institution you hold so high? The only conclusion to be made is that the UN will go out of its way to protect the Pals but will never do the same for Israelis. Now I suggest, Kyle, that you take this information and think long and hard about whether you really want to continue arguing this with me. I have many more sources and lots of friends that I will be telling about your stupidity, inviting them to join with me in cutting you down to size. Not your penis, mind you — that was never in need of cutting, it already started off small. Like your mind.

    1. Sounds like Kane has a small penis which explains his need to seek attention. I agree 100% with you Hadara about the islamic UN.

    2. Has it ever crossed your mind that the reason there are a lot of UN resolutions targeting Israel, is because they are doing something wrong? Or is all criticism of Israel an anti-Semitic conspiracy?

      And there have been resolutions targeting Palestine, just not nearly as many. For example, a UN resolution called on both Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities during the Gaza massacre, and Hamas has been condemned for its attacks on civilians.

      One reason for this disparity, aside from the large gap in atrocities committed, is that all of Israel’s violations are “state” sponsored, while many of Palestine’s violations are carried out by individuals, making it impossible/impractical to criticize the whole country/peoples.

      1. Really? Aren’t you a bright one! If that were the case there would be 1000 of resolutions against the islamic nations but there are none because the UN is controlled by islam and its oil.

        Your ignorance, delusions, and special education are most transparent.

      2. OK, just look look at my comment above.So after you’ve read it, answer the following.

        Has it ever crossed your mind that the reason there are a lot of UN resolutions targeting Israel, is because they are doing something wrong?

        So Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Eritrea, DPR Korea, Myanmar (and some other countries) together do less injustice than Israel alone?

        Or is all criticism of Israel an anti-Semitic conspiracy?

        it only needs to be balanced. While Israel certainly is not perfect and there are actions that need to critcised I find it incredibly hard to believe that Saudi-Arabia, Myanmar, Eritrea, DPR Korea, and so on actually get less criticised. That seems to suggest that there are at least two different measures and Israel is measured in an unfair way.
        What could be the reason for this unfair measurement? It could be the case that Israel is a Jewish state.

        One reason for this disparity, aside from the large gap in atrocities committed, is that all of Israel’s violations are “state” sponsored, (…)

        Whereas of course the large prison camps in DPR Korea are not state operated or sponsored. The systematic supression of free speech of any kind is of course perpetuated by random individuals and not the state. Hence DPR Korea is less criticised than Israel.
        And the accusation that DPR korea kidnaps civilians of other nations on occasion has nothing to do with the state.
        The fact that there’s no indpendent courst system in Saudi-Arabia and that the state routinely executes people for “crimes” like homosexuality, adultery (that incl rape victims of course), witchcraft.. and where it is legally permissable to marry girls off before they reach puberty is only a myth and only the smart UN knows this and hence they criticise Saudi-Arabia a bit less than Israel.
        The fact that Pakistan’s secret service(s) trains terrorists is then only invented by India? And the violence and unrest in kashmir erupted randomly it really hadn’t got anything to do with Pakistan helping it a bit to weaken India. And as such Pakistan is criticised less often than Israel.
        When the armed forces of both Eritrea and Ethiopia fight a bloody war this isn’t state sponsored and so both nations are ciriticised less than Israel. Furthermore it’s not state-sponsored that in Eritrea prisoners (of all convictions) are routinely totured. Hence Eritrea gets less criticism than Israel.
        Indonesia brutally occupies East Timor with a lot of blood shed. Apparently nothing to do with the state then even though it was Indonesia’s armed forces right in there. But of course there’s no reason to assume that it was the state who did. So Indonesia gets less criticism than Israel.
        And so on and so forth. You need to be a tad deluded to believe it, don’t you?

        while many of Palestine’s violations are carried out by individuals, making it impossible/impractical to criticize the whole country/peoples.

        this measure then of course applies to all of the afore mentioned nations rendering those states which have established brutal dicatatorships to acts perpetuated by individuals and so the UN does practical things and blames Israel far more often than any other nation.
        Yeah, that makes sense…..

      3. Thursday a United Nations interpreter, unaware that her microphone was on, uttered words of truth in reaction to the General Assembly’s adoption of nine politically-motivated resolutions condemning Israel, and zero resolutions on the rest of the world.

        Under the mistaken impression that she was speaking only to a colleague, the interpreter uttered the following words into the headphones of every UN delegate, and before a live webcast audience worldwide:

        “Isn’t it a little weird? There are nine or ten resolutions against Israel. And I know there’s a problem with the Palestinians. But there’s other bad shit going on and they’re spending so much time on this.”

        Yes, Kane, sometimes there is such a thing as a conspiracy. In this case a conspiracy of authoritarian and antisemitic nations exploiting Western post-colonial guilt, tapping into its own lingering antisemitism, to deflect attention from their own sins. The Jew’s an easy target because folks like you have been practising on us for centuries; now the Jewish State is getting a taste of it. Like the pig which pretends to be kosher by sticking out its cloven feet you flaunt your progressive credentials to convince the world of your humanitarian principles. But we can see through you, we can smell your shit a mile away. Others may be seduced by your politically correct voice but all we hear are you grunting bigotry and distortions and lies.

      4. Has it ever crossed your mind that the UN’s record of bias against Israel is horrendous?

        The existence of *some* criticizing the palestinians does not prove otherwise. In fact, the gross difference between those criticizing Israel and those criticizing the palestinians is a testament to this bias. If you are truly interested in truth and honesty, I suggest this as a good place to start reading about it: http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1359197/k.6748/UN_Israel__AntiSemitism.htm

        Your contention as to why there exists such a disparity is laughable. Given the huge number of terror attacks perpetrated by terrorist organizations with the backing of the PA or the Hamas GOVERNMENT in Gaza, you might want to reconsider. Plus how you use that explanation regarding the infamous, now revoked “Zionism is Racism” resolution is beyond me.

  5. With all of my posting about this jerkoff Kane, I have been remiss in expressing my deep appreciation for the beautiful piece that has brought us all together today. It is a beautiful tribute to Eden and a painful reminder of how a mother can lose her child without warning to unspeakable violence. I keep thinking to myself, when she woke up that morning, she had no idea that her son would be in the ground by nightfall. It almost seems unfair, that we Jews bury so quickly because the burial is the finality of the loss and she’s not even allowed to have a few hours where she can pretend that her boy will be walking through the front door. I have a son Eden’s age and I can’t even imagine the horror she is living through. I hope that someday she will find comfort in his memory, and I hope she knows how hard we are all pulling for her and her family right now, for them to find a way through this awfulness to a place where thoughts of him won’t tear their wounds open all over again. So thank you, you really brought this all home for me. Your words were eloquent and powerful, two sides of the same coin that you managed to make people see simultaneously. Blessings to you.

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