Killing in Shfaram
August 4, 2005
I was just checking the news last night and saw that there was an Israeli soldier who shot dead four people on a bus in an Israeli Arab town; and he was then killed by the people of the town. And all of this took place in Shfaram (BBC news clip here). A town I had never heard of; until I caught a bus from Shfaram to Haifa, just 4 days ago.
Kind of puts everything, like world news, on a whole new level. I don’t know what to say about it. The four that were killed were Israeli Arabs, those Palestinians who are living up north and who have Israeli citizenship. The violence in this conflict has primarily occurred in the areas of Gaza and the West Bank, so for an Israeli soldier (granted, one that it sounds like was part of an extremist right-wing group) to board a bus and then open fire and kill Israeli-Arabs…wow. It sounds like he was trying to cause problems and stir up trouble the prevent the disengagement from occurring later this month.
It is also interesting to see the difference in reporting on this incident. You’ll notice pretty major differences if you read something like the New York Times, BBC and the Ha’aretz articles vs the Jerusalem Post article. Just go and at least skim them all. The one thing you’ll notice about the Jerusalem Post article is that while they do cover the story, they definitely make sure to focus on the ANGRY mob that attacked the soldier. They use such phrases as: “assaulted by a mob of furious bystanders and witnesses,” “A furious mob,” “angered crowds” and “an enraged witness.” It’s interesting the way that the focus of the article seemed to focus more on the angry mob than on the 19-yr old radical right-wing soldier/settler who brutally murdered 4 people on a public bus. I find that very interesting.
This is an extremely sad event and I hope that this does not bring about a response from the residents of Shfaram. Amidst all of this, I hope that people who are constantly talking about “terrorism” when it comes to the Palestinians; these sort of actions do not just come from the Palestinians - there are also acts of Jewish terrorism - it is not just the Jews & Israelis who need security.
Tags: Israel, Palestine, Shfaram, Travel
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
August 7th, 2005 at 5:17 pm
“I don’t know what to say about it. The four that were killed were Israeli Arabs, those Palestinians who are living up north and who have Israeli citizenship.”
That is your subjective comments and may not even be factual.
This comment also got my attention:
“.” It’s interesting the way that the focus of the article seemed to focus more on the angry mob than on the 19-yr old radical right-wing soldier/settler who brutally murdered 4 people on a public bus. I find that very interesting.”
What he did was wrong and was a case of terrorism, I have no problem saying that, but vigilante justice is not acceptable from either spectrum. It is interesting that you didn’t comment on the crowd’s reaction, in that they Executed him.
They were both wrong.
October 14th, 2005 at 9:16 am
What the key difference here is Adam is that the Israeli’s will not be celebrating this murderer and naming streets after him the way the Palestinians do when a suicide bomber strikes.
These people are glorified as ‘resistance’ fighters and heros.
You yourself refer to the activities of Hamas as ‘resistance’…when in reality blowing up innocent people is just plain wrong. No matter what you call it.
Your pro Arab polemics are your own business, but they are very sad at the same time.
April 10th, 2006 at 5:05 am
Ignorance is not bliss; you’re naive as a white kid walking through harlem thinking “nothing will happen to me, blacks are nice people. Their obsession with sex, drugs and violence is mere light entertainment for them. They don’t really mean any harm.” Don’t bother pretending that the palestinians want peace. They don’t, and they don’t need you to lie for them. They know how to talk quite well.
May 24th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Jack:
I know people from Shfaram, Arab Christians, who do indeed have Israeli citizenship, can serve in the army, want to be known as Israelis and have the same benefits as Jewish Israelis. This is inded, factual.