Israel’s police, fire brigades and press intentionally hushed up an Arab arson offensive that took place while fires raged on the Carmel last week, a reporter for Ma’ariv Hebrew daily claimes.
According to Kalman Libeskind, sources in the Police and within the Fire Commission said – in briefings that were not for attribution – that they decided not to spread the information about the arson “so as not to wake into action more potential terrorists.” The press became “willing accompices” in this hush-up effort.
Libeskind lists the locations of about 25 arson attacks that the fire brigades fought in the course of last week:
* In Kiryat Shemona
* In southern Golan
* Twice near Tzfat (Safed)
* Several times in a grove that separates Abu Ghosh and Kiryat Anavim near Jerusalem
* Twice in a grove near Tzur Hadassah
* At the Sansan Ridge near Moshav Mata
* Twice in the forest next to Kaukab
* Once in the grove near Tzur Shalom
* In the area next to Mitzpeh Adi
* In a lot near Ma’alot
* Near Kiryat Tiv’on
* Between Yokne’am and Bat Shlomo
* Near HaMovil Junction
* Near Moshav Hoshaya
* In Nazareth
* Three times in Iloot Forest
* Once in Jerusalem Forest
* Twice in the Forest of Peace in southern Jerusalem.
No less than eighteen acts of arson were recorded last month in the Forest of Peace, Libeskind notes.
“This is a true Intifadah [uprising – ed.] that had to be the top headline of any news report,” Libeskind wrote. “The media consumers need to know that the story they have been getting is not the true one. The reason is that the Israeli press treats the Arabs of Israel as if they were spoiled children. They can inflict pain, hurl rocks and torch property, but no matter what, journalistic press rooms will still act as if insulting the Arabs is not PC.”
I remember in 1996 when much of the forest on the highway to Jerusalem burned. Arson… It fits the “profile” of the immature and cruel: “If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it for you.”
Jerry said,
When was the last time Jews rioted in the streets? at a rock concert?
Whenever we cover up attacks, we give power to the attackers. If in the future there is an attributable/attributed arson, it will be noted as an “innovation” rather than a continuation of a heinous policy. We tend to sleep when we can believe that there is no threat. Look at the United States, and see that the “Giant” that was roused on 9/11/2001 has been lulled to sleep and is now snoring lopudly enough to waken the enemy.
Like all ill-advised policies, cover-ups for criminal arsonists and rock-throwers will stop. One sure way is for someone important in the government to have a relative or friend seriously hurt or killed by one of these events. Another way to end these ‘untoward events’ is for the populace to riot in the streets over the lack of safety, though that will only yield a temporary crackdown. The marvelous video regarding Ha’Shomrim Ha’Chadashim is an interesting development. I cannot even hazard a guess as to how ‘official Israel’ will react to this grassroots approach. I am not looking forward to the first test of wills between these dedicated people and Bedouin thieves. My trepidation also extends to how the government will frame the issue.
I said the same thing on the second day, that it was a coverup and that it was arson by our Arabs fellow citizens.