Aaron Knows Best

In an account posted on the ISM mailing list, Jewish ISM activist “Aaron” asserts the following:

1. The phenomenom of palestinian children throwing rocks at tanks is never staged for the benefit of the press

The children, unfortunately, are impossible to contain, and chase after tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) throwing rocks. When the vehicles turn their guns on the children (tanks have huge cannon, and APCs have .50 caliber machine guns), they run away to try again later. I can say with absolute certainty that this activity isn’t staged for the benefit of the press.

2. Israel deliberately aims to kill ISM volunteers

The threat to our own safety is, of course, also a serious concern, but this is complicated by the fact that all three ISM activists killed by the Israeli army were wearing bright red, reflective vests at the time they were killed. Because of this, as well as harassment and propaganda directed at the organization, it is the nearly universal opinion of ISM volunteers that wearing a vest simply makes one a particularly choice target.

3. The IDF murders palestinians.

We persisted in demanding to speak with the family (very politely, by the way; I was using the same approach I use when dealing with actively psychotic clients at work), at which point the Sergeant leveled his (US-supplied) M-16 at my eye from about 5 inches away and told me to get lost, or else. I asked him if he really intended to murder a Jew, and the junior enlisted man next to him said, “No, he doesn’t.” I should say that I wasn’t positive until that moment that he was bluffing, and it’s still an open question whether a non-Jewish international would have been shot. The ISM folks who have been in Jenin for some time have told me that a Palestinian doing the same thing, even in an equally non-threatening manner, would have been killed on the spot.

Aaron ends his email by wishing everyone a good (Jewish) New Year. But even this leads into a diatribe against Israel:

I hope everyone’s having a good time, and getting ready for a great New Year. I also hope, however, that you’ll take a minute to remember the people of Jenin, whose entire town may well be held at gunpoint straight through the holiday in order to ensure a peaceful and secure experience for the Israeli Jews.

It would seem that Aaron (whom I suspect is Israeli himself) believes that Israelis are not entitled to peace and security.

The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana) is a time for Jews to reflect on the past year and repent to G-d for their sins. Aaron seemingly has alot of repenting to do this New Year.