Bombed Bus to Be on Exhibit

[Herschel]

The skeletal remains of an Israeli bus blown up by a Palestinian suicide bomber will go on display at a Jewish culture fair at the Javits Center in December, alongside exhibits promoting Jewish culture and tourism to Israel, officials said Friday.

ZAKA, a disaster response group in Israel, says it is shipping the bus over to show the horror of such attacks and to raise money for its work. Relatives of attack victims are outraged and Israeli government officials also have quietly questioned its wisdom.

"They're marketing the blood of the people," said Meir Indor, a spokesman for Israel's Terror Victims Association. He said the display will cheapen the deaths and heighten survivors' trauma, especially because it is being done partly to raise money.

ZAKA also has received complaints that the display will offset efforts at the fair to boost Israel's tourism industry, which has been decimated by fears generated by the violence.

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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wobus043480430oct04,0,1778744.story?coll=ny-worldnews-headlines

I understand the concerns. However, such a display would have merit in America.

[Darranar]

1. How about a large photo of Rachel Corrie beside it?

And photos of innocent Palestinian victims.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Next to it, they could put a bombed Gaza apartment bldg, tiny shoes

blown into the rubble, all that's left of the Palestinian children who lived there.

[Herschel]

3. You two

I am referring to murder, not sad accidents or that woman who put herself in harm's way.

[Darranar]

4. "Accidents..."

Err... riiigggghhht...

And I assume that the wall is an accident, too?

[Herschel]

5. I was referring

to those that passed on during Israeli measures to bring justice to killers.

[Darranar]

8. Those deaths weren't 'accidents,' either...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/duforum/DCForumID30/8302.html

[Herschel]

10. Terrorists were the intended target

Civilian deaths were not desired. At times they do occur.

[bemildred]

11. So, your argument is that if your intentions are good,

it does not matter what you actually do?

[Darranar]

13. It does matter...

but only if you're Palestinian.

For the Israelis, the ends justify the means (though no ends are really accomplished, in the long run.)

For the Palestinians, the means (the suicide bombings) are inexcusable, regardless of the ends (which, like the Israeli actions, never really happen and are in fact made less likely by those bombings.)

That's half right. If only they applied the same standards that they apply to the Palestinians to the Israelis as well...

[Herschel]

15. My standard is the same

Intentional targeting of civilians is murder.

[Darranar]

16. And...

when Israelis target civilians intentionally it's a regrettable accident, and not murder.

[Herschel]

17. The brave IDF does not

target civilians. You know that. If you are referring to Israeli militants, that is another matter.

[Darranar]

18. Except those "Israeli militants"...

are in the IDF in considerable numbers. And they have targeted militants when there were innocents nearby - and when there could have been other options.

[bemildred]

21. You don't consider dropping a bomb on an occupied

apartment block, or firing missiles into a traffic jam
to be targeting civilians?

[Darranar]

22. See post #13...

to some, the end always justifies the means on the Israeli side - even though the ends that might have some moral basis aren't accomlished.

[wtmusic]

7. And those Palestinians who built their homes in harm's way

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. Intel reports indicated that a wanted Shin Bet operative was on that bus

It is unfortunate that Israel uses human shields to protect such people, attempting to hide them among the passengers of a civilian bus.

While any innocent loss of life is always regrettable, there were also indications that the bus contained gunmen who were planning an attack on Palestine.

[Herschel]

14. Explain yourself

Show us the links to your stories.

[wtmusic]

6. A wall will separate the Palestinian side of the exhibit

[drdon326]

12. YEAH....

We wouldnt want to upset those palestinian olive-tree
growers over the LIVES of innocent ISRAELIS.

[IndianaGreen]

19. What a novel idea to increase tourism to Israel!

I hope they succeed in frightening people from going to Israel and spend money over there. Choking the tourism industry will put more pressure on the government to raise taxes to pay for the occupation.

[bemildred]

20. LOL.

[Herschel]

23. LOL?

A bombed out bus frightening people from visiting Israel would result in a poorer economy. And you find this amusing. Oh, my.

[Darranar]

24. He finds illogic amusing...

as do I.

[bemildred]

25. Being literal minded has its drawbacks.

The lack of a sense of humor is surely one of them.

[Herschel]

26. I am not sure

Indiana Green was speaking entirely in jest. If so, it would be a rather bizzare situation to find amusement.

[bemildred]

27. She was speaking partly in jest, I think, and partly not.

Smart people think about the world in complicated ways.