September 19, 2002

Bombings and Bethlehem Land Annexation

Another Palestinian suicide bombing in Tel Aviv today. That makes two bombings in two days. I hate to write about stuff like that. Five dead and over 50 injured. Terrible. Suicide bombings are horrible. Not the way to solve anything. But it didn't surprise anyone here, of course. For the last six weeks there have been none. No bombings in six weeks. But during the same time, around 60 Palestinians were killed. And the Israeli army has had a tight clampdown on the West Bank. Jenin was under curfew for weeks with NO BREAKS. None. Nothing. Wasn't even lifted for a few hours so they could get food. Unbelievable. And all of the towns except Bethlehem have been under curfew. In Bethlehem we had some major Israeli political figures visiting this week. They came to town to see the land they decided to confiscate. (I think they liked what they saw. Nice olive groves and Rachel's Tomb.) So all of those things makes for a pressure cooker situation. And when the pressure gets too great, then something is going to blow.

That decision regarding the annexation of Rachel's tomb is crazy. The Israeli security cabinet just decided to take the area and keep it inside the security perimeter being built between Jerusalem and the West Bank. Then they will build a new road exclusively for Israeli use. This road will be in violation of the 1993 Oslo accord. (Same old story, just different location.)

The Palestinian Chronicle reported:

Knesset (Israeli Parliament) member Naomi Hazan, of the left-wing opposition party Meretz, said she was "absolutely outraged by this annexation, which has not been approved by any representative bodies in Israel." "We will try to do anything to reverse this decision, it is simply not acceptable," she added furiously. But an Israeli rights activist from B'Tselem said however that the decision would be difficult to counter. "The government will in all likelihood use the security argument to annex the land, an argument the Supreme Court has never rejected .. Unilaterally annexing land is illegal but it can be upheld by the Supreme Court if it is for military purposes. Even if Palestinians appeal the decision to the court, I doubt it will help because of the security argument," Lein added.

So whatever the Israeli security cabinet wants, it takes. This is nothing new. Since they are taking Rachel's Tomb, maybe they will take the Bethlehem Bible College, 100 yards up the road. And since the illegal Israeli settlement of Gilo is nearby, maybe the school will become the "Gilo Bible College." Hmmm...just doesn't have quite the same ring. I'll bet fundraising will be more difficult. And what will we do with all those sweatshirts that say "Bethlehem Bible College?" Get out your Bibles too. In that part where Rachel dies in Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19), mark out "Bethlehem" and write "Gilo" -- for accuracy.

Since they can just decide to take what they want, I hope that the Israeli security cabinet is satisfied with Rachel's Tomb. That means maybe they won't come for my home in Virginia.

Well, we decided that we want Fairfax and Arlington County instead.

Darn. Since YOU decided that you want it, I guess there's nothing we should do about it.

We decided that we want a few other things too. We'll take Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles. Maybe the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China. Heck, throw in the moon.

Well, since YOU decided...

Maybe someone in the world community should point out that it's not nice to take things that don't belong to you.

The Palestinians have exhausted every means possible for legally fighting Israeli decisions on land confiscations. Never makes any difference. And remember who holds ALL the military toys responsible for carrying out the action -- Israel has fighter planes, attack helicopters, tanks, armored personnel carriers and armored bulldozers, the Palestinians have NONE.