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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

1179.0. "Roof collapses in E. Jerusalem" by SGWS::SID (Sid Gordon @ISO) Mon Mar 02 1992 08:58

Two days ago a roof collapsed in a cafe in East Jerusalem, probably
due to the accumulated heavy mud and snow.  23 people were killed and 
many injured.

This is of course a terrible tragedy, but like everything else in
the Middle East, there is more to it.  The restaurant was in the
predominantly Arab East Jersalem and all of the victims were Arab.

It needs to be pointed out (since there are always enough people willing
to point out our faults) that the Israeli army and many volunteers
worked through the night to dig through the rubble for survivors and
try to save as many as possible.  This of course is obvious and hardly
even worthy of note.  What is noteworthy is that this civil defense
unit, after working tirelessly 20 straight hours at the site of the
tragedy, was pelted with stones (surprise, surprise) on their way out
of East Jerusalem.

Some things never change...
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1179.1yes, well...TAV02::FEINBERGDon FeinbergMon Mar 02 1992 11:5226
re:  .0

>It needs to be pointed out (since there are always enough people willing
>to point out our faults) that the Israeli army and many volunteers
>worked through the night to dig through the rubble for survivors and
>try to save as many as possible.  This of course is obvious and hardly
>even worthy of note.  What is noteworthy is that this civil defense
>unit, after working tirelessly 20 straight hours at the site of the
>tragedy, was pelted with stones (surprise, surprise) on their way out
>of East Jerusalem.

	This event made it to the BBC world service report yesterday.

	BBC got the "cold facts" more or less straight, and they
	did blame the weather (and not Israel) for the collapse
	of the roof.  However, describing the aftermath, they were
	very careful to say how this building was in the Arab section
	-- "the occupied East section" of Jerusalem, and how all the
	victims were Arabs. They concluded by reporting on the many 
	Arab volunteers helping to dig it out. 	That was it...

>Some things never change...

	Yep.

don f.
1179.2was ok on radio in USTNPUBS::STEINHARTMon Mar 02 1992 15:5621
    The news report I heard did mention that the Israelis were helping to
    dig out.  Can't recall what medium; I believe it was radio, either NPR
    or a commercial channel.  They stressed that it was a cemetery wall
    that collapsed, unrelated to any other problems in the area.
    
    Wish such media coverage was more common. . .
    
    But, 
    
    A few weeks ago, NPR broadcast coverage on that prisoner who died under
    interrogation.  The correspondant interviewed the independent doctor
    from Medicins Sans Frontiers who had investigated.  The correspondent
    kept badgering the doctor along the lines, "Was the death related to
    mistreatment."  The doctor would only reply, several times. "The death
    was a heart attack related to the stresses of captivity and
    interrogation."  The doctor refused to say the prisoner was abused.  I
    was none too pleased with the NPR correspondent.  Clearly the doctor
    had carefully thought out his statement.  I thought the NPR
    correspondent was playing into the usual prejudices.
    
    Laura 
1179.3ULYSSE::HALDANEAlmost InfalllibleMon Mar 02 1992 17:007
	I heard a report yesterday on the BBC World Service that said
	something like:
	
	"For the first time since [the 1967 war?], Israelis and Arabs were
	working side by side..."

	Delia
1179.4TAV02::FEINBERGDon FeinbergWed Mar 04 1992 10:3324
reply to 1179.3 

>	I heard a report yesterday on the BBC World Service that said
>	something like:
>	
>	"For the first time since [the 1967 war?], Israelis and Arabs were
>	working side by side..."


	And, if that's true, it's a tragedy.

	Another truth of the matter is even more upsetting: one of the
	greatest tragedies of the intifada is that during the years from
	1967 onward, you could see more and more instances of open cooperation
	between Israelis and Arabs ("working side by side").  I was 
	personally involved in some instances in which I doubted to receive
	calmness, cooperation, help, ..., from certain Arabs but yet
	received it. The opposite was also true! The fact is that there
	*was* a significant and slowly increasing amount of open cooperation. 
	One of the main products of the intifada is to have destroyed 
	practically all of that.  Lost in the Correct Opinion of the
	news media.
	
don